18 Christmas Side Dishes That Complete Your Holiday Meal

These garlic mashed potatoes are as rich and creamy as you’d want Christmas mashed potatoes to be. And the garlic is mixed into the warm cream and butter, so you get that mellow garlic flavor all the way through. They go just as well with ham as they do with turkey, which makes them an easy side to settle on while you’re still deciding on the main.

Fresh cherries do two jobs in these roasted Brussels sprouts. They turn the pan red and green for Christmas, and their sweetness takes the bitter edge off the sprouts. The cherries do enough on their own that you don’t need to add a sauce. So the whole dish only uses four ingredients on one sheet pan.

This old-fashioned turkey stuffing has the sage flavor you expect from a holiday stuffing. And you can decide where to cook it based on how you’re doing the turkey. It works inside the bird or in its own casserole dish with a little chicken broth if you’d rather serve it as dressing.

These cheddar cheese biscuits are made with cheddar throughout the batter so they are really cheese-y. And with just four ingredients, they are super easy to make. Which is always a bonus when you have a lot of dishes to make for Christmas dinner.

This slow cooker sweet potato casserole has the brown sugar and pecan topping you’d expect on a Southern-style sweet potato casserole. And it’s made in a six-quart slow cooker so there’s enough for a big Christmas dinner without taking up any oven space.

Green beans almondine is a lighter side dish for your Christmas menu. A little lemon juice and zest give the beans a refreshing finish. And the toasted almonds add a little crunch. Plus this recipe is made on the stove top, so it doesn’t take up any oven space.

This Crock Pot macaroni and cheese is a good one to make if you like to get a head start on Christmas dinner. You can assemble it up to two days ahead, or freeze it for up to a month before cooking. And the sauce is made with two pounds of sharp cheddar so it has lots of cheese flavor.

This mandarin orange romaine salad gives you juicy bites of orange and plenty of crunch from the roasted almonds. A honey and red wine vinaigrette adds a little tang to go with the sweet mandarins. And it’s a side you can put together in advance without turning on the stove.

This apple cheddar cornbread has little bites of tart Granny Smith apple that go so well with the extra-sharp cheddar. And baking it in a skillet gives it a crisp crust that makes the edge pieces especially tempting.

This baked asparagus gets its bright lemon and garlic flavor from a simple olive oil marinade. And since it marinates right in the baking dish, there’s one less bowl to wash after Christmas dinner.

This warm pull-apart bread has melted mozzarella in the middle of each bite and garlic Parmesan butter on top. It starts with refrigerated biscuit dough, so it’s easy to put together for Christmas dinner. And it’s shaped like a Christmas tree, ready for everyone to pull off a piece.

This broccoli gets an Italian-style topping of garlicky tomatoes, basil and oregano. Which is so good even the kids will eat it! And the red tomatoes with the green broccoli create a Christmas-y color scheme for your table.

This simple rice pilaf is made in one pot and fits into your schedule as easily as a pot of plain rice. But tastes like the more involved traditional version. So you get the taste of a pilaf without the extra work.

This baked garlic bread is for anyone who always reaches for the slice with the most garlic butter. There’s fresh garlic and parsley butter on both sides of every slice. And it bakes in foil, so there’s no messy baking dish to wash afterwards.

This zucchini and mushroom stir-fry only uses four ingredients and one skillet. The mushrooms and onions cook in butter with the zucchini which give it plenty of flavor.

This gravy gets its flavor from the turkey drippings, with a splash of dry sherry or white wine for a little more depth. And if you want a heartier version, you can add sautéed mushrooms or chopped giblets.

Juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and balsamic give this bow tie pasta salad the flavor of bruschetta. And it’s served cold, so you can make it a day ahead and serve it straight from the fridge.

This quinoa pilaf with roasted butternut squash gives guests a gluten-free side that combines grains and vegetables. The cranberries and pistachios bring a bit of Christmas color. And the nuts and seeds give you something crunchy to go with the tender squash.