30 Christmas Side Dishes to Fill Your Table

Whether you're serving roast turkey, juicy prime rib or baked ham, we've got the best sides for your Christmas meal — from traditional Yorkshire pudding to an unconventional vegetable Tarte Tatin.

November 02, 2022

By: Food Network Kitchen

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A Merry Christmas Menu

Putting together the best Christmas dinner requires as much thoughtful planning as buying the perfect gifts. You want to make sure everything is just right, and that means choosing a showstopping main dish, like a juicy roast, plus incredible sides to round out the spread. Vegetables and salads are both great complementary options, especially when you're making a Christmas ham. Thanks to its festive colors, this pasta salad will shine bright on your holiday table. For the vibrant green dressing, we jazzed up traditional basil pesto with spinach and almonds. A couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar go into the whole dish for extra tang. The pesto can be made three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Get the Recipe: Christmas Pasta Salad

Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing

Bacon makes everything better, especially tender green beans. Top the veggies with creamy goat cheese and sweet dried cranberries for a dish that hits all the right notes.

Get the Recipe: Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing

Spiralized Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy, crispy edges are the best part of scalloped potatoes — and using a spiralizer will give you a lot more of them. Cutting the potatoes this way makes it easy to serve everyone their own potato and creates uniform pieces that will cook at the same rate.

Get the Recipe: Spiralized Scalloped Potatoes

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio Crumble

Valerie’s impressive potatoes are deceptively simple. After baking the buttery potatoes, place them on a platter and top the whole thing with crunchy crumbled pistachios.

Get the Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio Crumble

Creamed Farmstand Veggies

Inspired by the casseroles her mom used to make, Trisha combines squash, tomatoes and leafy greens in a cheesy cream sauce, then tops the dish with crumbled crackers and crispy onions.

Get the Recipe: Creamed Farmstand Veggies

Yorkshire Pudding

There's so much to be said for the perfect pairing of Yorkshire pudding and roast beef, which is why Tyler makes this traditional English treat using one crucial ingredient: the savory pan drippings left behind by a roast prime rib.

Get the Recipe: Yorkshire Pudding

Pomegranate Rice

The most important step in this recipe to is toasting the spices. Toasting the cumin seeds and coriander in the butter helps to deepen their flavor and get rid of any harshness. This creates a base flavor for the rice that gets freshened up with some sweet pomegranates and mint.

Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Rice

Individual Delmonico Potatoes

These potatoes are packed with cheesy goodness which will have you coming back for more. They're a must for any holiday gathering.

Get the Recipe: Individual Delmonico Potatoes

Creamed Spinach

Serve this simple, classic side at your Christmas meal. We add a little spice to the creamy sauce with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Get the Recipe: Creamed Spinach

Cut-Out Biscuits

We love these super flakey, buttery biscuits. To create the beautiful layers, fold the dough over itself 5 times, then simply punch out and bake. Also make sure not to overwork your ingredients!

Get the Recipe: Cut-Out Biscuits

The Best Roasted Fennel

Fennel sometimes plays second fiddle to other vegetables, but it is the true star in this simple but impressive side dish. Roasting the fennel until tender and almost creamy mellows its usual licorice flavor and brings out a touch of natural sweetness. Even if you don't normally like fennel, give this delicious dish a try. You might be surprised.

Get the Recipe: The Best Roasted Fennel

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

Ree's balsamic vinegar reduction and dried cranberries elevate simple roasted Brussels sprouts, turning them into an elegant holiday side.

Get the Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

Hash Brown Mac and Cheese Cups

Have some shredded hash browns in the freezer? You could bake them and serve them with ketchup, or you could break out your muffin tin and turn them into something a little more creative: Crispy mac and cheese-stuffed hash brown cups. Crisp savory potatoes cradle mac and cheese that's topped off with buttery breadcrumbs.

Get the Recipe: Hash Brown Mac and Cheese Cups

Fennel Gratin

This is sort of the grilled steak of vegetable sides: It's rich and intense, and it needs a wine that can stand up to it. The cheese and cream let the Cabernet's tannins do the heavy lifting; the slight vegetal note of the fennel brings out the wine's red fruit.

Get the Recipe: Fennel Gratin

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Ina uses a food processor to slice the brussels sprouts, which she sautes with balsamic vinegar and salty pancetta for a five-star side that even picky eaters will love.

Get the Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Fennel, Pear and Chestnut Stuffing

This stuffing is the perfect combination of sweet and savory with some unique additions like fennel and dried pears. If you want to keep this stuffing vegetarian, you could use vegetable broth. If you want to go all out, you could also add some sweet Italian sausage when you cook the shallots and fennel.

Get the Recipe: Fennel, Pear and Chestnut Stuffing

Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Traditional Tarte Tatin is a sweet, upside-down pastry made with fruit, butter and sugar. Our savory take is a little out of the ordinary, but it's sure to be a hit at Christmas dinner.

Get the Recipe: Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin

Three cheeses — goat, Monterey Jack and Parmesan — give Bobby's creamy cauliflower gratin extra flavor.

Get the Recipe: Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin

Cheese and Herb Popovers

Trisha’s recipe is sturdier than the average popover, so you don’t have to worry about deflation once they’ve cooled. She serves her popovers with a tomato dip, but they’re equally delicious alongside a meaty main course.

Get the Recipe: Cheese and Herb Popovers

Bacon Stuffing with Radicchio and Chestnuts

Stuffing isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Giada’s bacon-filled recipe pairs equally well with turkey, ham or beef and makes a beautiful addition to your Christmas table.

Get the Recipe: Bacon Stuffing with Radicchio and Chestnuts

Almond Cranberry Rice Pilaf

Toasted almonds and dried cranberries add a festive flair to Valerie’s rice pilaf.

Get the Recipe: Almond Cranberry Rice Pilaf

Roasted Celery Root and Carrots

This paprika-spiced side dish makes an easy addition to any holiday menu.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Celery Root and Carrots

Burgundy Mushrooms

During the nine hours that Ree's burgundy mushrooms slow-cook, they shrink in size and soak up all of the flavors of red wine, dill and bouillon.

Get the Recipe: Burgundy Mushrooms

Roasted Potatoes with Warm Blue Cheese Sauce

Geoffrey whips up a luscious blue cheese sauce that transforms regular roasted potatoes into n extra-special side dish. He incorporates rosemary and nutmeg for warm, comforting flavor.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Potatoes with Warm Blue Cheese Sauce

Braised Escarole with Olives and Raisins

Cook escarole with garlic, shallot, olives and raisins for a simple side that’s packed with flavor.

Get the Recipe: Braised Escarole with Olives and Raisins

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac 'n' Cheese

Turn your mac and cheese into a cheesy gratin that's chock-full of vegetables.

Get the Recipe: Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac n Cheese

Killer Collards

For a show-stealing side, Marcus Samuelsson simmers collards with onions, chiles and a flavor-packed spiced butter.

Get the Recipe: Killer Collards

Homemade Spaetzle

These homemade noodles will be the star of your holiday celebration. You can parcook the noodles ahead of time, then saute them with butter and parsley just before serving.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Spaetzle

Fondue Mashed Potatoes

For a retro-style side the whole family will love, serve Ree’s cheesy mashed potatoes in a fondue pot!

Get the Recipe: Fondue Mashed Potatoes

Christmas Stuffing with Bacon

Giada's Christmas stuffing requires two types of rice as an alternative to bread. The pearl onions, Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts and chopped bacon add sweet and savory flavors.

Get the Recipe: Christmas Stuffing with Bacon