Move over turkey, we’re talking sides!

Don’t get us wrong, we love turkey. After all, you can’t really have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner without it! But if we’re really being honest, for us side dishes steal the show. We combed the AllSpice recipe library this week, reminisced about Thanksgivings-past, and pulled out some of our favorite side dishes from the past ten years. It wasn’t easy to narrow things down, but we gave it a shot.

Salads

• Grilled Fig Salad: This holiday salad combines sweet fig flavors with savory pancetta. Its a fall and winter favorite!
• Roasted Beet Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese & Toasted Pecans: The name says it all. Earthy beet flavors are balanced nicely with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pecans, and the cranberry pear vinegar adds a wonderful brightness.

Potatoes

• Cheesy French Herb & Mustard Mashed Potatoes: Our French Herb and Mustard Seasoning adds interest to mashed potatoes while Boursin Cheese adds a wonderful creaminess. You won’t make the plain ones again!
• Scalloped Potatoes with Leek Flakes: Scalloped potatoes are a wonderful alternative to mashed for your holiday spread. Leeks add a subtle savory flavor to the dish, and the crunchy bits on top from the oven are full of fantastic flavor and texture.

Veggies ‘n More

• Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Walnuts: Roasted Walnut Oil is the star of this side dish, imparting a nuttiness that is well balanced with acidity of lemon juice.
• Crispy Green Beans: These are a nice alternative to mushy green bean casserole. Citrus flavored olive oil and a mixture of herbs makes these some tasty green beans.
• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese: The crunchiness of bread crumbs and a mild truffle flavor from our Truffled Parmesan Rub take this mac and cheese recipe to the top of our list. Bonus: it gets one thing out of the oven and into the slow cooker!

Dressing/Stuffing

• Wild Rice Dressing: This dressing recipe is an oldie – it came out of a community cookbook from years ago. Rory’s family has tweaked it over the years, and it’s made an appearance at the holiday table annually for decades.
• Herb Stuffing with Roasted Mushrooms: A classic stuffing recipe with a shiitake twist! This dish will keep things traditional but tasty if you like to keep things from getting too edgy at the holiday table.

Must-Haves:

• Cranberry Relish: Ginger and raisins give this cranberry relish depth in flavor.
• Herbed Dinner Rolls: These rolls are full of flavor and not difficult to make. Bake a day in advance and warm in the oven before serving.

What are your family favorites? Share with us in the comments below, or submit your recipe for others to enjoy.