Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: 18 Vintage Dishes Grandma Served That Deserve a Comeback

Forgotten Thanksgiving sides are having a moment. Videos about holiday foods “nobody makes anymore” are pulling big numbers right now, including a 1970s Thanksgiving desserts video that passed 137,000 views in three weeks, and readers keep asking where all the old dishes went. Look at an old family photo and you will spot them: a cut-glass bowl of ambrosia, creamed onions, a relish tray, oyster dressing. Below you will find the vintage sides that used to be on every table, with easy recipes to bring one or two back this November. Pick one or two to try, then tell us which ones your family still makes. Which one did your grandma make..

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: Grandma’s Holiday Table

Look at an old Thanksgiving photo and you will spot dishes that have quietly vanished: a cut-glass bowl of ambrosia, creamed onions, a relish tray, oyster dressing. They were on every table once, and most of them are easier than the sides we make today. A popular 1970s Thanksgiving desserts video shows how many holiday favorites have quietly slipped away. The trick is to add just one or two to your usual menu. Pick one that can be made a day ahead, like ambrosia or cranberry relish, so the big day stays easy. Ready to set Grandma’s table..

You will need: Plan: 1 make-ahead cold side (ambrosia, Waldorf salad or cranberry relish), 1 baked side that can share the oven with the turkey (scalloped corn or corn pudding), and 1 no-cook side (the relish tray). Vintage glass bowls make them look the part.

How to make it: 1. Choose 2 or 3 forgotten sides. 2. Make cold sides 1 day ahead. 3. Bake casseroles while the turkey rests. 4. Set out the relish tray as guests arrive. 5. Use Grandma’s serving dishes if you have them. 6. Ask the oldest guest which dish they remember most.

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: Creamed Pearl Onions

Creamed onions were once as standard on the Thanksgiving table as cranberry sauce. Tiny pearl onions are simmered until sweet and tender, then folded into a buttery white sauce with a pinch of nutmeg. Of all the forgotten Thanksgiving sides, this one is the easiest to love, and frozen pearl onions mean no peeling at all. They are mild and creamy, and they taste wonderful spooned over turkey. Did anyone in your family make these?

You will need: 1 lb frozen pearl onions, 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, salt, white pepper, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tbsp buttered breadcrumbs (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cook the onions in salted water 5 minutes and drain. 2. Melt the butter and stir in the flour. 3. Whisk in the milk and cook until thick. 4. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. 5. Fold in the onions. 6. Top with parsley or breadcrumbs and serve warm.

Ambrosia, the Southern Holiday Fruit Salad

In many Southern homes, Thanksgiving and Christmas were not complete without a cut-glass bowl of ambrosia. The old version was simply oranges, coconut and a little sugar. Later cooks added pineapple, cherries, marshmallows and sour cream. It is cool and bright next to all the heavy dishes. Which version did your grandma make: A) just oranges and coconut, B) with marshmallows, C) with sour cream or D) never had it?

You will need: 4 oranges (peeled and cut in pieces), 1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits (drained), 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, 1 cup mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup maraschino cherries (halved), 1/2 cup sour cream or whipped cream.

How to make it: 1. Peel the oranges and cut into bite-size pieces. 2. Drain the pineapple and cherries well. 3. Mix the fruit, coconut and marshmallows. 4. Fold in the sour cream. 5. Chill at least 2 hours. 6. Serve in a glass bowl.

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: Oyster Dressing

Along the East Coast and the Gulf, oyster dressing was a holiday must for generations. Briny oysters are folded into buttery bread stuffing with celery and herbs, and they give it a rich, savory flavor. Many families made one pan of regular stuffing and one of oyster dressing. It is a true heirloom among forgotten Thanksgiving sides. Would you try it?

You will need: 1 pint shucked oysters with their liquid, 8 cups day-old bread cubes, 1 onion and 3 celery ribs (diced), 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp sage, 2 eggs, 1 cup chicken broth, parsley, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. 2. Cook the onion and celery in butter. 3. Chop the oysters and save the liquid. 4. Toss the bread, vegetables, oysters, herbs and parsley. 5. Beat the eggs with the broth and oyster liquid and pour over. 6. Bake in a buttered dish 40 minutes until golden.

Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad was first served at New York’s Waldorf hotel in the 1890s, and by the middle of the 1900s it was on holiday tables all over America. Crisp apples, celery, grapes and walnuts are tossed in a creamy dressing. It adds crunch and freshness to a Thanksgiving plate. Lighten it with half yogurt if you like. Walnuts or pecans?

You will need: 3 crisp apples (diced), 2 celery ribs (sliced), 1 cup red grapes (halved), 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp honey, salt, lettuce leaves.

How to make it: 1. Toss the apples with lemon juice. 2. Add the celery, grapes and walnuts. 3. Whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, honey and salt. 4. Fold the dressing into the salad. 5. Chill 30 minutes. 6. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Scalloped Corn Casserole

Scalloped corn was a Midwest farm favorite: corn baked in a custard with cracker crumbs until puffy and golden on top. It is cozy, cheap and made from pantry staples. Somewhere along the way it got replaced by the boxed corn casserole, but the old version is even better. Buttery crackers on top or plain breadcrumbs?

You will need: 2 cans (15 oz each) corn (drained) or 4 cups frozen corn, 1 can (15 oz) creamed corn, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp sugar, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and butter a baking dish. 2. Beat the eggs with the milk, sugar, salt and pepper. 3. Stir in both kinds of corn and 1 cup crackers. 4. Pour into the dish. 5. Top with the rest of the crackers mixed with the butter. 6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until set and golden.

Raw Cranberry Orange Relish

Before everyone simmered cranberry sauce, many families ground raw cranberries with a whole orange in an old hand grinder. The result is a bright, tangy relish that tastes fresh and wakes up every rich dish on the plate. Today a food processor does it in one minute. It tastes even better made a day ahead. Cooked sauce or raw relish?

You will need: 12 oz fresh cranberries, 1 whole orange (seeds removed, cut in pieces, peel on), 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional).

How to make it: 1. Rinse and sort the cranberries. 2. Cut the orange into chunks with the peel. 3. Pulse the cranberries and orange in a food processor until finely chopped. 4. Stir in the sugar and salt. 5. Chill overnight. 6. Stir in pecans just before serving.

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: The Relish Tray

Every vintage Thanksgiving had one: a long glass dish with celery sticks, olives, pickles, radishes and sometimes stuffed eggs. It gave everyone something to nibble while the turkey rested, and kids loved putting olives on their fingers. It takes ten minutes and no cooking, which makes it the easiest of all the forgotten Thanksgiving sides to bring back. Do you still set one out?

You will need: Celery sticks, carrot sticks, radishes, black and green olives, sweet and dill pickles, pickled beets, cherry tomatoes, cream cheese for stuffing celery, paprika.

How to make it: 1. Cut the celery and carrots into sticks and chill in ice water. 2. Fill some celery with cream cheese and dust with paprika. 3. Drain the olives and pickles. 4. Halve the radishes. 5. Arrange everything in rows on a long dish. 6. Keep cold until serving.

Brown Sugar Candied Carrots

Candied carrots were the side that got kids to eat their vegetables. Carrots are simmered until tender, then glazed with butter and brown sugar until shiny. Some families added a little orange juice or a pinch of ginger. It is simple and colorful on the holiday plate, and one of the forgotten Thanksgiving sides kids still love. Coins or whole baby carrots?

You will need: 2 lb carrots (sliced into coins or whole baby carrots), 3 tbsp butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp orange juice, pinch of ginger, salt, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the carrots in salted water 8 to 10 minutes until just tender. 2. Drain well. 3. Melt the butter in the same pot. 4. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice and ginger. 5. Add the carrots and cook 3 to 4 minutes until glossy. 6. Top with parsley.

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: Sweet Potato Souffle With Pecan Crust

Before the marshmallow casserole took over, many Southern tables served a lighter sweet potato souffle with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan topping. Whipped sweet potatoes with eggs and a little vanilla bake up fluffy and tender. Many people who skip the marshmallow version love this one, and it can be made a day ahead and baked on the holiday. Pecans or marshmallows?

You will need: 3 lb sweet potatoes (cooked and mashed), 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. 2. Beat the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon until fluffy. 3. Spread in a buttered dish. 4. Mix the topping ingredients until crumbly. 5. Sprinkle over the top. 6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Succotash

Succotash is one of the oldest American dishes, with roots in Native American cooking long before the first Thanksgiving feast. Corn and lima beans are cooked together with butter, and some families add cream or a little bacon. It is sweet, buttery and very colorful. Somehow it joined the forgotten Thanksgiving sides, but it is easy to bring back. Butter or cream?

You will need: 3 cups corn (fresh or frozen), 2 cups lima beans (frozen), 3 tbsp butter, 1 small onion (diced), 1/2 red pepper (diced), 1/4 cup cream (optional), salt and pepper, chives.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and soften the onion and pepper. 2. Add the lima beans and a splash of water. 3. Cook 5 minutes. 4. Add the corn and cook 5 more minutes. 5. Stir in the cream and season. 6. Top with chives.

Old-Fashioned Corn Pudding

Corn pudding sits somewhere between a custard and a spoon bread, and it was a treasured side in Virginia and across the South. Sweet corn is baked with eggs, milk and butter until just set and golden at the edges. It is soft, sweet and comforting. Serve it right from the dish with a big spoon. Sweet or savory?

You will need: 4 cups corn kernels, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 3 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp salt, pinch of nutmeg.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and butter a baking dish. 2. Whisk the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, butter, salt and nutmeg. 3. Stir in the corn. 4. Pour into the dish. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until just set in the center. 6. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Turnip and Rutabaga Mash

In New England and the Midwest, a bowl of mashed turnips or rutabaga sat right next to the potatoes. It is a little peppery, a little sweet and lighter than mashed potatoes. Mash it with plenty of butter and black pepper, or mix it half and half with potatoes. Many older cooks still call it the side that tastes like Grandma’s house. Have you ever tried it?

You will need: 2 lb rutabaga or turnips (peeled and cubed), 1 large potato (optional), 4 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp cream, 1 tsp brown sugar, salt and lots of black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cover the rutabaga and potato with salted water. 2. Boil 25 to 30 minutes until very tender. 3. Drain well and let steam dry 2 minutes. 4. Mash with the butter and cream. 5. Season with brown sugar, salt and pepper. 6. Serve hot with extra butter.

Baked Stuffed Onions

This elegant old side looks fancy but uses humble ingredients. Whole onions are hollowed, filled with buttery breadcrumbs, herbs and sometimes a little sausage, then baked until soft and sweet with a golden top. It was a favorite in old church cookbooks for company dinners, and it is one of the prettiest forgotten Thanksgiving sides on this list. Would you serve these?

You will need: 6 medium yellow onions, 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, 4 oz sausage (cooked, optional), 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 tsp thyme, 3 tbsp melted butter, 1/2 cup chicken broth, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Peel the onions and cut off the tops. 2. Boil 10 minutes, then scoop out the centers, leaving a shell. 3. Chop the centers and mix with the breadcrumbs, sausage, parmesan, thyme and butter. 4. Fill the onions. 5. Set in a dish with the broth. 6. Bake at 375 F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Forgotten Thanksgiving Sides: Jellied Cranberry From the Can

Not forgotten exactly, but loved and teased in equal measure: the jellied cranberry log with the ridges still on it. Canned jellied cranberry sauce has been sold since the early 1940s, and for many families it is the taste of Thanksgiving. Slice it into rounds and fan it on a pretty plate, or make your own in a loaf pan. Ridges or homemade?

You will need: Homemade version: 12 oz fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin softened in 1/4 cup cold water.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the cranberries, sugar and water 10 minutes until they burst. 2. Press through a sieve. 3. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved. 4. Pour into a small loaf pan or can-shaped mold. 5. Chill overnight. 6. Unmold and slice into rounds.

Baked Oysters on the Half Shell

In coastal towns, a platter of baked oysters often started the holiday meal. The oysters are topped with buttery breadcrumbs and cheese and baked just until bubbly. It was a special-occasion treat that has mostly faded from home tables, but it is easier than most people think. Of all the forgotten Thanksgiving sides, this is the fanciest. Would you add these to your menu?

You will need: 24 fresh oysters on the half shell, 4 tbsp butter (melted), 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tbsp parsley, lemon wedges, rock salt for the pan.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450 F. 2. Spread rock salt in a baking pan to hold the shells steady. 3. Mix the butter, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and parsley. 4. Set the oysters on the salt. 5. Top each with a spoonful of the crumbs. 6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Parker House Rolls

Parker House rolls are named for the Boston hotel where they became famous in the 1800s. They are soft, buttery and folded over so they pull apart in layers. Many families bought brown-and-serve rolls for years, but the homemade version is a real treat. Brush them with melted butter right out of the oven. How many can you eat?

You will need: 1 cup warm milk, 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 egg, 6 tbsp melted butter plus more for brushing, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3 1/2 cups flour.

How to make it: 1. Mix the milk, yeast, sugar, egg, butter and salt. 2. Add the flour and knead to a soft dough. 3. Let rise 1 hour. 4. Roll 1/2 inch thick, cut circles and brush with butter. 5. Fold each in half and set close together in a pan. 6. Rise 30 minutes and bake at 375 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Spiced Crab Apples

Spiced crab apples were the jewel of the old relish tray: whole little apples cooked in a sweet, spiced syrup until they glowed red. Grandmothers canned them in the fall and opened a jar for Thanksgiving. They taste sweet, tart and warm with cinnamon and cloves. For more old-time holiday cooking, see our Southern Thanksgiving dishes Grandma never left off the table. Have you ever seen these on a holiday table?

You will need: 2 lb crab apples (stems on), 3 cups sugar, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 tbsp whole cloves, 1 tsp allspice berries.

How to make it: 1. Prick each crab apple a few times with a needle. 2. Simmer the sugar, vinegar, water and spices 5 minutes. 3. Add the crab apples and simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes. 4. Do not let them burst. 5. Spoon into clean jars with the syrup. 6. Keep in the fridge up to 3 weeks.