5-Star Holiday Sides

Updated November 19, 2007
John Kernick

These top-rated seasonal side dishes are easy to prepare and perfect for holiday entertaining.

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Roasted Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Credit: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Claire Spollen

Roasted Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Tired of plain mashed potatoes? Cauliflower, milk, and butter are added here to create a rich, creamy side. Serve with gravy and a succulent cut of roast beef.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Olive Vinaigrette

Credit: John Kernick; Stylist: Amy Wilson

Roasted Cauliflower with Olive Vinaigrette Recipe

Mix up your dinner sides by coating roasted cauliflower with a lemony olive vinaigrette.

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Cantonese Spinach with Garlic

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Cantonese Spinach with Garlic Recipe

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Charro Beans

Credit: Romulo Yanes

Charro Beans Recipe

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White Beans with Prosciutto

Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

White Beans with Prosciutto Recipe

Canned cannellini beans are seasoned with fresh garlic and rosemary and simmered with splashes of white wine and chicken broth. Using canned beans allow you to get a quick side like Whites Beans with Proscuitto to the table fast.

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Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes

Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Swap out traditional sweet potato casserole toppings, like mini marshmallows and pecans, for a streusel made from gingersnap cookies, brown sugar, butter, and flour.  The gingersnaps add a little bite to this top-rated side and perfectly complement the potatoes' sweetness. 

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Tee's Corn Pudding

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen

Tee's Corn Pudding Recipe

This classic recipe has a rich, soufflé-like texture without the hassle. The result is an impressive holiday side dish the entire family will love. We like to add chopped fresh chives on top.

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Christmas Ribbon Salad

Christmas Ribbon Salad Recipe

We took one of our favorite congealed salads and added cream cheese to make a pretty pink layer perfect for the Christmas buffet.

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Garlic Mashed-Potato Gratin

Garlic Mashed-Potato Gratin Recipe

Make garlic mashed potatoes company-worthy by topping them with butter and chives and baking in a gratin dish until golden.

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Roasted Cipollini Onions

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Katie Stoddard

Roasted Cipollini Onions Recipe

Roasting brings out a rich, mellow flavor in these Cipollini, or wild, onions. Serve them as a side dish alongside roasted meats or with a vegetarian holiday menu.

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Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish

Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish Recipe

This sweet-tart cranberry orange relish is a simple and delicious addition to holiday menus. Marination is key here, so allow this to sit in the refrigerator for at least one day to marry the bright, fresh flavors. You can get a head start on Thanksgiving prep and make this relish up to three days ahead. Hungry for more holiday inspiration? Check out our 15 Favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipes next. 

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Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms Recipe

Make your holiday green bean dish elegant by cooking the beans with an exotic mushroom blend and stirring in sherry and fresh herbs.

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Our Best Holiday Sides

Credit: Ray Kachatorian

Holiday cooking is all about your family's favorite dishes. From classic to unique, these top-rated sides take advantage of the season's produce.

If traditional sweet potato casseroles are too, well, sweet for your tastes, try this savory gratin featuring parmesan cheese and black and cayenne pepper.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Gratin

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Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Credit: Mikkel Vang

Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts Recipe

Go beyond basic green beans and add flavor with fresh garlic and toasted pine nuts. The recipe is simple but the flavor is not.

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Wild Rice Dressing with Roasted Chestnuts and Cranberries

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Deborah Williams

Wild Rice Dressing with Roasted Chestnuts and Cranberries Recipe

The nutty, almost smoky flavor of wild rice pairs beautifully with game birds and other poultry.

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Wild Mushroom and Rice Timbales

Credit: Jan Smith

Wild Mushroom and Rice Timbales Recipe

Make your rice extra-special for the holidays by pressing it into timbales—metal molds used to shape rice and custard mixtures. Ramekins, glass custard cups, or even dry measuring cups make a fine substitute.

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Three-Cheese Baked Pasta

Three-Cheese Baked Pasta Recipe

“Rich and creamy” does not begin to describe this decadent baked pasta dish featuring three types of cheese, Alfredo sauce, and sour cream. This is one side dish that just might steal the spotlight from the entrée.

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Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apricots and Bourbon

Credit: David Prince

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apricots and Bourbon Recipe

If you’re not a fan of sweet potato casseroles that taste more like dessert, this recipe is for you. The mashed sweet potatoes are subtly sweetened with a little bit of brown sugar and mellow bourbon, and accented with dried apricots.

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Brussels Sprouts with Crisp Prosciutto

Credit: Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Brussels Sprouts with Crisp Prosciutto Recipe

This easy side dish will win raves at your holiday meal. Simply sauté steamed Brussels sprouts in a skillet with butter and lemon juice, then stir in chopped prosciutto to achieve a perfect flavor balance.

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Roasted Potatoes with Tangy Watercress Sauce

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Dress up basic roasted red potatoes with a yogurt-based sauce featuring watercress, green onions, and fresh herbs. To save time, you can even made the sauce up to 2 days ahead.

Recipe: Roasted Potatoes with Tangy Watercress Sauce

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Sautéed Carrots with Sage

Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan

This recipe makes just two servings as written, but can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled for holiday gatherings. Since these carrots are topped with fresh sage, this dish is also a great way to use up any sage left over from stuffing your turkey.

Recipe: Sautéed Carrots with Sage

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Brussels Sprouts with Currants and Pine Nuts

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Jan Gautro, Leigh Ann Ross

This elegant and popular dish calls for just nine ingredients—and three of them are butter, salt, and pepper! The rich blend of pine nuts, shallots, butter, and thyme is sure to win over even the staunchest Brussels sprouts skeptics.

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Currants and Pine Nuts

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Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt Recipe

For more tender zucchini, leave slices in the pan an extra 1 minute on each side. When the flesh starts to look translucent, the zucchini is done.

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Grilled Panzanella with Arugula, Burrata, Summer Squash, and Olives

Credit: John Kernick

Grilled Panzanella with Arugula, Burrata, Summer Squash, and Olives Recipe

In this recipe, both the squash and the bread are slightly charred on the grill. This salad pairs well with any grilled meat.

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