Wondering what to serve with Christmas ham? Here are 85 of the best side dishes for ham including mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, rolls, and more!
Christmas dinner is one of the most anticipated meals of the year. And, if you’re serving ham, you’ll need some great sides to go with it.
I love holiday foods, and honestly, the sides are my favorite part.
So, if you’re wondering what to serve with Christmas ham, here are 85 tasty side dishes that will round out your Christmas feast.
You’ll find ideas for potatoes, rolls, macaroni and cheese, easy vegetable side dishes, and more.
There’s truly something for everyone and you’ll get to remove some of that holiday stress by nailing down your Christmas menu!
Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes are the best side dish idea for any night of the week! The steps are easy to follow and have basic ingredients like butter and sour cream with optional additions like garlic and Parmesan cheese!
These Crispy Hasselback Potato Casserole with Garlic and Herbs are the absolute best potatoes you will ever make! Thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes are layered and coated with fresh herbs, garlic, butter, and shredded asiago cheese then baked until tender and creamy on the inside.
These quick and easy cheesy ranch potatoes are going to be your new family favorite! Grab your slow cooker and get ready for some cheesy deliciousness!
Learn how easy it is to make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes from scratch! This recipe has decadent caramelized onions in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce with simple seasonings. It’s make-ahead and Crock Pot friendly and the perfect side dish idea for friends and family.
With their perfectly crisp edges and creamy, tender centers, everyone loves these easy Garlic Roasted Potatoes. A versatile and delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with just about any meal.
These twice baked loaded mashed potatoes take regular, delicious mashed potatoes, and elevate them to the next level. The best Outback copycat!
Easy Corn Sides
Corn is a popular summer vegetable but also works really well during the holidays. Dress it up with cream and cheese to make one of the most delicious sides for Christmas ham. Here are some great dishes to try this year.
This Honey Butter Skillet Corn features two kinds of canned corn in a creamy honey butter sauce. It's a quick and simple side dish that your whole family will love!
Posh Squash is a delicious take on a traditional zucchini and yellow squash casserole. With a creamy egg filling and cheesy top, your family will want seconds and thirds of this side dish.
This easy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Bacon features crisp veggies and bacon tossed with crunchy mix-ins and a sweet dressing. It's a delicious salad for your summer barbeque, picnic, or holiday get-together!
This creamy, cheesy broccoli casserole made from scratch and with fresh broccoli will be your new favorite side dish. Fresh Broccoli Casserole is everyone’s favorite.
Parsnip Puree is a creamy, sweet, and nutty side dish that goes well with everything! Similar to mashed potatoes, but with an extra, sophisticated flavor kick.
Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts is a super tasty side dish that is ideal for the holidays, winter family dinners and in fact, it compliments any meal.
Red and yellow beets, turnips, and sweet potatoes thinly sliced and baked together with fresh herbs, butter, and freshly grated parmesan cheese in this fresh and delicious Scalloped Root Vegetable Skillet.
Crockpot Brown Sugar Cinnamon Carrots feature tender baby carrots covered in a deliciously sweet glaze. It's the perfect side dish for even the pickiest eater!
Bread
Fluffy and buttery or crusty and herbed, you have to have some delicious bread with your Christmas dinner.
Here are some easy bread recipes you’ll gobble up!
These Refrigerator Mashed Potato rolls are extra fluffy and moist thanks to the addition of freshly mashed potatoes. You can keep the dough in your refrigerator for up to a week, which makes it easy to have warm rolls for dinner any night!
These Crescent Rolls are one of the easiest dinner rolls you'll make! They're soft, slightly sweet, and extra buttery; perfect for a weeknight dinner or holiday gathering.
Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and it pairs perfectly with Christmas ham. Here are some easy and delicious macaroni dishes your family will love!
You’ll find an option for the stovetop, Instant Pot, and oven!
This Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese is an easy 30-minute meal that your family will always agree on! It’s the BEST dinner recipe for a busy week and it’s easy to customize with different cheeses and add-ons.
Creamy, delicious Instant Pot mac and cheese. If you’re wondering how to make macaroni and cheese in your Instant Pot, I’m going to show you how to do it with just 5 minutes of cooking time. This Instant Pot mac and cheese is easy to make and it’s super creamy and delicious!
Roasted acorn squash stuffed with cheesy, creamy gouda mac and cheese. These Roasted Acorn Squash Gouda Mac and Cheese bowls are perfect for the holidays.
Sweet Potato Sides
Candied, mashed or scalloped, sweet potatoes make wonderful sides for Christmas ham. So, here are some yummy dishes that are sweet and savory and perfect for feeding a crowd.
This Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole features mashed sweet potatoes mixed with spices and topped with a delicious brown sugar and pecan topping. It's the ultimate side dish for your holiday dinner!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes are unbelievably fluffy and creamy, healthy and so easy to make. Delicious side dish for a weeknight dinner or a holiday table. These are so good!
Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples is perfect for any holiday! Plus, you'll only need 4 ingredients to make this healthy and naturally sweet recipe.
This is the ultimate Winter Green Salad with lots of seasonal favorites. Featuring pomegranate seeds, pears, apples, bacon, and a delicious poppy seed dressing, you won't be able to get enough!
This easy broccoli salad is perfect for summer picnics or cookouts. Crisp raw broccoli is combined with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and bacon for a delicious broccoli crunch salad.
This Persimmon Salad features the delicious persimmon fruit plus fresh oranges, goat cheese, and a balsamic dressing. It's a flavorful recipe that's perfect for the fall and winter months!
Sweet Sides
Love sweets? Here are some crowd-pleasing sweet sides for Christmas ham your Christmas dinner needs!
These unique sides feature fruits, cream and nuts and they’ll definitely add some color to your dinner table.
Classic cheesy Pineapple Casserole is truly a Southern potluck favorite ~ that graces the table of many Thanksgiving and Christmas day dinners in the South, too!
Raspberry Pretzel Jello Dessert is a delicious 3-layer dish that features a pretzel crust, cream cheese layer, and raspberry Jello topping. It's perfect for both barbeques and holiday dinners!
Cranberry Sides
Cranberry sauce — you either love it or hate it! Here are some yummy cranberry sauce options for those who love it and a rice pilaf dish for those who don’t!
When it comes to holiday side dishes this Cranberry Apple Rice Pilaf Recipe is one that is hard to beat. Delicious fluffy rice that is full of earthiness combined with the sweetness of the cranberries and the crunchiness of the pecans – it’s a wonderful mixture of flavors and textures!
This delicious, easy-to-make Cranberry Orange Sauce recipe is a classic that is perfect for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Also can make it ahead!
Miscellaneous Sides for Christmas Ham
Here are two more amazing sides for Christmas ham to round out this ultimate list.
Perfect as a side dish for dinner or a hearty breakfast, this creamy, dreamy smoked gouda cheese grits recipe is a Southern household staple.
FAQs
What is served at a traditional Christmas dinner?
There are many different kinds of food that can be considered traditional for a Christmas dinner. And, this can vary greatly by region, culture, and family. But, here are some of the most popular and familiar foods for Christmas:
Meats – Turkey (often with stuffing) – Roast – Ham – Goose
Desserts – Pumpkin Pie and other pies – Christmas Pudding – Fruitcake
How many sides should you have for Christmas dinner?
Plan to have at least 3-4 sides for Christmas dinner. And, if you don’t know your guests’ preferences, try to stick with side dishes that have mass appeal.
What is the most popular vegetable for Christmas dinner?
According to Taste of Home, roast potatoes are not only the most popular vegetable for Christmas but also the most popular Christmas food in general.
Roast potatoes are followed by green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus.
Below, are some of the most delicious roast potato recipes to try this year!
I hope you enjoyed these incredible sides for your holiday dinner and found the perfect options for what to serve with Christmas ham this year.
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