Thanksgiving is a busy day in the kitchen, and the last thing you want is to be scrambling over a hot stove managing a dozen dishes at once. That's where your slow cooker and Instant Pot come in. These handy appliances free up oven space, cut down on active cooking time, and keep your sides warm until the big meal is ready. From creamy mashed potatoes to butternut squash, here are the best Thanksgiving sides to make hands-free this year.
No-Boil Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Put your slow cooker to good use this holiday season by using it to make mashed potatoes. Rather than rushing to get this classic side dish done before dinner, prep ahead of time and have the slow cooker keep it warm until it’s time for serving.
This recipe takes the hassle out of making mashed potatoes since it requires no boiling and only uses one dish — your crock pot! All you have to do is place the ingredients into your slow cooker. You can choose to either cook on high for three to four hours or low for six to seven hours.
What’s great about this low maintenance recipe is how you can get it ready early on and have the slow cooker will keep the potatoes warm until dinnertime. Once the potatoes are cooked, grab your hand masher and mash until smooth. Top it off with some garnish and you’re good to go.
Crock Pot Stuffing
Upgrade your traditional stuffing by trying out this crockpot stuffing recipe from Well Plated. It’s perfect for those who don’t have enough space in their oven or want to get at least one of the side dishes over and done with the morning of Thanksgiving. Its unique taste and texture is sure to impress dinner guests.
This stuffing recipe replaces typical bread with rice, which gives it a cool flavor and makes it gluten-free. This recipe is also vegan if you choose to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can cook it on low for five to six hours or on high for two to three hours, depending on when you started prepping.
There are variations of this recipe to consider. For instance, you can add sausage to the mix. Simply sauté a pound of ground turkey or pork sausage in a skillet. You can then follow the recipe instructions from there and add the cooked meat to your slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Fresh Green Bean Casserole
While you worry about the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, let your slow cooker worry about the sides! This green bean casserole recipe published on Slow Cooker Gourmet can cook throughout the day and requires less than half an hour to prep it.
Let it cook on high for three hours or on low for five to six, depending on when you need it. This recipe provides servings for up to 12 people, but you can double the ingredients to make more. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add fried onions as a topper and let it toast with the lid on for the tastiest outcome.
This dish can easily be customized for vegans by opting for a veggie broth and leaving the bacon out of it. If you’re dealing with a sauce that’s just too thin, all you have to do is add some flour and water and let it simmer.
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
It would be a crime to have Thanksgiving dinner without having scalloped potatoes on the side. This classic go-to method of cooking potatoes is an easy and delicious crowd pleaser, especially when you’re using the crockpot to cook it. When prepared correctly, you’re left with a cheesy and flavorful dish that’s the ultimate comfort food.
This recipe from Well Plated serves eight people and takes just two and half hours to cook on high heat. Should there be any leftovers, they are good to eat for up to four days as long as they stay refrigerated in an airtight container.
To avoid having your potatoes be different shapes and sizes, consider using a mandoline slicer. This tool helps you chop potatoes quickly and ensures they will all cook evenly since they’re the same size. Also make sure to cook this recipe on high heat to prevent the potatoes from getting soggy.
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
One of the most basic — yet important — sides to include on the Thanksgiving Day table is corn. Instead of just heating up a frozen bag of corn on the stove, why not elevate this dish by using your slow cooker? This recipe from Damn Delicious is an easy way to do just that.
This recipe uses just five ingredients: corn, cream cheese, milk, butter, and sugar. Better yet, everything is just thrown into the slow cooker which means less dirty dishes for you to clean. All you have to do is stir in the milk and sugar, then top it off with butter and cream cheese.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to high heat for about two to three hours. About 15 minutes before serving, uncover and stir the butter and cream cheese until it’s well combined. Don’t forget the salt and pepper! This recipe yields about six servings and your tastebuds will be thankful for the extra effort you put in.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Making sweet potatoes is a breeze when using the Instant Pot. It’s a festive and tasty side dish that is perfect for those who want a bit of extra sweetness in their potato side. Before throwing the potatoes into the pot, be sure to clean and scrub each of them thoroughly. This Forkly recipe only has a few steps and can be done in just half an hour.
Once fully prepared, the potatoes are pillowy soft and bursting with flavor. You could even provide some marshmallow topping for guests looking to add even more sweetness to this side. This recipe makes between six and eight servings.
Choose medium sized potatoes for the best results. But if you end up using smaller sweet potatoes, reduce the cook time to 16 minutes. Larger potatoes should be cooked for 22 minutes. However big or small they are, try to use potatoes that are the same size to ensure they are cooked evenly.
No-Boil Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese
Who wouldn’t want some warm, cheesy, and creamy noodles on their Thanksgiving Day plate? It’s a crowd pleaser all around that you should not expect to have any leftovers of. You can let the slow cooker do all the work using this recipe from Cookies and Cups which yields six servings.
This no-boil recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare and two to three hours to cook on low heat. The last thing you want to do is overcook the pasta. The heat time may differ depending on the slow cooker and the type of pasta used, so make sure to monitor the pot after the hour and a half point. This recipe uses Barilla pasta but any type will do just fine.
The writer of this recipe recommends using velveeta cheese. Also try to avoid pre-grated cheese and take the time to grate it fresh. Doing this will ensure the mac and cheese has the creamiest results!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
You can’t go wrong with cooking up the classics on Thanksgiving Day. Butternut squash is a colorful and traditional food to include on the table. This year, save room in the oven and cook your butternut squash in the Instant Pot instead! You can eat the squash as is with butter and salt, or get creative by turning it into a soup or sauce.
This Forkly recipe is perfect for those looking to cook up butternut squash in a hurry. No more cramming the pan into the oven at the last minute because the Instant Pot is ready for action. You will need one medium-sized butternut squash for this recipe, which yields four to six servings.
How else does this recipe save time? It prepares the squash in a way that makes it incredibly easy to separate the skin from the squash once it’s been cooked. Just make sure to let it cool for five minutes to prevent accidental burns.