20 Best Christmas Side Dishes for Your Winter Holidays

The holidays are just about here, and these 20 Christmas side dishes are exactly what you need to complete your festive feast.

Think sweet potatoes, crispy sprouts, and so much more!

These dishes are winners no matter the season, but they really shine during the holiday festivities.

What’s a perfectly roasted turkey without a spread of delectable holiday sides, right?

Whether your family loves sticking to the classics or you’re in the mood to try something new, there’s definitely a Christmas side dish here for everyone.

Ready to discover your next holiday favorite? Let’s get started!

20. Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Holiday Side Dish

If you’re gearing up for the holiday season, this easy mashed sweet potato recipe is a must-have for your dinner table. It’s not only paleo, vegan, and gluten-free but also skips the dairy, sugar, and oil, making it packed with flavor yet super healthy.

Christmas is around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to introduce you to this simple yet elegant dish. It’s ideal for festive gatherings like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and just as suitable for a casual weeknight meal.

The best part? These mashed sweet potatoes ditch the refined sugar, making them a guilt-free addition to your meals.

Sweet potatoes are a favorite in my household. They’re a staple side dish because they’re not only scrumptious but also incredibly nutritious and straightforward to prepare.

The beauty of sweet potatoes lies in their natural sweetness, proving that sometimes, keeping it simple really is best.

19. Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash – Easy Christmas Main or Side Dish

This cheesy squash skillet could easily become the star of your dinner, no matter what else is on the menu. Its perfect blend of sweet, salty, and creamy flavors is absolutely irresistible.

The roasted butternut squash brings a slight sweetness and nutty taste that meshes wonderfully with the savory, rich bacon. Topped with a generous layer of creamy, melted mozzarella, it’s a combination that’s sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Ideal for chilly weather, this dish is versatile enough to serve as either a hearty main or a delectable side. Pair it with other seasonal favorites to round out your meal perfectly.

And if you’re on the hunt for more ways to enjoy squash, don’t miss out on trying a classic roasted butternut squash soup.

18. Garlic & Feta Mashed Potatoes – Favorite Christmas Side Dish

Mashed potatoes are incredibly versatile and can adapt to a wide range of flavors. We’ve experimented with additions like toasted sesame oil, cream cheese, yogurt, olive oil, chicken broth, buttermilk, and various cheeses.

For this particular recipe, we chose to highlight feta, allowing its tangy profile to take center stage. We kept the other ingredients simple—just fresh garlic and parsley—to ensure the feta’s flavor truly pops.

This approach creates a mashed potato dish that’s far from mundane, perfect for livening up any Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.

17. Braised Red Cabbage for Christmas Table

Red cabbage has been a staple in kitchens since the Great Depression, consistently gracing dinner tables throughout the year.

Many of us cherish memories of our grandmothers simmering red cabbage on the stove as the rest of the meal came together.

Its vibrant red hue makes it a particularly festive choice for holiday meals, perfectly embodying the spirit of the Christmas season.

16. Hearty Vegan Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, Spinach, and Goat Cheese!

This warm quinoa chickpea salad brings together three beloved ingredients in a protein-rich, vegan dish that’s perfect for everyone this holiday season. It’s an excellent option for accommodating plant-based diets at your festive gatherings.

Whether served as a hearty lunch, a meatless main, or a healthy side dish, it’s sure to earn a spot on your Christmas table!

15. Roasted Beet Christmas Salad

If you’re a fan of canned beets but haven’t yet tried them roasted, you’re in for a treat! Roasting really brings out the rich, earthy flavors of beets, taking them to a whole new level.

This roasted beet salad recipe transforms simple beets into a vibrant and exciting dish with a variety of delicious mix-ins. Say goodbye to mundane salads and keep this recipe handy to dazzle at your next meal!

14. Southern Bacon-Fried Cabbage – Festive Christmas Dinner Side Dish

Cabbage is incredibly versatile and pairs well with virtually any dish and seasoning. To really elevate it, try frying cabbage steaks in bacon grease.

This method infuses the cabbage with rich, smoky bacon flavors, resulting in a crispy and delicious side dish. Adding this bacon-fried cabbage to your holiday menu is sure to be a hit with everyone who loves a touch of bacon in their meal!

13. Sweet and Savory Corn Au Gratin

If you’re a fan of corn, you’ll adore this corn au gratin. It’s a creamy, delightful recipe that’s simple to whip up and always a crowd favorite.

Ideal for any gathering throughout the year, this classic creamed corn au gratin will quickly become a staple in your recipe collection. Not only is it perfect for your Thanksgiving spread, but its make-ahead convenience means it’s stress-free.

Once you try it, you’ll find yourself returning to this recipe time and time again.

12. The Biggest Fattest Fluffiest Popover for Holiday Table

Check out the fluffiest, biggest popovers you’ll ever make! These popovers are incredibly light, seriously easy to whip up (you’ll be amazed), and they’re my top pick for slathering with butter.

They puff up into fun, whimsical shapes that make them an absolutely perfect side dish for Christmas. Bring a little extra magic to your holiday table with a batch of these delightful Christmas popovers.

They’re just the thing to capture the spirit of the season—hot, fluffy, and ready to be devoured!

11. Crispy Roast Potatoes – Healthy Christmas Side Dish

Get ready to serve up the most deliciously crispy roast potatoes that’ll steal the show at any meal. They’re not only packed with flavor but are also gluten-free and can be made vegan-friendly with just a swap to oil.

These aren’t your average roast potatoes; they’re like little bursts of flavor in every bite! The outside crisps up beautifully in the oven, while the inside remains so soft, it’s almost like having mashed potatoes.

Tossed with fresh herbs and garlic, these potatoes are irresistible and are sure to disappear quickly from the dinner table. Perfect for Christmas, or really, any time you want to elevate your potato game!

10. Easy Stuffing Recipe with Onion, Garlic, Thyme, and Rosemary

No holiday meal is complete without a hearty serving of stuffing, a staple at any festive table. This traditional side dish combines the savory flavors of onions, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, creating a mouthwatering medley that’s hard to resist.

With its perfect mix of bread, spices, and a handful of seasonal vegetables, this stuffing isn’t just a filler—it’s a showstopper. Its rich, aromatic blend complements any main dish, making it an indispensable part of Christmas dinners.

What’s there not to love about this beautifully seasoned and comforting classic?

9. Cranberry Rice Pilaf – Side Dish Bring Flavor to the Table!

Brighten up your holiday table with a festive twist on classic rice pilaf by adding cranberries for a pop of color and flavor!

This dish is a perfect addition to any meal, filling enough to satisfy yet delicate enough to appeal to everyone, even the picky eaters.

The cranberries add a delightful tartness that cuts through the nutty flavor of the pilaf, making it an irresistible side dish for Thanksgiving or any festive occasion.

Don’t just save it for Christmas; this versatile and easy-to-make side dish is wonderful to enjoy any time of the year.

8. Easy Peasy Yorkshire Puddings – Traditional Classic Christmas Meal!

This traditional classic is the perfect addition to any meal, but it shines during a Christmas feast! It brings back fond memories of grandma’s house and the simpler, joyous times spent there.

These homemade Yorkshire puddings are incredibly easy to make and taste so fantastic, you’ll never think about buying the ready-made ones again!

They rise perfectly every time, require just 5 minutes of hands-on prep, and are practically foolproof. This dish is sure to become a new favorite at your holiday table, embodying both comfort and nostalgia.

7. Easy and Delicious Sweet Potato Risotto

If you’re a regular reader of A Family Feast, you probably know that risotto is a special dish for my husband Jack and me! We have our go-to risotto recipes, but we love experimenting with new flavors and ingredients.

This Sweet Potato Risotto we’ve whipped up is absolutely delicious and it’s quickly becoming a new favorite!

6. Christmas Hasselback Potatoes – Flavorful Christmas Dish!

Deck out your dinner plate with our festive Hasselback potatoes! Each potato is sliced and filled with fragrant sage, crispy onion, and bacon, then topped off with melty cheese.

And for a sweet surprise, there’s a dab of cranberry sauce nestled in each slice. These spuds are a show-stopper!

5. Apple Cranberry Coleslaw with Taste of the South

This isn’t your average coleslaw! Toss some Southern flair into your holiday spread with our apple cranberry coleslaw. Crisp apples and juicy cranberries mix with traditional coleslaw for a sweet and savory treat that’s dressed in Christmas colors.

4. Broccoli Cheese Bake – Side Dish that Goes Well with All

Imagine the creamiest, cheesiest broccoli dish that everyone’s rushing to get seconds of. That’s our Broccoli Cheese Bake! It’s perfect for indulging over the holidays—because, why not?

It’s that time of the year. Before I moved to Italy to start a new life with my husband, he got a taste of my mom’s legendary cooking back in Toronto, where it all began for us.

3. Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe

A green bean casserole is essential at any holiday table, loved not just for its creamy, cheesy goodness and crunchy onion topping, but because it’s a delicious tradition that spans generations.

Even if you’re not a fan of green beans, this casserole is irresistible. Grab your casserole dish, and let’s make this holiday staple that actually makes everyone excited to eat their vegetables!

2. Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce – Satisfying Side Recipe

This homemade Ocean Spray cranberry sauce recipe will definitely elevate your Thanksgiving feast, making every bite memorable. This sauce strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart, making it the ultimate side dish.

Though it may not steal the spotlight like the turkey or ham, this cranberry sauce will certainly brighten up your meal, adding a burst of flavor to every dish. It’s so good, you’ll find yourself wanting to keep it on hand well beyond the holidays.

Ideal not just for complementing your Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham, this versatile sauce also pairs wonderfully with other meats.

You can even drizzle it over salads or desserts for a unique twist. Make sure to make extra—this is one recipe you’ll want to have plenty of!

1. Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips – Classic Holiday Side

This Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips recipe is the perfect easy side dish for any meal. Just toss roasted root veggies with walnuts, fresh herbs, and a delightful honey-cumin sauce, and you’ve got a comfort food dish ready in about 30 minutes.

Roasting veggies turns them into something special, making them sweet, tender, and perfectly browned. Root vegetables are particularly good for this, hearty and satisfying.

While roasted carrots are a familiar favorite, I’ve mixed things up by adding parsnips to the blend. Less common but equally tasty, parsnips bring a wonderful depth and slight sweetness that complements the carrots beautifully.

20 Christmas Side Dishes

Print

Discover the 20 best Christmas side dish recipes to round out your holiday dinner!

Ingredients

• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash
• Garlic & Feta Mashed Potatoes
• Braised Red Cabbage
• Vegan Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Roasted Beet Christmas Salad
• Southern Bacon-Fried Cabbage
• Corn Au Gratin
• Popover
• Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Easy Stuffing Recipe
• Cranberry Rice Pilaf
• Easy Peasy Yorkshire Puddings
• Sweet Potato Risotto
• Hasselback Potatoes
• Apple Cranberry Coleslaw
• Broccoli Cheese Bake
• Green Bean Casserole Recipe
• Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
• Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Instructions

1. Choose any Christmas Side Dishes from the post that you like

1. Click on the link below the photo to get the full recipes and instructions.
2. Try the best Christmas Side Dishes and share your photo under my pin on Pinterest!

Sharing is caring!