27 Sides for Prime Rib to Complete Your Holiday Feast, from Melted Onions to Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
The roasting season is upon us, and glorious entrees abound. But before you carve into that juicy, melt-in-your-mouth roast beast prime rib you’ve prepared, have you thought about what you’re serving with it? Because plain old potatoes aren’t going to cut it this year. Instead, round out your feast with any of these 27 sides for prime rib, from melted onions to cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts and more dishes that are worthy of the celebratory occasion.
9 Easy Prime-Rib Recipes You Can Nail at Home
1. Melted Onions
Linda Pugliese/Help Yourself
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Onions as a starring side dish? We never thought it could happen, that is, until we saw (and fell in love with) these beauties. They’re made with four ingredients and a muffin tin, natch.
2. Balsamic-Brown Sugar Carrots
Colin Price/Dinner Then Dessert
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <15 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Gone are the days of dumping a bag of baby carrots into a dish and ending up with a mushy, cloying, glazed side. These carrots are crisp yet tender, with plenty of tang from the vinegar.
3. Smashed Brussels Sprouts
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
We’re calling it now: These Brussels sprouts are the new smashed potatoes. And why not? They’re just as crispy and make an excellent vehicle for salty Parmesan cheese.
4. Hasselback Honey-Glazed Squash with Pistachios and Chiles
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Instead of falling back on the standard cubed-and-roasted treatment, give your winter squash as much love as the main course. This impressive-yet-foolproof casserole is sweet, spicy and anything but boring.
5. Dorie Greenspan’s Potato-Parm Tart
Mark Weinberg/Baking with Dorie
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Satiny layers of cream cheese and Parmesan between impossibly thin slices of potato, all finished with an allium of your choice. What’s left to say, other than that you’re in for a treat?
6. Green Cabbage Gratin
Kelly Marshall/Sunday Best
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, one pan
In our humble opinion, cabbage doesn’t get the love it deserves. But this cheesy gratin will help you see how beautifully it caramelizes and carries flavor. (OK, the breadcrumbs don’t hurt.)
7. Crispy and Spicy Harissa Potatoes with Yogurt
Ty Mecham/Delicious Gatherings
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser
Do you need another potato side dish in your life? Yes, you do, and it’s this sweet-and-savory number. The pistachio and parsley toppings are relatively uncomplicated, but when they mingle with the yogurt, magic happens.
8. White Wine Braised Leeks
Nicole Franzen/To the Last Bite
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
Like onions (see no. 1 on this list), we bet you’ve never really given leeks much thought. But when given a little TLC (ahem, wine and butter), they shine on their own. This tender, melt-in-your-mouth side dish will totally bowl over your dinner guests.
9. Celery Salad with Walnuts and Pecorino
Nicole Franzen/To the Last Bite
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, beginner-friendly
The prime rib is rich and decadent, so you’ll want a side that’s bright and refreshing to balance the meal. Enter this surprising celery number, which is crunchy, creamy and punchy in all the right ways.
10. Miso Honey Brussels Sprouts
Ty Mecham/Delicious Gatherings
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: under 500 calories, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
The umami, sweet and salty flavors of this sheet pan side dish go with almost any meal, prime rib included. Pomegranates add a festive flare for a holiday, but you can leave them out if you’re making this dish when they aren’t in season.
11. Smoked Gouda and Scallion Mashed Potatoes
Ty Mecham/Delicious Gatherings
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
When it comes to mashed potatoes, we say more is more. A hint of smoky cheese and savory onions take these spuds from fine to fantastic.
12. Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
This tangy-sweet salad is laced with fennel, maple syrup and celery seeds. If it sounds like an unusual combination, one bite will convince you that it deserves your attention.
13. Balsamic-Thyme Roasted Mushrooms
Kristen Kilpatrick/The Comfortable Kitchen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
These meatless morsels are glazed in a tangy balsamic sauce and ready in 30 minutes—the ideal accompaniment to a glorious, meaty main.
14. Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Horseradish and Sea Salt
Emily Dorio/The Saltwater Table
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, ready in <30 minutes
No one will be mad if a bit of the horseradish cream sauce gets on their prime rib, promise. (In fact, you should probably serve extra on the side.)
15. Jammy Upside-Down Onion Tart
Renée Kohlman/Vegetables: A Love Story
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Yes, this tart is stunning to look at, but it’s also deeply savory and deceptively simple to make. The toughest part is inverting it onto a serving platter.
16. Sweet Potato Biscuit Rolls with Honey Butter Glaze
Renée Kohlman/Vegetables: A Love Story
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
We love a canned biscuit as much as the next person, but when you’re pulling out all the stops, try these fluffy, lightly sweet buns instead. The honey butter glaze is just *chef’s kiss.*
17. Spicy Broccoli Sauté
Eva Kolenko/Bread Toast Crumbs
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, one pan, <10 ingredients
This skillet side is simple yet flavorful, totally crowd-pleasing and blanketed in breadcrumbs—what could be bad about that? Even better, you need just six ingredients to get it to the table.
18. Pommes Anna
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
This is “impress your guests” 101. It’s a classic Française dish that requires little more than butter, salt and spuds once you grasp the technique (and you’ll have it down pat in no time, promise).
19. Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
When the salad is pretty enough to be the centerpiece, it better taste good too. Luckily, this one is delicious. Look for Fuyu persimmons, which are pleasantly sweet and can be eaten when they’re still hard like an apple.
20. Ina Garten’s Roasted Broccolini and Cheddar
Quentin Bacon/Modern Comfort Food
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, ready in <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy
Behold, Ina Garten’s take on a green veggie smothered in cheese. With one sheet pan and five ingredients, the Barefoot Contessa manages to transform it into something classy.
21. Charred Cauliflower with Crunchy Garlic Chile Oil
Emily Dorio/The Saltwater Table
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy
The more caramelized the veggie, the better, if you ask us. Plus, if your grill is already lit, this one will be a cinch to make. You might want to make a double batch of the chile oil to keep in the fridge. Just saying.
22. Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw
Ana Cuba/The Modern Cook’s Year
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
We love kale, but a plain old salad? Been there, done that. This slaw feels fresh and new and it’s beyond easy to make, plus you can modify the dressing so it’s dairy free.
23. Pan-Roasted Broccoli ‘Steaks’ with Garlic-Sesame Vinaigrette
Donna Griffith/The Primal Gourmet Cookbook
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, paleo, <10 ingredients
Roasted broccoli gets all caramelized and sweet in a way we can’t resist. This version is cooked on the stove, so you don’t even have to turn on your oven.
24. Baby Vegetables with Orange and Thyme
Ola Smit/Dinner’s In the Bag
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
This crowd-pleasing, herbaceous side dish is delicious, sure, but since it’s cooked in parchment, it’s also going to reduce the amount of dishes you have to wash at the end of the night. That’s a real win-win.
25. Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
The simple combo of black pepper and cheese instantly elevates not only pasta but also pretty much every veggie, including the often maligned Brussels sprout.
26. Cauliflower with Roasted Tomatoes, Parsley and Breadcrumbs
Abra Berens/Chronicle Books
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates their jammy flavor, which is great if you’re working with off-season produce. (The cauliflower speaks for itself.)
27. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, under 500 calories, special occasion–worthy
Sometimes you can’t bother with a million different toppings, so the ones you do include should have impact. Enter crispy chickpeas and shards of Parmesan, which do the heavy lifting for this simple (yet tasty) side dish.
65 Healthy Side Dishes That Are So Good, They Might Steal the Show
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
