Christmas is one of the most awaited holidays. Kids eagerly want to show their crafty talent and moms want to show their best culinary and home decor skills. Let me give you the best Christmas side dishes so that this year will be your biggest Christmas ever.
Best Christmas Side Dishes
Let’s unwind
1. Broccoli Salad
It is one of the best make-ahead recipes. It requires 20 minutes of prep time and an hour of chilling time. Chilling time is a must as this will make the dressing better and tastier.
The ingredients include bacon bits, broccoli, red onion, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. For the dressing, you need a mix of mayonnaise, pepper, cider vinegar, salt and granulated sugar.
To make the salad healthy, replace mayonnaise with plain yogurt. You can keep the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge and it will be good for up to 5 days. You can also use store-bought coleslaw if you don’t want homemade dressing.
2. Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
These are cheesy, creamy, and delicious. For best flavor use all starchy potatoes as they absorb flavor and become fluffy once done. Gruyere and Swiss cheese are the best options for this recipe but you can use others as well.
It requires 15 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the potatoes for 40 minutes.
The ingredients include starchy potatoes, salt, garlic, butter, Gruyere cheese and black pepper. Make a cream sauce with a mix of melted butter, salt, garlic, and cream.
It is best served with garlicky roasted chicken or steakhouse steak. You can also use it as a finger food or even for breakfast with eggs and bacon.
3. Cauliflower Puree With Thyme
This is a low carm comforting and creamy side dish. It requires 5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. I am a big mashed potatoes lover and this recipe taste and look like that.
You need a food processor for this recipe. You need to steam the cauliflower and to add flavor puree it with chicken broth.
The ingredients include black pepper, butter, cauliflower, salt, thyme, and chicken broth.
4. Cabbage Salad
Flavor and texture are the two most important factors in making an excellent salad recipe. This is one of my favorite Christmas side dishes and the best part is you can make it ahead too.
To make the salad look drool-worthy I have used different colored cabbages. Dill and parsley along with carrots make it look refreshing. It requires 20 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of chilling time.
The ingredients include almonds, parsley, carrots, cabbage, dill, red bell pepper, onion, parsley, sumac, and radishes. To make the dijon lime vinaigrette use a mix of sumac, dijon mustard, black pepper, lime juice, garlic, and salt.
It is best served with chicken drumsticks. You can use this salad as a condiment for tacos. Keep the leftovers in a container with a lid and it will be good for up to 4 days.
5. Brussel Sprouts With Bacon, Pecan And Cranberries
Dried cranberries are in complete contracts to Brussels sprouts and that makes the salad refreshing. This side dish fits perfectly well with holiday dishes like green beans and stuffing.
The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the bacon for 20 minutes. The ingredients include Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, bacon, olive oil, salt, and pecans.
If you are not a big fan of pecans use pumpkin seeds or pine nuts. Instead of dried cranberries, you can use raisins. You can also make it a day before but don’t add nuts. While you serve this salad, add nuts.
It is best served warm with roast duck or lamb chops. You can also add balsamic glaze to bring more flavor.
6. Funeral Potatoes
These cheesy potatoes are perfect for Christmas. It is a perfect side dish for turkey, ham or chicken. You need a 9×13 baking dish.
The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 50 minutes. For doneness, if it’s bubbly then you are done.
The ingredients include hash browns, cream of chicken soup, cornflakes, cheddar cheese, salt, butter, onion, and sour cream. You can take this to potlucks or picnics too.
You can also serve this as a breakfast along with eggs. It’s filling and satisfying. It can also be a perfect make ahead recipe. You can freeze it for 3 months.
7. Garlic Rosemary Herb Focaccia
The dish is crispy on the outside and soft inside. This Italian yeast bread requires pantry staples. I prefer bread flour over all-purpose flour as bread flour gives a chewier texture.
After making the dough let it rest for 3 hours. The dough will rise because of the resting period. To get the best flavor let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Since the bread tastes better the longer you let it rest, it can be a great make-ahead recipe. You can even freeze the dough for 3 months.
The recipe requires 16 hours of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include salt, bread flour, dry yeast, warm water, extra virgin olive oil, and sugar. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the recipe until it’s golden brown.
Garlic and rosemary are perfect toppings but you can also try zucchini, mushrooms, or tomatoes.
8. Sweet Potato Casserole
The best part about this casserole is the topping which is made with a mix of pecans, flour, brown sugar, and butter. You can also use marshmallows as a topping. For the recipe you require a potato masher and a hand mixer.
The recipe is perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving. You can make it even 2 days in advance. It requires 20 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking time.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake it for 40 minutes. The ingredients include sweet potatoes, eggs, salt, melted butter, evaporated milk and vanilla extract.
You can keep the leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for 3 months.
9. Creamed Spinach
This is an easy side dish but one of the best Christmas side dishes for sure. It can be a make-ahead recipe and that really helps as we are all busy with other Christmas arrangements.
To get the best result use Authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It is best served warm with steak, roast chicken, or beef tenderloin.
The ingredients include spinach, ground black pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, heavy cream, shallots, butter, salt, garlic, nutmeg, and heavy cream.
10. Green Bean Casserole
It is best made with fresh beans but you can use canned or frozen green beans too. You can make it ahead of time and it freezes well too. You can use condensed mushroom soup or chicken soup both will work in this recipe.
Crispy fried onions are a key to make this recipe a success. The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time. To make the recipe preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake it for 40 minutes.
The ingredients include green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, soy sauce, black pepper, milk and seasoned salt.
11. Broccoli Casserole
It can be a perfect make-ahead recipe.You can either fresh or frozen broccoli. A can of cream of mushroom soup is a must, if you have the homemade version, it’s even better.
It requires 5 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake it for 45 minutes. The ingredients include broccoli florets, onion, mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, eggs, and cheese crackers.
Though I love to pamper myself and my family during Christmas I use mayonnaise but if you want the healthier version use Greek yogurt.
Keep the leftovers in the fridge and it will be good for 4 days.
12. Scalloped Potatoes
These are one of the most popular Christmas side dishes. For best results use Yukon Gold or red potatoes. To make the sauce you need a mix of milk, flour, and butter.
It takes 25 minutes of prep time and an hour and 45 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 350°F. The ingredients include chicken broth, all-purpose flour, Yukon Gold potatoes, salt, black pepper, garlic, onion and milk.
Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before you serve them as it will help in thickening the sauce. To make the prep easy use mandoline, you also need a 9×13 baking dish. You can also make it 2 days in advance.
13. Roasted Delicate Squash
For the recipe, you require an oven, knife, cutting board, parchment paper, grapefruit spoon, and knife. It takes 10 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
It is crunchy and salty and a perfect side for holidays. The ingredients include squash, black pepper, olive oil, and salt.
14. Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
These are crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. The recipe requires 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time.
Make sure you properly wipe white mushrooms with a paper towel. The tools required are a large skillet, silpat, parchment paper, and tongs.
The ingredients include white mushrooms, garlic, parsley, Italian sausage, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, onion and panko breadcrumbs. Bake the mushrooms at 400°F till it’s golden brown.
To make it gluten-free keep all the ingredients as it is and just omit breadcrumbs.
15. Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
It can be a make-ahead recipe so this is a plus as we all will be busy without Christmas decorations. It requires 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time.
Apart from being a perfect holiday side dish, you can also serve it for a healthy lunch.
The ingredients include shaved Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chives, toasted pine nuts, black pepper, and salt.
16. Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
It is perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can even make it ahead of time. For this recipe use either Mexican Four Cheese or Colby Jack.
The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 25 minutes.
The ingredients include russet potatoes, salt, bacon, Colby Jack cheese, unsalted butter, milk, sour cream, and green onion.
Top it up with parsley, chives, or cilantro to make it flavorful.
17. Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad
It is a refreshing crunchy salad recipe. The recipe is a combination of tang and sweetness so it’s a winner all the way. It will be good for 4 days in the fridge.
Apart from being a perfect side dish for holidays, it works well for potlucks and picnics too. I prefer green onions for this salad as red ones have a harsh flavor. Honey Crisp apples are crunchy and I like to use them here.
The recipe requires 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include dried cranberries, quinoa, toasted pecans, apples, celery, and green onions.
For the vinaigrette, you need a mix of apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, honey, and salt. It is best served with chicken recipes.
18. Cranberry Apple Sauce
It is one of the best Christmas side dishes and it works well for Thanksgiving too. You can use any apple of your choice but I prefer Granny Smith as they keep their shape well in the sauce.
It requires 5 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include granulated sugar, apples, salt, cinnamon, water and cranberries.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for up to 4 days. You can even make it 3 days in advance and refrigerate it, it freezes well for 3 months.
Ingredients
- Broccoli Salad
- Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
- Cauliflower Puree With Thyme
- Cabbage Salad
- Brussel Sprouts With Bacon, Pecan And Cranberries
- Funeral Potatoes
- Garlic Rosemary Herb Focaccia
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Creamed Spinach
- Green Bean Casserole
- Broccoli Casserole
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Delicate Squash
- Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad
- Cranberry Apple Sauce
Instructions
- Choose your favorite Christmas side recipe.
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Make the recipe.
