50+ Side Dishes for Ham

Updated September 26, 2019
Credit: Antonis Achilles; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay Clark

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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

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

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

What’s the secret to super creamy, melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes? Your slow cooker. These super simple Crock Pot mashed are easy to prepare and even easier to eat. They get tons of richness, thanks to plenty of butter and milk. Adding a bay leaf takes things up a notch and unveils a layer of savory aromatics that doesn’t overpower or cloy the rest of the dish. 

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Baby Carrot Soup

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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 

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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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