I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Potato Side Dish Recipes and This Is the One I'll Serve on Thanksgiving

Potatoes are frequently served on the side, but are often the most exciting part of the meal. There’s nothing more delicious than a pillowy pile of freshly whipped mashed potatoes or plate of crispy, well-seasoned roasted spuds. Potatoes are the perfect partner to almost any main recipe, and after pouring through your recipes and reviews, we found out you agree. These root vegetables, often mild and subtly sweet in flavor, can be cut and cooked in a variety of ways, making them a uniquely versatile food that’s easy to enjoy. But what’s the best of the best when it comes to potato side dishes? Here’s what we found. 

Which Potato Side Dish Recipes Did I Test?

Thanks to our community members, we have hundreds of great potato side dish recipes on our site. In order to make the cut for this taste test, though, recipes had to have an average rating of at least 4.5 and had to have plenty of rave reviews. We narrowed our search by choosing recipes that used only baking (a.k.a. russet) potatoes and, after some intense scrutiny, we landed on five stand-out recipes. Two of them involve thinly slicing and baking, one perfectly cheesy and the other layered with butter and onions. One recipe is a bit labor-intensive (but delicious!), and one is for simply roasted potatoes. Finally, there’s a recipe for the classic mashed version. 

• Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes by Cathy Martin
• Basic Mashed Potatoes by Esmee Williams
• Oven Roasted Potatoes by JMRYGH
• Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes by Jane Boswell-Purdy
• Steakhouse Potatoes Romanoff by John Mizewich

How I Judged the Recipes

Flavor was the most important factor in judging, as well as the texture of the final dish. The recipe itself didn’t have to be “easy” to make, but needed to have clear instructions and a complete ingredient list. 

The Results

Best for the Cheese Lover: Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

• The recipe: Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes submitted by Cathy Martin
• Average rating: 4.6
• Rave review: “It's the one for me..it's easy and simple..inexpensive with a big flavor..I ❤️ it..thank you..just what I was looking for.” –Katherin Totten

I grew up eating my mom and grandmother’s au gratin potatoes, both of which were absolutely perfect, so I had high standards when it came to this recipe. I was pleasantly surprised with both a complete ingredient list and clear instructions which made this sometimes complicated recipe feel manageable and approachable. While there are several steps, none of them felt daunting and I was able to complete them in the 30-minute prep time indicated by the recipe. After building the dish, which included making a stovetop cheese sauce and baking for 1 ½ hours, I was rewarded with a delicious casserole of perfectly cooked and seasoned cheesy potatoes. The potatoes were tender and I loved the soft, slightly sweet onions layered between them. These were just as delicious as my mom and grandmother’s recipe. I would absolutely make this recipe again.

Get the recipe: Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Best Versatile Potato Side Dish: Basic Mashed Potatoes

• The recipe: Basic Mashed Potatoes submitted by Esmee Williams
• Average rating: 4.6
• Rave review: “The best I've ever made. I did the recipe as-is, but mixed them and the melted milk/butter in a stand mixer, and the consistency is perfect - light and fluffy. NOT watery, and just enough butter.” –Kate Rigatuso

I’ve lived a pretty long and amazing life, which means I’ve sampled many versions of mashed potatoes. I’m not picky about the type (skin-on, russet vs. Yukon Gold, etc), as long as they’re flavorful and fluffy. Luckily, these mashed potatoes are exactly that! I followed the instructions, which were clear and concise, and was pleased by the simplicity of the dish. After boiling and draining the potatoes and garlic for 20 minutes, I added the warmed milk and butter and mashed the potatoes until they were smooth and creamy. I added a bit of salt and pepper and was rewarded with delicious mashed potatoes. This is absolutely a “basic” recipe and a great starting point if you’re looking to customize. Keep in mind, though, if you choose a waxy potato for this recipe (such as a Yukon gold), your boiling time may be a bit longer. Simply cook a few additional minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender, before draining and mashing.  

Get the recipe: Basic Mashed Potatoes

Best For Those Who Enjoy a Crispy Potato: Oven Roasted Potatoes

• The recipe: Oven Roasted Potatoes submitted by JMRYGH
• Average rating: 4.7
• Rave review: “Delicious and easy. I make these all of the time, but have started to use only a few spices and herbs - at this point, I feel the outcome is best when only garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper and chili powder is used. Sometimes I'll add some rosemary, but most times I do not. Thanks - love these!!!” –Chikee

Oven-roasted potatoes are my go-to side dish for busy weeknight meals. I love that I can dice up a few potatoes, toss them oil and herbs and let the oven do all of the work for me. This recipe is a delicious option that offers plenty of flavor paired with a delightfully crisp potato. I diced the potatoes into even pieces and tossed them in a bowl with olive oil and several dried herbs (many of which I already had stocked in my spice cabinet) including basil, dill, thyme, oregano, and parsley. After roasting for about 30 minutes, the potatoes came out delightfully crispy and were packed with garlic-herb flavor. My whole family enjoyed these potatoes and agreed they were perfect alongside the pan-seared salmon I made that night. The recipe is simple with only four steps and my daughter even enjoyed making it.

Get the recipe: Oven Roasted Potatoes

Best Creamy Potato Side Dish: Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes

• The recipe: Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes submitted by Jane Boswell-Purdy
• Average rating: 4.6
• Rave review: “Easy to make ahead and fully cooked then reheated up for 45 minutes at 350 Deg F the next day for Easter Sunday dinner at my sister's. The scalloped potato casserole was scrumptious and none was left. Thank you for sharing.” –Johanna Alexander

If you’re looking for a basic scalloped potato recipe, this is it. You’ll need potatoes, half an onion, some flour, butter, salt, pepper, and milk to make it. That’s it! The method is straightforward, the steps are easy to execute, and the 30-minute prep time allocated for making the dish is accurate. After layering potatoes and onion slices with butter and flour in a casserole dish, I poured warm milk over everything and baked for an hour. The dish was indeed creamy and the potatoes were tender, but I wanted a bit more flavor. While I liked this recipe, next time I will add a bit more seasoning as well as plenty of garlic.

Get the recipe: Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes

Best Overall: Steakhouse Potatoes Romanoff

• The recipe: Steakhouse Potatoes Romanoff submitted by John Mizewich
• Average rating: 4.7
• Rave review: ”Our 36 holiday guests were to say the least happy campers! Everyone (36 guests) wanted the recipe and wanted me to make them for every dinner party hence forth! They do take time but don't change anything make them as written. It is well worth the effort and time.” –Allrecipes Member

If you have time and a food processor, this is the potato side dish you absolutely need to try. The recipe begins by baking three large potatoes in the oven until tender. After cooling slightly, the potatoes are covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until completely chilled, which takes about 8 hours. After chilling, the potatoes are grated into a bowl and then tossed with shallots, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, Cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Bake for 30 minutes in a casserole dish until golden-brown and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. That will be easy, as this is the most delicious potato side dish on the site. If you have a food processor with a grating attachment, save yourself some time and use it for making this dish.

Get the recipe: Steakhouse Potatoes Romanoff