Creative Holiday Side Dishes You’ll Crave More Than Potatoes

What’s a holiday dinner without a side serving of stuffing? HGTV Canada star Jillian Harris shares her very own un-stuffed stuffing recipe that will win over everyone at the table.

Cocktail wieners can sit the holiday season out: This delicious twist on the traditional pigs in a blanket is both whole wheat and vegetarian. Just don’t skimp on the creamy mustard sauce – it makes for a perfect flavour combo with the green beans, dill Havarti and caraway seeds. Who said holiday sides require a large spoon?

Poor rutabaga. The oft-neglected bulbous root veggie often gets the shaft in favour of turnips or carrots. But if your holiday sides this year are feeling a bit “been there, done that” consider this nutritional alternative that guests will gobble up. Roasted with garlic and mashed to a pulp, this dish will make you forget all about the potato variety. Find more ways to cook with rutabaga.

Slow cookers are perfect for multi-course meals because they allow you to prep one dish while moving on to the more complex recipes. For a mostly hands-free holiday side, this cornbread classic is a great alternative to the more traditional potato option.

Potato-infused side dishes tend to look a little… beige. This year, brighten up that holiday table with this one-pot baked gem starring carrots, fennel, red onion and feta. Garnish with parsley or cilantro for one more additional dash of colour and flavour. For more ideas, try Ina Garten’s vegetable side dishes.

If your jam-packed holiday menu is in dire need of a lighter side dish to complement the heavier main event, go green with this five-ingredient recipe that is as delicious as it looks.

If you’re craving a comfort food classic, it doesn’t get much better than this indulgent vegetarian dish topped off with ooey-gooey cheese. Speaking of fromage, serve up one of these un-brie-lievably good baked brie recipes.

Considering all the turkey, appetizers and desserts you’ll come across this month, you’ll be grateful for a side dish that packs a hefty nutritional punch. The welcome addition of butternut squash and handfuls of dried cranberries lend seasonal flair to this festive twist on yummy quinoa dishes.

A flavour-packed salad with roasted cauliflower florets, mixed greens, olives and pine nuts? Yes, please! We love the idea of adding more greens to our holiday table.

We love a simple side dish that requires less than 10 ingredients and is on the table within an hour. Even better: one that incorporates a generous helping of yummy zucchini to counterbalance against the heavier mains.

Toss the spinach with olive oil, garlic and a squeeze of lemon for a 10-minute side dish you can easily whip up before guests arrive for dinner. You can even pair it with one of our favourite hearty winter salads.

Brussels sprouts may not be the top choice for the picky eaters in your family, but trust us when we say that, once you’ve made this quick and easy recipe, they’ll be begging for seconds.

Three traditional holiday sides – roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and dressing – are combined into one amazing dish to beat them all.