49 Holiday Side Dishes
Get your feast table ready for the holidays with our collection of side dishes. Our recipes are the perfect addition to any festive meal, bringing a mix of traditional flavors and new twists. From sweet to savory, there’s something for every palate.
Holiday Crack Green Beans
Our Crack Green Beans recipe is a delicious twist on a traditional green bean casserole. And it’s incredibly easy to make. We combine canned green beans, cranberries, and crispy bacon, toss it in a sweet and savory sauce, and finish it with sliced almonds.
Get the Recipe: Holiday Crack Green Beans
Roasted Potatoes And Carrots
With this tasty Roasted Potatoes and Carrots sweet, spicy, and oh-so-delicious recipe, you’re in for a treat. This flavor-packed side dish features hearty potatoes and sweet carrots tossed in a mouthwatering mix of melted butter, maple syrup, and a handful of spices before being roasted until golden and irresistible.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Potatoes And Carrots
Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Say hello to Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes! Their crispy edges and soft centers make these potatoes more than just a side dish. They’re the quick and easy answer to “What should I make with dinner tonight?”
Get the Recipe: Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are a quintessential holiday side dish. Cheesy, fluffy, and pure comfort in every bite!
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Candied Carrots
Candied Carrots are a game-changer for your dinner, offering a sweet and savory delight in every bite. Baby carrots are coated with a simple glaze of honey, brown sugar, and butter and roasted to perfection. A must-try for those looking to add a touch of sweetness to their meal!
Get the Recipe: Candied Carrots
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These are the absolute best mashed Sweet Potatoes you’ll ever have. They are buttery, creamy, nutty, and have hints of caramel. Think of sweet potatoes mixed with butter, a little brown sugar, and a small splash of sherry to make it extra special.
Get the Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Potato Pancakes
Classic German Potato Pancakes (German: Kartoffelpuffer) are made from freshly grated potatoes fried to golden brown perfection.
Get the Recipe: Potato Pancakes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
These melt-in-your-mouth Candied Sweet Potatoes are a delicious side dish. Made with brown sugar, butter, and balsamic vinegar, it’s a very easy dish to make right alongside your main meal.
Get the Recipe: Candied Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Carrots And Parsnips
Our recipe for Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed Roasted Carrots and Parsnips is a real crowd-pleaser, thanks to its unique blend of sweet, earthy, and savory flavors.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Carrots And Parsnips
Green Beans With Bacon
This sauteed Green Beans With Bacon and onion recipe is easy to make and full of flavor. It’s a great side dish that can be served all year long. And at my house, it’s also one of our favorite side dishes on our holiday table.
Get the Recipe: Green Beans With Bacon
Corn Casserole
This recipe gives a beloved traditional dish a spicy, smoky twist as our Corn Casserole marries old-fashioned comfort with an irresistible, contemporary spin.
Get the Recipe: Corn Casserole
Mushroom Pie
This Mushroom Pie is a delicious, surprisingly easy dinner option to pull together. A hearty, vegetable-filled pastry dish ready to serve in less than an hour. A pie lover’s dream come true!
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Pie
Spaetzle
Imagine a side dish so scrumptious that it not only complements your turkey and cranberry sauce but also becomes the talk of the table. That’s German Spaetzle for you—your new go-to crowd-pleaser that’ll make this year’s feast unforgettable!
Get the Recipe: Spaetzle
Bacon Stuffing Rolls
Bacon Stuffing Rolls are a true family favorite. Crispy on the outside, tender and savory on the inside. This delicious dish is an easy way to add a new spin to your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Stuffing Rolls
Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower
You can’t go wrong with this perfectly roasted, flavor-packed Broccoli and Cauliflower recipe! It’s one of the easiest recipes you can add to your dinner rotation.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower
Southern Salmon Croquettes
When your taste buds crave something crispy and tender, this Salmon Croquette Recipe must be put on your menu. This is one hearty meal that is oh-so-full of flavor!
Get the Recipe: Southern Salmon Croquettes
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries
This sweet and savory Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries is accented with roasted pecans and creamy goat cheese. Most of the recipe steps can be prepared ahead, making it the perfect holiday side dish!
Get the Recipe: Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries
Giblet Gravy Recipe
Knowing how to make giblet gravy will magically turn an ordinary dinner into a special one. One of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes and Christmas recipes, you’ll want to make this old-fashioned giblet gravy this holiday season.
Get the Recipe: Easy Homemade Giblet Gravy Recipe
German Red Cabbage
Make room on your Thanksgiving plate for German Red Cabbage! This vibrant side dish is a sweet, tangy sensation that’ll turn even the most dedicated cabbage skeptics into true believers. It’s the splash of color and flavor your holiday feast has been missing!
Get the Recipe: German Red Cabbage
Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus is one of those love-it or hate-it vegetables. I love it, as long as it is properly cooked. Overcook it, and you get slime. But cooked until just tender, it’s sublime. And roasting it brings out its sweetness as it does for other vegetables like these roasted mini-peppers.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Asparagus
Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese
Butternut Mac and Cheese with roasted butternut squash. This recipe takes a spin on an iconic American dish.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese
Roasted Broccoli
You won’t believe the incredible flavor of our Roasted Frozen Broccoli, turning a simple vegetable into a delightful treat!
Get the Recipe: Roasted Broccoli
French Green Beans with Herb Butter
These French-style green beans in garlicky herb butter make for a delicious fresh side dish! They are quick, easy, healthy, and flavorful – seasoned simply with fresh herbs and lemon juice.
Get the Recipe: French Green Beans with Herb Butter
Creamed Kale
This easy recipe for Creamed Kale turns these healthy greens into a delicious side dish with just six ingredients in 30 minutes or less! Serve alongside a holiday meal or with your favorite protein on a weeknight for a dose of healthy comfort food.
Get the Recipe: Creamed Kale
Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Gouda cheddar parmesan scalloped potatoes from scratch are the perfect side dish and comfort food. Although you can use any cheese you like for such a dish, smoked Gouda, white cheddar, and parmesan cheese go especially well together, making this the best potatoes au gratin for a special occasion.
Get the Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Southern Collard Greens
These authentic Southern Collard Greens are braised in savory meat flavored and perfectly spiced pot liquor, resulting in an amazing tender silky texture!!! Serve with this cornbread or corn muffins and hot sauce for a true down-home meal. Looking for the real deal? This is a true Southerner’s dream! If you love these, check out my Creamed Spinach and Mustard Greens recipe! Check out my web story here!
Get the Recipe: Southern Collard Greens
Pumpkin Curry Soup
This Pumpkin Curry Soup blends classic pumpkin and curry spices into a deliciously rich and creamy fall soup! With the fall season in full swing, there’s nothing better than a warm soup to help you stay cozy on those chilly days.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Curry Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar
This Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar is the perfect fall side dish that captures the season’s essence in each flavorful bite. With its delightful blend of sweet and savory notes, this recipe brings the warmth and comfort of autumn to your dinner table.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar
Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
Sweet, tangy, soft and delicious! These balsamic roasted mushrooms take just 30 minutes in the oven and make such an impression on the dinner table.
Get the Recipe: Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
Pomegranate Stuffing
Here’s a recipe for semi-homemade Pomegranate Stuffing to help with that HUGE Thanksgiving meal. A pomegranate says Fall and the color looks festive, mixed in with the herbs’ green and the stuffing’s brown. You’ll enjoy the additional flavor and pop as you bite into the pomegranate arils.
Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Stuffing
Baked Buttercup Squash
Baked buttercup squash is a delicious yet overlooked winter squash that is delightful to make during fall! When you bake buttercup squash with chopped apples, butter, honey, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, you will have a sweet yet savory side dish that’s also super easy to make! If you are looking for a new and unique vegetable side to wow your family, this one is it!
Get the Recipe: Baked Buttercup Squash
Oyster Dressing
This oyster dressing is a classic Southern recipe that features dried bread, herbs and spices, chopped veggies, and shucked oysters! It is moist, flavorful, and the perfect side dish for any oyster lover! Go ahead and serve this tasty recipe at your next family get-together for an unforgettable meal!
Get the Recipe: Oyster dressing
Cheesy Baked Asparagus
This cheesy baked asparagus is a delicious vegetable side dish that even the kids will look forward to eating! The asparagus is topped off with Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese, then baked until tender in a velvety cream sauce for maximum richness! Best of all, it only takes about 20 minutes to make!
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Baked Asparagus
Butternut Squash Soup
Get cozy with a warm bowl of creamy Butternut Squash Soup. This sweet, savory, and earthy soup is irresistible. Butternut squash, sweet apples, bacon, and onion are simmered in a creamy broth until tender and blended to smooth perfection.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup
Sweet Cornbread Recipe Cast Iron Skillet
Chilis, soups, and barbeques need this sweet cornbread cast iron skillet recipe! Baking in a hot cast-iron skillet gives each piece of cornbread crispy edges and the perfect tender crumb. This egg-free recipe is sweetened with just the right amount of maple syrup and coconut sugar – you’ll want to keep coming back for more once you try it!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Cornbread Recipe Cast Iron Skillet
Thanksgiving Bread Pudding
I have a deep and abiding love for classic Thanksgiving dishes. My menu has held the same headliners for years. A beautifully roasted turkey? Of course. A delicious sweet potato casserole?
Get the Recipe: Thanksgiving Bread Pudding
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
These Mini turkey pot pies are a twist on a holiday classic. They are delicious, easy to make, and an excellent way to use up leftover turkey roast. It can be made ahead of time, and it’s freezer-friendly.
Get the Recipe: Mini Turkey Pot Pies
Southern Baked Mac ‘n Cheese
For my family, certain foods are mandatory for us to have for family gatherings and special occasions. You have your hams, turkeys, and roast beef, but the show’s stars are definitely the sides and desserts.
Get the Recipe: Southern Baked Mac n Cheese
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
Flaky, buttery, overloaded with cheese, and a spicy kick from jalapeno, these Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits are nothing like ordinary buttermilk biscuits! They need only 20 minutes in the oven!
Get the Recipe: Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
Creamed Spinach with Croutons
This Creamed Spinach with Croutons is way better than any steakhouse side you’ve ever had! It’s perfect for your next holiday or special occasion menu, or any weeknight for that matter. This recipe is a simple yet elegant vegetable side dish that can be made mostly in advance, with little effort.
Get the Recipe: Creamed Spinach with Croutons
Sausage with Mushrooms and Fennel
Sheet Pan Sausage with Mushrooms and Fennel is the Italian-inspired Thanksgiving side dish that you didn’t know was missing from your holiday menu. It’s abundant with incredible flavors and textures from roasted Italian sausage, earthy mushrooms, fragrant fennel, and herbs.
Get the Recipe: Pan Sausage with Mushrooms and Fennel
Air Fryer Corn Ribs
Indulge in a delectable twist on a classic favorite with our allergen-friendly air fryer corn ribs recipe designed for your air fryer. These savory delights combine the sweet crunch of corn with a perfectly seasoned coating, all without the top 9 allergens, gluten-free and vegan. Get ready to savor the taste of comfort food made healthier and hassle-free.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Corn Ribs
Creamy Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
Straddling the space between hearty and light, this Creamy Roasted Sweet Potato Soup is a comforting meal just begging to be garnished with tasty toppings.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
Baked Tortellini Alfredo
This baked tortellini alfredo is one of the best, easy recipes for a homemade dinner made in less than an hour. Cheese tortellini is mixed with homemade alfredo sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese, and baked in a casserole dish until melty and delicious.
Get the Recipe: Baked Tortellini Alfredo
Turnips ‘N’ Apples Casserole
This is the best turnip and apple casserole recipe. This dish was inspired by the Turnips ‘N’ Apples Casserole from the Best of Bridge Cookbook. Made with turnips, apples, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and almond flour, this is a healthy version of that classic side dish. This dish is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall occasion.
Get the Recipe: Turnips ‘N’ Apples Casserole
Carrot Slaw with Apples and Pecans
Crunchy and tangy, along with a bit of sweetness, this Carrot Slaw recipe is the perfect side dish for a family dinner or picnic. The natural sweetness of the carrots, combined with the tartness of the lime juice and the crunchiness of the granny smith apple and toasted pecans, creates a delightful, fresh, and tasty combination.
Get the Recipe: Carrot Slaw with Apples and Pecans
Sourdough Cornbread
Homemade Sourdough Cornbread tossed with tender vegetables, buttery bone broth, and savory fresh herbs. This Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table.
Get the Recipe: Sourdough Cornbread
Stained Glass Jello Salad
Make this fun, colorful Stained Glass Jello Salad in a fraction of the time with my shortcuts than it traditionally takes! Also called Broken Glass Jello Dessert, this small batch recipe can be made with sweetened condensed milk or even dairy-free with coconut milk.
Get the Recipe: Stained Glass Jello Salad
Asian Garlic Noodles
Make the most glorious garlicky, buttery noodles in 15 minutes – and without busting out all the pots and pans! This one-pot Asian Garlic Noodles recipe packs a TON of flavor using simple ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Asian Garlic Noodles
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.