Our Freshest Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Best-Ever Feast

In addition to being pretty enough to upstage the turkey, this sweet potato casserole, complete with a creamy sage sauce, smells incredible as it bakes. Use a mandolin for perfect potato rounds or slice by hand and embrace a more organic shape.

A crisp, raw salad complements warm, roasted dishes on the Thanksgiving table. Here, crunchy Brussels sprout leaves and creamy avocado are tossed in a tart dressing and finished with toasted pumpkin seeds. Bright citrus segments or halved seedless grapes would make a beautiful and tasty sweet addition to this dish. 

They taste as good as they look; for this spectacular vegan main, acorn squash halves are filled with a subtly spiced wheatberry, cremini and button mushroom, and golden raisin stuffing and served with a jewel-like pomegranate relish. If this make-ahead dish is going to be more of a side, fill and slice into quarters, allowing for everyone to add a smaller portion to their plate.

Mashed potatoes, a signature Thanksgiving side, get a healthy and tasty upgrade in this recipe. Skip the heavy cream and finishing the dish with a flavorful sage-infused olive oil instead. For extra flavor, garlic cloves are boiled alongside the potatoes until tender, lending a creamy allium bite to this mash.

A satisfying fall salad that combines raw and cooked elements is just right for the Thanksgiving feast. Here, hearty grains, slices of roasted delicata squash, and tender cranberry beans are tossed with fresh kale and a warm vinaigrette. This side tastes great warm or at room temperature, meaning you can prep and dress it in advance.

Yogurt infused with parsley, mint, and briny feta bring a burst of freshness to these perfectly roasted and caramelized carrots. Although it's simple to make, this combination of flavors and colors brings major gourmet vibes to the Thanksgiving table. 

For those who don't do turkey, this whole roasted cauliflower makes a stunning main (it also makes a stellar side for those who do eat meat). Roasting the head whole achieves dueling textures, caramelized on the outside with nutty brown bits opposed to the super tender inside that can literally be cut with a spoon. Don't skip the green herb sauce but do also serve this with Cranberry Relish—it's a delightful Thanksgiving upgrade.

A lush yet hearty grain salad starring farro is with pops of sweetness from roasted concord and red grapes and delicate autumn greens. For the prettiest presentation, buy extra grapes and garnish the bowl or platter with a small bunch or two.

Often overlooked, celery deserves to be the star once in a while; in this recipe, it gets the attention it deserves. Braising tenderizes the beautiful crunchy stalks until they almost melt in your mouth, tempering the celery flavor while adding in notes of thyme and chicken broth. Clocking in at only five ingredients, this easy vegetable side is a no brainer to include on your menu.

A mix of textures and flavors keep this warm spinach and mushroom dish fresh and exciting. Most of the spinach is kept raw and just slightly wilted with a drizzle of warm white balsamic dressing, while the remainder is sautéed until silky tender with the shiitake mushrooms. Quick-pickled red onion and toasted sesame seeds add a pop of color and bite to the final presentation.

Cool, crisp green salads offset heavier Thanksgiving fare, here a beautiful mix of fall chicories is combined with persimmons, a fruit that you can only get in season and is well worth seeking out. If you love this salad but aren't seeing persimmon at the market, swap in thinly sliced pear or apple instead.

Another fresh way to present green beans, this dish is packed with umami and has a peppery bite. An initial sizzle of the green beans in the skillet boosts flavor, but a quick steam with the lid on tenderizes them before they are tossed with watercress, miso, and lemon.

Tart apples, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy beets is culinary combination that never ceases to please. In this colorful salad, the trio are tossed with a sweet and zingy honey-lemon dressing and topped with good-for-you sprouts.