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.

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.

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.

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.

Earthy, naturally sweet and effortlessly elegant, Ina Garten’s roasted beets are a vibrant side dish that brings rich color and deep flavor to your Christmas table.

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.

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.

Crispy on the outside and tender inside, Ina Garten’s rosemary roasted potatoes are a simple yet irresistible side that pairs perfectly with any holiday main.

Breathe new life into your asparagus by topping them with zesty lemon breadcrumbs. Simply add a 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs to chopped thyme, pecorino, chives and a tablespoon of Meyer lemon zest and you're on your way to a holly jolly meal.

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!

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.

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.

Perk up sweet potatoes with maple syrup, butter and orange zest. It's an easy way to upgrade a classic dish for the holidays.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Glaze thinly sliced, roasted butternut squash with maple syrup and fresh orange, and add a sprinkle of parsley to finish.

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.

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

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

Think pasta can't be made for Christmas? Think again! These succulent egg noodles are topped with a blend of chopped chives, poppy seeds and creme fraiche for a fresh and creamy finish.

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

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

Fennel fronds and pomegranate seeds give this dish a holiday color scheme. Salty Parmesan cheese will melt slightly over hot roasted fennel for a simple side.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.