Best Sides That Go with Ham for Easter Dinner

So you’ve got the ham. It’s glazed, it’s glorious, it’s probably bigger than your fridge can handle. But here’s the real question: what are you putting next to it? Because a lonely ham on a plate is like a birthday cake with no candles—technically fine, but missing the whole point. I’ve hosted enough Easter dinners to know that the sides are where the magic (and the compliments) actually happen.

I still remember the year I served ham with nothing but a sad bag of dinner rolls. My aunt gave me a look I still think about. Never again. Since then, I’ve built a rotation of sides that make the ham look like the supporting act instead of the whole show. Let’s get into what actually works, why it works, and how to pull it off without losing your mind in the kitchen.

Why Side Dishes Make or Break Your Ham Dinner

Ham is salty, sweet, and rich all at once, especially if you’re going the honey-glazed or brown sugar route. Your sides need to either balance that richness or complement it—there’s no in-between. Too many heavy, sweet sides and your table turns into a sugar bomb. Too many bland sides and the ham just steamrolls everything.

Ever wonder why a lot of Easter tables feel “off” even when the ham itself is cooked perfectly? IMO it’s almost always a side dish problem, not a ham problem. The fix isn’t complicated: mix textures, mix temperatures, and don’t be afraid of a little acid to cut through all that glaze.

What Makes a Great Ham Side, Really

A few things separate a forgettable side from one people ask you to bring every year:

• Balance, so the plate doesn’t taste one-note
• Contrast in texture, think creamy next to crunchy
• Color, because a table of beige food is depressing, no matter how it tastes
• Make-ahead potential, since nobody wants to be stuck at the stove during the Easter egg hunt

Keep those four things in mind, and you honestly can’t go too wrong.

Classic Potato Sides That Never Miss

Let’s start with the MVP category: potatoes. They’re comforting, they stretch a meal, and they soak up ham drippings like nobody’s business.

Scalloped Potatoes

This is the one people fight over at the buffet table. Thin potato slices, a creamy cheese sauce, baked until the top gets that golden, slightly crispy edge. The key is slicing your potatoes thin and even, so they cook at the same rate.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs russet or Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme (optional, but it does add something)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for a minute to get rid of that raw flour taste.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth, then simmer until it thickens.
4. Stir in the garlic and most of the cheese, reserving some for the top.
5. Layer the potatoes in the dish, pour the sauce over each layer, and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I’ll be honest: mashed potatoes are basically the security blanket of side dishes. Nobody’s mad when they show up. Roasting the garlic first instead of using it raw changes everything—it goes mellow and sweet instead of sharp.

• Boil potatoes until fork-tender
• Mash with warm milk, butter, and roasted garlic
• Season generously, taste as you go, and don’t skimp on the butter

Fresh, Bright Sides to Cut the Richness

Ham is heavy. Your table needs something that fights back a little. This is where a lot of home cooks drop the ball, and honestly, it’s the easiest fix on this whole list.

Spring Green Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

A bright, acidic salad does more work than people give it credit for. It’s basically a palate reset button between bites of ham.

Ingredients:

• Mixed spring greens or arugula
• 1 orange, segmented
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper

Whisk the dressing ingredients together, toss with the greens right before serving, and don’t dress it too early or you’ll end up with sad, wilted lettuce. Nobody wants that.

Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus screams “spring,” which makes it a near-mandatory Easter side IMO. Roasting it brings out a nuttiness that steaming just can’t touch—sorry, steaming fans.

• Toss asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Roast at 425°F for 10-12 minutes until slightly charred at the tips
• Finish with lemon zest and shaved parmesan

This dish takes fifteen minutes total, which makes it a lifesaver when your oven is already juggling the ham and three other dishes.

Sweet and Savory Sides That Pair Beautifully with Ham

Ham and a little sweetness go together like, well, ham and pineapple (a combo some people love and others find genuinely offensive—no judgment either way).

Honey-Glazed Carrots

Simple, colorful, and they take almost zero effort. Don’t overcook these—you want a slight bite left, not baby food.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper

Sauté the carrots in butter until just starting to soften, then add honey and thyme, and cook until glazed and tender-crisp.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This one’s controversial in some households (marshmallows: yes or no?), but I’m firmly team marshmallow. Fight me.

• Mash roasted sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla
• Top with mini marshmallows or a pecan streusel
• Bake until the topping is golden and slightly toasted

Bread and Grain Sides for a Well-Rounded Table

You need something to soak up all that ham glaze and gravy. A table without bread feels incomplete, honestly.

Buttery Dinner Rolls

Homemade rolls take some effort, but store-bought ones warmed with garlic butter get you 90% of the way there for a fraction of the work. FYI, nobody’s judging you for the shortcut 🙂

Spring Herb Rice Pilaf

A grain-based side adds variety without competing with the potatoes. Toast your rice in butter before adding broth—this one step adds a nutty depth you just can’t skip.

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• Fresh parsley, dill, and chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Sauté the onion in butter, add the rice and toast for two minutes, then add broth and simmer covered until the liquid absorbs. Stir in fresh herbs right before serving.

Vegetable Sides That Add Color and Crunch

Green Bean Almondine

A classic for a reason. Blanching the green beans first keeps them bright green instead of that sad olive color you get from overcooking.

• Blanch green beans in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes
• Shock in ice water to stop the cooking
• Sauté in butter with sliced almonds until the almonds turn golden
• Finish with a squeeze of lemon

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze

Even people who claim to hate Brussels sprouts usually come around when they’re roasted crispy and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. It’s basically a conversion tactic disguised as a side dish.

• Halve the sprouts and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Roast at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving

How to Plan Your Easter Side Dish Menu

Don’t just throw everything on this list onto your table—that’s a recipe (pun intended) for chaos and a fridge that won’t close.

A solid game plan looks like this:

1. Pick one potato dish. You don’t need two starchy competitors.
2. Add one bright, acidic side, like the citrus salad or a vinegar-based slaw.
3. Include one sweet side, whether that’s the carrots or the sweet potato casserole.
4. Round it out with a green vegetable for color and, let’s be real, so you can tell yourself the meal was healthy.
5. Don’t forget the bread. Ever.

This formula keeps your table balanced instead of a wall of beige carbs and glaze.

Make-Ahead Tips to Save Your Sanity

• Scalloped potatoes can be assembled the night before and baked fresh
• Rice pilaf reheats beautifully with a splash of extra broth
• Salad dressing keeps for a week in the fridge, just don’t toss it with greens until serving time
• Roasted vegetables can be prepped (cut, seasoned) ahead, then roasted right before dinner

Trust me, future-you will send present-you a thank-you card for doing this prep work early.

Wrapping It All Up

At the end of the day, the best sides for your Easter ham come down to balance: something creamy, something bright, something sweet, and something green. Mix textures, don’t overthink it, and lean on a few make-ahead tricks so you’re not stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is hunting for eggs.

So, what’s making it onto your table this year—team marshmallow sweet potatoes or team no-marshmallow purist? Either way, your ham is about to have some seriously good company. Happy Easter, and may your leftovers last longer than your willpower to avoid eating them cold at midnight.

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