I have so many dinners to attend around the holidays, and sometimes I think that there has to be a better side than my normal hash brown casserole or sweet potatoes. This year, I thought that I would try something new, which made me think that maybe some of you have tons of holiday gatherings to attend. Maybe you would like a list of side dishes that are easy to cook and take along, and that will definitely get you some praise for your culinary skills. So I found 25 of the most delicious Christmas side dishes that are easy to cook and wonderful to eat.
These recipes really are great and perfect for any dinner that you plan to attend. From old-fashioned Amish dinner rolls to sweet potato casserole – my favorite – and even a great sausage stuffing recipe, if you want something new and exciting to add to your Christmas dinner menu, you will definitely find something here. And, if you are watching your gluten – or someone in your family is gluten intolerant, I have a great list of 40 tasty gluten free Thanksgiving side dishes for you, as well.
I love trying new recipes. My family serves as my guinea pig for so many new dishes, and they love almost all of them. If you want something different but something that is really easy to cook for all of those upcoming holiday dinners, I have you covered with these 25 Christmas side dish recipes. And if you need a great dessert option for Thanksgiving or Christmas and you want to avoid the traditional pumpkin pie, be sure to take a look at these 25 delicious Thanksgiving dessert recipes that are better than pie.
Jump to:
- 1. Easy Amish Dinner Rolls
- 2. Asiago Potato Stacks
- 3. Bacon Wrapped Veggie Bundles
- 4. Roasted Pearl Onions
- 5. Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Cauliflower And Onions
- 6. Brown Butter And Sage Carrots
- 7. Classic Sausage Stuffing
- 8. Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
- 9. Homemade Cranberry Stuffing
- 10. Cranberry Fluff Salad
- 11. Roasted Veggies With Lemon Herb Dressing
- 12. Easy 30 Minute Creamed Corn
- 13. Homemade Creamy Cornbread Casserole
- 14. Crispy Baked Herb Potatoes
- 15. Easy French Onion Mashed Potatoes
- 16. Green Beans With Bacon And Mushrooms
- 17. Maple Sage Yams With Marshmallow Butter
- 18. Rosemary And Parmesan Dinner Rolls
- 19. Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- 20. Rosemary And Onion Skillet Potatoes
- 21. Saffron Rice With Golden Raisins & Pine Nuts
- 22. Slow Cooker Apple Sausage Stuffing
- 23. Sour Cream And Chive Mashed Potatoes
- 24. Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing
- 25. Homemade Cranberry Sauce
1. Easy Amish Dinner Rolls
You have to have rolls, right? These Amish dinner rolls are a traditional classic, and they are so delicious. They come out of the oven golden brown and perfect every time, and they are sure to be a huge hit. If you are in charge of bringing the rolls this year for Christmas dinner, this is an excellent recipe to make.
2. Asiago Potato Stacks
This recipe for asiago potato stacks makes 12 servings, and this is a really simple recipe that puts a nice, delicious spin on regular potatoes. It only takes about 15 minutes to get these ready for the oven and then another 45 minutes to bake. When they come out, they are cheesy and delicious and perfect for complementing turkey, ham, or beef on Christmas. They’re also really crispy, almost as crispy as potato pancakes.
3. Bacon Wrapped Veggie Bundles
Veggies are always a good choice for a side dish, and do you know how to get people to eat those veggies? You wrap them in bacon! You can wrap carrots, asparagus, celery, and any other veggie that you want with bacon, and I promise you, people are going to eat it. This may become the most popular side dish that you have ever made.
4. Roasted Pearl Onions
Pearl onions are a staple in my house for Christmas. I hear that they are great in a martini. These roasted pearl onions are kind of a twist on traditional onion rings, and they are perfect for your Christmas dinners. They are roasted with butter and simple seasonings until caramelized and will perfectly complement any other dish on the table.
5. Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Cauliflower And Onions
Sweet potatoes are a Christmas staple, and although there are a few traditional ways to cook them, I’m positive that this roasted version is going to be your favorite. Sweet potatoes are accented with onions and cauliflower and roasted to perfection in this dish. If you are in charge of bringing the sweet potatoes, this is a great way to mix it up just a bit.
6. Brown Butter And Sage Carrots
Candied carrots may be your go-to when it comes to traditional side dishes, but you are definitely going to want to take a look at this carrot recipe. Instead of traditional brown sugar for candying, this one has brown sugar and sage for a taste that is untraditional but still delicious. This is a really simple recipe, too, and it doesn’t require you to stand over the stove waiting for the brown sugar to caramelize.
7. Classic Sausage Stuffing
You have to have stuffing, right? This classic sausage stuffing is a bit different than what I normally make, but it is a really easy recipe that doesn’t take you hours in the kitchen to make. You’ll need mild Italian sausage for this one, as well as French bread (or whatever bread you typically use for your stuffing). It also has butter, celery, onion, and garlic.
8. Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
You really can’t go wrong with a sweet potato casserole. This classic dish combines cooked sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, and warm spices, and can be topped with pecans or a delicious melted marshmallow topping that is always a hit. I do love a good sweet potato casserole, and they are always so easy to make. If you need something a bit more traditional, this is a great recipe to try.
9. Homemade Cranberry Stuffing
Here is another somewhat traditional recipe. This cranberry stuffing is heavenly, and it is so easy to make. You use dried cranberries in this one, and it also has apples, celery, and onion. You can add in a handful of nuts if you want, too. This one has such a sweet and sour taste combination that is great, and it is a lovely color when it’s finished, too.
10. Cranberry Fluff Salad
You really can’t ever go wrong with a great cranberry fluff salad. Whether you need something to take to a dinner or you’re planning your own Christmas feast, this is definitely a recipe that you want to keep on hand. Cranberries in this one are joined by mandarin oranges, pineapple, and whipped cream – among other ingredients. This one is always a hit.
11. Roasted Veggies With Lemon Herb Dressing
Brussels sprouts, red onion, and butternut squash are joined by carrots, potatoes, and a delicious lemon herb seasoning in this veggie dish. If you want something healthy to take along to your Christmas gatherings, this is an excellent choice. Plus, it has Brussels sprouts – who doesn’t just love Brussels sprouts? Olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and lemon give it just the right amount of flavor, too.
12. Easy 30 Minute Creamed Corn
If you have someone in the family who always needs corn at every meal, this creamed corn recipe is a good choice. Instead of regular sweet corn, mix it up a bit and make this creamed corn, which takes about half an hour to make and gives you six full servings. You can easily adjust this recipe if you need to make more, too. It has corn, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and so many wonderful spices for flavor.
13. Homemade Creamy Cornbread Casserole
Cornbread casserole is a huge hit in the South, and it will be a hit at your Christmas dinner, too. This delicious casserole is filled with whole kernel corn and creamed corn as well as sour cream and cheese. It bakes up golden and so tasty, and takes very little time to put together. With just 10 minutes of prep time and another 50 minutes to bake, this may be one of the easiest Christmas casseroles you have ever made. You might want to add this one to your list of freezer casserole recipes.
14. Crispy Baked Herb Potatoes
If you want a potato dish that is a bit different from the others but still just as delicious, you just have to try these crispy herbed potatoes. This one is really easy to get ready for the oven. You pan-fry them first to give them that great crispy outside and then bake them to perfection. The herbs give the dish such a wonderful flavor.
15. Easy French Onion Mashed Potatoes
If you typically serve mashed potatoes at your Christmas dinners, try these French onion potatoes this year instead of plain mashed potatoes. These are definitely going to get you some smiles. They have homemade caramelized onions in them that give them such a wonderful flavor, and they are really easy to make. These only take about 10 minutes to prep and an hour to bake.
16. Green Beans With Bacon And Mushrooms
I am a huge fan of green bean casserole, but I thought that maybe I would try this delicious green bean dish with bacon and mushrooms this year, instead. This dish has a gorgeous color, and of course, it has bacon, so everyone is going to love it. Green beans and bacon go together very well, and the mushrooms are just the icing on the cake. Various spices and seasonings help to bring out those delicious flavors.
17. Maple Sage Yams With Marshmallow Butter
Add a real kick to your yams this year with some maple syrup and homemade marshmallow butter. This dish is pretty simple to make, and it is a wonderful alternative to traditional candied sweet potatoes or yams. It only takes half an hour to get this one on the table, and the recipe feeds six – but you can easily double or even triple it if you need a larger batch.
18. Rosemary And Parmesan Dinner Rolls
Dinner rolls do not have to be a traditional plain yeast roll. Add a little spice – or herb in this case – to those rolls with this rosemary parmesan dinner rolls recipe. You don’t even have to wait for your rolls to rise with this recipe because you make these from packaged crescent rolls. They come out beautifully, and the rosemary and parmesan pair so well together to make a dinner roll that you are sure to be asked to make again.
19. Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Herbs and spices, along with russet potatoes, give this crispy roasted potatoes dish a wonderful flavor, and this one is super easy to make. Red pepper flakes, thyme, and shallots just add to the flavor. You will need about 25 minutes to get these ready for the oven, and then they bake for quite a while, so you have time to finish any other dishes that you are preparing. These are sure to be a huge hit – who doesn’t love a good roasted potato?
20. Rosemary And Onion Skillet Potatoes
You cook this potato dish in a skillet, and it doesn’t take nearly as long to prepare as you may think. This is a great twist on roasted potatoes, and the rosemary is an excellent addition for taste. You also add olive oil, butter, coarse salt, and cracked black pepper for a delicious potato dish that is sure to complement any other dish on the table.
21. Saffron Rice With Golden Raisins & Pine Nuts
Rice recipes are always delicious, and this one combines saffron rice with golden raisins and pine nuts for a wonderful Christmas dinner side. Cooked with onion and simple seasonings, it has a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. The golden raisins, combined with the pine nuts, give it a beautiful color, sort of like golden ornaments on fresh snow. This is a tasty dish that is sure to please everyone at your gatherings, even the pickiest of eaters. It beats plain old mac and cheese.
22. Slow Cooker Apple Sausage Stuffing
Here is a wonderful stuffing dish that is sure to be a hit. This one can be cooked in the crock pot, which makes it my favorite because it saves so much time. While it is cooking, you could be taking care of any number of other dishes that you need to prepare. This stuffing has sausage, apples, and a number of herbs and seasonings, and it cooks up perfectly in the slow cooker in about four hours.
23. Sour Cream And Chive Mashed Potatoes
Add a little sour cream and chives to your normal mashed potatoes and make them a huge hit. If you normally have mashed potatoes left over after your Christmas dinner, you are definitely going to want to give these a try. There won’t be anything left in the pan but the spoon. These are so easy, and you can have them on the table in under an hour.
24. Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing
This easy-to-make wild rice stuffing has herbs, mushrooms, bacon, parmesan cheese, almonds, garlic, dried cranberries, and so many other wonderful flavors. It is the perfect side dish for all of your Christmas gatherings – and it’s even really good just to fix at home after the holidays. The recipe makes about six to eight servings, but you could easily double it for larger gatherings.
25. Homemade Cranberry Sauce
You could be the one who brings the cranberry sauce – and not in a can. This is honestly the easiest recipe, and it is so delicious. With fresh cranberries, sugar, and orange juice, this is certainly going to be a favorite dish for many at your get-togethers. There is barely any prep time required at all. Most of the recipe time is cooking, so it is honestly one of the easiest recipes you will ever make.
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