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Thanksgiving day comes down to one truth: your oven has four burners and one rack, and twelve dishes all need heat around the same hour.
These 21 sides cook low and slow in a crockpot, hold their temperature for hours without drying out, and free up every inch of stovetop and oven space for the turkey and the rolls.
Most of them can be prepped the night before and started cold in the morning. Pick the ones that fit your table, stagger them by cook time, and walk into Thursday with half the menu already handled.
⚡ IN A HURRY?
Quick Picks for Crockpot Season
Short on time? These are the pieces of gear that actually make running 3-4 crockpots at once possible — everything else in the post is inspiration, but start here.
- Triple Slow Cooker Buffet Server — runs three sides side by side so mashed potatoes, stuffing, and corn pudding all stay warm without hogging every outlet.
- 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker — a second crock means the squash mash and the green beans can cook at the same time instead of taking turns.
- Mini 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker — the right size for small-batch sides like cranberry sauce or pearl onions that don’t need a full-size crock tied up.
- Disposable Slow Cooker Liners — skip the post-feast scrub-down entirely by lifting the liner out and tossing it once dinner’s done.
- Insulated Casserole Carrier Bag — keeps a make-ahead gratin or baked beans hot on the drive to grandma’s instead of arriving lukewarm.
- Divided Serving Tray with Lid — stops cranberry sauce and pearl onions from sliding into each other on a crowded buffet table.
The Essentials, Perfected
These are the three sides almost every table expects, made hands-off so they’re one less thing to watch on the stove.
1. No-Boil Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Skip boiling and draining a giant pot of potatoes entirely. Diced potatoes go straight into the crock with butter, broth, and garlic.
Cook on low for about six hours, then mash everything right in the crock with warm cream and a spoonful of sour cream.
The slow, even heat breaks the potatoes down gently, so you avoid the gluey texture that rushed stovetop mashing sometimes leaves behind.
Switch the crock to “warm” once they’re mashed and they’ll hold smooth and hot for up to three hours before dinner.
2. Make-Ahead Herb Stuffing
Stuffing baked in a crockpot comes out with a soft, custardy center and crisp edges where it touches the sides.
Toast the bread cubes the day before, then mix them with sautéed celery, onion, sage, and broth before the crock takes over on low for about four hours.
Because it isn’t fighting the turkey for oven space, you can start it hours earlier and forget about it until serving time.
3. Four-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
Fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and a cinnamon stick are the entire ingredient list here — no can-shaped mold involved.
Cook on low for two to three hours until the berries burst and the sauce thickens entirely on its own.
Letting it chill in the fridge overnight deepens the flavor, which makes this one of the easiest two-days-ahead sides on the whole menu.
Stir in a little fresh orange zest right before serving to wake the flavor back up after it’s been sitting.
Cheesy, Creamy Comfort
If your family votes with their fork for anything rich and cheesy, these three sides are where that vote goes.
4. Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
Cauliflower florets simmer in a sauce of cream cheese, cheddar, and a little garlic until they turn soft enough to eat with a spoon.
Three to four hours on low is enough — any longer and the florets start breaking down into mush instead of holding their shape.
It reads like a lighter stand-in for scalloped potatoes, which makes it a good option if your table already has two potato dishes.
5. Spoon-Style Corn Pudding
This sits somewhere between creamed corn and cornbread, with a texture closer to a soft pudding than a casserole.
Whisk corn kernels, eggs, a little cornmeal, and cream together, pour into the crock, and cook on low for about three hours.
The edges turn slightly golden while the center stays soft, so every scoop gets a bit of both textures.
A sprinkle of chives on top right before serving cuts through the sweetness and adds a little color to the bowl.
6. Loaded Hashbrown Casserole with Crispy Shallots
Frozen shredded potatoes, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cook down into a dish that’s somehow both creamy and hearty at once.
Swap the usual canned fried onions for shallots you crisp up yourself in a skillet — it takes five extra minutes and tastes far less processed.
Scatter the crispy shallots on top right before serving so they stay crunchy instead of going soft in the crock.
Root Vegetables and Squash
These three lean sweeter and lighter, which balances out a table that’s otherwise heavy on cheese and bread.
7. Maple Dijon Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Carrots and parsnips cook together in a glaze of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and butter until they’re tender but still hold their shape.
Four hours on low is the sweet spot — check at the three-hour mark if your crock tends to run hot.
The mustard keeps this from tasting like dessert, which is a nice break from the usual brown-sugar glazed carrots.
Toss in a handful of chopped parsley right before serving for a little color against all the orange.
8. Brown Butter Acorn Squash Wedges
Acorn squash wedges cook in browned butter, a little brown sugar, and a pinch of nutmeg until fork-tender.
Because the wedges hold their shape better than cubed squash, they look intentional on a serving platter instead of like mash.
Three to four hours on low gets you tender squash without the wedges collapsing into each other.
9. Spiced Butternut Squash Mash
Cubed butternut squash simmers down with butter, cinnamon, and a little maple syrup until it’s soft enough to mash with a fork.
This works well as the sweeter counterpart to the mashed potatoes, so guests who want both options can have a spoonful of each.
Cook on low for about five hours, then mash right in the crock before stirring in a pat of butter.
A dish like this keeps well in the fridge, so leftovers make an easy breakfast mixed into oatmeal the next morning.
Leafy Greens and Beans
A table full of starches needs at least one or two dishes with some bite to them, and this group covers that.
10. Green Beans Almondine
Green beans cook low and slow with butter and garlic, then get tossed with toasted almonds right before they hit the table.
Toasting the almonds separately in a skillet keeps them crunchy, since anything left in the crock the whole time would turn soft.
This skips the usual canned-soup casserole route entirely and leans on fresh green beans instead.
11. Creamed Spinach with Parmesan
Frozen spinach, cream cheese, and a good amount of Parmesan cook down into a rich, dense side that eats more like a main-dish topping.
Squeeze the thawed spinach dry before it goes into the crock, or the dish turns watery instead of creamy.
Two to three hours on low is plenty, since spinach doesn’t need the long cook time that root vegetables do.
This is one of the few green sides rich enough to taste at home next to turkey and gravy.
12. Smoky Collard Greens
Collard greens simmer for hours with onion, garlic, and smoked turkey instead of the usual ham hock, which keeps the smoky flavor without the pork.
Six to seven hours on low gives the greens time to turn fully tender and soak up the broth.
A splash of apple cider vinegar stirred in at the end balances out the richness and brightens the whole dish.
13. Vegetarian Maple Baked Beans
These beans get their smoky backbone from smoked paprika and a little liquid smoke instead of the usual bacon.
Maple syrup, mustard, and tomato paste build a glaze that thickens slowly over six hours on low.
Starting from canned beans instead of dried ones cuts the cook time down significantly, with no overnight soak required.
These taste even better the next day, so they’re a good one to make a full day ahead of time.
Festive Little Extras
These three are smaller, lower-effort sides that round out a table without taking up a whole crockpot’s worth of attention.
14. Honey-Glazed Pearl Onions
Peeled pearl onions cook in a glaze of honey, butter, and a splash of thyme until they turn soft and slightly caramelized.
Because they’re small, a mini crockpot works better here than a full-size one meant for mashed potatoes or stuffing.
Three hours on low is usually enough, and they hold well on warm until it’s time to serve.
15. Maple Walnut Cranberry Brussels Sprouts
Halved Brussels sprouts cook with maple syrup, butter, and dried cranberries until they’re tender with slightly caramelized edges.
Toasted walnuts go in at the very end so they keep their crunch instead of turning soft in the liquid.
This swaps out the bacon that usually shows up in Brussels sprout sides for something sweeter and just as rich.
Four hours on low is the right range — much longer and the sprouts start to lose their shape.
16. Garlic Parmesan Baby Potatoes
Whole baby potatoes cook with butter, garlic, and a generous amount of Parmesan until they’re tender all the way through.
Because they stay whole instead of being mashed, these work well as the dish guests pick up with their fingers off a platter.
Four to five hours on low gets them fork-tender without turning mushy.
Grain-Based Sides
If bread-based stuffing isn’t the only starch you want on the table, these three grain dishes fill that gap.
17. Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms and Pecans
Wild rice simmers with sautéed mushrooms, onion, and broth until it turns tender and slightly chewy.
Toasted pecans stirred in at the end add crunch and a little bit of a nutty contrast to the earthy mushrooms.
This cooks for about four hours on low, longer than white rice would need, since wild rice takes longer to soften.
It holds up well as leftovers too, making a solid lunch the next day with a little extra broth stirred back in.
18. Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Stuffing
This is a bread-free alternative to traditional stuffing, built instead on a base of wild rice, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans.
Celery and onion sautéed first add the same savory backbone that regular stuffing gets from its bread cubes.
It works well for guests who are gluten-free, without feeling like a consolation dish next to the real stuffing.
19. Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Coarse polenta cooks low and slow in broth and milk until it turns thick and completely smooth.
A generous handful of Parmesan and a pat of butter stirred in at the end make it rich enough to serve on its own.
Three to four hours on low is usually right, with an occasional stir to keep it from sticking to the sides.
Leftover polenta firms up in the fridge and can be sliced and pan-fried for breakfast the morning after.
One More Potato, One More Treat
These last two round out the table — one more rich potato dish, and one that doubles as a simple dessert.
20. Creamy Leek and Potato Gratin
Thinly sliced potatoes layer with sautéed leeks and a cream sauce until the whole dish turns soft and rich.
The leeks add a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than the onion or garlic that usually shows up in potato gratins.
Four to five hours on low is enough for the potatoes to turn tender without falling apart into mash.
21. Maple Cinnamon Baked Apples
Sliced apples cook down with maple syrup, cinnamon, and a little butter until they turn soft and syrupy.
This works as a side next to the savory dishes, or gets served later with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a low-effort dessert.
Three to four hours on low is enough, since apples break down faster than root vegetables do.
A firmer apple variety like Honeycrisp holds its shape better here than something softer like a Red Delicious.
Getting It All on the Table
You don’t need all 21 of these running at once. Pick four or five that fit your table and your number of crockpots, and build the rest of the menu around whatever’s left for the oven.
Stagger the start times by how long each one cooks, and label each crock with a sticky note if more than one person is in charge of checking them.
Once the sides are handled, the only thing left to manage on Thursday is the turkey.