Our Best Side Dishes for Ham

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Rishon Hanners

Browse our best side dish recipes for ham, including everything from tender spring veggies to creamy risotto. Ham dinners peak in popularity around Christmas and Easter, but are delicious year-round and are a great solution for group gatherings, family dinners, and easy Sunday suppers. Pairing your ham with a delicious side rounds out the meal nicely, so decide if you're more of a chilled side dish fan or prefer a warm side dish for your meal, then get started.

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Pineapple Casserole

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Pineapple Casserole Recipe

We altered this traditional casserole to balance out the sweetness, allowing the pineapple and cheese to really shine. The intense flavor makes it an ideal side dish for baked ham.

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Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

Photo: Antonis Achilles, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Sarah Epperson; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

This will quickly become one of your favorite ways to prepare squash. Warning: Your kitchen will smell heavenly.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Photo: Alison Miksch

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

Chef Jonathan Waxman taught me how to make this fall salad many years ago. Riff with the ingredients to find the flavor balance you prefer.

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Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables Recipe
Use white balsamic vinegar to maintain the vegetables' vibrant hue in this easy dish. Look for baby carrots with tops, which have tender texture and subtly sweet flavor. Small carrots packed and sold as "baby" carrots are actually whittled-down mature vegetables.

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Roasted Baby Beet Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke

Roasted Baby Beet Salad Recipe
Trim the beet tops, but leave part of the stems to ensure the colorful pigment remains inside the beet during roasting.

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Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks Recipe
When assembling these stacks in your muffin tin, place slices from ends of potatoes in the bottom of each muffin cup and use wider slices from the middle of the potato at the top. We also like this with Gruyère instead of mozzarella.

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Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts

Photo: Nina Choi; Styling: Lisa Lee

Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts Recipe
These green beans are easy to make and are a healthy variation to the classic green bean casserole. The green beans can be blanched up to a day ahead and then sauteed just before serving.

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Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These simple mashed potatoes get their creaminess and richness from plenty of butter and milk. Adding a bay leaf unveils a surprisingly full layer of a savory aromatic without being at all forward or cloying.

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Baby Carrot Soup

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey

Baby Carrot Soup Recipe
Smoky adobo sauce gives this creamy soup a subtle touch of heat that pairs well with the ham's sweetness.

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Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Merilee Bordin

Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions Recipe
The combination of fresh peas with mint yields a harmonious and nutrition side dish. Peas are in the legume family, and these vegetables are typically high in protein and fiber, yet low in fat and cholesterol.

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Lemon Risotto with Peas, Tarragon, and Leeks

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Lemon Risotto with Peas, Tarragon, and Leeks Recipe
Pair this pleasantly tart side-dish risotto with roasted salmon or halibut. Garnish with long strips of lemon rind and fresh tarragon sprigs, if desired.

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Asparagus and Butterhead Lettuce Salad

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Merilee Bordin

Asparagus and Butterhead Lettuce Salad Recipe
The texture of butterhead lettuce keeps this salad light and delicate. You can use any tender, sweet lettuce in place of butterhead.

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Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole Recipe
This squash casserole recipe is a hit with our users who make it for everything from family dinners to holiday buffets. It's rich, creamy, and sure to satisfy.

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Spring Risotto

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Spring Risotto Recipe
Fava beans must be shelled twice. First they're removed from their pods, then blanched, cooled slightly, and pinched to remove the outer skins. Fresh beans taste the best, but canned fava beans will also work when fresh are out of season.

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Lemon-Basil Orzo with Parmesan

Oxmoor House

Lemon-Basil Orzo with Parmesan Recipe
Just 6 ingredients are all you need to make this fresh pasta side. The lemon and basil brighten the dish making it perfect for a spring gathering. Add cooked shrimp or chicken for a hearty lunch or light supper.

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Two-Toned Scalloped Potatoes

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Two-Toned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Using both sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes gives classic, comforting scalloped potatoes a delicious upgrade. Perfect for family gatherings and holiday dinners at any point in the year, this impressive potato side dish delivers creamy richness, robust savory flavor, and a delightful crunch with a herby panko-pecan topping. You can assemble the dish (minus the topping) ahead of time and refrigerate up to 12 hours before you’re ready to bake.

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Sweet Potato Soldiers

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Sweet Potato Soldiers Recipe
This new take on glazed sweet potatoes looks as good as it tastes. We used the slender 'Garnet' variety commonly grown in North Carolina. If you can't find them, any petite sweet potato will work well in its place.

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Parker House Rolls

Photo: Antonis Achilles; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos and Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Parker House Rolls Recipe

Buttery, yeasty heaven you can enjoy at brunch, dinner, or whenever.

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Veggie Potato Salad

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke

Veggie Potato Salad Recipe
According to one of our reviewers, this salad is unique, fresh and delicious. She says that the lemon zest and buttermilk add a delightful zip to the flavor, and the veggies add a great crunch to the otherwise creamy texture.

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Roasted Asparagus Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey

Roasted Asparagus Salad Recipe
Add even more color by roasting squash, zucchini, carrots, or other favorite veggies with the asparagus.

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Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Mix up your usual potato salad recipe by using sweet potatoes. This dish is full of color and flavor from the jalapeño pepper, parsley, and hot sauce.

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Carrot Soufflé

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Carrot Soufflé Recipe
Because this dish contains no beaten egg whites, it is not a true soufflé. The name, carrot soufflé, is derived from its light airy texture. Similar in color and flavor to sweet potato casserole, it pairs well with ham or turkey.

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Corn Fritter Casserole

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Corn Fritter Casserole Recipe
This moist, sweet-savory side dish is a cross between corn bread and corn pudding. You can use 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels in place of the canned corn, if you prefer.

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Marian's Apple-Fennel Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Marian's Apple-Fennel Salad Recipe
Raw fennel is crisp and tasty, a perfect complement to the sweet apples and peppery arugula.

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Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter Recipe
Be sure to use true baby carrots with tops for best taste and texture; most bagged "baby" carrots will be too tough for this recipe.

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Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

This highly comforting, classic dish has never been easier thanks to your trusty slow cooker. Yielding a creamy, savory potato side the whole family will love, this recipe for crock pot scalloped potatoes is sure to be a new holiday go-to.

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Baked Sweet Potatoes

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck

Baked Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Baked sweet potatoes are terrific with just a little butter and seasoning. Purists will love this recipe but if you need a little something extra, try sprinkling brown sugar or ground cinnamon over the top for a finishing touch.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Recipe
Brussel sprouts combine with smoky bacon to create one delicious and quick-cooking side dish.

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Cipollini and Apples with Bacon

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Cipollini and Apples with Bacon Recipe
Tiny cipollini onions become tender and brown, pairing well with the slight crunch from the apples. And the browned onions and pink fruit look just lovely together and brighten up the table.

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Cornbread Dressing

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Homemade cornbread is the key to a great cornbread dressing. This one, full of rich flavor, is sure to become a holiday favorite.

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Sweet Potato Soufflé

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Sweet Potato Soufflé Recipe

Sweet and comforting, this soufflé is the perfect holiday dish. The topping provides the perfect contrast in texture to support the soft and creamy soufflé.

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Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs Recipe

Choose thick asparagus instead of thin for this dish. The wider spears have an excellent sweet flavor and can stand up to the bold tarragon vinaigrette.

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Celery, Apple, and Almond Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Celery, Apple, and Almond Salad Recipe

Crunch rules in this fall salad. Cut the celery on a diagonal for long, thin slices that will match the shape of the apple slices. We like a tart-sweet Pink Lady or Fuji apple here.

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Grilled Corn Pasta Salad

Photo courtesy of The Food Gays

Grilled Corn Pasta Salad Recipe

This vibrant, flavor-packed summer side dish combines a bounty of favorite seasonal flavors into a single, epic pasta salad. The recipe comes from our friends The Food Gays, and they developed this colorful grilled corn dish as a fresher, brighter alternative to the typical mayo-based pasta salads that often show up a summer parties. Packed with fresh produce and dressed in a light and zippy lemon-mustard vinaigrette, this grilled corn pasta salad is anything but boring. Give it a try at your next summer cookout and enjoy as the compliments pour in.

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Watermelon Salad with Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Lucy Barr; Food Styling: Liz Mervosh

Watermelon Salad with Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette Recipe

A simple, fresh watermelon salad says summer like nothing else. With the addition of crumbled feta cheese and a chunky olive dressing, the salty-sweet balance of this watermelon salad in particular is especially on-point. The secret to this Kalamata vinaigrette, which would be excellent with any blend of summer melons, is the toasted walnuts. The robust nuts temper the intense brininess of the olives to just the right level, while also giving the dressing another layer of rich flavor. If you’re hesitant about salting your watermelon, just trust us on this one—sprinkling the juicy summer fruit with salt actually amps up the sweetness.

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Roasted Acorn Squash

Photo: Antonis Achilles, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Sarah Epperson; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe

This festively spiced twist on classic roasted acorn squash is easy, fun, and flavorful.

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Frogeye Salad

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Frogeye Salad Recipe

It doesn't get more Southern than frogeye salad, which can't help but make eaters reminisce on church potlucks or childhood dinners spent at grandparent's house.

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Cranberry Fluff Salad

Photo: Antonis Achilles, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Sarah Epperson; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Cranberry Fluff Salad Recipe

While it might not be the best-looking dish on the holiday table, it will be incredibly popular. Super sweet and creamy, this dish will work just as well as a side as it will as a dessert. We guarantee there won't be leftovers.

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Easy Butternut Squash Casserole

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Easy Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe

This delightful twist on sweet potato casserole is sweet, warm, and comforting. If you're short on time, use Whole Foods' canned butternut squash purée instead of roasting your own. Marshmallows are optional, but recommended.

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Butternut Squash Noodles

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Butternut Squash Noodles Recipe

This dish tastes as good as it looks. You can purchase pre-spiralized squash noodles at many grocery stores, so don't worry if you don't have a spiralizer. Trust us, you won't miss the carbs with these easy butternut noodles.

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Homemade Dinner Rolls

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke

Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

Soft, tender, pillowy, and buttery. What's not to love? Once you go homemade, it's hard to go back to store-bought dinner rolls.

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Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Photo: Antonis Achilles, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Sarah Epperson; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Whether you consider it a salad, side dish, or dessert, ambrosia is a holiday classic. It's quick and easy to make and can sit overnight if you like.

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Best Roasted Veggies

Meredith Food Studios

Best Roasted Veggies Recipe

Parents of picky eaters, rejoice - the kids will actually want to eat these vegetables! It only takes a few pantry staples to transform roasted vegetables into a side everyone will enjoy. These are so savory and delightful, it's hard not to love them.

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Braised Brussels Sprouts with Mustard and Thyme

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Mustard and Thyme Recipe

If your sprouts aren’t equivalent in size, for larger Brussels, cut to a half size for even cooking.

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Hasselback Beets with Tangy Dill Sauce and Caraway

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Our Best Side Dishes for Ham

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Pineapple Casserole

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Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

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Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables

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Roasted Baby Beet Salad

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Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

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Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts

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Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

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Baby Carrot Soup

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Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions

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Lemon Risotto with Peas, Tarragon, and Leeks

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Asparagus and Butterhead Lettuce Salad

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Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

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Spring Risotto

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Lemon-Basil Orzo with Parmesan

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Two-Toned Scalloped Potatoes

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Sweet Potato Soldiers

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Parker House Rolls

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Veggie Potato Salad

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Roasted Asparagus Salad

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Sweet Potato Salad

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Carrot Soufflé

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Corn Fritter Casserole

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Marian's Apple-Fennel Salad

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Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

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Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

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Baked Sweet Potatoes

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

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Cipollini and Apples with Bacon

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Cornbread Dressing

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Sweet Potato Soufflé

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Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs

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Celery, Apple, and Almond Salad

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Grilled Corn Pasta Salad

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Watermelon Salad with Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette

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Roasted Acorn Squash

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Frogeye Salad

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Cranberry Fluff Salad

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Easy Butternut Squash Casserole