The secret to a calm Thanksgiving? Getting your sides out of the oven's way.
Every year, the oven turns into a traffic jam on Thanksgiving Day. The turkey takes up most of the room, and every side dish is fighting for the space that's left. That's why I lean on these make ahead Thanksgiving dishes and stovetop or air fryer sides.
Some you can make days before, like cranberry sauce and cornbread. Others cook on the stovetop or in the air fryer, so they never need the oven at all. Pick a few, and you'll spend less time juggling pans and more time at the table with the people you love.
Why these dishes save your Thanksgiving
- Made ahead: cranberry sauce, cornbread, crab dip and sangria can all be prepped a day or more before.
- Stovetop only: mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and sweet potato succotash cook on the burners, not in the oven.
- Air fryer friendly: the acorn squash is made start to finish in the air fryer.
- Less last-minute stress: with these out of the way, you only have to think about the turkey and a couple of roasted sides on the big day.
The make ahead and oven-free dishes
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Honey
This is the easiest thing to cross off your list early. Fresh cranberries, orange and honey simmer in one saucepan for 12 minutes, then the sauce chills in the fridge for a few days until you need it.
Fluffy Skillet Cornbread
Bake this one-bowl cornbread the day before. Serve it warm with butter on Thanksgiving, or cube it up to make cornbread dressing without the extra step on the big day.
Roasted Garlic Crab Dip
Mix this creamy dip of lump crab, sweet roasted garlic, lemon and Old Bay the day before, then just bake it when guests walk in. It's the perfect appetizer to keep everyone happy while the turkey finishes.
Cranberry Orange Sangria
This festive drink mixes up in 10 minutes and tastes even better after it chills. Make it up to a day ahead so it's cold and ready the moment people arrive.
Stovetop and air fryer recipes
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
The classic side, made right on the stovetop in about 30 minutes. They're rich, fluffy and finished with melted ghee and fresh chives.
Creamed Spinach
A rich, garlicky green side that comes together in one pan in 20 minutes. It's one of the most popular recipes on my blog and tastes just like the steakhouse version.
Easy Sweet Potato Succotash
Sweet potatoes, corn, bell peppers and onion cook together in one skillet in 25 minutes. It adds a pop of color to the table and never touches the oven.
Savory Air Fryer Acorn Squash
Seasoned with thyme, rosemary, garlic and a pinch of nutmeg, then air fried until tender and caramelized. It tastes like fall in every bite and leaves the oven completely free.
A simple make ahead timeline
- 3 days before: make the cranberry sauce and refrigerate it.
- 1 day before: bake the cornbread, mix the crab dip and the sangria, and chill them. Peel and cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes and store them covered in cold water in the fridge so they don't brown.
- Thanksgiving morning: set out your serving dishes and make sure the air fryer is ready to go.
- While the turkey roasts: cook the mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and succotash on the stovetop, and the acorn squash in the air fryer.
- When guests arrive: bake the crab dip, pour the sangria and let the cranberry sauce come to room temperature.
FAQs
Cranberry sauce, cornbread, dips and drinks like sangria are the easiest to make ahead. Most can be made 1 to 3 days early and kept in the fridge.
Cook sides on the stovetop or in the air fryer whenever you can. Mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and succotash all cook on the stovetop, and acorn squash cooks in the air fryer.
Homemade cranberry sauce keeps well in the fridge for several days, so you can make it early in the week.
Yes. Reheat stovetop sides gently over low heat with a splash of broth if they've thickened, and warm cornbread in a low oven or the air fryer for a few minutes.
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