Food and Recipes Side Dishes 20 Holiday Side Dishes Your Vegetarian Guests Will Love By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 10, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall When it comes to any holiday meal, the side dishes make the real difference between a so-so affair and a true Southern feast. Our sides, whether baked in a casserole dish, tossed in a serving bowl, or sautéed in a cast iron skillet, must be tasty enough to head the holiday table at any moment. If you love your vegetable sides the best—maybe more than the Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas roast—or if you have vegetarians on the guest list, these delicious vegetable holiday recipes will serve your crowd easily and deliciously all season long. From creamy casseroles to crispy skillets (and from hearty carbs to fresh fall produce), these sides cover the holiday hostess no matter what. We've included make ahead options, slow-cooker recipes, and side dishes that come together quickly so your holiday menu will not only be delicious, but will also come together easily. 01 of 20 Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole Caitlin Bensel / Southern Living Recipe: Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole Let your slow cooker take care of the green bean casserole while you work on the rest of the holiday meal. 02 of 20 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Roasted Carrots and Parsnips A higher cooking temperature combined with a longer cooking time helps these vegetables become brown and crispy. 03 of 20 Herbed Potato Stacks Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Herbed Potato Stacks Transform your basic potato into an elegant holiday side dish with these pretty stacked potatoes. The exterior gets deliciously crispy, while the inside stays creamy and tender. 04 of 20 Savory Corn Pudding Emily Laurae / Southern Living Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding This savory corn pudding puts a welcome spin on the classic dish with the addition of chopped onion and fresh thyme for extra flavor. When the pudding is done baking, it should be golden brown around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. 05 of 20 Classic Cornbread Dressing Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing We think Southern-style cornbread dressing belongs on every holiday table, and this simple recipe packs a flavorful punch that can't be beat. You can switch out vegetable broth for chicken broth if needed. 06 of 20 Classic Cranberry Salad Emily Laurae/Southern Living Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad This recipe has to chill at least four hours before serving, but can be made up to three days in advance so it's a great make-ahead option. 07 of 20 Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Everyone will love this twist on our Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese recipe, which includes tender spears of roasted broccoli for added texture and savory flavor. 08 of 20 Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping This colorful mix of roasted root vegetables is almost too pretty to eat. 09 of 20 Oven-Roasted Asparagus Recipe: Oven-Roasted Asparagus You can't beat this oven-roasted asparagus recipe for a delicious, simple, and quick side dish for the holidays. When you feel like you need more veggies on the menu, but don't feel like spending way more effort, this dish is a great go-to. 10 of 20 Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin This hearty side can serve as a great main dish option for vegetarian guests at your Thanksgiving dinner. 11 of 20 Garlic Parmesan Green Beans Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Garlic Parmesan Green Beans These tender green beans are jazzed up with pearl onions that have been lightly caramelized with butter, garlic, tangy balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sugar. Guests won't believe they come together in 20 minutes. 12 of 20 Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe This year, take your mashed potatoes over the top by adding creamy goat cheese, rich heavy cream, and chopped fresh chives. These special mashed potatoes will be ready for your holiday table in half an hour. 13 of 20 Cabbage Casserole Will Dickey Recipe: Cabbage Casserole You'll find two pounds of cabbage on the ingredient list for this creamy casserole. 14 of 20 Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries If you can't find candy roaster squash in your area, you can substitute butternut squash instead. 15 of 20 Harvest Salad GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH Recipe: Harvest Salad To make pulling this hearty salad together on Thanksgiving easier, you can make the dressing ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. 16 of 20 Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole A parmesan and herb topping helps balance out the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes while pecans add a bit of crunch. 17 of 20 Broccoli Cheese Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole Both kids and adults will love eating their vegetables in this creamy, cheesy casserole. 18 of 20 Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese BETH DREILING HONTZAS Recipe: Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese This rich, creamy recipe may just be the best macaroni and cheese recipe you've ever eaten. It brings back nostalgic memories around Grandmama's table and we promise that it's much more satisfying than the boxed, powdery stuff. 19 of 20 Browned-Butter Farro Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Browned-Butter Farro Browned butter elevates farro into a holiday-worthy side dish. 20 of 20 Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens The delicious balance of sweet, savory, and hot is great in this slow-cooker greens side dish, making the greens' liquid more flavorful than any other recipe (despite leaving out the ham hock or bacon!). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit