47 Side Dishes for Ham to Complete Your Holiday Dinner
Once you know how to cook a ham, you’re well on your way to an excellent holiday meal. But the best side dishes for ham depend entirely on what you’re craving. Will you round out the menu with mashed potatoes or buttermilk cornbread? A cheesy gratin or crisp, fresh green beans? Biscuits? (Obviously—and fluffy rolls too.) The biggest challenge in choosing sides for a ham dinner is narrowing down all the options. You could poll the family, or just scroll down and save all the recipes that catch your eye. Whether you’re glazing this year’s roast with brown sugar and mustard, thyme and honey, or hot sauce and apple cider vinegar, you’ll find the ideal side dishes for ham below.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine1/47Dauphinoise Potatoes
We consider potatoes to be essential side dishes for ham, but the question is: which potatoes. Combining intricate layers of cream-simmered Yukon Gold potatoes with grated Gruyère, rosemary, thyme, and Dijon mustard gives you a gratin that just might become your new tradition.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka4/47Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Garlic
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/47Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Fried Onions
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege8/47Sweet Potato Sonker With Milk Dip
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne9/47Funeral Potatoes
No gathering is complete without these creamy potatoes topped with buttery, crunchy cornflakes. This easy casserole recipe is beloved in Texas and has deep roots in the Latter-day Saints community.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi10/47Simple Classic Stuffing
Who says dressing is just for turkey? The fragrant herbs in this recipe go just as well with a ham dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell11/47Cheesy Corn Spoon Bread
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich12/47Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
Nutty roasted cauliflower gets even better with a dose of fresh garlic and grated Parmesan—but then, what doesn’t get better with garlic and Parmesan?
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell13/47Green Beans Amandine
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine15/47Lyonnaise Potatoes
Getting caramelized onions involved in your potato side dish is definitely a good move. This classic side—which we learned from the French—is the perfect choice for a special occasion.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi16/47Sweet Potato Casserole With Easy Candied Pecans
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley17/47Hasselback Potatoes
Maximize the crispy edges on your holiday potatoes this year, and you’ll never look back. The secret to getting it right? Chopsticks.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich18/47Skillet Cornbread
The most important step in making this quick cornbread is preheating your skillet. Don’t skip it.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton19/47Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash
The smart move in this easy recipe? Roasting winter squash with maple syrup underlines its natural sweetness. Just add a simple salad and some rolls or biscuits and your meal is complete.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson20/47Beet Salad With Pickled Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson22/47Creamed Dried Sweet Corn With Onion and Chives
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog23/47Roasted Sweet Potato and Delicata Squash With Cranberry Agrodolce
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine24/47Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Your stovetop may be otherwise occupied, which means it’s time to get out the Instant Pot and put it to work on this mashed potatoes recipe.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich25/47Shaved Carrots With Charred Dates
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi26/47Cheesy Potato and Kale Gratin With Rye Croutons
Everything for this casserole cooks together in cheesy, creamy harmony. Leaving the potatoes unpeeled bumps up nutrients and cuts the prep time too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi27/47Haricots Verts With Herb Butter
Make this lemon, tarragon, and parsley butter up to three days ahead and then toss with hot blanched green beans for an easy last-second side.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine28/47Twice-Baked-Potato Casserole
Twice-baked potatoes are a labor of love. Twice-baked potato casserole is a comfort food dish that everyone will love—but no one has to fuss over. And if you’re prepping a million other things for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, ease is the name of the game.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton29/47Escarole, Pear, Parmesan, and Basil Leaf Salad
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee31/47Sweet Potato Biscuits With Benne Seeds
Nutty benne seeds add crunch to these softly sweet biscuits. You may want to make a double batch so you can use them as a vehicle for any leftover ham the next day.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich32/47Frisée, Radicchio, and Fennel Salad With Mustard Vinaigrette
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson33/47Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne34/47Roasted Asparagus With Garlic
If you’re serving ham in spring, perhaps as part of an Easter dinner, there’s nothing better than this easy side dish of fresh spears of asparagus, prepared simply.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich35/47Parker House Rolls
There’s butter in the dough, there’s butter brushed on top before baking. But yes, you’ll probably want to smear some more butter on the fluffy rolls when you pull them open and pile in the honey-glazed ham.
Photo by Bobby Fisher36/47Roasted Cauliflower With Sesame
This cauliflower roasts in a coating of coriander and oregano, then gets dressed in a powerhouse mix of tahini, miso, and red wine vinegar. It’s a simple side that’s packed with flavor.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks37/473-Ingredient Roasted Carrots With Pistachio Pesto
Whatever you do, don’t throw out your carrot tops. These often unused greens shine in a nutty pesto drizzled over sweet roasted carrots. If you can’t find carrots with the tops intact at your grocery store, try a local farmers market. Then all you need is your baked ham and maybe a dish of scalloped potatoes.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott39/47Roasted Onions With Vinegar
For a dish that’s guaranteed to become one of your favorite sides, place whole yellow onions on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes. When they’re finished, let them cool before halving them, removing the papery layer, and then separating the insides. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside your festive main dish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege41/47Roasted Cauliflower With Parmesan-Panko Crumble
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich42/47Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants
Everyone will appreciate the sweet and earthy flavor that these parsnips add to the meal. Seek out small ones, which are less likely to have a woody core.
Photo by Christopher Testani45/47Herby Barley Salad With Butter-Basted Mushrooms
Any chewy grain, such as wheat berries, farro, or even brown rice, can replace the barley in this hearty recipe. The final touches on this side dish are fried shallots and shaved Parmesan.
