What are 3 food items that are popular for Christmas dinner?

Depending on where you're from, when it comes to Christmas, we're sure you've got enough classic recipes to fill a book. Across the U.S., everyone's got their favorites: prime rib, rolls, gingerbread cookies .

How many dishes are on the Christmas table?

According to tradition there should be 12 dishes on the Christmas Eve table.

What is the most common food eaten at Christmas?

Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables . Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.

How many appetizers for Christmas?

On average, each guest will have about six appetizers , although this number may double if it's a co*cktail-style event. You want enough to keep your guests satisfied, but not so many that their appetites will be ruined. (Here are some quick crowd-pleasing apps in 15 minutes or less.)

How many vegetables for Christmas dinner?

How much veg is too much? Whether it's parsnips, sprouts, braised cabbage or carrots, 80g of each per person will do the trick. Clear your cupboards and fridge before writing your shopping list, it'll stop you from overbuying at the shop. Prepping and freezing beforehand is always a good shout.

What is the least favorite Christmas food?

Across all states, their findings showed that the least popular Christmas foods are persimmon pudding (13%) and fruitcake (25%).

What is not eaten on Christmas Eve?

Origins and tradition This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day.

What is everything that should be on a Christmas dinner?

Items that you might want on your shopping list include: Nibbles – you could buy ready-made canapés, or the ingredients to make your own (e.g. rye bread with salmon and cream cheese, stuffed dates, sausage rolls, or anything you fancy!) Turkey, for a traditional dinner – or ham, beef or lamb for something different.

What do Americans have to eat on Christmas Day?

Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

What is the most popular meat for Christmas?

Turkey is definitely the most traditional meat for Christmas dinner and you can take a look at our wide selection of whole, rolled and diced turkeys here – perfect for your traditional Christmas dinner!

Christmas Side Dishes (2024)

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These best Christmas Side Dishes, including everything from vegetables to stuffing to potatoes and salads, will round out your holiday menu and bring your feast together.

Don’t let the Christmas Dinner sides play second fiddle this holiday season, these delicious, simple and festive recipes will most definitely be the star! Need Prime Rib sides? We’ve got you covered. Side dishes for Filet Mignon? We’ve got that too!

What delicious side dish will you pair with your Christmas dinner?

Whether you serve a traditional meal with my crispy-skinned turkey recipe or a juicy holiday ham or a tender slow cooked pork roast, these Christmas side dishes will pair perfectly with your meal.

Christmas Side Dishes

Sometimes the best part of your holiday meal isn’t the main dish in the spotlight – it’s the sides! Christmas makes me think of more elegant, pretty side dishes, while the Thanksgiving sides are more about stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.

It’s fun to celebrate the holidays with some classier dishes, but still trying to keep it simple can be a challenge. The side dishes you’ll find in this collection are easy enough for the home cook, yet pretty enough to be the star of your Christmas dinner.

What Dishes are Served on Christmas?

We always have a simple meal on Christmas Eve with just our household which includes fish and German Potato Salad. It’s a 50-year-old tradition that we haven’t broken yet!

Our meal on Christmas Day though, that’s the elegant, classy meal that you see in the movies where the star is a giant prime rib roast. It always includes Twice Baked Potatoes (because they’re fancier than regular baked potatoes!) and some delicious homemade cranberry sauce, both of which you’ll find below!

If you need help planning your meal or your entire Christmas season, be sure to check out our handy FREE PRINTABLE Christmas Planner.

How To Pair Christmas Dinner Side Dishes

Crucial to the success of your meal is pairing the right accompaniments. Whether you’re carving a whole turkey or an elegant prime rib roast, you need to choose the right sides to go with it. Here are a few basic tips for pairing the right side dishes with your Christmas dinner. It’s all about balance.

Round out the nutrition. Having a plate full of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy might taste delicious, but it can also be pretty heavy. Lighter sides, like vegetables and salads, are a great place to bring in other nutritious elements that might not be part of the main dish recipe.
Balance the flavors. Turkey, ham, and beef can all have wonderful flavor but they are usually pretty mild. You want to balance that with a few bold flavors like tart cranberry, bright lemon, or even something spicy or sweet.
Textures and colors. When all the food on your plate is brown, or everything is a soft texture, the food can seem bland. When planning your Christmas side dishes, make sure to include a few different contrasting colors, and pair textures like crunchy and creamy.

What are the best dishes to eat with prime rib?

Prime Rib is a special occasion type of entree, so it deserves a special occasion type of side dish. Toss the can opener back in the drawer and keep these fancier prime rib side dishes at the ready.

Things like twice baked potatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus, and rice pilaf will really help the prime rib roast to shine. Don’t forget the horseradish sauce!

Potato Side Dishes

You can’t have a holiday meal without potatoes. Crispy or creamy, buttered or fried, potatoes are the perfect side because they go with pretty much everything.

Boiled Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Herb Butter

TheseBoiled Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Herb Butter are creamy and tender and make a perfect, quick side dish to any meal.

Easy German Potato Salad

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is a simple German Potato Salad made with creamy gold potatoes, diced onions and a tangy oil and vinegar dressing.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side dish! Par-boiled instead of baked raw, these cheesy potatoes will always be cooked to creamy perfection.

Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Easy, creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes make the perfect side dish for any occasion.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes are a classic recipe with Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and bacon. They are a great side dish for any holiday or meal!

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Want to know the secret to the best mashed potatoes? Keep it simple, no fancy ingredients – just the right ratio of butter, cream and salt.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are fluffy, creamy and loaded with 3 kinds of cheese. So versatile, you can serve right away or make ahead and freeze.

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Crock pot mashed potatoes have diced potatoes simmered in the slow cooker and mashed with butter and cream for an easy holiday or weeknight side dish.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Loaded Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfy side dish with creamy potatoes loaded up with bacon, two kinds of cheese and green onions.

Crispy Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Crispy Potato Cheese Balls are filled with potatoes, cheese and bacon, coated with panko and fried to perfection for the perfect party snack!

Hasselback Potatoes

Quick and easy hasselback potatoes topped with bacon, cream cheese and herbs.

Roasted Purple Potatoes

Roasted Purple Potatoes are a delicious, simple to prepare and full of health benefits! Roasted in olive oil and seasonings and ready in about 30 minutes.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Roasted Red Potatoes are a simple side dish that's packed with flavor. Lightly seasoned and roasted in the oven to get those amazingly crisp edges.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole is an easy, cheesy recipe with frozen hashbrowns, cheese sauce and a crunchy corn flakes topping. Perfect for potlucks, brunch or as a simple side dish.

German Fried Potatoes

German Fried Potatoes, aka Bratkartoffeln, are tender on the inside with crispy edges. for an easy potato side dish is a family favorite!

Vegetables and Salads

You can’t have a meal without some hearty, healthy vegetables, right? Right! But there’s nothing that says they have to be bland or boiled, and these vegetable side dishes are anything but!

Winter Salad

Winter Salad is hearty and delicious, full of crisp apples, tangy goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds with a tangy homemade vinaigrette.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette is versatile, flavorful, and easy. It’s loaded with texture from dried fruit, nuts, goat cheese,and apples.

Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette Recipe

This sweet and tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette recipe will elevate your salads. Make this flavorful dressing at home in a few simple steps.

7 Layer Salad

7 Layer Salad is a classic potluck dish great for feeding a crowd. These layers of deliciousness can be made ahead of time for these easiest side dish ever!

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette is the best weekday salad! It's easy and fast, made with fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and crunchy walnuts.

Roasted Vegetables

Oven Roasted Vegetables are deliciously tender and roasted in a crave-worthy seasoning blend. Get tips for perfect roast veggies side dish every time!

Honey Butter Roasted Carrots

Roasted Carrots are the perfect side dish for the holidays! Tender and delicious carrots are caramelized with a sweet honey butter glaze.

Creamy Cornbread Casserole

This from-scratch Cornbread Casserole is made with a homemade Jiffy cornbread mix. It's perfect for holiday meals or any day of the week.

Sauteed Mushrooms

A quick and easy side dish made from mushrooms, garlic, butter, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

Garlic Butter Green Beans

Garlic Green Beans are a simple, flavorful side dish that's fast and easy to make. Green beans cooked in garlic butter until tender with a squeeze of lemon.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon are slightly sweet, savory, and irresistibly crispy. They’re an easy side dish to serve with any dinner.

Baked Acorn Squash

Baked Acorn Squash is delicious in a soup, baked in a casserole, or simply roasted and drizzled with butter, maple syrup and warm spices.

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon is a salty, smoky update on the classic Thanksgiving side dish. Made with fresh green beans or canned.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad is a perfect side dish for your fall get-togethers and especially Thanksgiving! Serve it hot or cold – it's sure to please!

Southern Green Beans

Southern Green Beans are simmered low in chicken broth until they are nice and tender. Crispy bacon adds the perfect texture to the dish.

Bread and Rice

I don’t know about you, but there has got to be bread at my holiday table. Now I realize that rice isn’t bread, but it falls into the starch family so we’re just gonna roll with it. While we’re at it, we’ll add some pasta, too.

Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Homemade Stuffing has dried bread cubes tossed with celery, onions, fresh herbs and broth, then baked until it's moist and fluffy, and crispy on the outside.

Classic Sausage Stuffing

Sausage Stuffing has savory Italian sausage, bread, vegetables, herbs and spices. It's the perfect side dish for all of your holiday meals.

Easy Rice Pilaf

Upgrade everyday rice with this Easy Rice Pilaf with Vegetables. It's simple, uses fresh ingredients and adds incredible flavor to any plate.

Herb Seasoned Rice

Herb Seasoned Rice is fluffy and flavorful, and the perfect side dish for any meal. It's way better than a boxed mix and ready in 20 minutes!

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto is a rich and delicious recipe made with your pressure cooker for an easy vegetarian dinner or decadent side dish! Fresh thyme, Parmesan and white wine take the flavors in this dish to the next level!

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese is a family favorite, easily customized with different cheeses and ready in 30 minutes.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is a tried and true family favorite made with tender pasta, cheddar cheese sauce and a crunchy pretzel topping.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese has macaroni in a rich and creamy cheese sauce with bold, spicy jalapeno peppers, bacon and a crispy topping.

One Hour Dinner Rolls

These one hour dinner rolls are soft and fluffy, and really do take only about an hour from start to finish, including rising time. They are the perfect compliment to any meal.

Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls

These super easy and incredibly delicious Parmesan Rosemary Rolls look beautiful, and will be the hit of your celebrations, and no one will now just how easy they were to make!

Buttery Rhodes Rolls

Frozen Rhodes rolls are the easiest frozen dinner rolls! No kneading or mixing, just 3-4 hours of rise time for soft, and fluffy dinner rolls.

Parmesan Garlic Herb Quick Bread

This Parmesan Garlic Herb Quick Bread is a tender, flavorful bread thatmakes a great side dish to any meal.

Naan Bread

An Indian-style flatbread, this Naan bread recipe is as simple as it is delicious.Yogurt is the key ingredient to make this yummy bread soft and pillowy!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Garlic Cheese Biscuits are a copycat of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. They are cheesy, garlicky and salty yet still tender and flaky – you definitely won't want to share.

Garlic Rosemary Focaccia

Focaccia bread with roasted garlic and fresh rosemary is so fluffy and tender. It's easy to make and there is no kneading required.

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread

Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread has a fluffy texture and a savory, slightly sweet flavor. A perfect copycat recipe to make at home anytime!

Cornbread Muffins

Sour Cream Cornbread Muffins are fluffy and moist. Smother with butter and honey and pair them with your favorite bowl of soup or chili.

Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls are a soft and buttery, melt-in-your-mouth dinner roll. They are brushed with butter before and after baking making them even more irresistible. Your family is going to love these amazing homemade rolls.

Sweet Side Dishes and Beverages

Something sweet to go with all that savory food is a welcome treat. These sweet Christmas Side Dishes are the best!

Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce

Cranberry Orange Sauce is a delicious combination of sweet and tart, and the perfect accompaniment to all your holiday meals.

Cranberry Fluff Salad

Cranberry Fluff Salad is a creamy cranberry salad side dish or dessert with cranberry sauce, marshmallows, oranges, pineapple and Cool Whip.

Classic Pistachio Fluff Salad

Pistachio Salad is a classic dessert recipe made with pistachio pudding, pineapple, marshmallows, cool whip and nuts.

Sour Cream Salad

A creamy fruit salad with cool whip and sour cream, marshmallows and chunks of fruit.

Green Jello Salad

Jello Salad is a vintage recipe that's part side dish & part dessert. This Green Jello Salad is deliciously creamy and perfect for sharing with friends!