10 Inexpensive Side Dishes for Your Thanksgiving Dinner
One of the best things about a Thanksgiving is often the side dishes that go with it. They add color, taste, texture, and variety on the plate and they are also a really good way to save money.
Plan on serving 4 to 8 ounces of turkey to your guests, but let them load their plates and fill their stomachs with inexpensive side dishes.
Cooking from Scratch
The side dishes will be the least expensive if you cook them yourself from scratch.
1. Flaky Biscuits
We all love the ready-made dough, but it’s far cheaper to whip up your own batch of flaky biscuits. Biscuits are great as a bread on the side and perfect for mopping up gravy.
These ultra flaky biscuits from The Food Charlatan are amazing! They’re warm, filling, and the smell when they bake really says it is holiday time.
2. Cornbread
Cornbread is another cheap, easy, and filling option. Bake up a few pans of it to use as is, or in other recipes. Use any leftovers at breakfast the next morning.
This Jiffy Corn Bake Casserole recipe has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.
3. Stuffing
You can always use a box of Stove Top but homemade bread stuffing is so delicious and a great way to use up any stale bread you might have.
Make sure it is dry, not moldy. Mix with herbs. Add onions, celery, and broth and you have a filling dish to stuff a whole turkey with or serve on the side. We also like to add some Italian sausage to ours.
4. Cornbread Stuffing
You can also make stuffing using your own homemade cornbread. Cut it into cubes, toast them, and then cook as you would bread stuffing.
5. Green Bean Casserole
This is a staple on many American holiday tables. Most people make it using canned cream of mushroom soup and a can of French-fried onions, but you can make a cheaper and less salty version yourself from scratch.
Just make your own soup with mushrooms, flour, and milk, and batter the onions with a bit of cornmeal and fry up for a nice crunch. Kristyn from Lil’ Luna has a great recipe right here.
6. Cranberry Sauce
Fresh cranberry sauce is easy to make and tastes so much better than the kind that comes in a can.
When making it yourself, you can adjust the sugar, add orange or apple juice for natural sweetness, and so on. Dana from This Silly Girls Kitchen has an amazing Apple Cranberry Sauce recipe if you’re interested.
7. Sweet Potatoes/Yams
This cheerful orange vegetable is very cheap and will go a long way towards filling up your guests.
You can cook them in the microwave like a baked potato and top with some brown sugar or cinnamon, or boil up a pot to mash for a sweet potato casserole.
To the mashed sweet potato, add milk, butter, brown sugar and/or maple syrup, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake and eat as is, or add a layer of marshmallows to the top and cook until just brown and puffy.
Some people add a layer of apples in the middle to give the casserole a bit more texture.
~ Thanksgiving Planner ~
Plan out your entire Thanksgiving with my newly updated planner.
Learn more in this post or you can GET THE PLANNER HERE.
8. Baked Potatoes
Nothing could be easier than some baked Idaho potatoes with butter, sour cream & chives, or cheese. They are cheap and filling and add a restaurant touch to your homemade meal.
9. Potatoes au Gratin
If you want something a bit more elegant for your holiday table, slice up the potatoes thinly and cook them in a creamy cheese sauce.
I haven’t tried this recipe but it’s very close to the one my family likes.
10. Corn/Corn on the Cob
Corn is very filling, and eating from the cob can be a lot of fun. You can also eat with a little butter, or make your own homemade creamed corn with milk.
BEFORE YOU GO:
Here are a few more posts you might like:
THE ULTIMATE LIST OF PRODUCTS, APPS, TOOLS, AND RESOURCES I USE ON A DAILY BASIS
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!
What’s your favorite side dish for Thanksgiving? I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to post questions in the comments below. Thanks!
See my Link Party Directory for a current list of blog parties I attend each week.
This post was featured at the following link parties, thank you for your support! ❤️
FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY – Please Read Freebies Terms of Use.
(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.)
~ SHARE THIS POST ~
Did you like this post? Do you know someone else who might enjoy it? Please take a minute to share it on Pinterest, Facebook, or your favorite social media… Thank you!
SHOP
