Best Sides for Thanksgiving: What to Cook Besides Turkey

Why Thanksgiving Needs Alternatives

Tradition often centers around a roasted turkey, but a table with robust non-turkey mains and sides can elevate the celebration. If you’re hosting a diverse crowd, you may be faced with dietary restrictions, cook times, and kitchen space constraints. Understanding what to cook besides turkey for thanksgiving helps you balance flavor, budget, and feasibility. At Cooking Tips, we’ve tested dozens of recipes and prepared a flexible roadmap that covers protein hits, vegetarian centerpieces, and crowd-pleasing sides. Our goal is to help home cooks craft a memorable feast without sacrificing ease or taste. By selecting a centerpiece that complements your menu and schedule, you can deliver a cohesive Thanksgiving experience that shines from appetizer to dessert. This guide also addresses leftovers, make-ahead strategies, and practical shopping lists to minimize chaos on the big day. The advice here applies to family dinners, potlucks, and weeknight celebrations that call for a festive touch. According to Cooking Tips, the goal is approachable, reliable guidance that helps every home cook succeed.

How We Rank These Dishes: Criteria That Matter

To help you choose confidently, we weigh each option against a consistent set of criteria. Our framework considers overall value, ease of execution, compatibility with a traditional Thanksgiving spread, and how well a dish handles leftovers. We also factor dietary flexibility, make-ahead potential, and how well it scales for larger gatherings. This approach ensures you’re not trading flavor for practicality. Cooking Tips analysis shows that protein-heavy mains like pork loin and ham often deliver reliable results while vegetarian options can shine with smart seasoning. The goal is to build a cohesive menu where every dish supports the others, rather than competing for attention.

The Top Proteins to Consider

Choosing a main that isn’t turkey gives you room to craft a memorable centerpiece. Consider herb-roasted pork loin with apple cider pan sauce for a centerpiece that’s tender and easy to portion. Other strong contenders include a cranberry-glazed ham for sweetness and crowd-pleasing appeal, a lemon-dijon roasted salmon for a lighter option, and a beef tenderloin for a classic roast feel. Each option pairs well with traditional sides and can be prepared to serve both small and large crowds. Pro tip: plan a single protein plus one vegetarian option to cover most dietary needs while keeping kitchen logistics simple.