Try one of my Holiday Side Dish Recipes to serve with your next holiday meal. The perfect accompaniment for turkey or ham, you’re sure to find one your family and friends will love.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday meal or have been asked to bring a side dish, you need something that people will love and that you can count on.
Everyone has their favorite sides to serve with the turkey on Thanksgiving but I like to try at least one new dish every year and sometimes it becomes a new favorite to be added to the permanent menu.
I’m sharing my top 10 holiday side dishes that always make their way to our holiday table whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas plus some alternatives. We love these recipes so much that we make them all year long, not just for the holidays.
Maybe you have a pot luck coming up or you’ve been asked to bring a side dish for. You can count on these recipes turning out the first time you make them. It’s great to have some Southern classics that are homemade with real and fresh ingredients.
Each recipe has easy step by step directions and most can be made ahead of time which is a life saver in my book.
While they are all traditional holiday sides, each has something special that puts them over the top, plus they all make great leftovers.
1. Sausage stuffing/dressing
While I love the flavor you get when you put stuffing inside the turkey, this recipe has even more flavor from Italian sausage plus you get some crispy edges. It’s like a savory bread pudding.
2. Cranberry Sauce
Why would you ever buy canned cranberry sauce when this cranberry sauce recipe is so simple to make. It’s the perfect compliment to all of the rich sides you’ll be having. You need to make this in advance so the Grand Mariner can soak into the sauce. While this is my family’s favorite I also love cranberry sauce with port and figs and cranberry sauce with roasted grapes.
3. Classic Broccoli Cheese Casserole
I generally choose one green vegetable to serve for Thanksgiving and it’s either broccoli casserole or green bean casserole. It’s hard to choose which so I’ve included both. The broccoli casserole recipe is made with a homemade cheese sauce that is super creamy and then it’s topped with a crispy panko mixture. If you want to serve a lighter broccoli dish, go with a traditional broccoli salad.
4. Green Bean Casserole
No mushroom soup in this casserole, instead a mushroom based cream sauce and homemade crispy onions on top. Say goodbye to mushy green beans and hello to a delicious side dish. Want something lighter, try green beans with bacon.
5. Corn Pudding two ways
I have two corn pudding recipes that I love because corn pudding is my favorite side for Thanksgiving. It’s always hard to choose which one to make. Traditional corn pudding is mostly cream but uses fresh corn. It’s going to be creamy thorughout.
If you want more of a custard base, then try cornbread corn pudding. This corn pudding recipe has toasted cubes of cornbread in a creamy custard with fresh corn. It’s a family favorite. If you already have enough casseroles on the menu, try charred corn instead.
6. Butternut Squash Crumble
Try something a little different this year and make a delicious butternut squash casserole with a buttery crumble topping. The flavors are perfect with turkey or ham and it brings some variety to the more traditional side dishes. If you have a smaller crowd, try roasting an acorn squash for an elegant side dish.
7. Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Any Thanksgiving dinner has to have sweet potatoes but if you want a version without a marshmallow topping, you’ve got to give this one a try. A hint of bourbon is mixed in with the potatoes and then it’s topped with a bacon pecan topping. Make this in advance and add the topping just before baking.
8. Candied Sweet Potatoes
If your oven is full but you still want sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes are the way to go. You’ll use canned sweet potatoes and cook them in a brown sugar buttery sauce. Or you could go a different route and make Hasselback sweet potatoes.
9. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the quintessential Thanksgiving side dish but are also a great side for any family gathering. Master this dish and everything else can fail because all you really need for Thanksgiving is turkey and mashed potatoes.
I give you step by step directions along with a video and lots of tips and tricks for making the best mashed potatoes. And of course these can be made ahead and just reheated before dinner freeing up the stove.
For a quicker microwave version, try out loaded mashed potatoes.
10. Waldorf Salad
Go with a classic apple salad for your big feast. With all the soft potatoes and casseroles you need a little crunch and this simple traditional salad goes great with the other rich side dishes. If you want to be more adventurist and you’ve got fresh fruit, try spicy fruit salad instead.
11. Fluffy Yeast Rolls
In our house the meal is judged on how good the yeast rolls are. The technique I use for these rolls, is no fail and will produce the lightest and fluffiest yeast rolls imaginable. Did you know you can make most yeast doughs the night before and let them warm to room temperature before baking the next day.
If you need to keep these warm while other things are baking, learn how to keep dinner rolls warm with a slow cooker.
12. Yorkshire Pudding
If yeast rolls aren’t your thing, then try making elegant Yorkshire pudding. They need to be eaten right away, so make sure everything is else is ready before you pop these in the oven. If you need ideas for what to serve with Yorkshire pudding, i’ve got tons of suggestions.
For all of these recipes you can make them at least 1 day in advance and with several of them even earlier. That makes Thanksgiving or Christmas day so much easier. You can spend your time with family and friends and most of the work will be done. I hope you find something new to try or learn a few tips you can use for your favorite holiday side dishes.
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