Top Five Thanksgiving Side Dishes [PHOTOS]

Happy Thanksgiving, KDAT listeners. There are three things make up the key elements to a perfect Thanksgiving get-together-- Family, football and of course--the food. Whether you choose turkey, ham, or possibly even prime rib as your main course, you know there is plenty more to it than that. Here are some of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving.

Stuffing. Some folks also call it "dressing". To me, it's always going to be called stuffing. Because you can stuff it into the turkey, into your belly or both. However you refer to it,.it's a must-have at any Thanksgiving meal.

Mashed potatoes (and gravy). Fluffy mounds of heaven showered in liquid joy.

Green bean casserole. We talked about this in the fall comfort food blog, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time for this dish's "season premiere".

Another member of the potato family, it's sweet potatoes, also known as yams. The terminology clearly doesn't matter, because by the time you're done ironing that out, your cousin has already snatched up the last serving.

Scalloped potatoes.  Noticing a pattern? Hey, you'll only indulge in a feast like this with all the fixings once a year (in theory), so give thanks for your blessings and dig in.

After Thanksgiving, I would suggest an amazing idea my mom used to concoct. Take some of what's left of the turkey and all these side dishes, mix them in a casserole dish, reheat in the oven and make a leftover casserole. YUM!

For a sweeter side, or dessert, bring on the cranberry sauce.

Do you have a favorite side dish you like at Thanksgiving? Share in the comments.

Of course, the side dishes are just the beginning. Send us your favorite Thanksgiving dessert recipe here. We'll give you credit for helping Eastern Iowa complete their holiday meal in the most delicious way, and there could even be some prizes in it for you.

[Via allrecipes.com, Country Living, Food Network, Food.com]