46 Christmas side dish recipes
Try our favourite Christmas sides, from spicy sprouts to indulgent cauliflower cheese, jazz up your Christmas dinner with these festive recipe ideas
Here are our top Christmas side dishes, from brussels sprouts to red cabbage and roast parsnips. Plus, winter greens and some indulgent gratin recipes. We also have plenty of Christmas trimmings ideas, from pigs in blankets to the perfect gravy. Along with vegetable side dishes, find out how to cook the perfect turkey with our expert guide.
If you're going all out vegetarian this Christmas, try our Christmas vegetarian recipes. Make sure you try our best roast potato recipes for perfectly crispy, golden-brown spuds. After, take a look at our four festive entertaining ideas for more inspiration.
For quick and easy festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas.
Jump to:
- Brussels sprouts recipes
- Carrot recipes for Christmas
- Christmas Cabbage recipes
- Parsnip recipes for Christmas
- Christmas greens recipes
- Vegetable gratin recipes
- Christmas stuffing recipes
- Roasted root recipes
- Christmas roast potato recipes
Easy Christmas side dish recipes
Brussels sprouts recipes
The Christmas side dish that everyone loves to hate. We've given some love to this versatile veg in our collection of brussels sprouts recipes.
Air fryer Brussels sprouts
All you need is an air fryer and a splash of olive oil to get the most out of brussels sprouts.
Cacio e pepe sprouts
Take your Christmas feast to the next level with these jazzed up salt and pepper sprouts tossed with pecorino cheese.
Sticky miso roast sprouts
Sprouts will be the favourite side dish this Christmas thanks to our sticky miso roast sprouts recipe.
Marmalade-glazed sprouts with chestnuts
Give Christmas sprouts an effortless twist with marmalade, chestnuts and thyme. Frying steamed sprouts in butter lends colour and a velvety shine to your veg.
'Nduja-fried sprouts
Jazz up your sprouts this Christmas with punchy 'nduja. ’Nduja adds a touch of fiery spice in this easy brussels sprouts recipe, ready in 30 minutes.
Caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts
Try our gluten free caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts for an easy but moreish side to go with your Christmas dinner. Caramelising the shallots and the sprouts gives this classic side a deeper flavour, and the calvados adds an extra zing.
Sprouts with ginger and orange
Spruce up your sprouts with warming ginger and zesty orange to make sure everyone will be coming back for more.
Soy and sesame sautéed sprouts
This Asian soy and sesame twist on brussels sprouts makes a great alternative way to serve this unloved veg for Christmas dinner. Check out more of our Christmas dinner ideas here
Carrot recipes for Christmas
From citrus-flavoured baby carrots to a Middle Eastern-inspired salad and Gochujang roasted root veg, see our festive carrot ideas below, then check out more carrot recipes.
Roasted baby carrots
Clementines add a festive touch, and lemon lifts the whole dish in our vegetable side dish recipe. Roasted whole baby carrots look beautiful, and feel that little bit more special than 'carrot coins'.
Middle Eastern roast carrot salad with herby carrot top yogurt
Impress your friends and family this Christmas with our zesty carrot salad. It's easy to make, and a great way to use up carrot tops as well.
Gochujang roasted root veg
Carrots come dressed in gochujang, sesame, soy and lime before being roasted until tender and golden. Serve scattered with spring onions and lime wedges to squeeze over.
Roast carrots and parsnips
A simple side to any roast dinner. These roasted carrots and parsnips are quick to prepare before cooking and will elevate any dish you serve them with.
Red cabbage recipes for Christmas
Sticky, spiced red cabbage not only brings a touch of flavour to Christmas meats like turkey, but also fill your house with wonderful festive flavours whilst cooking. Discover more of our red cabbage recipes, from slow-cooked dishes to crunchy salads.
Red cabbage with redcurrant jelly
Adding redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar gives this red cabbage a sweet and sour edge. If you want to get ahead, this veggie side can be made up to two days before and reheated on Christmas Day to save time.
Braised red cabbage with apples
Want an easy vegetable side dish for your Christmas Day feast? John Torode’s braised red cabbage side dish is spruced up with apples, smoked bacon, cinnamon and orange zest, and given a boozy red wine hit for a festive feast.
Spiced red cabbage
This slow cooked red cabbage and apple dish spiced with cinnamon is fragrant and warming. Just 20 minutes of preparation is required from you to make this veggie side dish, a simple side for your Christmas dinner.
Parsnips recipes for Christmas
Serve a traybake of crispy parsnips glazed in honey or with one of our special flavour twists like whisky or salt and pepper. Then try more perfect parsnip recipes.
Honey roasted parsnips
Bring an extra serving of veg to your Christmas dinner with crispy, golden, honey roasted parsnips.
Whisky-and-maple-glazed roast parsnips
Take your parsnips up a notch with a boozy hit of whisky and the sweetness of maple syrup.
Salt and pepper roast parsnips
Try our sweet parsnips with a hot, peppery edge for a vegetable side dish. They're super easy to make and require minimum effort.
Parmesan-baked parsnips
This alternative Christmas side dish recipe sees thin parsnip fries tossed in Parmesan, polenta, English mustard powder and salt, then fried until crisp.
Greens recipes for Christmas
Long-stemmed broccoli, grain tabbouleh and romesco sauce
Make this impressive broccoli side for when you have vegan friends over for a festive feast.
Kale with raisins and pine nuts
This is a seasonal selection of veg if ever we did see one. Serve this bed of peppery kale, succulent raisins and sweet, garlicky shallots alongside your turkey on Christmas Day.
Winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic
Get some greens into your Christmas dinner side dish spread. An easy way to feed a crowd, this punchy dish of winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic is ready in just 20 minutes.
Crisp greens with shallot, pancetta and chestnut butter
Try this new take on brussels sprouts for your Christmas dinner. You can have the greens blanched and butter made for this in advance, then you just need to heat through to serve.
Charred Hispi cabbage with parmesan dressing
This recipe makes for a perfect side dish at dinner parties. The creamy dressing is layered with flavour from the parmesan, mustard and lemon, and pairs perfectly with the sweet, charred cabbage.
Kale with parsnips and cream
Want an easy veggie dish for your festive dinner? Check out this kale recipe with parsnips. Kale has a robust texture and flavour and can be used instead of cabbage or spinach in recipes. Cooked with parsnips, cream and nutmeg it makes an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish.
Vegetable gratin recipes for Christmas
With luxuriously creamy fillings and a crisp top, these cheesy baked vegetable gratins are the ultimate indulgent side for your festive fest. Check out more of our gratin recipes.
Brussels sprouts gratin
This epic festive side dish combines brussels sprouts with streaky bacon, baked until golden and crisp.
Winter veg tian
Impress friends and family over the Christmas season with our stunning vegetable tian recipe. We love the look of golden and candy beetroots but if you can’t find them, simply replace with extra purple beetroots, celeriac and swede. Check out our best beetroot recipes here.
Leek gratin with crispy leek topping
Elevate your Christmas feast with a delightful twist on a classic favourite. Transform traditional leek sauce into an extraordinary veg side with this delectable gratin.
Finocchio al forno (fennel baked in cream and Grana Padano)
Put fennel at the heart of this easy Italian bake, it's the ideal indulgent side to serve for a festive feast.
Creamy squash and sage gratin
Try our indulgent creamy butternut squash gratin recipe with sage. This veggie side dish is an easy alternative to potato gratin to serve this Christmas. Plenty more butternut squash recipes here
Best ever cauliflower cheese
Is it really a Christmas dinner if there’s no super cheesy, crispy-topped, piping hot cauliflower cheese on the table? Follow these handy hints and tips to make it unreal this year.
Creamed spinach with nutmeg and gruyère
If you fancy an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish, this is the one for you. Full of cheese and cream, it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey and roast potatoes (here are our top recipes). It'll go down well with even the fussy eaters!
Swede, kale and sweet potato gratin
This vibrant recipe for swede, kale and sweet potato gratin is the perfect Christmas side dish if you want to serve lots of veg. It's a two-step recipe, and most of the time the veg is spent in the oven.
Baked, spiced sweet potato mash
Don't fancy potatoes this Christmas? Try our spicy baked sweet potato mash instead – it's just as good as roasties. Prep your mash ahead then have it ready to finish off in the oven when people arrive.
Roasted roots recipes for Christmas
Candied root veg
Roast your root vegetables in butter and maple syrup for extra extravagance. Perfect for Christmas, or a special Sunday lunch.
Roasted roots with umami dressing
Add some extra flavour to your dishes with umami, a deep savoury taste sensation that can be used as a salad dressing or to perk up a side dish of roasted vegetables.
Pomegranate-glazed roasted vegetables with grapes
Give your roasted veggies an impressive sticky glaze with pomegranate molasses, honey and blackberry jelly for a colourful Christmas side dish.
Ghee-roasted spiced roots
A Christmas side dish with a twist. Check out our vegetarian ghee-roasted spiced roots recipe for a vibrant dish that can be shared around the table.
Stuffing recipes for Christmas
Sage and onion stuffing
Make your own stuffing balls for Christmas Day, or serve them alongside a Sunday roast. Add plenty of ground mace and sage for flavour.
Vegan stuffing
It wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without a dish of stuffing, and this version has the traditional flavours of sage and onion, alongside Puy lentils for added substance. It's also delicious in a Boxing Day sandwich, with leftover roasted root vegetables and lashings of cranberry sauce.
Chestnut stuffing with dates and molasses
Impress guests over the festive period with our epic stuffing recipe, featuring chestnuts, sausagemeat, sage leaves and sour cherries.
Pomegranate and walnut stuffing balls
A side of these stuffing balls, made with sausagemeat, pomegranates and walnuts, makes a rich addition to Christmas lunch.
Potato recipes for Christmas
Best-ever roast potatoes
Want to know how to cook the perfect roast potatoes? With a few simple tricks you can achieve super crunchy and super fluffy roasties, every time
Beef dripping roast potatoes
Elevate your roast dinner by roasting your potatoes in hot beef dripping with garlic, rosemary, thyme and butter.
Garlic and rosemary roast potatoes
Thought roast potatoes couldn’t get any better? Once you learn to add butter for extra crunch, you’ll never go back.
Parmesan roast potatoes
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