30 Easy Thanksgiving Sides You Can Make with Just 4 Ingredients (2024)

Home Recipes Meal Types Side Dishes

Updated: Nov. 22, 2023

Don't bother making another trip to the store. These easy Thanksgiving sides call for just four ingredients!

1/30

Candied Acorn Squash Slices

This acorn squash recipe was passed down to me from my grandma, who always served it at Thanksgiving. Now I make it whenever I'm feeling nostalgic. —Rita Addicks, Weimar, Texas

2/30

Easy Parmesan Biscuits

This recipe is simple but a delicious addition to any meal. The children love to dip the ready-made biscuits in butter and coat it with the cheese. Warm from the oven, one biscuit per person usually isn’t enough. —Linda Becker, Olympia, Washington

3/30

Roasted Carrots with Thyme

These roasted carrots are so simple but always a hit. Cutting the carrots lengthwise makes this dish look extra pretty.—Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri

4/30

Mom's Apple Cornbread Stuffing

My speedy recipe is the be-all and end-all stuffing in our family. Not surprisingly, we never have leftovers. —Marie Forte, Raritan, New Jersey

5/30

Creamed Corn

Five ingredients are all you'll need for my popular creamed corn recipe. It's wonderful no matter what the occasion is. Try it on a barbecue buffet or holiday menu. —Barbara Brizendine, Harrisonville, Missouri

6/30

Old-Fashioned Green Beans

Mom would prepare home-grown green beans using this recipe, and boy did they ever taste good. The bacon provides rich flavor and the brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness. This is one irresistible side dish. —Willa Govoro, St. Clair, Missouri

7/30

One-Dish No-Knead Bread

Here's a very easy way to have homemade bread for dinner tonight. Don't worry if you're new to baking. Anyone who can stir can make this no knead bread a success! —Heather Chambers, Largo, Florida

8/30

Coconut Acorn Squash

Save yourself some time in the kitchen and toss the squash in the microwave for a quick dish. Sometimes squash can be a bit tasteless, so I conquer this by adding a bit of mango chutney and coconut. —Dierdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri

9/30

Minty Sugar Snap Peas

Fresh mint adds a lively touch to cooked sugar snap peas. It's also nice on green beans or carrots. —Alice Kaldahl, Ray, North Dakota

10/30

Glazed Baby Carrots

For a zippy side dish, try this recipe. These brown sugar-glazed carrots come together in no time at all. —Anita Foster, Fairmount, Georgia

11/30

Roasted Rosemary Cauliflower

Roasting the cauliflower really brings out its flavor in this side dish. Even folks who aren't cauliflower lovers like it this way. —Joann Fritzler, Belen, New Mexico

12/30

No-Fuss Rolls

With only 4 ingredients, these delicious rolls are ready in no time. They're fantastic with herb butter or jam. —Glenda Trail, Manchester, Tennessee

13/30

Simple Lime Gelatin Salad

Looking for a festive dish to light up the buffet? This pretty green gelatin salad is eye-catching and has a delightful, tangy flavor. —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa

14/30

Grilled Cauliflower Wedges

This side is incredibly easy, yet is packed with flavor and looks like a dish from a five-star restaurant. The grill leaves the cauliflower cooked but crisp, and the red pepper flakes add bite. —Carmel Hall, San Francisco, California

15/30

Sauteed Apples

Here’s a sweet side dish my family loves. You can use it to top pancakes or French toast, but it’s wonderful with pork or chicken too. —Shirley Heston, Pickerington, Ohio

16/30

Lemon Oregano Potatoes

My husband, Tom, made these tender potatoes when we were first married. They’ve remained a family favorite to this day. —Kate Hilts, Grand Rapids, Michigan

17/30

2-Ingredient Biscuits

I never made biscuits until I tried this two-ingredient recipe. Now my husband wants biscuits all the time! —Diane Hixon, Niceville, Florida

18/30

Cheese Smashed Potatoes

Who doesn't like mashed potatoes? Try this slimmed-down dish with any entree. —Janet Homes, Surprise, Arizona

19/30

Roasted Fresh Okra

If you have picky eaters who worry about texture, roasted okra is marvelous. It's OK to crowd the pan. Okra shrinks as it cooks. —Anna Katsoulis, Greenville, North Carolina

20/30

Acorn Squash Slices

Roasted acorn squash slices are a favorite with my family. This recipe has a sweet maple flavor from syrup and an appealing nuttiness from pecans. It's easy, too, because you don't have to peel the squash. —Richard Lamb, Williamsburg, Indiana

21/30

Creamy Corn

Out of all my corn recipes, this is my favorite. You need just a few ingredients and a slow cooker to make this delicious side dish. Because it cooks on its own, you'll have extra time to prepare the main course. —Judy McCarthy, Derby, Kansas

22/30

Whipped Squash

This is an excellent way to serve one of the season’s most delicious vegetables—butternut squash. Its rich flavor and golden harvest color really come through in this smooth vegetable side dish.
—Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas. If you’re looking for more recipes, then here’s our collection of vegetarian Thanksgiving sides.

23/30

Simple Lemon Parsley Potatoes

For a simply delicious side dish, I often prepare these potatoes. I like the fact that there are few ingredients and they take such little time to prepare.—Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas

24/30

Orange Pomegranate Salad with Honey

I discovered this fragrant salad in a cooking class. If you can, try to find orange flower water (also called orange blossom water), which perks up the orange segments. But orange juice adds a nice zip, too! —Carol Richardson Marty, Lynwood, Washington

25/30

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

It always amazed me that this simple recipe could make potatoes taste so good. Mom liked to make them for Easter because they were more special than ordinary baked potatoes. —Ruth Seitz, Columbus Junction, Iowa

26/30

Roasted Beets

This roasted beets recipe makes ordinary beets taste tender and delicious with just a few sweet and good-for-you ingredients. —Wendy Stenman, Germantown, Wisconsin

27/30

Traditional Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes make a wonderful accompaniment to most any meal, so keep this recipe handy.

28/30

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

The recipe for these four-ingredient homemade buttermilk biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina

29/30

Rosey Raspberry Salad

Whenever I make this pretty raspberry salad, people talk! It's a festive side dish that works well for celebrations throughout the year. —Jane Vanderground, Macedonia, Ohio

30/30

Glorified Hash Browns

You'll be surprised at how quick and easy it is to put together this dressed-up potato casserole! When a friend made it for a church supper, I had to have the recipe. It's great for parties, potlucks and family reunions. —Betty Sitzman, Wray, Colorado

Originally Published: October 18, 2019