25 Best Side Dishes For Ham – Ham Dinner Sides

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Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks
Recipe
When assembling these stacks in your muffin tin, place slices from ends of potatoes in the bottom of each muffin cup and use wider slices from the middle of the potato at the top. We also like this with Gruyère instead of mozzarella.

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Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables

Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables
Recipe
Use white balsamic vinegar to maintain the vegetables’ vibrant hue in this easy dish. Look for baby carrots with tops, which have tender texture and subtly sweet flavor. Small carrots packed and sold as “baby” carrots are actually whittled-down mature vegetables.

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Oxmoor House

Lemon-Basil Orzo with Parmesan

Lemon-Basil Orzo with Parmesan
Recipe
Just 6 ingredients are all you need to make this fresh pasta side. The lemon and basil brighten the dish making it perfect for a spring gathering. Add cooked shrimp or chicken for a hearty lunch or light supper.

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Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke

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Photo: Nina Choi; Styling: Lisa Lee

Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts

Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts
Recipe
These green beans are easy to make and are a healthy variation to the classic green bean casserole. The green beans can be blanched up to a day ahead and then sauteed just before serving.

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Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey

Baby Carrot Soup

Baby Carrot Soup
Recipe
Smoky adobo sauce gives this creamy soup a subtle touch of heat that pairs well with the ham’s sweetness.

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Becky Luigart-Stayner

Spring Risotto

Spring Risotto
Recipe
Fava beans must be shelled twice. First they’re removed from their pods, then blanched, cooled slightly, and pinched to remove the outer skins. Fresh beans taste the best, but canned fava beans will also work when fresh are out of season.

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Photo: Karry Hosford

Spring Vegetables

Spring Vegetables
Recipe
Late spring is a perfect moment in the life of a vegetable: it’s tender, sweet, flavorful, and juicy. Prepare this dish with the freshest vegetables, particularly spring onions, which look like large green onions. The fresh lettuce “melts” gently into the peas and carrots, a true celebration of the season.

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Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Merilee Bordin

Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions

Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions
Recipe
The combination of fresh peas with mint yields a harmonious and nutrition side dish. Peas are in the legume family, and these vegetables are typically high in protein and fiber, yet low in fat and cholesterol.

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Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Merilee Bordin

Asparagus and Butterhead Lettuce Salad

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Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Lemon Risotto with Peas, Tarragon, and Leeks

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Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Sweet Potato Soldiers

Sweet Potato Soldiers
Recipe
This new take on glazed sweet potatoes looks as good as it tastes. We used the slender ‘Garnet’ variety commonly grown in North Carolina. If you can’t find them, any petite sweet potato will work well in its place.

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Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke

Veggie Potato Salad

Veggie Potato Salad
Recipe
According to one of our reviewers, this salad is unique, fresh and delicious. She says that the lemon zest and buttermilk add a delightful zip to the flavor, and the veggies add a great crunch to the otherwise creamy texture.

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Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole
Recipe
This squash casserole recipe is a hit with our users who make it for everything from family dinners to holiday buffets. It’s rich, creamy, and sure to satisfy.

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Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey

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Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad
Recipe
Mix up your usual potato salad recipe by using sweet potatoes. This dish is full of color and flavor from the jalapeño pepper, parsley, and hot sauce.

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Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Carrot Soufflé

Carrot Soufflé
Recipe
Because this dish contains no beaten egg whites, it is not a true soufflé. The name, carrot soufflé, is derived from its light airy texture. Similar in color and flavor to sweet potato casserole, it pairs well with ham or turkey.

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Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Corn Fritter Casserole

Corn Fritter Casserole
Recipe
This moist, sweet-savory side dish is a cross between corn bread and corn pudding. You can use 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels in place of the canned corn, if you prefer.

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Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Marian’s Apple-Fennel Salad

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Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

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Photo: Karry Hosford

Soft Polenta

Soft Polenta
Recipe
For variations on this recipe, use stock or broth in place of water for a richer dish, or a different cheese for a whole new flavor.

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Photo: David Malosh

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows

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Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Cipollini and Apples with Bacon

Cipollini and Apples with Bacon
Recipe
Tiny cipollini onions become tender and brown, pairing well with the slight crunch from the apples. And the browned onions and pink fruit look just lovely together and brighten up the table.

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Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

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Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread Dressing
Recipe
Homemade cornbread is the key to a great cornbread dressing. This one, full of rich flavor, is sure to become a holiday favorite.

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Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Sissy Lamerton

Carrot Orzo

Carrot Orzo
Recipe

Though made with orzo rather than rice, this colorful dish is similar to a creamy risotto side. Topped with fresh Parmesan, chives and thyme, this pasta side is a tasty, vibrant side that is great for a crowd. Carrots loose their hard crunch while they boil, creating a smooth, soft textural bite, without turning the vegetable to mush. If you don’t have orzo, you can substitute a pasta that you have on-hand, but we recommend sticking to orzo as it allows the carrot mixture to disperse throughout for mixed, plentiful bites.

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Photo: Johnny Autry/Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr/Lindsey Lower

Pumpkin-Shiitake Risotto with Pancetta and Pine Nuts

Pumpkin-Shiitake Risotto with Pancetta and Pine Nuts
Recipe

For winter comfort, turn to this one-pot meal of Pumpkin-Shiitake Risotto with Pancetta and Pine Nuts. Pancetta, or Italian-cured pork belly, adds a meaty note to this smooth pumpkin risotto blend. Mascarpone cheese adds a creamy and slightly sweet flavor that balances the salty flavor of the pancetta and pine nuts. To toast your pine nuts, stir them constantly in a skillet over low heat until they are golden brown and there’s a warm, nutty smell. Keep a close eye, as they can burn quickly.

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Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Dan Becker

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Recipe

This sweet potato dish strikes a perfect balance between sweet, tart, and savory. Perfect for the Autumn months as well as the holidays, this dish combines different varieties of apples for a complex side dish that will make your house smell like an aromatic dream. If you’re short on time, this can be made a day ahead, drizzled with olive oil, and reheated in the oven at 425°F in 2 baking pans, until hot. Garnish with sprigs of thyme, for a festive finishing touch.

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