6 Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe Ideas—Proving It's a Must-Have Side

While your roast turkey recipe may get most of the recognition on Thanksgiving Day, it's often the side dishes that make the nation's biggest food holiday truly mouthwatering every year. Take mashed potatoes—can you imagine a tablescape without them? Cranberry sauce, gravy, roasted root veggies, and pumpkin pie are also mandatory. But forget the stuffing—the hero of Thanksgiving dinner—and there will be a price to pay. Call it the sleeper side—see if we care.

Stuffing is non-negotiable: It's carb-loaded, comforting, and filled with soft chunks of warm bread, toasty nuts, and dried fruit. It's pretty easy to make, too. We present our six favorite stuffing recipes for Thanksgiving. (Oh, and while the term "leftover stuffing" may seem like an oxymoron, it does happen. Just in case, peruse our collection of recipes for leftover stuffing.)