40 Christmas Side Dishes

Did someone say the best 40 Christmas side dishes?! Whether you’re doing a traditional Christmas or something different this year, we’ve got the best side dishes to go along with any Christmas dinner. Did I hear green bean casserole and caramelized pecans…um, YUM!

Table of Contents

What is a side dish?

A side dish is a type of food that accompanies the entree or main course. For instance, a casual/traditional side dish in the western world is salad, potatoes, bread or even rice.

However, when you’re hosting a whole bunch of people at the dinner table, you want to make sure that you serve a delicious side dish (or a few).

Growing up, we would always have prime rib and horseradish sauce for Christmas dinner. This was awesome, because prime rib isn’t the kind of dish my dad would whip up often. However, the part that made it even more special was just how amazing his side dishes were. From buttery mashed potatoes to baked zucchini and roasted sweet potatoes, the whole meal just could NOT be beat.

And now, every year I try to live up to it! I may fail wholeheartedly, but hey – at least I try!

What are some side dishes for Christmas?

Trust us, you’re going to want all of these dishes in your holiday spread that it’ll be so hard to decide on just a few! Whether you’re trying to please your picky kiddos or appease your sister’s dietary needs, we’ve got the most popular holiday sides to compliment your main dish.

Firstly, think about veggie side dishes. Personally, I even love something as simple as a veggie tray with beets, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, you name it. Vegetable side dishes seem to please most (except your kiddos, hah!).

Secondly, think about throwing something creamy into the holiday meal mix. For example, I usually go for mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. However, some like to do a macaroni and cheese with lots of breadcrumbs (au gratin, please!).

Thirdly, try to incorporate allll the cheeses. I mean, what other time of year besides the holidays is it really acceptable to eat cheese all day every day? Yeah, exactly. I always do a spread with goat cheese and gruyere, two of my favorites.

Lastly, throw in something sweet. I love topping off my butternut squash with brown sugar or even going the extra mile with brown butter marshmallows. I mean, is there a better side dish recipe than that?!