Recipes Side Dishes 16 Holiday Side Dishes to Make Ahead By Food & Wine Updated on January 24, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke Don't let your holiday roast steal the spotlight — these incredibly delicious side dishes will add color and flavor to your dinner table. Try a sophisticated spin on stuffing or a hearty grain salad, or keep things classic with roasted veggies and cornbread. From spicy roasted butternut squash to a creamy Swiss chard casserole, these are our best make-ahead holiday side dishes. 01 of 16 Farro Salad with Turnips and Greens © Michael Turek To get the most out of turnips, cookbook author Tamar Adler buys them with their greens attached and then uses both parts in this hearty grain salad. If the turnip greens aren’t sufficient, or if they’re unavailable, she supplements them with any combination of other leafy greens. Get the Recipe 02 of 16 Roasted Cabbage with Warm Walnut-Rosemary Dressing © Michael Turek These hearty cabbage wedges, roasted until golden brown and topped with a fragrant, buttery dressing with rosemary and walnuts, can be made well in advance and served to a crowd. Get the Recipe 03 of 16 Broccolini with Crispy Lemon Crumbs © Anson Smart Gail Simmons reinvents the recipe by blanching Broccolini quickly, then sautéing it on the stove with a shallot and adding spicy, lemony, homemade breadcrumbs at the very end. Get the Recipe 04 of 16 Chipotle-Roasted Baby Carrots © Christina Holmes When he makes this stunning salad, chef Alex Stupak roasts baby carrots with mole poblano, a complex sauce that includes dried chiles, raisins, and chocolate. Here, the carrots are roasted simply with smoky chipotles in adobo. Get the Recipe 05 of 16 Watercress Salad with Prosciutto, Tangerines, and Hazelnuts © James Baigrie This salad is an intriguing mix of strong flavors — sweet, peppery, and earthy. The hazelnuts add richness, chef Govind Armstrong says, plus they “do their job as the texture police.” He uses duck prosciutto here; it’s easy to find in specialty food stores, or you can substitute regular prosciutto. Get the Recipe 06 of 16 Butternut Squash with Homemade Harissa © Karen Mordechai Harissa, a garlicky North African chile sauce, is usually served with couscous and stews. The homemade harissa featured here is super simple to prepare, and any extra will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but jarred versions available at specialty markets make a fine substitute. Get the Recipe 07 of 16 Tricolor Roasted Carrots and Parsnips © Tina Rupp Sometimes rethinking just means not overthinking. Don't forget to enjoy seasonal ingredients just as they are. Get the Recipe 08 of 16 Squash Gratin with Poblanos and Cream © Con Poulos Chef Julie Robles makes this vegetarian gratin in individual dishes with a topping of candied pepitas. This version is for one big gratin garnished with plain toasted pumpkin seeds. Get the Recipe 09 of 16 Spinach-Shiitake Bread Puddings © Lucy Schaeffer Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten took the American stuffing basics and reconfigured them. This dressing, which he prefers to cook outside the bird, takes an unexpected form. It can be made ahead and rewarmed as the turkey rests. Get the Recipe 10 of 16 Virtue Cornbread Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Slightly sweet and buttery, this classic Southern cornbread is a must-order at Virtue, Erick Williams' flagship restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, where he celebrates the food of the Great Migration. Eat this cornbread warm the same day you bake it. Get the Recipe 11 of 16 Moroccan-Spiced Butternut Squash © Emily Farris This oven-roasted butternut squash is full of flavor thanks to a Moroccan-inspired spice blend. It works wonderfully as a side or served over rice as a main dish. Get the Recipe 12 of 16 Creamy Swiss Chard with Crisp Breadcrumbs © Lucy Schaeffer Chef Maria Helm Sinskey claims that a rich gratin topped with cheesy breadcrumbs is the only way her children will eat Swiss chard. “I've learned that a little cream and cheese gets my kids to finish their vegetables,” she says. Get the Recipe 13 of 16 Sausage and Bread Stuffing © David Malosh Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk's mother, Tamara, makes Stove Top stuffing every Thanksgiving, and he proudly admits loving it. Its simplicity inspired this sausage dressing recipe by former F&W editor Grace Parisi. Using homemade turkey stock gives it a rich flavor, but for a shortcut, use chicken broth instead. Get the Recipe 14 of 16 Maple-Ginger-Roasted Vegetables with Pecans © Frances Janisch When roasting winter vegetables, be sure to chop them about the same size, so they cook at the same rate. And toss them at least once while they’re in the oven, so they brown evenly. Get the Recipe 15 of 16 Aunt Elsie’s Texas Potatoes © Abby Hocking Modern Family actor Eric Stonestreet got this fantastic potato casserole recipe from his great-aunt Elsie Ball. Stonestreet calls them "Kansas potatoes" because he's from Kansas. "I don't think Texas will mind," he says. The original recipe calls for canned cream of chicken soup, but taking a few extra minutes to prepare a homemade sauce makes this already delicious casserole even better. Get the Recipe 16 of 16 Potatoes au Gratin Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke For this creamy, cheese-laden dish, thin sliced red potatoes and onions are shingled from the outside in, creating an enticing decorative top. Béchamel made with heavy whipping cream creates the base for the rich and cheesy sauce, which is infused with nutmeg and mustard to intensify the savory flavors. Be sure to broil the dish for a few minutes to give you a crisp golden brown top with a deeper flavor profile. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit