~ Wondering what to serve with prime rib for Christmas or some other special occasion? Try traditional favorites like Yorkshire Pudding, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and buttery mushrooms … or make some unique new twists and upgrades that will truly make your prime rib menu feel like a celebration! ~
![Square collage of four recipes with text overlay "45 Celebration-Worthy Prime Rib Side Dishes".](jpg/prime-rib-side-dishes-christmas.jpg)
A prime rib dinner isn’t something most people just whip up on a casual weeknight.
It’s the kind of meal that signals a celebration, so you want it to feel special, to look really beautiful, and to taste fantastic.
But it doesn’t have to be difficult to create a memorable menu, full of the very best side dishes to highlight your beautiful roast. I’ve definitely gotcha covered!
All Kinds of Prime Rib Sides Dishes
I’ve hand-picked 45 prime rib side dishes for you to choose from. You’ll find:
- classic accompaniments that let your prime rib shine
- some especially Christmas-y options with festive colors or winter produce for a holiday feast
- and some extra-creative, unique recipes, if you’d like to venture beyond the typical accompaniments
I’ve also intentionally selected mostly easy side dishes.
So, while they may look and taste ultra-special, they’ll be simple enough for a busy host or hostess. Because making a memorable meal should be fun, even for the cook – not difficult and stressful. Plus, selecting easy sides will let you focus more time and attention on the main event … that gorgeous prime rib!
Lastly, you may also notice that a lot of these recipes offer ways for you to keep the side dishes a bit fresher and lighter.
You can balance out the rich, succulent roast with lots of vegetable side dishes that aren’t overly bogged down in excess cream or butter. Keeping that in mind is key to crafting a prime rib menu that feels abundant and satisfying, without leaving your guests uncomfortable from excess richness.
Grab a pencil and your shopping list, and pick out the perfect side dishes to surround that lovely prime rib.
The hardest part will be deciding which to choose ….
What to Serve with Prime Rib for Christmas or ANY Special Occasion!
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries, Pecans and Hot Honey
My family eats a lot of Brussels sprouts, and this recipe is one of our very most favorites. The perfectly caramelized sprouts are tender but not overcooked. Add to that some sweet-tart pops of chewy dried cranberries, plus toasty, crunchy pecans, and an alluring drizzle of sweet-and-spicy honey ... and you've got a headliner side dish that just might (almost) outshine the prime rib!
Blistered Green Beans {With or Without Potatoes}
Of course you'll need some green beans to go with your prime rib, and these beauties are the ultimate in simplicity, yet they don’t taste simple at all. You’ll be surprised how complex and delicious they are, with deep flavor thanks to the magic of oven-roasting. Little red potatoes are a fun addition if you like two-for-one dishes!
Yorkshire Pudding
Yorkshire Puddings are a savory cross between a popover and a soufflé, and they're an absolutely classic accompaniment to prime rib and Sunday roast. But this version's also got a little surprise upgrade for you: they're secretly a bit healthier, since they swap in whole wheat flour for half of the white flour that's normally used! (If you want to peek at a "basic" version, the BBC's got one for you, but why not take the upgrade if you can, right?!?) And don't miss the great suggestions for adding extra flavor from herbs or cheese ... yum!
Thyme Garlic Mushrooms
Garlic butter mushrooms are a must-have with prime rib! This recipe features portobellos, but note that you can substitute other varieties like button mushrooms to create a more old-school, steakhouse vibe in your sautéed mushrooms.
Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
This ultra-easy recipe leverages a unique high-heat roasting technique to give you HUGE flavor with almost no effort, which is perfect for busy hosts. With lots of ideas to help you change it up and try different flavor additions, this ticks all the boxes for a low-stress but delicious special occasion side dish. Air fryer lovers: try this Air Fryer Asparagus version, too!
Easy Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
These little potatoes have perfectly crisped, lightly browned exteriors and fluffy interiors, with just a little saltiness and plenty of rosemary (although you can adjust that to your taste). So, so delicious, and a great textural contrast to juicy roast! And yet they require just a few ingredients you can keep on hand in the pantry, so they're an absolute snap to throw together.
15-Minute Creamed Spinach
A mainstay at high-end steakhouses like Morton's and Ruth's Chris, creamed spinach is a classic side dish for prime rib. This super-easy version uses fresh or frozen spinach along with flavorful onions and garlic, and offers loads of ways to make your creamy greens lighter and healthier ... or more rich and indulgent.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
After their first bake, these special twice-baked potatoes are filled with a delightful mixture featuring cream cheese and a little brown sugar and cinnamon, and then topped with pecans before their second trip through the oven.
Celebration-Worthy "Christmas" Salad with Citrus-Champagne Vinaigrette
This vibrantly beautiful salad truly is fit for a celebration, and worthy of a place alongside your exquisite prime rib! Pretty greens are studded with crunchy pistachios, sweet and tangy pomegranate arils, and juicy oranges. It's all topped off with a sprinkling of creamy goat cheese and a refreshingly light champagne vinaigrette. For serving with a Christmas holiday menu, you can shape it as a festive wreath, with the delicious dressing at the center!
Oven Roasted Carrots
Perfectly, beautifully simple. Just 1 main ingredient and 2 minutes of hands-on time … plus a surprisingly delicious technique! You'll be making these baby carrots again and again, long after your special dinner celebration is over and that prime rib feast is a distant memory.
Cheesy Garlic Broccoli
How can a cheesy, garlic topping ever be wrong? Especially since garlic, broccoli and cheese are all top-level delicious when cozied up next to succulent prime rib! Super easy but a little more interesting than standard roasted broccoli.
Roasted Acorn Squash
Sliced acorn squash is oven roasted in a sweet and spicy butter sauce, then topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils, and orange zest for a holiday table showstopper! If you're serving prime rib for a non-holiday occasion, try this gorgeous Roasted Delicata Squash recipe, without the Christmas pomegranates and winter-y oranges.
Oven Roasted Vegetables Medley
Can't decide which vegetable side dish to make alongside your prime rib roast? Heck, make them all! This gorgeous, colorful mixture has plenty of veggie options to satisfy everyone at the table. Includes tips and suggestions for other vegetables to swap in to suit your tastes.
Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
A healthy, low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes, that your family just might like even better than spuds. They're light and creamy with a sweet, nutty note from the garlic and a pop of fresh herbs ... lovely paired with beefy prime rib!
Beetroot Carpaccio
Made with roasted beets, pears, walnuts, rocket salad, and a fresh mint vinaigrette, this is both refreshing and also visually stunning!
Honey Garlic Sautéed Butternut Squash
Creamy, sweet butternut squash is highlighted by a combination of toasted pine nuts and pecans, honey, garlic, and a cascade of rich goat cheese. Easy but so flavorful and pretty!
Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Crispy bacon, crunchy cashews and flavorful shallots combine with a simple, punchy sauce to elevate sautéed Brussels sprouts to a truly special side dish! The big secret here is NOT to overcook those enticing confetti sprouts, so they're warmed through but fluffy and fresh-tasting instead of limply overdone. Quick and easy!
Salad with Goat Cheese, Pears, Candied Pecans and Maple-Balsamic Dressing
This is one of the most popular recipes we've ever shared, and one that we make in our own home again and again ... all year, every year. If you haven't tried it yet, now is the perfect time!
Grape Salad with Cream Cheese-Vanilla Dressing
Grape Salad is a must-have classic at many families’ holiday buffets. What's so nice about serving it at a prime rib dinner is that it's really light and refreshing – a welcome counterpoint to the heavier beef and the savory vegetable side dishes.
Balsamic Spinach and Mushrooms
With loads of great ratings, this simple recipe combines two steakhouse favorites – sautéed spinach and garlicky mushrooms – into one fabulous, balsamic-drizzled side dish winner.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Oven-roasting adds so much depth of flavor to the sweet carrots, nutty parsnips and fluffy red potatoes … plus those yummy, toasty brown edges! They're fantastic on their own – and even more addictive with a little Honey-Dijon Drizzle to bring all the flavors together.
Roasted Green Beans with Balsamic-Browned Butter
Skip the gloppy green bean casserole that so often lurks at holiday buffets. Instead, drizzle your flavorful, oven-roasted beans with a "lick-the-plate" balsamic browned butter sauce, and toss on some crunchy almonds for extra texture. Seriously fabulous!
Lightened-Up Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes
Most traditional mashed potato recipes are loaded with fat and can be a little heavy, especially served with a big, belt-loosening Christmas dinner or special occasion menu. But they're actually easy to lighten up a little, especially when you add in a bit of flavorful cheddar and parmesan ... and bake them in a casserole for a melty, golden brown top "crust"! As a bonus: these creamy mashed potatoes reheat great and can even be frozen ahead of time for stress-free entertaining.
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
Brussels sprouts are a common pairing with prime rib, but you don't actually have to cook your sprouts, especially if you're short on time. Just grab some shredded Brussels sprouts or a "superfoods" blend, add some irresistible mix-ins like crunchy pistachios and sweet-tart dried cranberries … and then toss it all with a delicious Maple-Balsamic Dressing. Ready in about 5 minutes flat. Fast but special!
Spaghetti Squash with Sage-Browned Butter and Toasted Walnuts
A touch of browned butter makes this feel extra-special, and a clever microwave technique makes it extra-fast. Surprisingly, satisfyingly delicious, and absolutely ideal at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and cozy, wintertime dinner parties.
Lemon Roasted Broccolini with Pancetta and Bread Crumbs
This takes the traditional prime rib side dish of roasted broccoli to the next level! Broccolini is milder and sweeter than broccoli, with elegant, longer stalks. Here it's artfully sprinkled with a unique mixture of lemon, thyme, and pancetta bread crumbs.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Super creamy and accented with maple syrup and thyme. The recipe card offers an interesting twist of using both sweet potatoes and butternut squash, although the author explains that you can stick to only sweet potatoes if you prefer. Includes lots of yummy ideas for toppings and flavorful mix-ins (like, maybe pecans, marshmallows and brown sugar for a traditional sweet potato casserole vibe)!
Sautéed Cabbage with Brown Butter and Walnuts
Although it has just 3 simple ingredients, this is a very special dish. I bet you'll be surprised! Lusciously rich browned butter and crunchy walnuts are a great way to easily pump up flavor and texture. It’s super fast and easy, too, since the cabbage is cooked very quickly, to ensure it stays lively and fresh-tasting.
Crispy Zucchini
Made with crunchy, seasoned bread crumbs, this highly rated recipe results in crispy perfection on the outside, and tender zucchini on the inside! Serve it as-is, or with one of several suggested dipping sauce recipes. This is specifically an air fryer recipe – but you can also try this stovetop Sautéed Zucchini or this Oven-Roasted Zucchini recipe, if you prefer.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
This fresh, healthy salad features humble kale, all dressed up with big umami flavors from sun-dried tomatoes, feta and parmesan cheese, and a balsamic vinegar dressing. The creamy cannellini beans, flecks of red onions, and optional flatbread croutons add loads of textural interest to this delicious side dish!
Lemon Pepper Roasted Cauliflower
Crispy cauliflower gets a lively punch of flavors from garlic, paprika, onion powder and lemon-pepper seasoning. It's kind of like a classed-up, dinner-party-worthy version of the lemon-pepper chicken wings everybody loves on game day ... and mmmmmmm ... such bright flavors to complement meaty prime rib! Includes both oven and air fryer directions.
Baked Sweet Potato Casserole with Pomegranate
Re-imagine the marshmallow-topped Thanksgiving dinner sweet potato casserole! This unique and extra-festive spin features potato slices baked in a spiced orange-maple glaze, then sprinkled with juicy, bright pomegranate arils. It's a gorgeous, colorful side dish you can even prep the day before.
Truffle Mashed Potatoes
What's more special for a celebration than truffles?!? Super easy and oh-so addictive, and these can be made several days in advance and still taste wonderful at your dinner party. Note that the recipe card calls for oat milk, but the author says almond milk or traditional dairy milk will work just fine, too.
Old Fashioned Kidney Bean Salad
This is an updated riff on a beloved recipe that was served alongside steaks and chops at the iconic Nick Anthe’s restaurant for more than 30 years.
Tomato and Onion Salad with Peppers
A stunningly simple olive oil and vinegar dressing perfectly highlights the colorful vegetables in this salad for clean, fresh, vibrant flavors. It's a great break for your palate from heavier side dishes and the rich flavor of juicy prime rib. It keeps well for several days in an airtight container in the fridge, so it's a perfect side dish for getting ahead on your cooking!
Winter Kale Salad
A pretty medley of great textures and bold flavors! Kale, apple, pecans, shallots, and pomegranate seeds are drizzled in a simple yet flavorful red wine vinegar dressing for a stunning side dish salad that's especially perfect for Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas dinner and other winter-y celebrations.
Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
You can serve these as an appetizer to kick off your prime rib menu, or as a side. Baby bellas are stuffed with a creamy tomato-cheese filling and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, a drizzle of balsamic and a little fresh basil. This high-end dinner party dish can be prepped up to 2 days in advance and baked off at the last minute.
Easy 10-Minute Creamed Corn
A touch of salty parmesan perfectly complements the sweet corn in this satisfying, homestyle side dish. Although the recipe card specifies whole milk, the author explains you can use any milk you like, since the "cream" in creamed corn comes from the natural starch released from the corn during cooking.
Roasted Whole Butternut Squash with Rosemary
Such a simple technique, with impressive results when you carry this side dish to the table! If you're serving this with a Christmas prime rib dinner, tuck in a few fresh rosemary sprigs to make it look extra holiday-festive.
5-Minute Cranberry Sauce with Apples, Pecans and Pineapple
No question, if you're planning prime rib for Christmas or even Thanksgiving, a refreshing cranberry side dish is a must. This one's so quick and easy, and bursting with wonderful sweet-tart flavors and great texture. Plus, it takes just a few moments in your food processor and can even be made in advance!
Family-Favorite Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
Inspired by a favorite recipe from a now-shuttered, beloved local restaurant, this pretty soup has become a mainstay on my family's holiday dinner menus. As a bonus, it can be made ahead and even frozen, so it's a great choice if you're trying to juggle the menu for a multi-course prime rib dinner extravaganza.
Air Fried Blooming Onion
If you love ordering prime rib at casual steakhouses like Outback, then you've probably indulged in a Bloomin' Onion to go with it. This fun homemade version looks and tastes so much like the original, but it's far less messy ... with way less fat and fewer calories (thanks, air fryer)!
5-Minute Sugar Snap Peas
This super-quick recipe has a sweet-and-spicy Asian twist, which is a fun way to introduce a non-traditional flavor profile to an otherwise very traditional menu. These sugar snap peas are also delicious chilled and only get better as they sit, so they're a stress-free make-ahead option!
Cauliflower Mushroom Rice
This cauli-rice is studded with golden brown, seasoned cremini mushrooms and finished with a sprinkling of vibrant, fresh parsley. No wonder it has lots of good reviews! Tip: to save time, buy pre-riced cauliflower.
Christmas Fruit Salad
If you're looking specifically for Christmas side dishes, I highly recommend this gorgeous fruit salad. It's a refreshing change from the vegetable sides, and its layers of red and green are so festive for the holiday season!
Wait … Do You Have Your Recipe for the Prime Rib???
So, now you’ve got lots of great options for what to serve with prime rib … BUT … do you still need a recipe for the main course – for the actual rib roast itself?
No problem! Check out these highly rated ideas for a show-stopping roast:
- Easy, No Fuss Prime Rib from Laura at Tastes Better from Scratch
- Chef John’s Perfect Prime Rib Recipe at Allrecipes
- Roasted and Reverse Seared Prime Rib from J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats
Tips for Buying Your Prime Rib
Never bought prime rib before? It’s handy to know that, according to Food Network, at the market or grocery store, you’ll likely see prime rib called “standing rib roast.”
And, don’t be confused by the “prime” in the term “prime rib”: it doesn’t mean that the meat is necessarily USDA prime grade steak. While it certainly is possible to purchase more expensive, “prime grade” prime rib, that’s not automatically the case just because “prime” is in the name.
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Need More Recipes for a Holiday Dinner Party?
#1 Appetizers – We have oodles of great appetizer and first-course ideas to kick off a prime rib meal:
- If you need something extra-quick, try one of these Easy Christmas Appetizers (or one of these Easy Party Food Appetizers for other, non-holiday celebrations year-round).
- Or, if you want something extra-holiday-ish, in fun shapes like Christmas trees or wreaths, make one of these Cute Christmas Appetizers, or maybe one of the ideas from our collection of Appetizers for a Christmas Potluck.
#2 Even More Side Dishes – In addition to all the sides showcased above, we have plenty more ideas for more casual options, summer-y sides like Grilled Potatoes, and even super-fast “cheater” sides like our ultra-quick Salad with Nuts, Feta and Cranberries or these Shortcut Frozen Green Bean Recipes.
#3 Non-Meat Alternatives – And, if you need a second, vegetarian main dish option on your Christmas menu, as an alternative to your prime rib recipe, try one of these pretty Christmas Main Dish Vegetarian Recipes. Trust me … the vegetarian guests at your dinner party will feel so special and pampered!
Whew … that’s a lot of recipe inspiration for ya!
No doubt, whether you’re looking for ideas for prime rib side dishes for a Christmas holiday meal, or you need some celebration-worthy ideas for special occasions any other time of the year, these delicious recipes have got you covered.
Whatever you’re celebrating – I hope it’s a wonderful meal full of delicious foods, fabulous company … and the making of truly special memories! Enjoy!