Holiday
20 Classic Thanksgiving Sides To Make In An Instant Pot
Because mashed potatoes are too much work the regular way.
Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year — what's not to love about stuffing your face while spending quality time with your family and friends? If there's one drawback to it, though, it's that it's a lot of work, and having some classic Thanksgiving sides to make in your Instant Pot in your recipe list is a must. Preparing a feast takes a tons of time and planning, and of course, cleaning up. If you've got a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot in your kitchen, however, all those things get a little easier.
One of the most challenging things about making a Thanksgiving meal is timing everything out. If you're only working with one oven, you've got to stick to a tight schedule to make sure everything gets cooked on time. You might even have to start the night before. An Instant Pot, however, can majorly reduce cook time — giving you extra minutes to relax — and is one less dish in the oven.
Whatever you're craving for Thanksgiving this year, chances are you can make it in an Instant Pot. These side dishes can be on your table in just a few minutes, and scarfed down even faster.
1Mashed Potatoes
Turkey is the star of the show on Thanksgiving, but in my opinion, the meal wouldn't be complete without a creamy side of mashed potatoes. Karissa's Vegan Kitchen has a recipe for Instant Pot mashed potatoes that also happens to be dairy-free.
2Carrots
Just because they're a veggie doesn't mean they can't also satisfy your sweet tooth. This Pilgrim Life's Instant Pot carrots are glazed with honey and ginger goodness.
3Stuffing
Stuffing seems to be one of those foods that people eat only on Thanksgiving, even though it's delicious enough for any day of the year. Awe Filled Homemaker's Instant Pot stuffing recipe uses sausage and craisins to make it both sweet and savory.
4Candied Sweet Potatoes
Who can resist the marshmallowy goodness of candied sweet potatoes? This recipe from Flour On My Face is ready in just five minutes.
5Savory Sweet Potatoes
If you're saving your sugar intake for pumpkin pie, this Sweet potato dish from Pressure Cooking Today might be more your speed. It uses spices like garlic, rosemary, and thyme for a rich and savory flavor.
6Dinner Rolls
Making bread from scratch can be intimidating, but it's a lot easier than you might think. These dinner rolls from Imagelicious don't require any kneading, and everything can be mixed right in the pot — meaning a few less dishes to wash after the meal is over.
7Creamed Corn
Keeping things simple is important when you've got a massive to do list on Thanksgiving. One Good Thing By Jillee's recipe for creamed corn uses frozen corn, meaning you can pull it right out of the freezer and still have it on the table in a few minutes.
8Root Veggie Medley
Lots of vegetables are in season around Thanksgiving, making it easy to whip up some amazing sides. You can throw any combination of root vegetables in your Instant Pot with this Little Blue Plates recipe, and you're pretty much guaranteed something delicious.
9Butternut Squash
If you're looking for a lower-carb option that will still fill you and your guests up, butternut squash might be the answer. This butternut squash Instant Pot recipe from Melanie Cooks makes a great alternative to potatoes (or a great addition, of course).
10Mashed Potato Parsnips
Parsnips don't seem to get as much attention as other root vegetables, but if you've never tried any, you're in for a treat. This Paint The Kitchen Red Instant Pot recipe adds some parsnips to mashed potatoes to give them an extra touch of savory and sweet.
11Brussel Sprouts
You'll feel a little less guilty about digging into dessert if you've eaten your greens during Thanksgiving dinner. Mom Noms' Instant Pot Brussels sprouts recipe gets a little kick from soy sauce and sriracha.
12Corn Casserole
I tried corn casserole for the first time two Thanksgivings ago, and now I want it every year. I might just have to finally buy a pressure cooker of my own to test out this corn casserole recipe from Make Your Meals.
13Green Beans
This creamy green bean casserole recipe from Adventures of a Nurse is totally versatile. It can also be done in a slow cooker, in case your Instant Pot is already full.
14Cranberry Sauce
Instead of plopping a glob of store-bought cranberry sauce still shaped like the can it came in onto your table, you can whip up some fresh from the Instant Pot with this recipe from Healthy Slow Cooking.
15Corned Bread
Your oven probably won't be available for baking on Thanksgiving, since roasting a turkey takes so long. Luckily the This Old Gal blog has a handy recipe for cornbread in the Instant Pot that looks delish.
16Glazed Ham
Pre-cooked hams may make serving a crowd on Thanksgiving a little easier, but they can sometimes be lacking in flavor. This recipe from 365 Days of Crock Pot lets you whip up a brown sugar glazed ham in the Instant Pot in just 10 minutes.
17Broccoli Mac & Cheese Casserole
If I eat this and only this broccoli macaroni and cheese from Damn Delicious, can I still claim to have eaten Thanksgiving dinner?
18Butternut Squash Soup
This butternut squash soup from Gimme Some Oven is calling my name. It's seasonal and creamy, and I want all of it.
19Applesauce
This applesauce from Two Peas and Their Pod is perfect for your holiday celebration. Personally, I'll be making it for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Because I'm extra.
203-2-1 Dip
Hear me out: my parents live in Southeast Texas, and there is never a Thanksgiving where they live without a queso like this one from Averie Cooks. Sounds weird, but it works.
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