Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Tips on Organizing Your Home

      Tips on Organizing Your Home

      From the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom and laundry room, here are 40 ways to simplify, streamline, and banish clutter throughout the house. Read More
    • These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      Upgrade your spaces with new—and old—classics. Read More
    • 39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      These classic recipes will help you get a head start on the festivities. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    Express your love with handmade Valentine's crafts like paper cards, gift ideas, and decorations.
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Secure your role as the host with the absolute most.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Baby Shower Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • You're Invited
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    Amp up your home décor with perfectly placed frames.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Don't let your varieties fall victim to the perils of poor cold-weather maintenance.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    Our easy tips will make this cleaning task a lot less daunting.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Ready, set, go! Our no-nonsense guide will help you learn how to plan your wedding like a pro.
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    Learn how to knit your own mittens, hats, scarves, and more. We'll take you through the step-by-step instructions and teach you how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Rescue & Revamp
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Take a multi-pronged approach if you're experiencing excess dryness.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Net Worth
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. Food & Cooking
  3. Recipes
  4. Holidays & Events
  5. Thanksgiving Recipes
  6. The Wild(card) Side: Unique Thanksgiving Dishes Your Guests Will Love

The Wild(card) Side: Unique Thanksgiving Dishes Your Guests Will Love

By Jennifer Anderson Updated October 13, 2019
Skip gallery slides
Pin
from-my-home-cranberry-pomegranate-ma104679.jpg
Whether it's a recipe passed down through the generations, a regional specialty, a dish from your ethnic heritage, or just a hands-down favorite that you eat only on this day, every family has a dish that makes the spread unique to your clan. Here are our favorite out-of-the-ordinary Thanksgiving side dishes to make your own.
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
thanksgiving sides
Credit: Louise Hagger

While some Thanksgiving favorites look practically the same no matter whose table you land at, it's the out-of-the-ordinary side dishes that make the holiday really memorable. Sometimes they are a talking point, but they're always delicious.

What exactly do we mean by "wild card" dish? It's anything that's a little bit out of the ordinary, that you may not see on a magazine cover or in a Norman Rockwell painting. The turkey, gravy, and stuffing are essential so the sides are where you can express yourself. The wild card side dishes give each of our Thanksgiving tables their own personality. They're what traditions are made of!

A wild card side dish could be any family-favorite recipe passed down through the generations, whether it's the Cardamom Rolls brought over by your great grandmother from Sweden or the Ambrosia Salad recipe clipped from the side of a box in 1963 by your then-newlywed mother. But you don't have to rely solely on the past—you can try something new any year or every year if you wish. Maybe you'll decide to make the green beans a different way each year. Last Thanksgiving it was green bean casserole, and this year you'll try Lemon-Pepper Green Beans instead. A wild card side can bring color to the table if it's Braised Red Cabbage or some spicy heat if it's Hatch Corn Pudding.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out some more of our favorite out-of-the-ordinary dishes for your Thanksgiving celebration.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

The Gelatin Mold

from-my-home-cranberry-pomegranate-ma104679.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Is yours among the families that have a special Thanksgiving Jell-O recipe? Your gelatin mold may be packed with fruit, nuts, coconut, or mini marshmallows; it may have the creamy, dreamy additions of whipped topping or sour cream; whatever treasures lie within its quivering walls, it's just not Thanksgiving without it. Try Martha's from-scratch version, dressed for the occasion thanks to a turkey-shaped cake pan.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Susan's Peach Stuffing

mld104241_1108_su_stuffing.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Peaches in stuffing? Why not! Editorial director of Food, Sarah Carey, says her mom Susan has been making this stuffing for Thanksgiving for years and it is always a hit though many are skeptical before they try it.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sweet Potato-Coconut Casserole

thanksgiving-sweet-potato-coconut-casserole-med109000.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Marshmallows: mandatory or monstrous? Discuss. The families that stake out the pro-marshmallow side of the fence may add other sweet supplements to the casserole as well, such as crushed pineapple, or, as in this recipe, shredded coconut and lime zest.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mixed Chicories with Persimmons

chicory-salad-mld107005.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sweet persimmons and tart pomegranates, both autumn staples in the backyards of California, are nicely complemented by bitter chicories in this salad. (Yes, Thanksgiving salad is a good idea.)

5 of 15

6 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dry-Fried Green Beans

thanksgiving-anne-quatrano-29-cf006831-d110790.jpg
Credit: John Kernick
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

It doesn't have to be casserole. It takes just a few minutes over high heat to transform green beans into crisp-tender, blistered beauties. Bonus wild card points for this dish because it includes field peas.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Old Bay-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

med105388_0110_sid_sweet_potato.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Marylanders love their Old Bay seasoning. If your family falls into the anti-marshmallow camp, you may just love these sweet-savory morsels.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

lasagna-2-mld107005.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Butternut squash lasagna, flavored with sage and grated nutmeg and layered with sheets of homemade pasta, is autumn in a baking pan. The dish serves the dual role of paying tribute to Italian heritage and satisfying the vegetarians in the clan. If you prefer something more traditional, try our exquisite Lasagna Bolognese.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Scalloped Oysters

scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In 19th-century Massachusetts, this creamy casserole of crumb-topped bivalves was made with common crackers, once available in any general store. Our recipe subs in crunchy breadcrumbs and is brightened with parsley and celery.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Braised Red Cabbage

braised-red-cabbage-m109160.jpg
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Early German settlers brought us this sweet-sour-savory recipe, made with apples and bacon. It's still a favorite among the Pennsylvania Dutch and in the northern parts of the Midwest.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Ambrosia Salad

mh_1105_modern_ambrosia.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Is any Thanksgiving dinner really complete without the ambrosia? This updated version blends fresh tropical fruits with Greek yogurt.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Swedish Cardamom Rolls

orange cardamom morning buns on cooling rack topped with sanding sugar
Credit: Lennart Weibull
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A truly decadent roll for the Thanksgiving table, that's these sweet Scandinavian buns with a potato dough and a cardamom-orange filling. They can be made, sliced, and frozen up to three months ahead. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before finishing them on Thanksgiving day.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Colcannon

0303_living_colcannon.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

For an Irish interpretation of mashed potatoes, try this beloved traditional dish that combines the spuds with leeks, cabbage (or kale if you prefer)—and plenty of sweet, fresh butter.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Hatch Chile Corn Pudding

hatch-chile-corn-pudding-m109160.jpg
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Because a little heat is good on the Thanksgiving table, try this Monterey-Jack-topped casserole made with green chiles from New Mexico's Hatch Valley.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Macaroni and Three Cheeses

med103097_0907_macncheese.jpg
Credit: John Kernick
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In the South, it's a vegetable, so go ahead and indulge! This holiday-worthy version of mac and cheese gets its heavenly richness from white cheddar, Havarti, and Muenster cheeses but feel free to substitute your three favorite melting cheeses.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jennifer Anderson

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15
    2 of 15 The Gelatin Mold
    3 of 15 Susan's Peach Stuffing
    4 of 15 Sweet Potato-Coconut Casserole
    5 of 15 Mixed Chicories with Persimmons
    6 of 15 Dry-Fried Green Beans
    7 of 15 Old Bay-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    8 of 15 Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna
    9 of 15 Scalloped Oysters
    10 of 15 Braised Red Cabbage
    11 of 15 Ambrosia Salad
    12 of 15 Swedish Cardamom Rolls
    13 of 15 Colcannon
    14 of 15 Hatch Chile Corn Pudding
    15 of 15 Macaroni and Three Cheeses

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The Wild(card) Side: Unique Thanksgiving Dishes Your Guests Will Love
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.