The best side dishes for ham balance its sweet and salty flavor: creamy potatoes such as scalloped potatoes or mac and cheese, a green vegetable like green beans, asparagus or Brussels sprouts, something a little sweet like glazed carrots or sweet potatoes, and soft rolls or biscuits. Whether you’re serving a spiral ham for Easter, a glazed ham for Christmas or a quick ham steak on a weeknight, here are 20 easy side dishes for ham, plus sauce and wine pairings and ideas for leftovers.
1. Scalloped Potatoes
Ham and scalloped potatoes is the classic pairing. Tender potato slices baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce soak up the salty ham juices, and you can assemble the dish ahead and bake it alongside the ham.
Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes
2. Twice-Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes hollowed out, mashed with butter, sour cream and cheese, and baked again until golden. Everyone gets their own, and they can be stuffed a day ahead.
Recipe: Twice Baked Potatoes
3. Roasted Garlic Fingerling Potatoes
Small fingerling potatoes roasted with garlic, thyme and butter are crispy outside and creamy inside. They’re lighter than a casserole and ready in under an hour.
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Fingerling Potatoes in Thyme and Butter
4. Cheddar Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a natural match for salty ham. Mashing them with sharp cheddar makes them savory and creamy rather than dessert-sweet.
Recipe: Cheddar Mashed Sweet Potatoes
5. Macaroni and Cheese
In the South, baked mac and cheese is as essential next to holiday ham as the ham itself. Kids love it, and it reheats well for leftovers.
Recipe: Lizzy’s Macaroni and Cheese
6. Creamy Corn Casserole
Sweet corn baked in a creamy sauce under a buttery cracker topping is an easy, crowd-pleasing side for a ham dinner, especially at Easter and potlucks.
Recipe: Creamy Corn Casserole with Buttery Cracker Crust
7. Green Bean Casserole
Green beans are the go-to vegetable for ham. This casserole skips the canned soup and uses goat cheese and fresh ingredients for a brighter version of the classic.
Recipe: Not Your Mother’s Green Bean Casserole
8. Glazed Vichy Carrots
These French carrots are simmered with butter and a little sugar until tender and glossy. Their gentle sweetness echoes a glazed ham, and they cook on the stovetop while the ham is in the oven.
Recipe: Vichy Carrots (Carottes Vichy)
9. Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Acorn Squash
Roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet acorn squash with a tangy balsamic glaze cut through the richness of ham. It’s a colorful side for a fall or Christmas ham dinner.
Recipe: Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Acorn Squash
10. Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus is the classic spring vegetable for Easter ham. Toss the spears with olive oil, salt and pepper, roast at 425°F for 10 to 12 minutes, and finish with lemon zest and grated Parmesan.
11. Balsamic-Braised Red Cabbage
Sweet-and-sour braised red cabbage is a traditional partner for ham in German cooking. It’s even better made a day ahead, which frees up the stove.
Recipe: Balsamic-Braised Red Cabbage
12. Black-Eyed Peas and Rice
Southern black-eyed peas and rice are a natural partner for ham, and the pairing is a New Year’s Day tradition for good luck. It’s hearty, inexpensive and simple to make.
Recipe: Southern Black Eyed Peas and Rice
13. Mashed Peas
Ham and peas are a classic combination. This bright green French purée of peas is a fresh, springy alternative to mashed potatoes for Easter dinner.
Recipe: Purée de Petits Pois (Mashed Peas)
14. Baked Beans
Smoky, sweet baked beans are a casual ham dinner favorite and perfect for a spring or summer ham. This version uses a mix of dried beans and bacon.
Recipe: BBQ Baked Beans with Bacon
15. Deviled Eggs
No Easter ham dinner is complete without a platter of deviled eggs. For an elegant twist, try these bite-size mustard deviled quail eggs topped with smoked salmon.
Recipe: Mustard Deviled Quail Eggs with Smoked Salmon
16. Potato Salad
A cold, creamy potato salad is the best potato side when ham is served at room temperature for Easter brunch, a picnic or a buffet. Make it the day before so the flavors meld.
Recipe: Potato Salad
17. Strawberry Almond Salad
A light salad with fresh strawberries and toasted almonds balances a rich ham dinner, and it’s especially pretty on a spring Easter table.
Recipe: Strawberry Almond Salad
18. Buttermilk Biscuits
Flaky buttermilk biscuits and ham belong together. Serve them warm with butter at dinner, then split them the next morning for ham biscuits.
Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits
19. Potato Rolls
Soft, slightly sweet potato rolls are perfect for mopping up the juices and turning leftover ham into mini sandwiches.
Recipe: Potato Rolls
20. Pineapple Casserole
A Southern favorite: pineapple chunks baked with sugar, a little flour and shredded cheddar under a buttery cracker topping. It sounds unusual, but the sweet-and-savory flavor is made for ham.
What to Serve with Ham for Easter, Christmas and Weeknights
Easter ham
Go fresh and springy: roasted asparagus, deviled eggs, mashed peas, potato salad or scalloped potatoes, and a strawberry salad.
Christmas ham
Serve cozy, festive sides: scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts with acorn squash, glazed carrots and warm rolls. See our Christmas dinner ideas for complete menus.
Ham steak on a weeknight
Keep it quick: mac and cheese or black-eyed peas and rice, steamed green beans and biscuits, with sautéed apples or a pineapple ring on top of the ham.
What Sauce Goes with Ham?
Ham pairs best with sweet or tangy sauces: honey mustard, a brown sugar or maple glaze, pineapple glaze, cherry sauce or a simple grainy mustard. For a fresh twist, try this orange cardamom glaze ham.
What Wine Goes with Ham?
Choose a wine with some fruit and acidity to balance the salt: an off-dry Riesling, a dry rosé, Pinot Noir or a light Beaujolais all work well. Avoid big, tannic reds, which can taste bitter with salty ham.
Leftover Ham Ideas
Got leftovers? Turn them into ham fried rice, a ham and cheese pasta bake, ham and cheese bread or a ham Caesar pasta salad, and simmer the bone into ham bone and beans.
