4 Thanksgiving Sides You Should Turn Into Pie

If you didn’t grow up eating green bean casserole at the holidays, then it’s unlikely you enjoy it as an adult. The slimy canned beans, the heavy, gloopy cream of mushroom soup—it all tastes admittedly flat, heavy, and overly rich, with little acid to break up the salty slop.

Our recipe for Green Bean Casserole Tart offers a fresher but not-too-stuffy take on a classic, brightening up the dish with frozen green beans, sliced cremini mushrooms, and a generous dose of freshly cracked black pepper, all served up in some puff pastry dough, homemade or store-bought. Get the recipe for Green Bean Casserole Tart here.

Both pumpkin and sweet potatoes transform into custard pies every Thanksgiving, so there’s no reason we can’t extend that treatment to other sacred parts of the holiday spread. This Corn Custard Pie might sound odd at first, but its bright lemon hue and roasty, inviting flavor profile—thanks in large part to a pulverized cornflake crust—will be the sleeper hit at your Thanksgiving gathering. You won’t believe how simple the shopping list is for this one. Get the recipe for Corn Custard Pie here.

You know what vegetable is tragically underrated at Thanksgiving? The pearl onion, which can outshine any rich, succulent cut of meat when it’s been drenched in butter and cream. This Creamed Onion Crostata is a testament to nature’s forgotten side dish, and you should add it to the menu this year.

With a rustic, slightly sloppy look, this crostata requires no dough skills whatsoever, and uses simple pantry staples like mustard, cream, and cheese to transform root vegetables into pure, gluttonous gold. The seasoning makes the dish, so play around with ratios and see what you like best. Get the recipe for Creamed Onion Crostata here.

As we’ve already learned, cranberry sauce is a valuable resource on the Thanksgiving table, offering a small hit of acid to contrast the richness of virtually every other dish. This Cranberry Sauce Tart offers that respite tenfold, with a tart and not-too-sweet pucker that sits in a gingersnap pie crust for extra texture and contrast. Eat it with dinner or save it for dessert, but either way, add it to the lineup. Get the recipe for Cranberry Sauce Tart here.