30 Best Side Dishes for Ham – What to Serve With Ham Dinner

A ham dinner is one of those meals that walks into the room wearing a crown. It is salty, smoky, sweet, glossy, and usually large enough to make everyone wonder whether the refrigerator has been emotionally prepared for leftovers. But even the most beautiful baked ham needs backup. That is where the best side dishes for ham come in: creamy potatoes, crisp green vegetables, buttery rolls, bright salads, cozy casseroles, and just enough sweetness to make the plate feel like a holiday without turning dinner into dessert.

Whether you are planning Easter dinner, Christmas ham, Sunday supper, a potluck, or a “because ham was on sale” feast, the right sides make the meal balanced. Ham brings bold flavor, so the supporting cast should add contrast: something fresh, something starchy, something buttery, something crunchy, and something that makes guests say, “Who made this?” even if the answer is technically “the slow cooker.”

Below are 30 of the best side dishes for ham dinner, organized with practical pairing notes, flavor ideas, and serving tips. Think of this as your delicious roadmap to a table that looks generous, tastes complete, and does not require you to panic-buy seven bags of frozen peas at the last minute.

Why Side Dishes Matter So Much With Ham

Ham has a concentrated flavor profile. It is savory, salty, often smoky, and frequently glazed with brown sugar, honey, maple, pineapple, mustard, or spices. That means side dishes need to do more than simply “fill space.” They should balance the richness, refresh the palate, and create variety on the plate.

The best ham dinner sides usually fall into five helpful categories: creamy starches, roasted or green vegetables, salads and slaws, breads and rolls, and sweet-savory casseroles. A strong menu includes at least one from each category. For example, scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, apple slaw, Parker House rolls, and pineapple casserole would make a beautiful plate next to glazed ham. No tiny garnish of parsley required, although parsley does enjoy pretending it helped.

30 Best Side Dishes for Ham Dinner

1. Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes are a classic side dish for ham because creamy, tender potato slices soak up the salty-sweet flavor of the meat beautifully. A simple sauce made with milk or cream, butter, onion, garlic, and a little cheese creates comfort food royalty. Serve them golden on top and bubbling around the edges.

2. Potatoes Au Gratin

Au gratin potatoes are scalloped potatoes’ extra-cheesy cousin. They typically include layers of potatoes, cream, cheese, and sometimes breadcrumbs for a crisp topping. The richness works especially well with smoked ham or spiral-cut ham with a mustard glaze.

3. Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Fluffy mashed potatoes are dependable, crowd-friendly, and easy to make ahead. Add roasted garlic, sour cream, cream cheese, or buttermilk for tang. That slight sharpness keeps the potatoes from tasting too heavy beside a sweet glazed ham.

4. Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole brings warmth and color to the ham dinner table. A pecan streusel topping is a great choice because it adds crunch without becoming overly sugary. If your ham has a very sweet glaze, keep the casserole lightly sweetened so the plate stays balanced.

5. Roasted Sweet Potatoes

For a simpler option, roast cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, smoked paprika, or rosemary. Their caramelized edges pair naturally with ham, while their earthy sweetness keeps the meal cozy and seasonal.

6. Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a guaranteed hit, especially for family dinners. Sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, or smoked Gouda all work well. A crunchy breadcrumb topping adds texture, which is important when the rest of the meal leans soft and creamy.

7. Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is a holiday favorite for a reason. Crisp-tender green beans, a creamy mushroom-style sauce, and fried onions make a nostalgic side that plays nicely with ham’s savory flavor. For a fresher version, use sautéed mushrooms and homemade crispy shallots.

8. Green Beans Almondine

If you want something lighter than casserole, green beans almondine is elegant and quick. Blanch green beans, toss them in butter, lemon juice, and toasted almonds, and serve warm. The lemon brightens the plate, while the almonds add a pleasant crunch.

9. Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the best side dishes for ham, especially for spring meals like Easter dinner. Roast it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. The result is fresh, slightly crisp, and ready in minutes. It is the side dish equivalent of putting on a nice jacket and pretending dinner was effortless.

10. Honey-Glazed Carrots

Carrots and ham are natural partners. Roast or sauté carrots with honey, butter, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Add Dijon mustard or orange zest if you want more complexity. The sweetness echoes the ham glaze without competing with it.

11. Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts bring savory depth and a little bitterness, which helps cut through ham’s richness. Roast them until crisp, then finish with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, bacon, toasted pecans, or dried cranberries. They are bold enough to stand up to a smoky ham.

12. Roasted Broccoli or Broccolini

Roasted broccoli is simple, affordable, and flavorful. Toss florets with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then roast until the edges are browned. Add Parmesan or lemon juice before serving. Broccolini offers a more elegant presentation if you are feeding guests.

13. Creamed Spinach

Creamed spinach adds a rich, restaurant-style touch to ham dinner. The greens bring color, while the creamy sauce creates a luxurious texture. A pinch of nutmeg, garlic, or Parmesan makes the flavor feel complete.

14. Collard Greens

Collard greens are a Southern classic that love being served with pork. Slow-cooked greens with onion, garlic, vinegar, and a little smoky seasoning provide a tangy, savory contrast to sweet ham. The splash of vinegar is not optional in spirit; it is the tiny trumpet announcing balance.

15. Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is soft, buttery, and lightly sweet. It works beautifully beside baked ham, especially for holiday meals and potlucks. The texture sits somewhere between spoonbread and casserole, making it cozy without being too dense.

16. Scalloped Corn

Scalloped corn is another old-fashioned favorite. Corn, eggs, milk, butter, and cracker crumbs bake into a tender side dish with a lightly crisp top. It is budget-friendly, familiar, and easy to prepare in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

17. Pineapple Casserole

Pineapple casserole may sound unusual to the uninitiated, but it is a beloved sweet-savory side with ham. Pineapple chunks, cheese, butter, and a cracker topping create a tangy, rich dish that mirrors the classic ham-and-pineapple pairing. It is quirky, but it knows exactly what it is doing.

18. Baked Beans

Baked beans bring smoky sweetness and hearty texture to a ham dinner. They are especially good for casual gatherings, summer cookouts, and buffet-style meals. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, onion, or a little barbecue sauce for deeper flavor.

19. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are technically an appetizer, but they deserve a place on the side dish list because they disappear faster than polite conversation at a buffet. Their creamy, tangy filling pairs nicely with ham, especially when seasoned with mustard, paprika, pickle relish, or chives.

20. Classic Potato Salad

Potato salad is a great choice when you want a chilled side dish for ham. The creamy dressing, tender potatoes, celery, onion, and boiled eggs make it filling and familiar. Add mustard or pickle juice for brightness.

21. Lemon Herb Pasta Salad

A pasta salad with lemon, herbs, peas, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette can refresh a heavy ham plate. It is especially useful for spring and summer meals because it can be made ahead and served cold or at room temperature.

22. Apple Slaw

Apple slaw is crisp, sweet, and tangy, making it one of the best fresh sides for ham. Shredded cabbage, thinly sliced apples, carrots, and a cider vinegar dressing provide crunch and acidity. Add walnuts or dried cranberries for extra texture.

23. Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad brings crunch, color, and a little sweetness. A classic version includes broccoli florets, red onion, sunflower seeds, bacon, raisins or cranberries, and a creamy dressing. It is sturdy enough to sit on a buffet without wilting dramatically like a lettuce salad having a personal crisis.

24. Spring Pea Salad

Pea salad is bright, simple, and wonderfully retro. Combine peas with red onion, cheese, herbs, and a creamy or vinaigrette-style dressing. It pairs well with ham because the peas add sweetness and freshness without requiring much effort.

25. Cranberry Relish or Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is not just for turkey. Its tart flavor cuts through salty ham and adds a ruby-red pop to the plate. Try orange zest, chopped apples, pecans, or ginger for a fresher, more layered relish.

26. Dinner Rolls

Soft dinner rolls are essential for any ham dinner. They catch extra glaze, support leftover mini sandwiches, and make the table feel complete. Yeast rolls, Parker House rolls, cloverleaf rolls, and honey butter rolls are all excellent options.

27. Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits and ham are a dream team. Serve tall, flaky biscuits with butter, honey, mustard, or pepper jelly. They are especially good for brunch-style ham dinners, Easter spreads, and leftover ham sandwiches the next morning.

28. Cornbread

Cornbread adds rustic charm and a slightly sweet crumb that works well with ham, greens, and beans. Make it in a cast-iron skillet for crisp edges, or bake muffins for easier serving. Add jalapeños, cheddar, or scallions if you like a little personality.

29. Wild Rice Pilaf

Wild rice pilaf is a smart side dish when you want something hearty but not creamy. Mushrooms, onions, celery, herbs, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts can turn rice into a festive, earthy companion for ham.

30. Roasted Root Vegetables

A tray of roasted carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, and red onions adds color and natural sweetness. Season with rosemary, thyme, garlic, or balsamic vinegar. Root vegetables are especially good for Christmas ham, fall dinners, and any meal where the oven is already doing most of the work.

How to Build the Perfect Ham Dinner Menu

Choosing side dishes for ham becomes much easier when you think in groups. Start with one potato or starch dish. This could be scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, wild rice pilaf, or cornbread. Then add at least one green vegetable, such as asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, collards, or broccoli. Next, choose one fresh or acidic side, like apple slaw, cranberry relish, pea salad, or a lemony pasta salad.

For a small family dinner, three sides may be plenty: one creamy, one green, and one bread. For a holiday table, five to seven sides create that generous “please take leftovers or I will be eating casserole until Thursday” feeling. A balanced Easter ham dinner might include roasted asparagus, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, apple slaw, and dinner rolls. A Christmas ham dinner might lean cozier with sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry relish, roasted root vegetables, and biscuits.

Make-Ahead Tips for Ham Dinner Sides

The smartest ham dinner is not necessarily the fanciest one. It is the one that lets the cook sit down before the meal gets cold. Many side dishes can be prepared ahead. Potato casseroles, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, cranberry sauce, broccoli salad, pea salad, and slaw can all be made partly or fully in advance.

For hot casseroles, assemble them the day before, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Add crunchy toppings just before baking so they do not become soggy. For salads, keep dressing separate until a few hours before serving unless the recipe improves as it sits. Rolls and biscuits can be baked fresh or reheated briefly before dinner. If oven space is limited, use a slow cooker for greens or beans, an air fryer for vegetables, or the stovetop for mashed potatoes.

Best Flavor Pairings for Ham

Ham loves sweet, tangy, creamy, and fresh flavors. Mustard, maple, brown sugar, pineapple, apples, cranberries, vinegar, citrus, herbs, butter, cheese, and roasted vegetables all work well. The trick is not to make every side dish sweet. If your ham has a honey or brown sugar glaze, balance it with lemony greens, mustardy potato salad, vinegar-based slaw, or roasted Brussels sprouts.

Texture matters too. A plate with ham, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and corn pudding may taste good, but it can feel soft from start to finish. Add crisp green beans, toasted nuts, fresh slaw, roasted vegetables, or a crunchy casserole topping to keep each bite interesting.

of Experience: What I’ve Learned Serving Ham Dinner Sides

After planning more ham dinners than I can count, I have learned one truth: people may admire the ham, but they remember the sides. The ham gets the dramatic entrance, the shiny glaze, the carving moment, and the compliments. But once everyone sits down, the conversation usually turns to the potatoes, the rolls, or that one casserole someone “just tried” and then quietly visited three more times.

The biggest lesson is that variety beats quantity. Early on, I thought a great ham dinner meant making as many rich dishes as possible. Scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, and rolls all sounded wonderful. And they were wonderfuluntil the plate became a beige comfort-food mountain. Delicious, yes, but not exactly balanced. Now I always include something green and something acidic. Roasted asparagus with lemon, apple slaw with cider vinegar, cranberry relish, or green beans almondine can rescue the entire meal from feeling too heavy.

I have also learned that make-ahead sides are the host’s best friend. Ham often arrives already cooked, which gives the false impression that the whole meal will be easy. Then suddenly there are five sides, two serving spoons missing, and someone asking whether the rolls are supposed to be that shade of “deep sunset.” Preparing casseroles the day before makes a huge difference. Sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, baked beans, cranberry sauce, and cold salads all give you breathing room on the day of the meal.

Another experience-based rule: always serve bread. It does not matter whether you choose dinner rolls, biscuits, cornbread, or even a simple loaf sliced warm. Bread makes ham dinner feel complete. It also turns leftovers into sandwiches, which is arguably one of ham’s greatest career achievements. A soft roll with ham, mustard, and a little cranberry relish the next day can taste better than the original dinner.

For guests, I like building a menu with different personalities. One classic dish, such as scalloped potatoes. One fresh dish, such as slaw or asparagus. One nostalgic dish, such as deviled eggs or green bean casserole. One “surprise” dish, such as pineapple casserole or wild rice pilaf. This makes the table feel thoughtful without becoming complicated.

Finally, I have learned not to apologize for simple sides. Roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, or green beans can be outstanding when seasoned well and served hot. A good ham dinner does not need every dish to perform acrobatics. It needs balance, warmth, and enough familiar flavors to make people relax. When the sides are chosen with care, the ham dinner becomes more than a main dish with extras. It becomes a full, memorable mealthe kind where everyone claims they are too full for seconds, then somehow finds a little room beside the potatoes.

Conclusion

The best side dishes for ham are the ones that balance its salty, smoky, sweet richness while making the table feel abundant and inviting. Creamy potatoes, crisp green vegetables, bright salads, buttery breads, and sweet-savory casseroles all have a place beside a beautiful baked ham. Whether you are serving Easter ham, Christmas ham, or a relaxed Sunday dinner, choose sides with contrast in mind: creamy and crunchy, rich and fresh, sweet and tangy.

You do not need all 30 side dishes at once, unless your dining room has stadium seating. Pick a few that match your occasion, your guests, and your oven space. With the right combination, ham dinner becomes easy to plan, satisfying to serve, and even better the next day when the leftovers start calling your name from the fridge.