53 Side Dishes So Good They'll Upstage Your Baked Ham

Potatoes au gratin is a classic, but it's long overdue for an upgrade. When thinking about how we could upgrade such a mainstay of a dish, it became clear that everything is cuter in a bundle, which goes double for cheesy, creamy potatoes. Thin-skinned red potatoes get sliced, layered in parchment, smothered in a creamy, cheesy, garlicky sauce, then baked until steaming and tender.

Get the Potato Gratin Bundles 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.

Thought glazed sweet potatoes always needed brown sugar, orange juice, or pecans? Think again. Coated in a savory maple-miso sauce, these melting sweet potatoes are here to challenge everything we think a sweet potato can be—and win us over with their deliciousness.

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Here at Delish, our best-ever mac and cheese is perfect for any occasion, from family weeknight dinners to holiday spreads. In our book, the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe has to nail three things: be extra creamy, plenty cheesy, and paired with a golden, crunchy topping.

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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.

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Orzo is one of our favorite pasta shapes because of how versatile it is. You can boil it like pasta, use it as a stand-in for rice, or cook it like risotto. Here in this cheesy kale orzo recipe, we opt for the creamy risotto method, then top it with crunchy herbed bread crumbs for added texture. The best part of this method is that the orzo soaks up the cheese sauce, and you get an incredible sauce to pasta ratio with the small pasta bits and multitudes of creaminess in every bite.

Get the Cheesy Kale Orzo With Herbed Bread Crumbs recipe.

This cauliflower mash recipe is the perfect low-carb substitute to mashed potatoes. The secret to making steamed cauliflower smooth and creamy? CREAM CHEESE! (We're big fans, if you hadn't noticed 😉.)Get the Mashed Cauliflower recipe.

To make this delicious side dish, you'll toss a pound of steamed carrots in a slightly spicy honey-butter glaze. Rather than cooking the carrots and the glaze together in the pan, you'll cook the carrots and the glaze separately, reducing the risk of mushy veggies.

Get the Steamed Carrots With Hot Honey Butter 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.

There is nothing better than a soft, homemade dinner roll. These rolls use sweet potatoes to make them even softer and fluffier, similar to our classic potato rolls. The tops are brushed with a honey butter and sprinkled with salt to play up both the savory and sweet side of a sweet potato.

Get the Sweet Potato Rolls recipe.

Southern cooking can sometimes appear intimidating or too involved, but this recipe is anything but. All you need are a couple of hours, a handful of staple ingredients, smoked turkey, and your collard greens (the star of the show) for an easy side that pairs incredibly with ham.

Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.

In order to smash the Brussels sprouts, you need to boil them first. (Just like smashed potatoes!) Make sure to pat them realllll dry, even after you smashed them, so that they crisp up in the oven. And don't skimp on the cheese!

Get the Smashed Brussels Sprouts recipe.

For a vegetable side to reach the regular weeknight (or holiday!) rotation, it has to be delicious and a no-brainer—just like these shallot-y roasted green beans. Simply toss fresh beans in olive oil and season with some salt and pepper before roasting on high heat, then finish under the broiler.

Get the Roasted Green Beans recipe.

Hawaiian macaroni salad is a creamy, tangy, iconic comfort food that is practically synonymous with the state—you can find it all over the islands. It’s very simple to prepare—you might already have all the ingredients on hand!—making it the perfect easy side to bring to Easter potlucks and BBQs.

Get the Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe.

This recipe made us wonder, Why don’t we roast carrots more often? When they roast, their flavor concentrates and sweetens. Pair that with copious amounts of umami-packed Parmesan and just a touch of lemon, and you’ve got a super-irresistible dish that you’ll come back to again and again. Try it for yourself—carrots might just become your new favorite go-to side.

Get the Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Carrots recipe.

We’re not opposed to Brussels, but we do know they can be divisive. This method upgrades even the most humble vegetables while still allowing them to be the star of the show. It also helps the Brussels sprouts retain their moisture in the oven—even the staunchest Brussels sprout skeptics will be asking for seconds.

Get the Creamed Brussels Sprouts recipe.

No potluck is complete without a big bowl of coleslaw, and our recipe is the best. More a fan of red cabbage? We got you—check out our red cabbage slaw too.

Get the Homemade Coleslaw recipe.

Mashed potato casserole is the ultimate holiday side dish we’ve all been waiting for. It's bound to find its way onto your holiday dinner table at some point during the season, but it makes a great side dish any time of the year. It's creamy, fluffy, and oh so cheesy.

Get the Mashed Potato Casserole recipe.

Quick, easy, and made with the simplest ingredients, air fryer green beans give you tender, crispy results without having to turn on your oven or light up your stove. This rendition comes with a treat: 8 cloves of creamy, buttery roasted garlic. You can eat them alongside the beans or reserve them for another use, like smearing alongside butter and flaky sea salt on a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

Get the Air Fryer Green Beans recipe.

A quick side dish is always appreciated, especially one as easy as this combo. It goes well with your steak dinners, your holiday ham, or your vegan meatloaf, but if you really love your peas and carrots, you could just eat this in one sitting, as a meal (we have! 😉).

Get the Peas & Carrots recipe.