27 Nut-Free Sides You'll Want to Add to Your Thanksgiving Spread

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Published on November 18, 2021

Melting Sweet Potatoes with Mini Marshmallows

For those with allergies (or who just don't like nuts), these cozy Thanksgiving sides make a nut-free holiday more delicious than ever. This mix of sides includes tender sweet potatoes, fresh salads and savory stuffing, so you can find the perfect dish to complete your menu. Recipes like our Melting Sweet Potatoes with Mini Marshmallows and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate are tasty, fall-flavored ways to shake up your holiday routine.

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Maple Roasted Carrots

Maple Roasted Carrots

Roasting brings out the inherent sweetness in carrots--but add a little maple syrup and butter and you have a caramelized vegetable your kids (and you!) will actually want to eat seconds of.

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Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

If you're looking for a twist on classic scalloped potatoes, this recipe using roasted sweet potatoes and melty Gruyère has all the creaminess of the original with a new flavor twist. The sweet potatoes and lightened sauce--made with flour and low-fat milk--keep it healthier than butter- and cream-laden versions. Don't cut your sweet potatoes too thin--they'll turn mushy under the sauce.

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Cornbread & Oyster-Mushroom Stuffing

Mushrooms are a rich, meaty addition in this healthy cornbread stuffing recipe. Here we use oyster mushrooms, but you can use any variety you like. If you have time, bake the cornbread a day or two in advance so it has time to dry out a bit, which lets it absorb the flavors more readily.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate

This gorgeous warm salad with nutty roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds and creamy goat cheese is perfect for any winter meal--from a weeknight dinner to Christmas dinner or any other holiday celebration. The recipe is easily doubled if you are entertaining a crowd: just be sure to spread the sprouts out (use 2 pans if necessary) so they roast instead of steaming.

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Melting Sweet Potatoes with Mini Marshmallows

Melting Sweet Potatoes with Mini Marshmallows

If you like sweet potato casserole, you'll love these tender, creamy melted sweet potatoes. Slices of sweet potatoes "melt" into a savory broth with spices and are topped with mini marshmallows for a hint of sweetness at the end. They're perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime in fall or winter when cooler weather settles in.

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Sage Cornbread Dressing

Sage Cornbread Dressing — Johnny Autry

A cast-iron skillet gives the cornbread nutty brown edges that impart extra color and flavor to the dressing. Serve this sage cornbread dressing as a holiday side or anytime you want some Thanksgiving flavors.

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Smashed Butternut Squash with Harissa & Goat Cheese

Smashed Butternut Squash — Jason Donnelly

Butternut squash is roasted and topped with spicy harissa and creamy goat cheese before sizzling under the broiler. Serve this flavorful dish as an appetizer or as a side paired with roasted chicken or lamb chops. Choose a squash with a long neck if possible.

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Acorn Squash Casserole

Acorn Squash Casserole — Antonis Achilleos

This acorn squash casserole is smooth and creamy. The Parmesan cheese gives it the perfect amount of savoriness, while the breadcrumbs add an herby crunch. This easy casserole would be great with any fall meal, and is sure to become a new Thanksgiving favorite.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with White Pepper

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with White Pepper — Johnny Autry

These easy buttermilk mashed potatoes are flavored with white pepper for a subtle spice and earthiness. Serve alongside roasted turkey or chicken.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Vermouth

Brussels Sprouts with Vermouth & Bacon — Greg DuPree

Here we take advantage of the leftover bacon drippings in the pan to cook the sprouts, infusing them with savory flavor. Plus, cooking Brussels on the stovetop gives you perfect crisp-tender texture.

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Roasted Fennel & Italian Sausage Stuffing

This homemade stuffing recipe is special because it comes complete with a sausage-making lesson from the Sausage King himself, author and famed business owner Bruce Aidells.

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Kale-Butternut Squash Gratin

This colorful gratin dish livens up any holiday plate. Creamy melted Gruyère is comforting, while a blend of cumin, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper lends a warm, spicy note.

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Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes can be a special holiday side dish, but they're quick enough to enjoy on a weeknight too. The secret to these crispy roasted fingerling potatoes? Getting the baking sheet nice and hot before you spread the potatoes on it.

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Classic Mac & Cheese

No sneaky ingredients here, just delicious comfort food. You can enjoy this super-cheesy mac and cheese in the same time it takes to cook the boxed version. Whole-wheat noodles add fiber, while sharp Cheddar adds richness. A hefty twist of black pepper balances the cheese's salty tang.

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Loaded Sweet Potatoes

Cheddar cheese, scallions and bacon flavor these "twice baked" sweet potatoes. Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave first (instead of baking them) helps keep this easy loaded sweet potato recipe quick.

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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

You'll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.

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Sweet Potato, Sausage & Apple Casserole

Sweet Potato, Sausage & Apple Casserole — Will Dickey

This sweet potato, sausage and apple casserole is perfect for brunch or dinner. The crunchy top of the toasted bread combines winningly with a custardy filling studded with apples, sweet potatoes and savory sausage.

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Green Beans with Parmesan-Garlic Breadcrumbs

In this easy green bean recipe, browning the butter before tossing it with the breadcrumbs produces a nice nutty flavor. Serve this green bean dish as a healthy alternative to green bean casserole or as an easy side with steak, chicken or fish.

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Roasted Honeynut Squash

Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.

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Melting Potatoes

Melting Potatoes

The name for these spuds hints at their creamy interior. Roasting these melting potatoes at high heat ensures they get crunchy on the outside. Then, adding a little broth at the end allows the potatoes to absorb the liquid, making the insides extra moist.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

It's easy to get creative with these roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. For a quick side dish that complements just about everything, follow the main recipe. If you want to spice things up a little, try one of the variations. Swapping a few spices and adding fresh stir-ins to coat the roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes transforms the flavor of the dish to something new, yet equally delicious.

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Melting Sweet Potatoes with Maple Butter

As the name implies, these sweet potatoes melt right in your mouth. After browning in a hot oven, thick slices of sweet potato simmer in broth and soak up the flavors of maple syrup and lemon. This simple dish is great alongside roasted chicken or pork and makes a great Thanksgiving side dish.

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Easy Scalloped Potatoes

a baking dish with potatoes and cheese

In this easy scalloped potatoes recipe, sliced potatoes are roasted in the oven before being mixed with a simple, creamy stovetop sauce and sprinkled with Cheddar cheese. A few minutes under the broiler turns the dish golden and crispy.

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Melting Sweet Potatoes with Sage Brown Butter

Melting Sweet Potatoes with Sage Brown Butter — Photography / Dera Burreson, Styling / Lauren McAnelly / Holly Rabikis

Once you "melt" sweet potatoes, you won't want to make them any other way. These roasted sweet potatoes soak up broth to turn the interior into a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. A sage-brown butter sauce finishes these potatoes for a truly stunning side dish.

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Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing

Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing

Caramelized onions are a sweet and savory addition to this healthy stuffing recipe. Choose an apple that becomes tender yet holds its shape when cooked--try Jonagold or Cortland.

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Roasted Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Salad

Roasted Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Salad

Serve this hearty and healthy fall salad with roasted pork tenderloin, chicken or salmon, or with your Thanksgiving meal. All of the vegetables are roasted on the same pan, so this recipe is easy to prep, and it tastes great warm or at room temperature so it's perfect for holiday buffet tables and potlucks. Cranberries add a sweet-tart edge, while the maple-tahini dressing provides depth.

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Roasted Koginut Squash

This unique squash hybrid is smooth and silky like kabocha squash with the rich, sweet flavor of a butternut. Use it as a base for a grain bowl or slice into wedges and serve with a creamy yogurt sauce.

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