What to Eat With Ham: 30 Best Sides

If you’re deciding what to eat with ham, the best sides are creamy potatoes, green vegetables, something sweet like glazed carrots, soft rolls, and a fresh salad to balance the salt. Pick one from each group and you have a complete holiday plate. Need a quick weeknight idea instead? The random food generator can suggest a dish in seconds.

Ham is salty, smoky and often sweet from its glaze, so the best side dishes either soften that richness or play along with it. Below are 30 sides that work, grouped by type, plus tips for holiday ham versus an everyday ham steak.

Why Some Sides Work Better With Ham

Ham has a strong flavor, so think about balance before you start cooking. Three simple rules make choosing easier:

• Creamy cuts the salt. Potatoes, mac and cheese and creamed vegetables soften every salty bite.
• Green and bitter adds contrast. Green beans, Brussels sprouts and leafy salads keep the plate from feeling heavy.
• Sweet echoes the glaze. Carrots, sweet potatoes, pineapple and applesauce pick up the honey or brown sugar on the ham.

You don’t need all three in every meal, but most great ham dinners include at least two.

What to Eat With Ham: 30 Side Dishes by Category

Here are 30 sides that go with ham, from holiday classics to easy weeknight options.

Potatoes and starches

1. Scalloped potatoes — thin potato slices baked in cream. The classic ham side for a reason.
2. Au gratin potatoes — like scalloped, but with cheese. Richer and great for a crowd.
3. Mashed potatoes — simple, creamy and easy to make ahead.
4. Roasted baby potatoes — crispy edges with garlic and rosemary.
5. Sweet potato casserole — sweet, soft and often topped with pecans or marshmallows.
6. Baked mac and cheese — a Southern holiday favorite next to ham.
7. Cheesy hash brown casserole — creamy, cheesy, and easy to assemble the day before.
8. Rice pilaf — a lighter starch that soaks up ham juices.

Vegetables

9. Green bean casserole — the creamy, crunchy-topped holiday staple.
10. Garlic green beans — a fresher, quicker option.
11. Roasted Brussels sprouts — slightly bitter and great with balsamic or bacon.
12. Honey-glazed carrots — they echo a sweet ham glaze.
13. Roasted asparagus — a spring favorite, especially for Easter ham.
14. Creamed spinach — rich and classic with salty meat.
15. Buttered peas — simple and colorful.
16. Braised cabbage or collard greens — Southern-style greens are a traditional match for ham.
17. Corn pudding or creamed corn — sweet, soft and very easy.

Salads and fresh sides

18. Green salad with vinaigrette — the acid cuts right through the richness.
19. Broccoli salad — raw broccoli, bacon, raisins and a creamy dressing.
20. Ambrosia or fruit salad — a sweet, cool side many families serve with ham.
21. Coleslaw — crunchy and tangy.
22. Deviled eggs — a holiday and Easter favorite that you can make a day ahead.
23. Cucumber and onion salad — light, sharp and refreshing.

Breads

24. Soft dinner rolls — perfect for making small ham sandwiches at the table.
25. Buttermilk biscuits — a Southern classic with country ham.
26. Cornbread — slightly sweet and crumbly.
27. Hawaiian sweet rolls — sweet bread and salty ham are a natural pair.

Sauces and condiments

28. Mustard — Dijon, spicy brown or a honey mustard sauce.
29. Pineapple or cherry sauce — a fruity topping that matches the glaze.
30. Applesauce or cranberry sauce — tart fruit to balance the salt.

Quick pairing table

Category	Best pick for a holiday	Best pick for a weeknight	Why it works
Potatoes	Scalloped potatoes	Roasted baby potatoes	Creamy or crispy starch softens the salt
Vegetables	Green bean casserole	Garlic green beans	Green contrast to rich meat
Sweet side	Sweet potato casserole	Honey-glazed carrots	Echoes the ham glaze
Fresh side	Broccoli salad	Bagged green salad	Crunch and acid
Bread	Dinner rolls	Biscuits from a can	Builds leftover sandwiches
Condiment	Pineapple sauce	Dijon mustard	Sharp or fruity contrast

Still can’t decide? Let the Random Food Generator pick →

Christmas Ham Dinner: A Complete Menu

If you’re planning what to eat with ham for Christmas, aim for a menu that feels a little richer than an everyday meal without overloading the cook. A balanced holiday menu might look like this:

• Ham: spiral-cut ham with a brown sugar, honey or mustard glaze
• Starch: scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes
• Vegetables: green bean casserole and roasted Brussels sprouts
• Sweet side: sweet potato casserole or glazed carrots
• Bread: soft dinner rolls with butter
• Fresh: a green salad or ambrosia
• Dessert: pecan pie, pumpkin pie or Christmas cookies

If ham is only one part of your holiday table, see our full guide on what to eat on Christmas for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menu ideas, including traditions from around the world.

Easter ham dinners

Easter ham menus lean a little lighter and more spring-like. Swap the heavier casseroles for roasted asparagus, buttered peas, deviled eggs and a fresh salad, and keep one creamy potato dish. For more spring menu ideas, read our post on what to eat on Easter.

Holiday Ham vs. Everyday Ham Steak

Not every ham dinner is a big event. The sides you choose depend on the type of ham.

Holiday ham (whole or spiral-cut)

Most store-bought spiral hams are already fully cooked, so you’re really just reheating and glazing them. Follow the package directions; the USDA advises reheating fully cooked, packaged ham to 140°F. Because the oven is busy for a few hours, choose sides that can bake alongside it or be made ahead: casseroles, scalloped potatoes and rolls.

Ham steak

A ham steak is a thick slice of cooked ham that pan-fries in about ten minutes. It’s a great fast dinner. Pair it with sides that cook just as quickly:

• Fried or scrambled eggs
• Microwave baked potatoes
• Sautéed green beans or a bagged salad
• Pineapple rings browned in the same pan
• Buttered corn or leftover rice

How to Build a Balanced Ham Plate

An easy rule for any ham meal: fill your plate in four parts.

1. Ham — about a quarter of the plate.
2. A starch — potatoes, mac and cheese, rice or bread.
3. A vegetable — ideally something green.
4. Something fresh or tangy — a salad, slaw or fruit sauce.

This keeps a salty main from taking over. It also helps you pick sides fast: choose one from each group above and stop there. Three to five sides is plenty for most families.

Make-Ahead Tips for a Stress-Free Ham Dinner

Holiday cooking gets easier when half the work is done before the big day.

• One or two days ahead: make deviled eggs, coleslaw, broccoli salad, cranberry sauce and pineapple sauce. Most improve after a night in the fridge.
• The day before: assemble scalloped potatoes, hash brown casserole, mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole. Cover and refrigerate, then bake while the ham rests. Add a little extra baking time when they go in cold.
• The morning of: trim green beans, wash salad greens and set out the rolls.
• While the ham rests: roast quick vegetables like asparagus or Brussels sprouts in the hot oven.

Plan oven space early. If you only have one oven, choose a few stovetop or no-cook sides, such as garlic green beans, buttered peas or a green salad.

Using leftover ham

Leftover ham is half the fun. Use it in split pea soup, ham and cheese sliders on sweet rolls, scrambled eggs, fried rice, or a quick pasta with peas and cream. Freeze the bone for soup later.

Plan Your Ham Dinner

The best things to eat with ham are a creamy starch, a green vegetable, something sweet and a fresh side. For a holiday, pick three to five from the list, make the casseroles ahead, and let the oven do the rest. For a weeknight ham steak, keep it to one or two fast sides.

Still stuck on the rest of the menu, or wondering what to do with the leftovers? Spin the random food generator for a fresh idea and build your plate around it.