Our best Christmas side dishes! From fresh vegetable sides to crowd-pleasing casseroles, they'll all be hits on your holiday dinner table.
These Christmas side dishes include everything you need for a delicious holiday feast! They range from fan-favorite potato recipes to stunning winter vegetables, fresh salads, make-ahead casseroles, and more. No matter what main you’re making, you’ll find Christmas side dishes to love.
I don’t know about you, but the side dishes are always my favorite part of Christmas dinner. It doesn’t matter whether my family is having lasagna or prime rib—I’ll be more excited about the vegetables, potatoes, and homemade dinner rolls on the table. I hope these Christmas side dishes are the highlight of your holiday dinner too.
Our Top 5 Christmas Side Dishes
Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are one of our most popular Christmas side dishes! Baked in a creamy sauce and topped with cheese, they’re rich, flavorful, and comforting.
Roasted Carrots
The best Christmas side dishes don’t have to be complicated! These honey-roasted carrots become beautifully caramelized in just 15 minutes in the oven.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
I make this zesty salad for my family’s Christmas dinner every year. It adds a bright, refreshing pop of flavor to the table. Bonus: It holds up well if you make it ahead.
Green Beans Almondine
Looking for last-minute Christmas side dishes? These glossy green beans are just what you need. Topped with lemon and toasted almonds, they feel fancy, but they come together in minutes.
Focaccia Bread
Even beginning bakers can pull off this light and airy focaccia. It will impress everyone at your holiday dinner table!
Potato Christmas Side Dishes
Best Mashed Potatoes
They’re ultra-rich, creamy, and 100% Jack-approved. I often make them a day or two before a holiday meal. They reheat nicely in the microwave or oven!
Hasselback Potatoes
Cut into a fan of thin slices, these restaurant-worthy potatoes are tender in the middle and crisp around the edges. I tuck sage leaves between the slices for aromatic depth of flavor.
Oven Roasted Potatoes
A lemon-rosemary dressing adds bold flavor to these crispy/creamy roasted spuds.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I never create a Christmas menu without some kind of sweet potato dish. This sweet and savory mash is one of my favorites. It’s creamy, delicious, and easy to make with 7 ingredients!
Christmas Vegetable Side Dishes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Say goodbye to boring Brussels sprouts! Seasoned with lemon, Parmesan, and fresh thyme, these will vanish from your holiday table in minutes.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Don’t underestimate winter produce! This flavorful recipe proves that even humble root vegetables can become a delicious Christmas side dish.
Sautéed Broccolini
This red, white, and green side dish will look so festive on your Christmas dinner table! Lemon, garlic, and red pepper flakes fill it with bright flavor.
Roasted Fennel
I’ve been saying it for years—fennel is a seriously underrated vegetable. Deeply caramelized, savory, and tender, this roasted fennel will wow everyone at your holiday table.
Creamed Spinach
I make this classic side dish with fresh spinach instead of frozen for vibrant green color and silky texture.
Roasted Delicata Squash
A tangy apple cider vinegar dressing brightens up this cozy combination of roasted squash, apples, and earthy sage.
Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Roasted with balsamic vinegar and honey, these sprouts become crispy, sweet, and tangy in the oven. Crunchy toasted pecans and bursty pomegranate seeds take them over the top.
Christmas Salad Recipes
Caesar Salad
Even the biggest salad skeptics will love this classic Caesar! A 5-minute homemade Caesar dressing packs it with tangy, umami flavor.
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
This vibrant beet salad is one of our most popular holiday sides. L&L reader Abby wrote, “Outstanding recipe! We’ll be eating this on repeat while beets are in season!”
Shaved Fennel Salad
This bright, crisp slaw is one of my favorite winter salads. When I make it for a holiday meal, I often toss in apple slices or orange segments for extra depth of flavor.
Spinach Salad
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this salad for special occasions. Filled with lush spinach, sweet apples, and tangy goat cheese, it’s always a hit with guests!
Arugula Salad
Looking for a quick way to add something green to your holiday table? This salad is for you! It’s easy, elegant, and ready in 5 minutes.
Best Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad actually improves as it sits in the fridge, so it’s one of the best Christmas dinner side dishes to make ahead. With over 400 5-star reviews, it’s a reader favorite!
Casserole and Stuffing Christmas Side Dishes
Green Bean Casserole
This from-scratch version of the classic casserole stars fresh green beans and a creamy homemade mushroom sauce. No cans required!
Homemade Mac and Cheese
If my son Ollie was choosing Christmas side dishes for our holiday menu, this recipe would be his #1 pick. Insanely creamy and cheesy, it’s a HUGE crowd pleaser!
Best Stuffing
Stuffing is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, so I jump at the chance to make it again for Christmas. My recipe is crisp on top, moist in the middle, and packed with savory flavor.
Cornbread Stuffing
Simple ingredients like onions, garlic, celery, and herbs add rich, savory flavor to this comforting stuffing. Get ahead by baking the cornbread a day or two in advance.
Bread Christmas Side Dishes
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Jack has been making these rolls for our holiday dinners for years! They’re soft, pillowy, and flavorful. They also freeze perfectly, so you can easily make them ahead.
Popovers
Crispy, golden, and airy, these homemade popovers are a delightful holiday side dish. Kids will love watching them “pop” in the oven!
Easy Sauces for Christmas Dinner
Mushroom Gravy
Psst—you don’t need any meat to make a delicious gravy for Christmas dinner. This mushroom version is savory, velvety, and easy to make with 10 ingredients.
Cranberry Sauce
Skip the canned cranberry sauce! This recipe is easy to make from scratch with fresh cranberries and orange zest. Prep it up to a week before your holiday meal!
Best Christmas Side Dishes: Hasselback Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh sage leaves
- 1 recipe Garlic Butter, melted
- Fresh parsley, for serving
- Red pepper flakes, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place one of the potatoes on a cutting board and lay butter knives or chopsticks along both of its long sides. Use a sharp knife to cut the potato crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices, stopping when your knife reaches the butter knives or chopsticks so that the potato stays intact at the bottom. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
- Place the potatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and use your hands to coat, doing your best to get the oil and seasonings in between the potato slices. Slide a sage leaf into each of the cracks between the potato slices. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and roast for 50 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and brush with the garlic butter. Roast for another 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender in the middle and crisp around the edges. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve with more garlic butter on the side.
