There is no holiday more quintessentially American than Thanksgiving. Whether it is a big family gathering or an untraditional get-together this year, no Thanksgiving celebration is complete without delicious and comforting food. Thanksgiving is a time to lean into everything creamy, buttery, and super satisfying. Yes, turkey, potatoes, and green bean casserole are basics for all regions of the country, but when it comes to side dishes and desserts, it's hard to beat the Southern options. Thanksgiving is the holiday designed to tap into the Southern cook in all of us.
The South is known for amazing comfort food, which makes it an inspiring region to check out when it comes to looking for Thanksgiving recipe ideas! From creamy mac and cheese to beyond the basic pies, Southern cooking is super to impress at any table for this holiday.
Cornbread Dressing
This classic cornbread dressing recipe is about as Southern as Southern cooking gets. It's an effective way to use up leftover cornbread, and we love the thriftiness of that combined with the amazing nostalgia of this dish.
Sausage Cornbread Stuffing
This variation of the side dish involves a little sausage, because who doesn't want that? This sausage cornbread stuffing is a popular one on the Thanksgiving table and absolutely delicious when the leftovers become a hash with eggs the next day.
Red Pepper Jelly
If there's an appetizer more Southern than red pepper jelly, we don't know what it is. Traditionally, this tasty topping is served with a block of cream cheese and a variety of crackers: Take the cracker, spread with cream cheese, top with pepper jelly, and enjoy. For some reason, this dish is more than the sum of its parts.
Honey Buttermilk Biscuits
Biscuits are a traditional Southern treat, but these honey buttermilk biscuits are both extra Southern and an extra treat. Softly layered and fluffy, they're perfect for being covered in butter and jam, or for sopping up all that delicious extra gravy.
Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese
This Southern baked macaroni and cheese from Divas Can Cook is full of amazing flavor. The secret behind what makes this mac and cheese recipe stand out from the pack? Smoked cheddar cheese, which adds a lot of depth of flavor. (Also Velveeta, which makes it incredibly creamy).
Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie
We love a traditional Southern pecan pie, but this Kentucky bourbon pecan pie really kicks it up a notch in terms of flavor. And don't worry, the alcohol in the bourbon bakes out completely, leaving only the flavor — making it perfectly safe for kids and other avoiding alcohol to eat.
Granny’s Classic Southern Pecan Pie
When it comes to pecan pies, who does it better than grandma? Some things just need to be the classics, right? This Granny’s classic Southern pecan pie is about as old school as it gets. It's delicious, crowd-pleasing, and easy to put together.
Collard Greens
For any holiday, but especially Thanksgiving, we're thrilled to see some true Southern collard greens appear on the table. This recipe for Southern collard greens with ham hocks is slow cooked, which means they only take 15 minutes of prep but do need to be on the stove for four hours.
Baked Ham With Brown Sugar Glaze
Although a Thanksgiving turkey is traditional in the South, it's also common to serve a baked ham with brown sugar glaze. It's also a smart option for larger groups if one turkey won't be enough for everyone who is coming to dinner.
Southern Mashed Potatoes
This Southern mashed potatoes recipe from All She Cooks is so incredibly creamy, rich, and indulgent, it's really just right for a holiday. Butter lovers, rejoice!
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans
We love how delicious this Southern sweet potato casserole with pecans is and that it only takes 15 minutes of prep. Sweet potatoes are a classic Southern ingredient, as are pecans, and when we combine them, we're getting the best tastes of the South.
Brown Sugar Butter Glazed Carrots
This traditional recipe for brown sugar butter glazed carrots from Deep South Dish is so tasty, we're not sure if we're eating candy or a vegetable. They cook quickly and easily, and are just as delicious the next day.
Savannah Seafood Stuffing
This Savannah seafood stuffing is packed with the flavors of Savannah, Georgia, including plenty of crab and shrimp. It takes advantage of some premade ingredients, such as a cornbread stuffing mix and cream of mushroom soup, making this dish easy for a beginner cook to make.
Sausage and Rice Dressing
We love a good cornbread dressing, but a sausage and rice dressing is a delicious option too — and for larger Thanksgiving gatherings, it can be nice to have multiple options. If there's already a vegetarian corn bread dressing, for instance, this could be an excellent choice for meat lovers.
Southern Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
In plenty of homes up North, a squash pie like pumpkin is a classic, but down South, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without a Southern homemade sweet potato pie. It's similar in style to a pumpkin pie but uses one of the best ingredients of the region.
Pineapple Casserole
It may seem strange to folks from other regions, but pineapple casserole is a true Southern holiday specialty. It can work as either a side dish or a dessert, but this mixture of cheddar cheese, pineapple, and butter crackers is incredibly tasty. This is a fun option for folks looking to bring something new to the table.
Homemade Southern Biscuits
These homemade Southern biscuits are incredibly flaky, buttery, and finely layered. They're genuinely magical, and although they're not difficult to make, they do involve a few extra steps — but we promise they're worth the effort.
Cranberry Jell-O Salad
This cranberry Jell-O salad is a classic side dish on many Southern tables. It's so old school, but we think it's a fun variation on a regular cranberry sauce and definitely is a more traditionally Southern play on the classic dish.
Ultimate Green Bean Casserole
Is it really Thanksgiving if there's no green bean casserole on the table? We don't think so, and we love this option from Southern Bite for an "ultimate" green bean casserole. It's made of all the traditional components we love: cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans, and fried onions.
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
A true comfort food item that's delicious all winter long but is especially beloved on Thanksgiving, this cheesy hash brown casserole is easy enough for those new to cooking to put together while being an incredibly tasty fan favorite. This makes a delicious option for Thanksgiving morning too.
Parker House Rolls
Tis the season for carbs! Some folks love biscuits as the bread for Thanksgiving, but others will love these delicious Parker House Rolls from Country Living. Bonus: Any leftovers make for outstanding turkey slider sandwiches the next day.
Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
There is always room for another veggie side dish at Thanksgiving, especially when that side dish involves cheese and bacon! The Creamy Corn with Bacon recipe from Cooking Classy is bright and colorful and sure to be a hit.
Deep-Fried Turkey
Everyone knows that fried chicken is a Southern food staple, but how about mixing it up with a deep-fried turkey instead? Deep-fried turkey needs to be made safely, so check the Food Network for an easy guide on how to do it.
Apple Cheddar Pie
Cheese? In a pie? Yes! The addition of cheddar cheese to a pie crust is super Southern and super tasty. Double Crust Apple Cheddar Pie from Country Living will have people going back for second and even third helpings, if it lasts that long!
Bourbon Gravy
On its own, turkey gravy can be, well, boring. But the Bourbon Gravy recipe from Martha Stewart is a delicious way to add a flavorful twist on a Thanksgiving must-have. This boozy option (it has both bourbon and white wine!) ties together all of the Southern elements of a menu.
