Thanksgiving side dish oven temperature and time chart
Most baked Thanksgiving sides want 350 °F, which is close to the oven the turkey already has. This chart lists the temperature, bake time and covering for eight common sides, as printed in the recipe or guide named in each row. Recipes differ, so treat the times as a range and go by the look of the dish.
| Dish | Oven | Minutes | Covered? | Shares with the turkey? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuffing or dressing, in a dish | 375 °F (Safeway: 350–375) | 30 covered, then 20 uncovered | Covered first, then uncovered to brown | Yes at 350. Add time at 325. | Our Zesty Life, easy bread stuffing |
| Sweet potato casserole | 350 °F | 12–30, with cooked sweet potatoes | Not stated in either recipe | Yes at 350. Add time at 325. | Grandma's Molasses, sweet potato casserole |
| Green bean casserole | 350 °F | 30, then 5 more with the last onions | Not stated | Yes at 350. Add time at 325. | Recipe Girl, green bean casserole |
| Baked macaroni and cheese | 350 °F | 20–25 in a 2-quart dish, about 40 if thick | Not stated | Yes at 350. Add time at 325. | Feast and Farm, baked macaroni and cheese |
| Dinner rolls (yeast, in a pan) | 350 °F | 20–25 | Not stated | Yes at 350. Watch the color at 325. | Love and Lemons, homemade dinner rolls |
| Potato gratin | 350–375 °F | Start 45–60 before serving | Foil for the first two thirds, then off | Yes at 350. | Safeway, holiday sides guide |
| Roasted Brussels sprouts | 425 °F | 25–30, turned once | Uncovered | No. Roast after the turkey comes out, or before it goes in. | Mr. Food, roasted Brussels sprouts |
| Roasted potatoes | 425 °F | Not given, turn once halfway | Uncovered | No. Same window as the sprouts. | Safeway, holiday sides guide |
The sweet potato range combines two recipes: Jamie Geller, sweet potato casserole bakes 12 to 15 minutes, Grandma's Molasses, sweet potato casserole 30 minutes. Both start with cooked sweet potatoes.
What temperature to bake stuffing
A stuffing baked in a casserole dish takes 350 to 375 °F. The 375 °F recipe above runs 30 minutes covered and 20 uncovered in a 9x13 dish. The cover keeps it moist, and taking it off browns the top. Safeway's guide says to start stuffing 45 to 60 minutes before serving.
USDA's turkey brochure says stuffing has to reach 165 °F in the center. USDA also suggests baking it in a casserole dish for more even cooking. Both points are on the turkey roasting time chart, with the source.
Can you cook sides at the same temperature as the turkey?
Often yes. Safeway's guide says most sides tolerate about 25 °F of difference, and that sides sharing the oven with a 325 °F turkey can bake at 325 °F with 15 to 20 extra minutes for casseroles. A cold casserole from the refrigerator needs another 10 to 15 minutes. State of Dinner goes further: its sheet pan method adds the sides to a 350 °F oven after the turkey has roasted for an hour, and bakes them 30 to 45 minutes more.
The sides that do not share well are the ones at 425 °F. Roasted vegetables and potatoes need the high heat for browning. Safeway suggests starting the higher-temperature items before the turkey goes in, or roasting them once it comes out.
Group sides by temperature when the oven is full
- 350 to 375 °F group. Stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, rolls and gratin. Bake them together at 350 °F, or at 375 °F if you prefer to shorten the time, and move the pans between racks. Safeway puts items that need browning on the upper racks and long-baking casseroles lower, with about 2 inches around each pan.
- 425 °F group. Brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes. Give them their own window, usually after the turkey comes out to rest.
- Holding. Safeway keeps finished dishes in a 200 °F oven, loosely covered with foil, or in a warming drawer at 140 to 160 °F. Reheating a casserole or gratin takes 30 to 45 minutes at 350 °F under foil, and roasted vegetables 5 to 10 minutes at 425 °F, uncovered.
To see the order for your own dinner time, open the 350 °F group in the planner. It is filled with the five sides above, for a 5:00 PM dinner. Change the times to match your recipes. The one-oven guide shows the full day with a turkey.
Sources
- Safeway, holiday sides guide
- Our Zesty Life, easy bread stuffing
- Recipe Girl, green bean casserole
- Grandma's Molasses, sweet potato casserole
- Jamie Geller, sweet potato casserole
- Feast and Farm, baked macaroni and cheese
- Love and Lemons, homemade dinner rolls
- Mr. Food, roasted Brussels sprouts
- State of Dinner, sheet pan Thanksgiving
Figures come from these pages as of October 2026 and are ranges from different recipes. Your recipe and your oven come first.