Holiday Side Dish Recipes
Holiday Side Dishes are the part of the meal people talk about the most. The turkey or ham gets the attention, but the mashed potatoes, dressing, and cheesy casseroles are what get scraped out of the dish before anyone clears the table.
25 Holiday Side Dishes and Starters for Thanksgiving and Christmas
This collection has 25 recipes from the blog: 18 classic sides, a smoked artichoke dip, and a charcuterie section for the hour before dinner. Some are made in the oven, and a lot of them are made on the Traeger, which helps when the oven is already spoken for.
Pick a few from each section and you have a full menu!
Holiday Main Dishes
Still planning your holiday mains? Get all of my favorite recipes here!
Why I Move Sides To The Pellet Grill
Every year I tell myself I'll plan the sides early. Every year I end up standing in front of the oven on the morning of, doing oven math with three casserole dishes and one turkey.
Oven space is the real limit on a holiday. The pellet grill gives you a second oven, and it adds a little wood-fired flavor to dishes that already taste good. Most of the recipes below can go either way.
Dressing And Stuffing
Traeger Thanksgiving Dressing
This is traditional dressing cooked on the pellet grill instead of in the oven. It frees up oven space and gives you a slightly smoky, toasted top.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Thanksgiving Dressing
Mashed And Scalloped Potatoes
Extra Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Classic mashed potatoes with roasted garlic mixed in. This is the stovetop version, so it's a good pick when the grill is busy with something else.
Get The Recipe: Extra Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Traeger Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
The potatoes get some time on the grill, and there's a good amount of smoked garlic in the mix. If you like a mashed potato that tastes like more than butter, start here.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Smoked Scalloped Potatoes
Homemade scalloped potatoes cooked on the pellet grill. The wood fire adds the flavor that oven-baked versions don't have.
Get The Recipe: Smoked Scalloped Potatoes
Traeger Funeral Potatoes
A cheesy potato casserole that is usually one of the first dishes gone from a holiday buffet. Bring these to a potluck and you won't be carrying leftovers home.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Funeral Potatoes
MAPLE GLAZED GRILLED SWEET POTATOES
A fun take on Thanksgiving sweet potatoes for people who don't want the marshmallows. Sweet potatoes and yams are sliced, layered in a pan, and covered with a maple bourbon sauce. They cook on the pellet grill until tender and caramelized.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Traeger Smoked Sweet Potatoes
Whole sweet potatoes are rubbed with oil and salt, then smoked at 225°F for 1 to 2 hours until a skewer slides in with no resistance. Split them open, fluff the inside, and add butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Almost all of the time is hands-off, so you can spend it on the main dish.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Smoked Sweet Potatoes
Cheesy Casseroles
Traeger Smoked Mac and Cheese
Smoked cheese goes into the sauce, and the dish gets finished on the wood-fired grill. You get enough smoke to make it interesting without changing what mac and cheese is supposed to be.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Smoked Mac and Cheese
Roasted Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli gets roasted first, then goes into a homemade cheese sauce with a buttery cracker topping. It's a staple on our Thanksgiving and Christmas table, and it works for people who say they don't like broccoli.
Get The Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Casserole
Traeger Cheesy Broccoli Au Gratin
A homemade cream sauce goes over fresh broccoli, and then a lot of cheese goes on top. It's one of my favorite holiday sides.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Cheesy Broccoli Au Gratin
Traeger Corn Casserole
This corn casserole bakes in about 45 minutes at 350°F and gets a drizzle of honey when it comes off. Make it on the Traeger or in the oven, whichever has room.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Corn Casserole
Vegetable Sides
Traeger Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Brussels sprouts tossed with bacon. They go with just about any main dish, and they're a good option for people who want one vegetable on the plate that isn't covered in cheese.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Traeger Grilled Carrots
Carrots are cooked on the grill and finished with browned butter and fresh herbs. They're simple to make and look good on the table.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Grilled Carrots
Grilled Butternut Squash
Butternut squash cooked with brown sugar and butter. Scoop it out of the shell, or mash it and serve it like mashed potatoes.
Get The Recipe: Grilled Butternut Squash
Rolls, Bread, And Starters
Traeger Grilled DInner Rolls
These rolls are made with milk instead of water, which makes them richer and softer. They cook on the grill, so the oven stays free for everything else.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Grilled Milk Rolls
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Cornbread muffins with jalapeño and cheddar. They work as a dinner roll replacement, and they hold up well next to a heavy plate.
Get The Recipe: Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Traeger Smoked Deviled Eggs
Traditional deviled eggs get a trip through the pellet grill first. Put a plate out while everyone is waiting on the turkey.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Smoked Deviled Eggs
Double Smoked Artichoke Dip
A cheesy take on a classic artichoke dip. It starts with smoked cream cheese and roasted garlic, then the artichokes go in. Serve it warm with bread or crackers while the sides finish cooking.
Get The Recipe: Double Smoked Artichoke Dip
Holiday Charcuterie Board Ideas
A board is the easiest way to feed people while the rest of the meal comes together. Start with one of these two, then add a few extras from the list below.
Easy Holiday Charcuterie Board
A simple board you can use as a starting point and add your own favorites to. Put the sauces, mustard, and jam in small bowls around the edge, and keep the crackers away from anything wet so they stay crisp.
Get The Recipe: Easy Holiday Charcuterie Board
Holiday Crab and Shrimp Cocktail Board
A seafood board with crabmeat, shrimp, smoked fish, and smoked fish dip, served with crackers, baguette rounds, and lemon. It serves 6 and takes about 15 minutes, so it works when you want something that feels like a splurge.
Get The Recipe: Holiday Crab and Shrimp Cocktail Board
Add These To The Board
Warm Marinated Olives
Whole olives with herbs, citrus, garlic, and red pepper flakes, served warm. They come together in under 30 minutes.
Get The Recipe: Warm Marinated Olives
Smoked Onion Jam
Onions cook low on the pellet grill until they turn into jam. Put a spoonful next to the cheese and salami.
Get The Recipe: Smoked Onion Jam
Smoked Crackers
Crackers get seasoned with your favorite BBQ rub and cooked on the pellet grill. You can make them sweet, salty, or spicy, and a big batch keeps well in an airtight container.
Get The Recipe: Smoked Crackers
Traeger Smoked Cream Cheese
A block of cream cheese smoked on the pellet grill. Set it out with crackers and a jam or chutney.
Get The Recipe: Traeger Smoked Cream Cheese
How To Plan Your Holiday Side Dish Menu
You don't need to make all 23. A good menu is a few sides that cover different textures and cooking methods.
- Cover the basics: Pick one potato, one dressing, one vegetable, and one bread. Add a casserole if you have room on the table.
- Split the cooking: Put a couple of dishes on the Traeger and the rest in the oven so nothing has to wait for a turn.
- Limit the cheese: If you're making two cheesy dishes, make the other sides plain, like carrots or Brussels sprouts.
- Prep ahead: Casseroles and potato dishes are the easiest to assemble the day before. Check the notes in each recipe for make-ahead details.
- Feed people early: A charcuterie board or dip keeps guests busy while the sides finish cooking, so you aren't rushing to serve everything at once.
- Bring a dish to share: Funeral potatoes, corn casserole, and broccoli casserole all travel well.
