Perfectly Paired Holiday Side Dishes for Christmas

September 08, 2010
Jennifer Davick
Looking for exciting side dishes to add to your holiday menu? Forget about cooking another batch of plain vegetables. Instead, scroll through our Test Kitchen approved collection of Christmas side dishes. Nothing can round out your holiday meal better than one (or more!) of our spectacular holiday sides. Paired with a staple main dish, these festive and unique Christmas side dishes bring delicious variety that your holiday guests will truly appreciate. From our hearty Two-Cheese Gnocchi Mac and Cheese, to our light, flavorful Christmas salad, you’ll find crowd-pleasing Christmas side dishes to suit all occasions. Fluffy Fontina-Chive Yorkshire Puddings impress a worldly crowd, while Creamy Parmesan Grits bring the heart-warming comfort that only Southern soul food can. If a plate of creamy mashed potatoes is the Christmas side dish you desire, upgrade the beloved classic with smooth buttermilk, flavorful brown butter, or rich cream cheese. So pick one – or five – and serve them up. Only thing is, you might need bigger plates.
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots

We can't get enough of this classic combo.

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Dirty Rice Risotto

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Dirty Rice Risotto

Adding hot broth slowly to the mixture helps release the starch from the rice, giving the risotto its characteristic creamy texture.

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Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

Turn this kid-friendly side into an entrée by serving with a salad and warm, crusty bread.

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Roasted Garlic Duchess Potatoes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Duchess Potatoes

Want to make a fancy presentation and don't have a pastry bag? A 1-gallon zip-top plastic freezer bag will do the trick. Simply snip a small hole in one corner of the bag, and pipe.

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Charred Ambrosia with Toasted Coconut and Marshmallow Crème

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Charred Ambrosia with Toasted Coconut and Marshmallow Crème

Because the marshmallow-egg white mixture isn't cooked, it's necessary to use pasteurized egg whites.

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Christmas Salad

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Christmas Salad

A warm vinaigrette will soften these sturdy greens, but their structure will hold up for up to an hour or two on a holiday buffet. Prep all the ingredients ahead of time, and store in individual zip-top plastic freezer bags in your refrigerator until ready to toss with warm vinaigrette. We love Chiogia beets, with their candy-striped interiors, for this recipe.

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Fontina-Chive Yorkshire Puddings

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Fontina-Chive Yorkshire Puddings

Don't skip the first step: For the fluffiest, puffiest puddings, make sure the muffin pan is super hot. You can also make these in popover pans.

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Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cream

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cream

For the most tender Brussels sprouts, look in your produce section for sprouts sold on the stalk. Then cut off the sprouts, and store in a zip-top plastic freezer bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

With only four ingredients, you can whip these mashed potatoes up in a flash. These potatoes can be as chunky or smooth as you would like. Smash them until they reach desired consistency.

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Herbed Couscous

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Herbed Couscous

This light side is full of fresh flavor that will perfectly complement whatever is on the menu. Use your favorite fresh herbs for a custom dish.

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Browned-Butter Farro

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Browned-Butter Farro

Farro is an ancient form of wheat that has seen a resurgence in recent years. Here we toast cooked farro in a bit of browned butter for a surprisingly delicious side.

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Creamy Parmesan Grits

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Creamy Parmesan Grits

Look for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which adds nutty flavor and an earthy depth to the grits.

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Orange-Ginger-Chile-Glazed Carrots

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Orange-Ginger-Chile-Glazed Carrots

Roasting whole carrots in a hot oven and then giving them a final toss in a sweet glaze yields an unforgettable side dish. Look for multicolored carrots for a stunning presentation. If you can't find them at the supermarket, try a local farmers' market. We use a little chile pepper to add just a whiff of heat. Feel free to increase the pepper or omit it, if you prefer. Also, you can sub chopped fresh thyme or mild flat-leaf parsley for the rosemary.

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Braised Cabbage with Apple and Bacon

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Braised Cabbage with Apple and Bacon

Humble cabbage is an affordable and easy holiday side. Make it more elegant by braising red cabbage with apple slices. Adding bacon makes it delicious.

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Harvest Salad with Roasted Citrus Vinaigrette and Spiced Pecans

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Harvest Salad with Roasted Citrus Vinaigrette and Spiced Pecans

Grainy Creole mustard adds texture and a delightful kick to the dressing, and roasting the lemons and oranges heightens both the sweet and sour flavors, creating a wonderfully nuanced balance. If you can find satsuma oranges, definitely use them to add a bright sunshiny tang. You can make the vinaigrette and pecans several days ahead.

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Fennel-and-Potato Gratin

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Fennel-and-Potato Gratin

This cheesy potato gratin gets a punch of flavor from nutmeg and fennel. It's impressive enough for a holiday party, but easy enough to put together on a busy weeknight.

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Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

Photo: Beau Gustafson

Recipe: Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

This deluxe version of spinach salad features a tangy sweet maple syrup vinaigrette, sliced apple, onion and and goat cheese and is topped with sweet curried pecans.

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Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon

Recipe: Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon

We loved the dash of dried crushed red pepper—it made the flavor lively, not hot.

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Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Everyone loves the simplicity of mashed potatoes, so make it a tradition to always have some on your Thanksgiving table. Crafting delicious mashed mashed potatoes is not easy, but this recipe shows you how it’s done. It also brings the rich flavor of browned butter—those nutty taste you simply can’t get any other way—into the bowl. You’ll love the rich buttermilk, which adds fluff and creaminess to the mashed Yukon gold potatoes. Once you’ve whipped your potatoes to the perfect texture, you can garnish them with parsley, rosemary, or thyme. Once you sample the flavor of these potatoes, you’ll want them on the table every night of the week.

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Golden Macaroni and Cheese

Southern Living

Recipe: Golden Macaroni and Cheese

This homemade baked macaroni and cheese recipe beats the boxed kind any day of the week. For a divine main dish, stir in chopped cooked ham before baking, and then sprinkle top with chopped cooked bacon before serving.

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Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Recipe: Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Make a cheesy, creamy potato casserole for your next family gathering or holiday meal. Make it easy with frozen hash browns, cream of mushroom soup, and cornflakes cereal. You can also make it ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

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Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

This mouthwatering sweet potato casserole will satisfy lovers of crunchy pecans and cornflakes as well as marshmallows.

Cooking Video: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

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Mushroom, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Mushroom, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad

If you receive candied or spiced nuts as a holiday gift, try them on this salad for a special touch. To splurge, use a variety of mushrooms such as shiitake, portobello, oyster, or enoki. Often grocers carry a gourmet mushroom mix. Standard white mushrooms will yield tasty results too.

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Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a pure delight, and having them on the Thanksgiving table should always be a family tradition. But making perfect mashed potatoes is not as easy as it sounds, so this recipe is designed to get you spuds from whole to whipped in a jiffy, and to get your family from skeptical to enjoying scrumptious mashed potatoes. The secret here is the cream cheese: it gives your potatoes extra richness and flavor, and mixes well with the butter and half-and-half. Yukon gold potatoes are the perfect potato choice because they yield a texture that's just right for holding a pool of flavorful turkey gravy or melted butter.

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Home-Style Butterbeans

Photo: William Dickey

Recipe: Home-Style Butterbeans

Bacon, onion, and brown sugar pack these beans with holiday flavor.

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Green Bean-and-Red Bell Pepper Toss

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Green Bean-and-Red Bell Pepper Toss

Combine French green beans and red bell pepper strips with shallots and garlic for a delicious side dish that's far from boring.

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Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

Photo: Beau Gustafson

Recipe: Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent RollsThis from-scratch recipe is suited for any level of cook—even first timers. Tip: Brush unbaked rolls with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and fennel seeds. Or, brush unbaked rolls with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, coarsely ground pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.

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Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Cheddar and Parmesan combine forces with yellow squash in this creamy casserole. For a tasty and colorful twist, substitute sliced zucchini for half of the yellow squash.

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Baked Onions

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Baked Onions

Sweet, caramelized pearl onions make an elegant side dish. This version is flavored with butter, white wine, and brown sugar and then baked for less than an hour.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts With Apples

Recipe: Sautéed Brussels Sprouts With Apples

The presence of apple elevates this often overlooked veggie to new and delicious heights.

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Broccoli-and-Cauliflower Gratin