Best Crockpot Thanksgiving Sides Everyone will Enjoy

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try a new recipe, said no one ever. However, they did say that using a crockpot can help. It is like having an extra cook in the kitchen. We can delegate the best crockpot Thanksgiving sides to that extra cook for an easier time in the kitchen.

Enjoy the best crockpot Thanksgiving sides that will enhance your Thanksgiving dinner, if not by only giving you more oven space. Everyone puts together a Thanksgiving menu that will impress their guests.

Of course, the menu is almost completed for us since we are building around the Thanksgiving staple, which is a turkey. Some of us get lost in the sauce and start branching out for holiday cooking.

We make it a goal not to try new recipes for our Thanksgiving feast. The last thing we want is to try a new recipe on Thursday and mess it up. It is always recommended to try the recipes you like before the big day.

This way, your Thanksgiving table is set with beautiful dishes that you know you can nail. Then there is the idea of slow cooker side dishes. Crockpots, slow cookers, the same thing, and the same easy recipes.

In fact, Most crockpot side dishes only ask us to prep the ingredients, toss them into the crockpot, and turn it on. You can start serving your comfort food straight from the crockpot once the timer is up.

Thanksgiving side dishes in a crockpot are mostly the same. In fact, easy crockpot Thanksgiving sides are only different in that they make the holiday so much easier. We can focus on the main dish, the stove-top sides, and anything that requires oven space, then delegate holiday season sides to the crockpot.

The best part is that there are recipes that we consider Thanksgiving staples, so you won’t need to stray from the menu too much.

Best Crockpot Thanksgiving Sides

We must have a few things to go with our roast turkey at Thanksgiving dinner. For example, a Thanksgiving dinner without sweet corn is not one many would enjoy. Luckily, there is a crockpot corn-on-the-cob recipe that perfectly elevates corn.

Another staple is macaroni and cheese. Macaroni and cheese crockpot recipes will get the job done, and then some. The macaroni will come out perfectly cheesy, and you won’t have to spend the entire time in the kitchen watching the pasta.

Everyone has their own traditional dishes, but corn and macaroni and cheese will be available in most households on Thursday. Another reason to use a crockpot for Thanksgiving sides is to make enough for everyone.

One of the biggest problems we come across when making traditional recipes on Thanksgiving Day is not having much room for everything. Crockpots may not have enough room to cook multiple things at once, but they do have enough room to cook enough of each recipe you have time to make in the crockpot.

Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for Thanksgiving

Making delicious dishes is one thing, but we can use the best crockpot Thanksgiving sides to ensure there’s enough for everyone. In fact, one of the best ways to cook for a crowd is with a crockpot.

For example, sweet potatoes usually need to be made in the oven, just another one of the Thanksgiving casseroles that takes up oven space. However, we can turn the sweet potato casserole into a crockpot sweet potato casserole recipe and get enough for everyone.

Another casserole that is also a staple on Thanksgiving is the green bean casserole. This simple dish has green beans, mushroom soup, and some crispy fried onions. We can make this staple in a crockpot, too.

We just need the best crockpot green bean casserole recipe for Thanksgiving. The homemade green bean casserole is still homemade and still delicious; it just does not take up oven space anymore.

Though, we do need to prepare a way to keep things warm if we plan on making multiple sides using a single crockpot.

How to Keep Food Warm at Thanksgiving

The best crockpot Thanksgiving sides can fill a buffet table with ease. However, that buffet table will remain full if all the food is cold. No one wants to serve themselves up some crockpot stuffing, a family favorite in most households, only for it to be cold.

Could you imagine using gravy to try and heat up those mashed potatoes? Instead, we need to find a way to cook one of the best slow-cooker Thanksgiving recipes, crockpot mashed potatoes, and keep it warm.

There are a few ways we can complete this very important task. One way is to use chaffing dishes with warmers. Chaffing dishes are those we see at buffets. This route is an easy way to separate the food, keep it warm, and even allow guests to serve themselves buffet style.

The only other option would be to use a crockpot on warm to keep food warm. However, that may limit us to a single crockpot side dish; no one wants that. We can’t simply put the food in the oven with the whole turkey, so chaffing dishes become the easiest way to keep those delicious holiday table staples ready to eat.

How do You Prepare for Thanksgiving Ahead of Time?

One way we can make things easier on ourselves on Thanksgiving is to cook some of the best crockpot Thanksgiving sides ahead of time. Most of the traditional sides will do just fine being made a day or two before Thursday.

Of course, not everything will do so great. You might not want to try and make a delicious crockpot cheddar corn and bacon recipe ahead of time unless you want to hold off on the bacon.

However, we can absolutely make our crockpot honey carrots recipe ahead of time. The idea is to make food that has a softer texture. The crispy bacon will soften if reheated, but the carrots will do just fine. We will still need to reheat these things on Thanksgiving.

However, reheating is not the same as cooking something from scratch. That is how we meal prep the rest of the meal. Decide which dishes will be easier to reheat and still be enjoyable.

We can remove those things from our plates and have a happy Thanksgiving while reheating them. Of course, which ones you choose will be entirely up to you. Maybe you want to make a cauliflower casserole crockpot recipe or some delicious black-eyed peas in a crockpot. The choice is yours; just be sure to make someone else do the dishes. 

More Crockpot Recipes to Try

Best Crockpot Holiday Appetizers | We’ve got to start every holiday event with small bites. The crockpot can help there, too.

Easy Crockpot Sangria Recipes | We can also use our crockpots to help make some delicious drinks.

Best Crockpot Thanksgiving Desserts | We just ate an enormous meal. But who here wants to skip Thanksgiving dessert?

Slow Cooker Fall Dump Cake Recipes | Dump cakes will make things even easier when dessert is around.

Crockpot Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipe | There are some people who look forward to Thanksgiving leftover meals more than the actual Thanksgiving meal itself.