41 Thanksgiving Potato Recipes We Can’t Live Without

Thanksgiving potatoes have the power to save the day if all else fails. (Which it won’t, of course!) But in the off chance your turkey is dry or your picky aunt can’t help but critique the casserole or all the other Thanksgiving side dish recipes you executed go up in flames, we guarantee these drool-worthy Thanksgiving potato recipes will make up for it. No one will remember your holiday hiccups when they’re stuffing their face with perfectly roasted potatoes or a potato-chip-topped sour cream and onion potato salad. And, of course, it really wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a big ol’ pile of mashed potatoes on your plate, and we’ve got mashed potato recipes for days. Extra-buttery mashed potatoes. Creamy ones topped with crispety cruncheties. Make-ahead spuds that are guaranteed to make your life easier. No matter what you’re looking for, one of these glorious recipes for Thanksgiving potatoes is bound to earn a permanent spot on your holiday menu.
If these spuds don't suit you, head this way for even more of our best potato recipes →
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio1/41Crispy Potatoes With Bay and Scallions
This recipe is based on a traditional dish of the Ohlone tribe indigenous to California’s East Bay.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman2/41Best-Ever Mashed Potatoes
The fluffiest, silkiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever taste
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio3/41Tater Tot Egg Bake With Bitter Greens Salad
Hetty McKinnon’s showstopping tater tot casserole is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española.
Photo by Chelsie Craig4/41Mashed Baked Potatoes With Chives
Baking the potatoes for this recipe is a completely hands-off cooking process that also reduces some of the water content in the spuds, resulting in the easiest and most flavorful mash of all time.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen5/41Classic Potato Gratin
When simmering the cream, make sure it’s over gentle heat (if it over-reduces, it will break).
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime6/41Sweet Potatoes With Maple Tahini
Crispy roasted sweet potato wedges get tossed in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing in this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio7/41Jerk Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
“Like Jamaica itself, this is a mash-up of cultures and flavors and ideas—all together in one delicious savory pie,” says chef Tiffany-Anne Parkes.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones8/41Aloo Tikki With Hari Chutney
Crispy, bronzed potato patties and a fiery green sauce to dip them in.
Photo by Christopher Baker9/41Perfect Baked Potato
Olive oil, salt, and pepper: This baked potato recipe is as blank-slate as it gets. Feel free to add other spices to the salt-and-pepper mix, such as cumin or smoked paprika, and finish with whatever cheese you like.
Photo by Emma Fishman10/41Picarones With Fig Chancaca Syrup
Try eating just one of these picarones, doughnut-like Peruvian confections that are drenched in a fig-flavored syrup.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne11/41Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Make this creamy mash days ahead without sacrificing its velvety texture or buttery flavor.
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio12/41Simplest Rosti
No flipping required for this deliciously satisfying dish of one large-format crispy potato pancake topped with dressed greens and eggs.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman13/41Spicy Kimchi–Sweet Potato Fritters
A great appetizer or an indulgent snack, these crispy little fritters are best eaten right away.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski14/41Black Lentil and Harissa-Roasted Veggie Bowl
This filling, endlessly riffable bowl is perfect with roasted sweet potatoes, but any hardy vegetable you have on hand would be just as delicious.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones15/41Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad
This recipe was an excuse to combine our favorite potato chip flavor with the creamy, salty "salad" of our dreams. To hammer that home, the whole dish is topped with crumbled sour cream and onion potato chips.
Photo by Alex Lau, prop styling by Kendra Smoot16/41Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
A simple frittata packed with sweet red peppers, potatoes, and onions.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich17/41Mashed Potatoes With Crispety Cruncheties
Ridiculously, impossibly creamy mashed potatoes with a patatas bravas-inspired topping.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro18/41Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Parmesan and Herbs
Crispy, creamy, craggy, and delightfully simple to make.
Eva Kolenko19/41Cacio e Pepe Potatoes
The classic Pecorino and black pepper combination is delicious on way more than pasta. Try it on veg and rice, too.
20/41Extra-Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Drying the cooked potatoes in the pan means that they'll absorb that much more flavor from your herb-infused dairy. Don't skip this step!
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski21/41Burnished Potato Nuggets
Behold, your new standard for roasted potatoes: puck-size oven fries with creamy insides and unimaginably crunchy exteriors.
Bobbi Lin22/41Duchess Baked Potatoes
If you’ve ever asked if mashed potatoes can be cooked ahead, the answer is this recipe. The texture is like that of a twice-baked potato.
Ben Dewey23/41Perfect Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Crispy. Creamy. Salty. And all the other things roasted potatoes were born to be.
Alex Lau24/41Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Brown butter and rosemary are the ultimate, timeless pairing for sweet potatoes. Making your own breadcrumbs from sourdough bread shoots this recipe into all-star status, but using store-bought in a pinch is perfectly fine too.
Photograph by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, Food Styling by Alison Roman, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski25/41Baked Potatoes Deluxe
These are impossibly fluffy on the inside and shatteringly crispy on the outside.
Peden + Munk26/41Golden Potato Cake
It’s not about the potatoes—it’s what you do to the potatoes. In this recipe, precook them until they’re tender, then dispatch clarified butter (which is less likely to burn), heat, and time to help them become their best selves.
Photo and Food Styling by Carla Lalli Music27/41Extremely Cheesy Potato Gratin
Creamy, cheesy potatoes with crispy edges, tender middles, and just a whisper of heat—need we say more?
Photo by Alex Lau28/41One-Pan Mashed Potatoes
The game-changer in this mashed potatoes recipe is the schmaltz, which lends chicken-infused richness to the world’s greatest side dish. If you can’t find it, substitute duck fat, rendered bacon fat, or just good ol' butter.
Shay Harrington29/41Leek and Potato Galette with Pistachio Crust
Adding ground pistachios creates a substantial dough that complements the leeks for these galettes.
Christopher Testani30/41Mashed Potato Croquettes
We thought mashed potatoes' stock plummeted on Day 2—until we had these croquettes. Crispy yet creamy, potatoes might be better as leftovers.
Christopher Testani31/41Lemon and Parsley Skillet-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Use the largest skillet you have (a straight-sided 12" is ideal) and a fish spatula—the thin angled edge is just right for helping potatoes release from the skillet.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski32/41Shingled Sweet Potatoes With Harissa
The classic savory-sweet side gets a makeover with the addition of harissa for an extra hint of spicy-earthiness. We promise you won’t miss the marshmallows.
Photo by Chelsie Craig33/41Pesto Potato Salad
To test boiled potatoes for doneness, use a skewer or the tines of a fork rather than the tip of a knife so you know they’re truly tender (a knife slides through the flesh way too easily). To test boiled eggs for doneness—wait, you can’t! Just make sure the eggs are room temperature when you drop them in the water (otherwise they’re prone to cracking), set a timer right away, and have an ice bath at the ready.
34/41Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Miso-Tahini Sauce
That three-ingredient sauce can go on anything. Double batch = necessary.
Ted Cavanaugh35/41New Potatoes with Parmesan, Black Pepper, and Gribiche Dressing
If you can’t find new potatoes at the farmers’ market, look for Peewee potatoes or very small Yukon Golds at the grocery store.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz36/41Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Walnut Dressing
And on top? A condiment made up of walnuts, anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes that’s the ultimate umami bomb.
Photo by Alex Lau37/41Charred Sweet Potatoes With Toum
This recipe is nice twice. The roasting and honey-glazing method is a great way to make sweet potatoes, and you also get an eggless garlic sauce that you’ll use again and again.
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li38/41Curried Sweet Potato Hummus
A little bit of coconut oil make this curried hummus a complete dream.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski39/41Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime
When you mix hot sauce with butter, it turns into a spicy, creamy spread that’s perfect for melting atop burnished sweet potato halves, bringing them to life.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski40/41Loaded Sweet Potatoes
We like to roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time then rewarm them by flattening and crisping them in a skillet until lightly charred.
Christina Holmes41/41Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes
Cooking the potatoes in vinegar seasons them from within, and a final drizzle boosts the flavor.