Feature | Family Thanksgiving Celebration | Kid-Approved Thanksgiving Side Dishes | side dishes for thanksgiving

9 Kid-Approved Thanksgiving Side Dishes

ByJill Saunders Updated on

Let your kids enjoy the holidays as much as you do with these creative Thanksgiving side dishes your kids will absolutely love!

Contents show

In this article:

  1. Turkey-Shaped Veggie Platter
  2. Pumpkin Muffin
  3. Ice Cream Mashed Potato
  4. Cinnamon-Roasted Apples
  5. Sweet Potato Cutlets
  6. Bacon & Brussel Sprouts Skewers
  7. Cranberry Corn Muffins
  8. Cauliflower Tots with Cheese
  9. Choco-Butternut Squash Banana Bread

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9 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes Kids Can’t Wait to Dig Into

 

1. Turkey-Shaped Veggie Platter

Veggie platters are always on the table once the Thanksgiving season kicks in. However, the kids always ignore these because they’re made of vegetables, and well, most kids hate them. What you can do to make these look appetizing for your kid is to create a turkey-shaped veggie platter.

Just cut the tomatoes, celery, carrots, pickles, olives, and other veggies in such a way that you can form the shape of a turkey out of them. Remember, kids love creative, colorful, and funny things, so this Thanksgiving side dish will appeal to them.

2. Pumpkin Muffin

Another side dish that’s kid-friendly and mom-approved for Thanksgiving is a pumpkin muffin. To make this side dish even more appealing to the kids, you can let them turn an ordinary pumpkin muffin into a turkey pumpkin muffin. Just hand them the ingredients, and let them figure out how to build a turkey out of it.

Ingredients for a Turkey Pumpkin Muffin:

  • a pumpkin muffin
  • 5 thin slices of red and green apples (about 2-3 inches long)
  • shredded carrots
  • icing that’s ready to be squeezed
  • a piece of green grape

3. Ice Cream Mashed Potato

To make your side dishes for Thanksgiving more inviting to your child, you have to be creative as a mom. Think of the foods your kids love to eat and add your creative touch to it.

If your kid loves ice cream, then make them a sundae. The catch is it isn’t really ice cream, but it looks like one. You use mashed potatoes to replace the ice cream. Simply use an ice cream scoop when scooping the mashed potatoes. Also, try mixing the following ingredients to the mashed potatoes for an added effect:

  • Beets (for strawberry-flavored ice cream)
  • Cocoa powder (for chocolate-flavored ice cream)
  • Buttermilk (for vanilla-flavored ice cream)

4. Cinnamon-Roasted Apples

Looking for a way to make your kid happy and satisfied on Thanksgiving? Make cinnamon-roasted apples for them. Smells divine and tastes delightful, this side dish will be your kid’s new favorite. In fact, this may even be the reason your kiddo will look forward to Thanksgiving every year.

Top reasons why your kid will love this Thanksgiving side dish? It’s full of yummy sweetness — apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, sugar, and vanilla.

5. Sweet Potato Cutlets

Rich in antioxidants and high in fiber, sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving side dish that is beneficial for kids. You can make your own DIY sweet potato cutlets by using marshmallows, pecans, and maple syrup as toppings. Bake these in the oven, and give your kid have a bite. Once they taste the gooey marshmallows, they will definitely want more!

6. Bacon & Brussel Sprouts Skewers

While skewers don’t always seem kid-friendly, there are handpicked ingredients you can use that will appeal to the kids. You can try roasted bacon strips, and then throw in some healthy and seasonal ingredients such as Brussel sprouts. Bite-sized and easy to make, your kid will totally like this cool Thanksgiving side dish.

7. Cranberry Corn Muffins

Cranberries are also in demand during the Thanksgiving season. To use these for your kid’s side dish, you just have to add corn and start making your own cranberry corn muffins. Bursting with cranberries, this side dish is perfect to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner because it appeals to both kids and adults. You don’t have to worry about the muffins’ sugar level because these are only lightly sweetened.

8. Cauliflower Tots with Cheese

One of the healthy Thanksgiving side dishes you can try is a platter of cheesy cauliflower tots. Just mix baked cauliflowers, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, grated cheddar cheese, and breadcrumbs, and then put the mixture in a muffin tin and bake. Your child will forget he/she is eating cauliflower, thanks to the cheesy taste and the gooey warm texture.

9. Choco-Butternut Squash Banana Bread

If you know how to make a classic banana bread, then you’ll learn how to make this Thanksgiving side dish easily. For this one, the twist is the combination of chocolate and butternut squash. To make your kid want to try this side dish, the chocolate must overpower the butternut squash and the banana in terms of color. If it looks like chocolate, your child will probably want a taste.

 

See kids’ reactions to some Thanksgiving side dishes in this video from Bon Appétit:

YouTube video

Making appetizing and tasty Thanksgiving side dishes is a piece of cake for you moms. However, making these side dishes look delicious to the kids takes work. This is why you have to be creative when making festive side dishes for them. Or, you can always refer to our list above to give your kid a happy tummy come Thanksgiving.

Do you have anything else to add to our list of Thanksgiving side dishes? Feel free to tell us in the comments section below!

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