I know it seems early to start thinking about Thanksgiving but with some food shortages being foreseen and many of us staying home this year it is a perfect time to start planning. We will be grilling our turkey this year (click for link to recipe). It is so delicious and tender, yum!

Here are a few ideas for side dishes – from the classic to the slightly different. What is one dish you must have at Thanksgiving?

Green Beans with Brown Butter and Sliced Almonds (click for link to recipe)

I love these beans. They let me pretend I am eating healthy and the brown butter adds a delicious flavor to them. Just a bit of crunch from the almonds and you have my perfect side dish for the day.

Pecan, Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

This is one of my favorite stuffings. It tends to not be as heavy as sausage stuffing that we usually make. The pecans add crunch and the Craisins add a hint of sweet. The cornbread is my favorite as I like the plain white bread stuffing but this just bumps it up a notch.

Mashed Turnip with Bacon (click for link to recipe)

Want to try something a bit different from mashed potatoes? How about mashed turnips with bacon? My kids were eating this out of the pan before they even got to the table. The slightly salty and savory side adds a bit of different flavor to the usual sides.

Savory Sweet Potatoes (click for link to recipe)

Savory sweet potatoes is an oxymoron but if you want something that isn’t the sickly sweet mashed sweet potatoes most people serve on Thanksgiving you might want to try savory sweet potatoes.

Honey Cornbread (click for link to recipe)

Honey cornbread is a delicious side that can be instead of white rolls or croissants for dinner. A yummy honey-butter to spread on top and you have an easy bread side.

Patti Labelle’s Over the Rainbow Mac & Cheese (click for link to recipe)

Not everyone serves macaroni and cheese at Thanksgiving but it has to be part of our weekend even if we don’t have it on Thanksgiving. This is a family favorite. Lots of backed cheesy goodness makes this a hands down favorite!

Marshmallow Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole (click for link to recipe)

This is ooey, gooey, and tooth-achingly sweet and my family loves it. A bit of a twist for those afraid to stray to far from the tried and true classic sweet potato casserole.

Hasselback Maple Sweet Potatoes (click for link to recipe)

Hasselback Maple Sweet Potatoes are so simple to make and no need to worry about mashing them or watching them too much. Bake the potatoes and make the topping. So, easy!

Bourbon Pecan Salad (click for link to recipe)

I always try to serve a green salad before our main dinner to make me feel better about all the rich food I am about to serve my family. I try to spruce the salad up a bit by adding some delicious toppings and cheese such as in this Bourbon Pecan Salad. Make the nuts the day before and everything comes together really quick!

Happy Thanksgiving Planning!