17 Vegetarian Holiday Recipes That Prove Half the Guests Come for the Sides

A holiday plate often gets built from the sides first. This mix brings together Southern breads, casseroles, greens, eggs, and a few familiar desserts, so the table has both substantial options and lighter bites. Cheesy pasta and baked vegetables stand alongside crisp salad and savory stuffing. Pie, pudding, and cake round out the spread when guests save space for dessert.

Pineapple casserole in a casserole dish with a serving spoon in it. — Pineapple Casserole. Photo credit: .

Southern Cornbread

Close-up of two stacked pieces of cornbread with melted butter on top, showcasing a golden-brown crust and moist, crumbly texture. — Southern Cornbread. Photo credit: .

With a crisp edge and tender crumb, Southern Cornbread takes 35 minutes from start to finish and makes 16 servings. Buttermilk, yellow cornmeal, flour, eggs, and melted butter shape the soft, lightly sweet bake. It brings an easy bread option to the holiday sides table without yeast or extended rising. Cut the pan into squares and serve them beside casseroles, greens, or a bowl of soup.
Get the Recipe: Southern Cornbread

Broccoli Casserole

Under a golden, crisp topping, Broccoli Casserole bakes into a rich side with a soft center. This six-serving dish takes 55 minutes, with broccoli, mayonnaise, condensed mushroom soup, eggs, cheddar, and crushed crackers in the mix. Its oven-baked format suits a holiday buffet where people want a familiar vegetable side with a little richness. Set it beside lighter greens to balance the plate.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Casserole

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

A slice of sweet potato pie with a swirl of cream on it. — Southern Sweet Potato Pie. Photo credit: .

Smooth and custardy inside a pie shell, Southern Sweet Potato Pie takes 1 hour 40 minutes and yields eight slices. Roasted sweet potatoes, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs, and half-and-half make the filling; whipped cream is optional at serving. This Southern dessert gives the holiday table a change from the usual pumpkin pie. Bake it a day ahead, chill, and slice after the meal.
Get the Recipe: Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Squash Casserole

Golden at the top and tender inside, Squash Casserole adds a crisp contrast to yellow squash. The eight-serving dish takes 90 minutes and combines squash and onion with eggs, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, thyme, cayenne, and vegetarian Parmesan. It fits a holiday spread that needs another vegetable dish with enough richness to sit beside the main. Bring it out warm in the baking dish and let guests scoop their own portions.
Get the Recipe: Squash Casserole

Four Cheese Mac n Cheese

A close-up of a serving of baked macaroni and cheese being lifted from a casserole dish, topped with melted cheese and garnished with chopped herbs. — Four Cheese Mac n Cheese. Photo credit: .

Stretching across a casserole dish, Four Cheese Mac n Cheese serves six in 45 minutes. Elbow pasta is coated with a smooth milk and butter sauce built from Cheddar, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then baked until the top turns golden. This meat-free pasta bake adds a filling option for guests reaching first for the sides. Serve it while the cheese is still soft, alongside salad or roasted vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Four Cheese Mac n Cheese

Buttermilk Biscuits

Three golden-brown biscuits are stacked, with the top one missing a bite. A small sprig of greenery with red berries is visible in the corner. — Buttermilk Biscuits. Photo credit: .

Tall layers and golden tops make Buttermilk Biscuits a useful bread plate addition, with 12 biscuits ready in 35 minutes. The dough uses flour, baking powder, frozen butter, and cold buttermilk, which helps create its flaky texture. They can take the place of rolls while bringing a distinctly Southern touch to the meal. Split them while warm and offer butter, honey, or jam at the table.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits

Sweet Potato Casserole

As the topping browns, Sweet Potato Casserole becomes a sweet, crunchy side with a soft center; it serves eight after 85 minutes in the oven. Mashed sweet potatoes meet brown and granulated sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon, while pecans and optional marshmallows finish the top. This familiar holiday bake works for guests who like a sweeter plate. Leave marshmallows off one section if you want two topping styles.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Chess Pie

A close-up of a sliced custard pie dusted with powdered sugar, with two metal spoons resting on top of the pie in a white dish. — Chess Pie. Photo credit: .

That thin golden top gives Chess Pie its simple finish, while a silky custard sets inside a pastry shell. This eight-serving pie takes about 65 minutes and uses sugar, butter, eggs, cornmeal, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Since it relies on pantry staples, it makes a practical dessert when the oven is already busy with sides. Let it cool before slicing so the filling settles into neat wedges.
Get the Recipe: Chess Pie

Banana Pudding

Chilled until the layers settle, Banana Pudding is an easy spoon dessert for the holiday table. It takes 25 minutes and yields 12 servings, using vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, pudding mix, condensed milk, cold milk, vanilla, and whipped cream. Assemble it ahead and let it chill while other dishes finish. Set it out with a serving spoon for guests who want a familiar finish after a substantial meal.
Get the Recipe: Banana Pudding

Corn Casserole

Soft and spoonable, Corn Casserole stands apart from the other baked sides and serves eight in about an hour. Creamed corn and whole kernels mix with corn muffin mix, sour cream, butter, and cheddar for a rich pan with both sweet corn flavor and a browned top. It’s a useful alternative to plain bread rolls. Offer it beside green vegetables or the main dish.
Get the Recipe: Corn Casserole

Cornbread Stuffing

A metal spatula lifts a serving of baked stuffing topped with chopped parsley from a white casserole dish. — Cornbread Stuffing. Photo credit: .

Herb-rich with a crisp top and tender middle, Cornbread Stuffing serves 12 in 80 minutes. Cubed cornbread is joined by onion, celery, garlic, sage, rosemary, parsley, vegetable broth, and eggs, which bind the mixture before it browns in the oven. It brings a traditional stuffing option without meat to the holiday table. Scoop it alongside green bean casserole, gravy, or roasted vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Cornbread Stuffing

Deviled Eggs

Holiday color comes from a cranberry marmalade finish on Deviled Eggs, with pecans adding a bit of crunch. Eight servings take 22 minutes, with hard-cooked eggs filled with sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and thyme. Their tangy filling and platter format make them easy to pass around before dinner. Keep them chilled until guests are ready to start filling their plates.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Eggs

Green Bean Casserole

Crunchy on top and tender underneath, Green Bean Casserole is a familiar holiday side. It takes 45 minutes to make six servings, combining green beans with condensed mushroom soup, milk, and shredded cheddar before crispy onions go on top. This hearty vegetable dish can sit beside stuffing or mashed potatoes without taking up a second pan. Spoon it from the baking dish while the topping still has a little crunch.
Get the Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

Green Salad

For a fresh counterpoint to heavier holiday casseroles, toasted pecans add crunch to Green Salad. It comes together in 10 minutes and makes two servings, with baby mixed greens, olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and black pepper in the dressing. Scale it up to suit the table, then keep the greens and vinaigrette separate until serving. That last-minute toss helps the salad stay crisp next to warm dishes.
Get the Recipe: Green Salad

Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese

A close-up of a spoon lifting creamy, melted cheese sauce with macaroni from a pot. — Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese. Photo credit: .

Slow-cooked until the pasta is tender and the sauce clings, Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese makes eight servings in 3 hours 10 minutes. Uncooked macaroni cooks with Cheddar, mozzarella, whole milk, evaporated milk, butter, paprika, and optional mustard. The cooker keeps this side warm while the oven is occupied by other holiday dishes. Stir it before serving and set the slow cooker near the buffet so guests can take a scoop.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese

Red Velvet Cake

Dressed in cream cheese frosting, Red Velvet Cake makes a colorful finish for the holiday table. It serves 12 and takes about an hour, with cake flour, cocoa, buttermilk, eggs, butter, and red food coloring in the layers. Its smooth frosting and sliceable format make it easy to portion after dinner. Keep the cake covered until dessert, then cut modest slices beside coffee or tea.
Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cake

Pineapple Casserole

In this Southern side, Pineapple Casserole pairs sweet fruit with cheddar and a crisp cracker top. It takes 45 minutes and serves six, using canned pineapple, flour, sugar, cheddar, crushed Ritz crackers, and melted butter. The sweet-and-cheesy bake adds a different flavor profile to the line of vegetable casseroles and breads. Serve it warm alongside the main for guests who like a little sweetness on their plates.
Get the Recipe: Pineapple Casserole