Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Pure maple syrup, as opposed to artificially flavored and colored “pancake” syrup, is an extraordinary cooking ingredient. Here it adds body as well as rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.

In this quick German-inspired side dish, red cabbage is cooked until just tender and combined with sweet apples, caraway and a tangy vinaigrette. Serve with roasted pork loin or turkey kielbasa.

Sweet balsamic vinegar and nutty Parmesan cheese complement roasted green beans and shallots in this easy and healthy side dish. Roasting the green beans gives them a sweet, caramelized flavor while they still retain some bite. Serve with chicken, fish, pork--you name it. These green beans are also a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

Contrasting sweet grapes with savory feta cheese and crisp, colorful greens, this salad makes an elegant first course.

Frisée and radicchio are both assertive, slightly bitter greens that add color and texture to any salad. Match them with mellower-flavored greens, such as red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or even Boston lettuce.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

Brussels sprouts braised in broth and thyme is a surprisingly simple preparation that yields rich and savory results.

When you brown butter, as in this recipe, the flavor intensifies so adding just a little to Brussels sprouts still makes a big impact.

Wow your guests with multicolored carrots dressed in a brown butter and sage sauce. They only take 15 minutes to roast, so pop them in the oven while you carve the turkey and they'll be ready in time to eat.

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

Flecks of red potato skin and deep green from the winter greens add festive color to the plate.

This recipe for sautéed mushrooms with caramelized shallots is one of those dishes that will haunt you. You might want to add a splash of excellent vinegar or some freshly grated lemon zest, but neither is necessary. Though a side of mushrooms may not be traditional, you'll be amazed at how well they go with everything on the Thanksgiving menu.

Chef Michael Symon loves Brussels sprouts because they can be cooked so many different ways. In this healthy recipe, the rich flavor of the walnuts, Dijon and capers is perfection with roasted meats.

For this mashed butternut squash recipe, we start by roasting the squash, which really intensifies its flavor and sweetness. That means you don't need to add much--just a few pinches of spices and a little butter and salt--to make the perfect healthy Thanksgiving side dish or partner for any other fall meal. If you want to dress it up more, add some honey and warm spices, like cinnamon, for a sweet profile; for a savory profile, add a teaspoon or two of rosemary, sage or thyme (or a combination) and sprinkle with Parmesan. Or go sweet and savory, with bacon fat (or bacon crumbles), maple syrup and additional cayenne. Using a food processor gives this mash a very smooth texture, but you could certainly mash it with a fork or potato masher for a more rustic texture.

These healthy and easy mashed potatoes get a savory touch from chicken broth and richness from a bit of sour cream.

The famous Waldorf salad, full of apples, celery, raisins and walnuts, gets a healthful makeover with a touch of golden curry. It has nearly twice the fiber of typical versions.

Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but this celery root puree is a worthy competitor.

In this kale salad recipe, we massage dressing into the kale leaves until they're tender and coated with flavor. Topped with bold Mediterranean flavors--olives, walnuts and preserved lemons--this healthy salad is as delicious as it is nutritious. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods shops or online at surlatable.com. Or, to make your own, see the recipe on eatingwell.com.

Grapefruit juice is the base for the tangy vinaigrette on this salad studded with grapefruit segments and dried cranberries. It serves 12 as a starter or about 6 if you'd like a large portion per person.

Crunchy fennel and celery are combined with grapes in this delicious salad recipe.

There are countless variations on this classic Irish potato-and-cabbage combination--ours is made with steamed red potatoes, sautéed cabbage and just a touch of butter.

This scrumptious sweet potato soufflé is sweet without being cloying like some sweet potato casseroles can be. A crunchy pecan-and-oat topping nicely complements the creamy sweet potatoes. The casserole requires just 25 minutes of active time to prepare, so you can whip it up for Thanksgiving without a lot of fuss. And the filling can also be made up to five days ahead, so you just have to top it and bake it when it's showtime. With a sweet potato soufflé that's so easy, there's no need to serve it just for the holidays--try it with oven-fried chicken and green beans for a healthy dinner with a Southern accent.

Sweet oranges and sharp red onion perk up romaine lettuce in this colorful salad.

Besides giving this salad a nutty crunch, walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins, minerals, protein and antioxidants. For an added flavor dimension, crumble some Gorgonzola cheese over each salad.