Round out your dinner plate with one of our favorite cozy comfort food side dishes, from classic mashed potatoes and mac and cheese to crowd-pleasing casseroles and stewed veggies. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll come back to this cozy collection all season long.
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Best Mashed Potatoes
Meredith Food Studio
“The best mashed potatoes are smooth, creamy, and buttery. This is my favorite mashed potato recipe that combines hot boiled potatoes with warm milk and melted butter for light and fluffy results every time. A classic side for the holidays or weeknights!” —Esmee Williams
Homemade Mac and Cheese
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This homemade mac and cheese is topped with buttered bread crumbs for pure comfort food. It’s easy to make the cheese sauce from scratch, starting with a roux and adding milk, Cheddar, and Parmesan to make a rich, decadent sauce that coats every nook and cranny of the noodles.” —Judy
Grandmother’s Buttermilk Cornbread
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“The best homemade cornbread recipe I have ever made is my grandmother’s, and this is it! It bakes up sweet, moist, and tender every time!” —Bethany Weathersby
Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole
Preethi Venkatram/Allrecipes
“This baked sweet potato casserole topped with a delicious pecan topping is so good and creamy — my family begs me to make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas! Try this recipe and I’m sure it will become your new tradition.” —TINA B
Baked Beans
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Elevate the flavor of ordinary pork ‘n beans by adding bacon, brown sugar, and a few basic condiments. The measurements given are just estimates, so adjust them as desired.” —Jackie
Creamed Corn
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Creamed corn made from scratch is so much better than anything you’ll find in a can. This quick and easy creamed corn recipe pairs frozen corn kernels with a decadently creamy sauce.” —Diana Yockey
Creamy au Gratin Potatoes
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These au gratin potatoes are my husband’s favorite — he considers it a special occasion every time I make them! The creamy cheese sauce and tender potatoes in this classic French dish make a delicious flavor combination.” —Cathy Martin
Southern Green Beans
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These Southern green beans are delicious. I just love these beans! What could be better than green beans, potatoes, and bacon in one dish?” —Erica Anderson
Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Crispy roasted potatoes flavored with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. A pleasing potato side dish for any meal!” —JMRYGH
Easy Funeral Potatoes
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This funeral potatoes recipe is easy to make for a creamy, cheesy potato side dish. You can add anything you like to jazz this casserole up. You can use potato chips, tortilla chips, or even cornflakes for the topping. I like to use sour cream and onion potato chips.” —Vivian Conner
Classic Caesar Salad
The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
“This Caesar salad recipe is the same one I made at a very fancy restaurant while I was in college. The best part of the job was making tableside dishes, including this Caesar salad which is the best I’ve ever had and sure to impress!” —sarahcrites
Buffalo Bacon Ranch Cauliflower Casserole
Photographer: Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Sammy Mila / Prop Styling: Kristen Schooley
“Very cheesy and spicy. Good flavors combined. Love the texture of the cauliflower.” –Jaelyn Luong
Stick of Butter French Onion Rice
Allrecipes / Kim Shupe
“This stick of butter French onion rice is a side dish you’ll make on repeat. It’s super easy to put together, and tastes amazing.” —Nicole Russell
Cowboy Butter Swim Biscuits
Peyton Beckwith
“These cowboy butter swim biscuits are scratch biscuits that “swim” in a smoky, spicy chili, garlic, lemon, and herb butter. Golden-topped biscuits have crisp buttery edges and a fluffy interior.” —Natalie Gravois
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“These Brussels sprouts with bacon are roasted with maple syrup until crispy and caramelized for a delicious side dish that’s quick and easy to make. Everyone loves the sweet and salty flavor of these sprouts!” —stefychefy
Easy Southern Dressing
Peyton Beckwith
“This easy Southern dressing is a cornbread and herb stuffing mix combination that is easy on both time and budget. Cornbread muffin mix and packaged cubed herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix are just the shortcut ingredients you need to make holidays relaxing.” —Nicole McLaughlin
Easy Creamed Onions
Photographer: Jen Causey / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
“This creamed onions recipe was my great-grandma’s. Always a favorite at Thanksgiving dinner. I think it’s worth using fresh pearl onions instead of frozen ones.” —Erin Noel
Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio
“This recipe is just what it says it is, old-fashioned potato salad. My guests and I LOVED it. I made it the night before and let it meld overnight.” —George Van Aken
Squash Casserole
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This creamy squash casserole is topped with buttery crackers and Cheddar cheese. Perfect for a tasty side or comforting vegetarian main dish.” —ROSECART
Classic Candied Sweet Potatoes
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“Sweet potatoes with brown sugar is a classic Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish. This is my grandmother’s recipe. It’s very simple, yet each time I make it, people rave about it. Simple and quite delicious!” —MICHELLERENE
Awesome Pasta Salad
“This pasta salad with pepperoni, tomatoes, and provolone cheese is the best I’ve ever eaten, and people request it frequently. It’s a very easy, light-tasting side dish for a picnic or dinner.” —Irlandes
Cheesy Creamed Spinach
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This creamed spinach recipe is deliciously cheesy. It’s easy to make, ready in less than 30 minutes, and tastes much better than any store-bought or frozen version. A great side dish for Thanksgiving or any holiday!” —BREN3205
Buttery Cooked Carrots
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This is a staple dish in my recipe arsenal and will always be kept handy!” —Susan
Kickin’ Collard Greens
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“If you like tender collard greens, you will love this recipe. The greens simmer with bacon, onions, and red pepper flakes for a tender, flavorful Southern side with just the right amount of kick!” —Ken Adams
Baked French Fries
Dostdash Meredith Food Studios
“These were phenomenally good! Quick and easy—and much tastier than the frozen variety.” —Serena
Gourmet Mushroom Risotto
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“I learned how to make risotto from a friend who grew up in Italy. Their regional specialty was risotto with entire restaurants devoted to it. I had the pleasure of traveling to his hometown and I ate many bowls of risotto. All this to say: This is very close to the method he taught me. It’s authentic and delicious.” —Heatherh
Grandma’s Hash Brown Casserole
ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA
“This hashbrown casserole is absolutely the best hash brown dish I’ve ever had. It’s my friend’s grandma’s recipe. Kentucky grandmas sure know how to cook!” —missbutcherbean
