What’s the best part of Christmas dinner? The sides! Sure, I love a good turkey or ham, but it’s the stuffing, mashed potatoes and other tasty Christmas side dishes that make the meal. If you’re in charge of serving dinner this year, I have 23+ amazing side dishes that will steal the spotlight.
23+ Best Christmas Side Dishes You Have to Try This Year
1. Cabbage Steaks with Sundried Tomatoes
Cabbage may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of killer sides, but these “steaks” are bursting with flavor. Roasted cabbage has a delicious flavor, and the sundried tomato cream sauce is to die for. The best part? These beauties look gorgeous served on a pretty platter on the table.
2. Dauphinoise Potatoes
A classic French side dish that’s creamy, cheesy and always a crowd-pleaser. It reminds me of au gratin potatoes. You have thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes cooked with layers of Gruyere cheese for a delightfully irresistible side dish everyone will love. What makes this dish so special is that the potatoes are simmered in heavy cream before baking.
Related: 21 Creative Christmas Party Food Ideas for a Crowd
3. Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
Mashed potatoes are one of the most traditional Christmas side dishes, but this recipe takes it over the top. Savory roasted garlic pairs so well with creamy mashed potatoes. A hint of Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs add nutty and earthy flavors. The key to getting perfectly roasted garlic is to roast the entire bulb in the oven until each clove softens. Make sure that you have plenty of extra herbs and butter to top off this whipped masterpiece.
4. Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Thinly sliced sweet potatoes are cooked in a spiced, buttery brown sugar sauce and topped with mini marshmallows and pecans. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The whole thing cooks up in less than an hour with just 15 minutes of prep time.
5. Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
These honey glazed carrots will be the star of the show at your Christmas dinner table. If you’re not a fan of honey, you can use maple syrup for the glaze. Fresh parsley and thyme add tons of flavor to the dish and the brown sugar adds just a hint of sweetness. Top with pomegranate arils and walnuts or pecans. It’s the perfect combination of flavors.
6. Stuffed Mushrooms
These stuffed mushrooms will be a hit with everyone, and they use simple ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store. While baby bellas tend to work best, you can also use white button mushrooms. The savory stuffing of cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, pecans and fresh herbs is delightful.
Related: 15+ DIY Christmas Appetizer Trays to Serve at Your Party This Year
7. Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts
Most Brussels sprouts recipes are the same: roast with some oil and spices. But this recipe adds a creamy, cheesy sauce that pairs so well with the bitter, earthy flavor of this vegetable. This dish bakes in just 30 minutes, so it’s a quick and easy side to add to the tablet this year. Want to add even more flavor? Try topping the dish with crispy bacon.
8. Cranberry and Turkey Stuffing Balls
All the flavors of a holiday dinner in a single bite. Freshly made stuffing mixed with ground turkey, dried cranberries and herbs for a delicious side that everyone will devour. You can serve this in place of traditional stuffing to put a twist on this dish. I recommend sticking with dried cranberries for this recipe, as frozen or fresh berries will add too much moisture.
9. Holiday Peas
One of my favorite Christmas side dishes to serve. Ignore that it’s called Thanksgiving peas because you can serve these with any meal. And these are not your ordinary peas. They’re cooked with pancetta, shallots, pears, fresh parsley, Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon and spices. This dish pairs so perfectly well with any main you might serve at Christmas.
10. Creamy Roasted Red Onions
Here’s a unique side dish to serve: stuffed onions. Fresh red onions stuffed with a creamy herbed filling and topped with breadcrumbs and bacon. Baking time is about an hour, you can serve this with any type of main dish you would normally serve at Christmas.
11. Copycat Ruth’s Chris Potatoes Au Gratin
If you’ve ever had the potatoes au gratin at Ruth’s Chris, then you know that you need to make this recipe ASAP. Perfectly soft and creamy potatoes with fresh herbs and spices baked until bubbling hot. I recommend using a mandoline slicer to get perfectly thin, uniform slices for this dish. It will make all the difference.
12. Stuffed Acorn Squash
A savory and filling side dish that’s perfect for the season. The spinach and cheese filling is the perfect pair for acorn squash, and you can even roast the seeds for a healthy snack after Christmas dinner.
13. Loaded Roasted Cauliflower
If you’re looking for tender, caramelized Christmas side dishes that are low on calories and good for you, this dish is one of the best on the list. You’ll need six slices of bacon, cauliflower, garlic powder, green onions, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and ranch dressing.
14. Bacon Cornbread Stuffing
Who doesn’t like some Southern cornbread? This is a hearty side dish that has all of the bad-for-you ingredients that taste so good. You’ll add turkey stock, butter, sage, thyyme, eggs and a slew of other ingredients to the stuffing.
If you have some mashed potatoes or a meat-based side, this stuffing will go great with it.
15. Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Butternut squash and Brussels sprouts offer a fall-inspired side that is equally as delicious on Christmas. You’ll start with a sheet tray, mixing bowl and a skillet. You’ll start by cubing your squash and quartering the Brussels sprouts before arranging them on your sheet tray and drizzling with avocado oil, adding a few spices and toasting them.
Fry up four slices of bacon – I like them extra-crispy.
Next, you’ll learn how to make a tasty dressing before assembling your salad.
16. Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon Sugar
Three ingredients are all you need to make this fat-free dessert. I’m adding it to the list because while it’s a sweet treat, I absolutely eat this as a mini side during the holidays. All you need is pineapple, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Heat up a pan or grill, combine the sugar and cinnamon together, and then cover the pineapple in the mixture. Cook and enjoy a unique side dish that pairs really well with ham.
Related: 25 Fancy Christmas Dessert Ideas for a Crowd
17. Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
If you’re thinking, “this sounds simple,” it really is simple. You’ll blanch the green beans, par-cook the bacon and then wrap the bacon around the green beans. Secure the bacon in place with a toothpick and store until you’re ready to serve.
18. Tabbouleh with Quinoa and Pomegranate
Christmas side dishes inspired by Middle-Eastern cuisine is not something I thought would make it on the list this year. But trust me when I say that you won’t be disappointed with the fresh flavor.
Quinoa adds protein and a nutty flavor. It complements the taste that’s offered by the pomegranate, almonds, mint leaves, leaf parsley, lemon juice and other ingredients.
19. Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad with Mint
What a refreshing salad. Cucumber and pomegranate with a hint of mint is all you need for a side dish this Christmas. You’ll start by preparing a vinaigrette consisting of lime and olive oil. Slice up your cucumbers and seed the pomegranates, coat with dressing and toss in a bowl and serve.
Don’t forget to add torn mint leaves on top.
20. Asparagus & Bacon Chicken Potato Casserole
Casseroles are always hearty dishes packed with flavor and are a great option for leftovers, too. Add a salad on the side and this casserole instantly transforms from a side into a main dish.
Rustic in flavor, you’ll add chicken breasts for protein, asparagus, bacon, potatoes, onions, garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, fresh thyme, paprika, sharp cheddar cheese, ground black pepper and olive oil to make this dish.
The author even recommends Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir as a drink pairing.
21. Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Vegetables
Whipped feta dip is bursting with flavor and a fan favorite in most households. Delish and easy to prepare, you’ll make the whipped feta out of feta cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt.
As for the roasted veggies, the author recommends zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, bell peppers, red onion and tomatoes.
You can obviously roast up any type of veggies you like. The author even supplies a recipe for you to use.
22. Shredded Brussels Sprouts
Twenty minutes is all it takes to make these delectable shredded Brussels sprouts. You’ll top these sprouts with balsamic glaze, grated parmesan cheese, butter, salt, red pepper flakes and bacon grease.
For this recipe, you’ll need a food processor and a large skillet.
23. Irish Colcannon
Irish dishes are always a tasty option on Christmas, and I’m sure you’ll appreciate the abundance of flavor that these creamy potatoes offer. You’ll make this dish with an assortment of ingredients, including:
- Russet potatoes
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Onions
- Green cabbage
- Bacon
- Spices
