Looking for cheap Thanksgiving side dishes that save precious oven space? These easy, budget-friendly recipes go beyond the usual cranberry sauce. Made primarily with affordable pantry staples and utilizing the Instant Pot and Air Fryer, this collection helps you plan a delicious, stress-free holiday menu that won’t break the bank!
“I am here for the delicious side dish recipes!”
That’s all I can eat at the Thanksgiving table, so I always appreciate the creative recipes.
Here are some of my favorite cheap & easy Thanksgiving recipes that won’t break the bank.
Vegetable Recipes
Veggies are always the most affordable recipe on any Thanksgiving menu. Here is a list of recipes where the veggies are the center of attention.
Instant Pot Carrots
These carrots are cooked in the Instant Pot and made with just 5 ingredients that you have in your pantry. The honey butter brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots. Made with just 5 pantry ingredients, the honey butter glaze brings out their natural sweetness.”
Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
Made with simple pantry ingredients, you can easily have these sprouts at your Thanksgiving table. It has just 4 ingredients: Butter, salt, pepper, and Brussels sprouts! This year, I plan to use my whipped honey butter to flavor these cuties.
Instant Pot Green Beans
Green beans are on every Thanksgiving table, right? Make them for your family, and they will taste so good. It also gives your air fryer and oven a break! The green beans are ready in minutes. Frankly, it takes a lot longer for the float valve to drop than it takes for the green beans to cook!
Sauteed green beans and asparagus
When you can’t decide between green beans and asparagus, what do you do? I say, “Why choose??”
This easy green beans and asparagus side dish is flavored with homemade scallion butter! It adds so much flavor to the veggies.
The best part is that it won’t break the bank, so you can eat it all year round.
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Tops
Never let your sauteed Brussels sprouts tops go to waste. Cook them in a buttery garlic sauce and serve as a Thanksgiving side dish. This works with vegetable tops of all kinds, like beets, carrot tops, and so much more. Plus, they are very nutritionally dense.
Sauteed cabbage with carrots
This is my new favorite side dish! Cabbage and carrots taste so good together, who knew!! To keep costs low, you can skip the vegan sausage.
Overall, this dish can be prepared in one pan using simple ingredients. It’s the perfect side for any Thanksgiving dinner.
Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms
I have never served plain green beans after serving this easy side dish. Creamy green bean casserole with mushrooms is flavored with tahini and then topped with red pepper flakes (or use black pepper!). The green beans are crunchy, and the mushrooms will practically melt in your mouth.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
With just 5 ingredients, these Brussels sprouts (not Brussel sprouts!) are easy to cook in a sheet pan. I used my Homemade Za’atar seasoning to make these sprouts taste so flavorful! I dare you not to love sprouts after this recipe. This recipe uses avocado oil, but you can substitute it with extra virgin olive oil.
Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
A medley of vegetables is cooked in the air fryer with sriracha! How can you not love this easy side?! I am always looking to serve healthy Thanksgiving side dishes, and this one always goes over well. This healthy Thanksgiving side dish is ready in minutes and gives your oven a break. It’s so good, you’ll want to eat it as a main dish!
Butternut squash risotto
This risotto is a good reason to give your oven a break! On the big day, I dump the ingredients into my Dutch oven and let it cook by itself. Alternatively, you can put it in your slow cooker. In the post, I show you how to get cheap (but tasty!) Arborio rice.
Roasted Baby Carrots with Fennel
Whenever I make this carrot and fennel recipe, my entire home has a heady aroma! That’s why I love putting it on my Thanksgiving spread. Fennel adds the perfect crunch, and the fresh herbs add so much flavor!
Potato Side Dishes
These potato sides will steal the show at your dinner table! Your whole family will be impressed by the uniqueness of these spud recipes. And the good news is that they are the perfect, cheap Thanksgiving side dishes.
Sauteed kale and potatoes
Forget meat and seafood! Old Bay seasoning brings rich flavors to kale and potatoes like no other seasoning. It’s a new recipe, which is a step up from kale salad. It’s salty, spicy, and tangy, making everyone fall in love with kale! You can also add sauteed zucchini. This recipe can be made anytime.
Potato Nibbles
These tiny potatoes are mighty addictive! They are buttery and crispy potatoes are made with just 7 simple ingredients. They have been proven to be a huge crowd pleaser! This recipe is a long way from the traditional potato salad, and that’s a very good thing.
Smashed Potatoes
Forget mashed potatoes! Smashed potatoes are my favorite weakness at any Thanksgiving meal. Top these perfectly golden red and yellow potatoes with a pat of butter and sour cream. I have used red potatoes and small yellow potatoes. Cook until golden brown, then top with a pat of butter and vegan sour cream. They are a party for the taste buds!
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
I used to make this only over the holiday season, but they were so popular! So, I make these potatoes on special occasions too. The fingerling potatoes are in a buttery, sun-dried tomato sauce.
Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes
A great way to get kids to eat their broccoli is to mix it with potatoes. The first time I made this broccoli and potatoes, everyone devoured it within minutes! The best part is that I oven-roast them on a baking sheet so I can make a big batch.
Sweet Potato Side Dishes
Sweet potato is the second must-have ingredient on Turkey Day! It’s second only to Thanksgiving turkey! If you are going to bake it, I have the 5 tips for baking the perfect sweet potato that you must try. Your mashed sweet potatoes recipe will never be the same!
Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
These sweet potato Hasselback have become my family’s favorite new sweet potato recipe. It’s sweet and has a little bite because of the type of pesto I used. Instead of plain pesto, I went with a scallion pesto, which turned out to be the best idea.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Whenever my friends ask me to give them a list of the best Thanksgiving sides, I always put these candied sweet potatoes on it. It’s confusing because some consider it a dessert. But, I think its sweetness is the perfect compliment to Thanksgiving turkey.
The trick is to use light brown sugar because it will even out the sweetness. Alternatively, you can use maple syrup.
Sweet Potato Wedges
Parmesan cheese gives these sweet potatoes a nice crispy outside. It’s fluffy & sweet from the inside. They are not just empty calories because they have fiber and antioxidants. Source: NC Sweet Potatoes.
Bread and Rolls
Do you like to bake pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving or do you just serve some kind of rolls? The best part is that they are very cheap Thanksgiving sides!
Homemade Dinner Rolls
I can’t believe how fluffy and spongy these dinner rolls turned out. Put them in a casserole dish and then place them in a hot oven (preheated oven). Remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before serving. I like to spread some grass-fed butter on them!
Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits
Spread a little butter on these biscuits, dip them in gravy, and devour! The sweet potato in these biscuits makes them very soft and fluffy. The best part is that they are easy to make in the Air Fryer. Make them on Thanksgiving day and serve right away.
Garlic Bread
Yes, this garlic bread is made in the Air Fryer, and it’s so good! It turns out crispy, buttery, and herby! It’s a basic recipe with only 5 ingredients.
Try these delicious recipes for Thanksgiving
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