Recipes Holidays + Events Christmas 26 Satisfying Holiday Dinner Side Dishes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on August 19, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Gregory DuPree Main courses like ham or roast beef may be the star of your holiday menu, but you're going to want some tasty side dishes to accompany them, too. Think Potatoes au Gratin, Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots, and Sautéed Collard Greens with Pepperoni — yes, pepperoni — as a twist on the classic. With more than 20 to choose from, you'll have plenty to fill your table. Read on for even more of our favorite Christmas dinner side dishes. 01 of 26 Roasted Winter Squash with Vanilla Butter Con Poulos Fragrant vanilla-bean butter does double duty here — it both flavors the squash and softens the skin during roasting. The greater the variety of winter squash you use, the more interesting the dish will be. Top it all off with fried sage leaves for a simple and easy side dish. Get the Recipe 02 of 26 Speck-Wrapped Haricots Verts with Date Molasses Caitlin Bensel Wrapped in salty speck and glazed with date molasses, these bundles of crisp, tender haricots verts are the perfect pairing for beef or duck. Date molasses is thinner than standard molasses, so it needs to be cooked down to reach a glaze consistency; if it sets up too much, gently reheat it. Get the Recipe 03 of 26 Roasted Mushrooms with Red Wine Butter © John Kernick Instead of cooking mushrooms in a skillet, chef Geoffrey Zakarian roasts them in the oven until tender before tossing them in a buttery red wine sauce with garlic and fresh herbs. Get the Recipe 04 of 26 Sweet Potato Pavé Gregory DuPree Super-thin slices of sweet potato are key to the finished texture and shape of these crispy bites. Use a mandoline for the best results, stabbing the last bit of potato with a fork to keep fingers safe. Get the Recipe 05 of 26 Fried Wild Rice with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms Caitlin Bensel Properly cooked wild rice retains a pleasant crunch that adds satisfying texture to this fried rice. Paired with lightly spicy mustard greens, sweet celery, and tender, meaty mushrooms, it's an earthy, savory side dish that could be a meal on its own. Get the Recipe 06 of 26 Sautéed Collard Greens with Pepperoni © Con Poulos Collards are often paired with bacon, but one of our favorite twists is to flavor the greens with spicy pepperoni. Get the Recipe 07 of 26 Creamed Spinach and Parsnips This luscious side dish can be prepared up to three days ahead. The duo of sweet parsnip and creamy spinach is unbeatable. Get the Recipe 08 of 26 Flash-Roasted Broccoli with Spicy Crumbs The genius idea here is pulsing sliced pepperoni with breadcrumbs to add a ton of extra flavor and a great crunch to broccoli. Get the Recipe 09 of 26 Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread This recipe is as fun to eat as monkey bread, but a lot less time-consuming to make. F&W's Grace Parisi spreads her buttery biscuit dough with a savory onion-Gruyère mixture, stacks layers of it sideways in a loaf pan, then bakes it until golden and fluffy. Get the Recipe 10 of 26 Spice Roasted Butternut Squash © <a data-cke-saved-href="http://mattbites.com/" href="http://mattbites.com/" class"="external">Matt Armendariz This quick side comes together in under an hour, and is flavored with ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper for a kick. Get the Recipe 11 of 26 Spinach Bread Pudding with Lemon and Feta © Antonis Achilleos Cookbook author Heidi Swanson shares this bread pudding, lightened with bright lemon zest and dotted with salty feta, in her book: Super Natural Every Day. Get the Recipe 12 of 26 Scalloped Potatoes with Ham The combination of pecorino and Parmesan cheeses gives these potatoes a great cheesy depth. Get the Recipe 13 of 26 Broccoli and Cheddar Casserole with Leeks © Alexandra Rowley This classic is updated with deeply flavored cheddar and a crunchy topping of crumbled crackers and toasted almonds. Get the Recipe 14 of 26 Butternut Squash Basmati Rice Adding butternut squash and whole spices is a lovely way to jazz up rice. Get the Recipe 15 of 26 Pearl Onions au Gratin © Maura McEvoy Inspired by the pickled pearl onions that became a family tradition ("Mom just served them straight out of the jar and threw a toothpick at them"), chef Barbara Lynch bakes fresh pearl onions in a mixture of cream, garlic, shallots, and bacon, then tops it all with a crispy panko crust. Get the Recipe 16 of 26 Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta © Petrina Tinslay The only thing better than a full plate of caramelized brussels sprouts is a plate of brussels sprouts with pancetta. Get the Recipe 17 of 26 Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers' macaroni, this macaroni and cheese gets rich flavor from Gruyère and a lush creaminess from Raclette. Traditional versions of this dish are served with applesauce; as a nod to that flavor play, we've added some shallots that are quickly pickled in apple cider vinegar to balance the cheesy richness. Get the Recipe 18 of 26 Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Cranberry Agrodolce A quick, high-temperature oven roast on a baking sheet yields crispy, golden brown brussels sprouts and almost-charred, smoky broccoli. Tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce studded with tart cranberries, Fresno chiles, and shallots, the vegetables become an easy, elegant side dish. Get the Recipe 19 of 26 Brown Butter Parsnip Puree Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell At the Brooklyn brasserie Francie, John Winterman and Christopher Cipollone offer this cozy side dish of pureed parsnips. To make it, naturally sweet parsnips are simmered in bay leaf–infused cream until very tender, then pureed in a blender until they take on a silky, mashed potato–like texture. A garnish of diced green apples adds tart, mouthwatering acidity and refreshing crunch, while a generous drizzle of brown butter lends a pleasant richness. Get the Recipe 20 of 26 Smashed Sage-Butter Potatoes Erin Kunkel Smashing steamed potatoes creates craggy edges that soak up plenty of the aromatic sage-infused browned butter. Pick out similar-sized potatoes to ensure even cooking. Get the Recipe 21 of 26 Warm Barley and Caramelized Mushroom Salad © Christina Holmes Browned mushrooms, fresh sage, and lemon juice dress up this version of a classic mushroom-barley salad. Get the Recipe 22 of 26 Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Bacon Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee F&W editor Melanie Hansche really disliked sauerkraut growing up, but sweeter, milder "rotkohl" she could get on board with. This sweet-and-sour, traditional Bavarian braised red cabbage is always served with goose, duck, or pork. Get the Recipe 23 of 26 Puntarelle-Citrus Salad with Roasted Beets Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Puntarelle stays bright and crisp in this salad, while beets bring a tender, earthy sweetness. Puntarelle is a specialty buy — check your local farmers market, or substitute another bitter chicory. Get the Recipe 24 of 26 Potatoes au Gratin Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke In this rich, beautiful gratin, potatoes and onions are arranged in concentric circles, coated in a creamy cheese sauce, and topped off with a few more handfuls of shredded cheese. A quick run under the broiler at the end browns the top of the gratin for a little extra flavor and texture. Get the Recipe 25 of 26 Rustic Bread Stuffing with Swiss Chard and Chestnuts David Malosh Swiss chard lends a pleasant earthiness to this hearty stuffing; meaty chestnuts add texture and richness. Choose high-quality crusty bread for this recipe to ensure a fluffy texture and crisp top. Get the Recipe 26 of 26 Gamja Jorim (Soy Sauce–Lacquered Potatoes) Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell For this riff on Korean soy sauce–braised potatoes, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Angel Barreto of Anju in Washington, D.C., simmers tiny peewee potatoes in a sweet-and-savory syrup infused with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, resulting in potatoes with a creamy, tender interior and a gorgeously lacquered skin. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit