82 Christmas Side Dishes To Make This Year's Holiday Dinner Your Best Yet

Would Grandma really be all that upset if you tried a new stuffing this holiday? Her cornbread stuffing is undoubtedly delicious and nostalgic, but what if we switched it up a bit this year and tried something new? Enter: flaky, savory-sweet croissant stuffing.

Get the Croissant Stuffing recipe.

We're not crying, you’re crying. Sure, our eyes might be stinging from peeling and slicing this many onions, but we're also claiming these tears as happy tears, because a simple, versatile dish with this much cheese can only be happy, right? Right.

Get the Tennessee Onions recipe.

If you’ve ever dreamed up a cheese fondue combined with mashed potatoes, this would be it. Fondue mashed potatoes, or pommes aligot, are super-creamy, silky mashed potatoes that have a starchy, cheesy pull that you’ve gotta see to believe.

Get the Fondue Mashed Potatoes recipe.

Saffron rice is quite possibly the most beautiful side dish to grace any dinner table. Colored with the reddish threads from saffron flower stigmas and paired with bright red pomegranate seeds, this rice has a subtle yet fragrant aroma that'll enhance the flavor of the meat you serve alongside it.

Get the Saffron Rice recipe.

It takes just a little effort to take eating your vegetables from a “have to” to a “want to,” and this green beans recipe is a perfect example. Some crispy bacon, sweet cranberries, and creamy goat cheese enhance green beans into a holiday that your family will be cheering for.

Get the Cranberry Bacon Green Beans recipe.

If a pan of scalloped potatoes and a bag of chips got together, these domino potatoes would be their love child. Crisp and buttery on the edges, but soft and creamy in the center, these potatoes will reset the bar for everything you thought a potato could be.

Get the Crispy Domino Potatoes recipe.

When we want to incorporate this veggie into our holiday dinners, we turn to this fresh, seasonal salad. With toasted almonds, shaved Parmesan, and pomegranate seeds, this is the holiday side that will convert even the biggest Brussels sprout haters.

Get the Brussels Sprout Salad recipe.

You don't need meat to make a stuffing everyone will love. This vegetarian option is filled with everyone's favorite flavors—apples! cranberries! sage! thyme!—if anyone complains about meatless stuffing, just send them home without any _{Christmas cookies}. 😉

Get the Cranberry Stuffing recipe.

Here we give Brussels a simple cacio e pepe-inspired upgrade that gives us the vibes of the more adult version of cheese over broccoli. A generous amount of cracked black pepper is also key for these easy Brussels sprouts that are the perfect side for any holiday or dinner table.

Get the Cacio E Pepe Brussels Sprouts recipe.

You may have seen crisp, anise-y fennel bulbs dotting the famers' market stands, nuzzling up alongside sweet delicata squash and tart apples. The three find their way into this healthy side dish that's perfect for elegant dinner party menus, simple weeknight meals, or paired with richer, holiday spreads.

Get the Roasted Fennel With Delicata Squash & Apples recipe.

Potatoes au gratin is a classic, but it's long overdue for an upgrade. Enter: bundles! Thin-skinned red potatoes get sliced, layered in parchment, smothered in a creamy, cheesy, garlicky sauce, then baked until steaming and tender. Best part? Less mess!

Get the Potato Gratin Bundles recipe.

This winter rainbow panzanella salad is packed with in-season veggies, crisp and crunchy sourdough croutons, and coated in a tangy grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect way to brighten a gray Thanksgiving day.

Get the Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad recipe.

As if roasting potatoes in the oven wasn’t simple enough, we’ve made seasoning even simpler by using a flavor-packed packet of onion soup mix. Seriously, potatoes don’t get any better or easier than this.

Get the Onion Soup Mix Roasted Potatoes recipe.

Been hitting the eggnog a little too hard, and craving something lighter to help counteract it? This is dish is fully dairy-free, without sacrificing any decadence. This recipe uses canned coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and umeboshi paste to amp up the creamy texture in this vegan take on creamed spinach.

Get the One-Pot Creamy Vegan Greens recipe.

Roasted carrots are a classic easy side dish that we turn to time and time again, whether we're serving up a holiday dinner or a quick weeknight meal. One of our favorite ways to serve them? Topping them with a balsamic glaze that makes them feel extra special (without a ton of work).

Get the Balsamic Glazed Carrots recipe.

Using homemade pizza dough and pesto is great, but if you go the store-bought route, this star bread takes very little effort. A few twists, and you have a green-speckled star to dazzle as the center of your holiday spread.

Get the Pesto Pizza Stuffed Star Bread recipe.

Fans of our viral potato au gratin stacks, gather 'round! These cheesy scalloped potato and ham stacks are bound to be your next go-to side dish. They're just like the OG, but to make them their own thing, we added thinly sliced ham and topped each stack with melty cheddar cheese.

Get the Cheesy Scalloped Potato & Ham Stacks recipe.

What do you get when you take mac & cheese on a shopping spree to the fanciest cheese shop you know and shower it with gold leaf? Million-dollar mac. Showcasing a trifecta of bougie (and delicious) cheeses and a crispy crunchy panko topping, this irresistible comfort food in a casserole will take center stage on any table it hits.

Get the Million-Dollar Mac & Cheese recipe.

This rice pilaf recipe has enough going on to be the main event, but can also be the supporting role for roasted meats and fish. A crunch from the almonds, a freshness from the herbs and lemon, and a sharp, briny punch of feta all combine for the perfect bite.

Get the Lemon-Herb Rice Pilaf recipe.

We'll take Brussels any which way, but we especially love giving them an extra decadent treatment—with plenty of butter, cream, and cheese. This method upgrades even the most humble vegetables while still allowing them to be the star of the show—even skeptics will be asking for seconds.

Get the Creamed Brussels Sprouts recipe.