Without a doubt, one of the best things about the month of November is the Thanksgiving holiday. Kids and adults alike love this much-needed break from school and work. You may finally have the opportunity to spend time with family members who you don’t see very often.

Most likely, your Thanksgiving dinner is one of the biggest meals you will eat in the entire year. If you’re not hitting the sales at the local big box stores the day after Thanksgiving, you’re probably lying around, attempting to digest all that food.

As we all know, turkey is the main entree, but Thanksgiving dinners require a variety of different side dishes. Generally, side dishes vary from house to house, but some staples seem to be commonly shared across the country. Are you trying to decide which side dishes you’ll need for Thanksgiving dinner? Check out our suggestions:

Green Bean Casserole

With all the rich food you’ll be consuming, you’ll feel better about yourself if you eat some greens. Of course, this dish may not be as healthy as eating a salad, but it’s still delicious. If you really want to go for it, you could make your casserole from scratch.

However, most of us grew up on the simpler, more pared down recipe, which is still delicious. Basically, you grease a casserole dish, fill it with green beans and top the beans with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Sprinkle bread crumbs and french-fried onions on top of the beans and bake it all for a few minutes.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Although you could serve dinner rolls with your meals, buttermilk biscuits are so much better! Are you a biscuit snob? Make your biscuits from scratch! It’s easier than you think and only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and another 15 minutes to bake.

If you have too many other dishes to cook and you are short on time, simply buy premade biscuits, which may not be homemade but are still pretty darn tasty. We guarantee that your guests will be happy either way.

Cranberry Sauce

For the love of God, DO NOT use canned cranberry sauce, which is an insult to cranberries! Seriously, if you decide to use canned cranberry sauce at the table, you shouldn’t serve cranberry sauce at all.

Making your own cranberry sauce takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and it’s well worth the effort. If you still need motivation to make your own cranberry sauce, you could use some of the sauce to make a delicious cocktail. You might need it if your uncle decides to start discussing politics.

Mashed Potatoes

If you Google “the best mashed potatoes,” you will find an abundance of different recipes. Should you use Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes? Do you like to add garlic to your potatoes or are you more of a purist? Do you use a fork, a masher, or a ricer to mash your potatoes? Decisions, decisions!

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. As far as potatoes go, Yukon Gold or russets are good potatoes, but stay away from waxy potatoes, such as fingerling potatoes. They don’t absorb dairy as well, the best mashed potatoes are loaded with good ole’ dairy products. You could even combine Yukon Gold and russets for a more layered taste.

No matter what potatoes you go with, make sure to place them in cold water before boiling. If you add them into hot water, they will cook unevenly. While boiling, add some salt to prevent any blandness.

Make sure that you leave butter and cream on the countertop while your potatoes are boiling. You want your dairy products to be about room temperature before you add them to the potatoes so that they can be absorbed well. Some people swear by adding a dollop of sour cream to mashed potatoes to provide just the right texture and zing.

Stuffing

Stuffing can go two ways: it can be absolutely delicious or it can taste bland and chewy in a bad way. The key to a great stuffing involves a slightly crunchy exterior and a chewy interior to perfectly complement your turkey and gravy.

If you are short on time, you could buy store-bought stuffing, but people commonly complain that they can taste super salty. However, you could conduct an online search to find the brands people really enjoy.

However, if you decide to make stuffing from scratch, most recipes are relatively simple. Made from eggs, bread, onions, butter, seasoning and chicken broth, these recipes take about 20 minutes or so to bake.

Salad

Your salad doesn’t have to be a complicated concoction. Let’s be honest; it’s really there so that you can feel less guilty about overstuffing yourself with rich foods. All you really need is romaine lettuce, chopped carrots, sliced tomatoes, grated cheese (we like sharp cheddar) and a few different dressings.

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