11 Potato Sides Perfect for the Holidays
Mashed Potatoes, Make-Ahead Favorites, Sweet Potatoes and More
There are certain foods that I believe deserve an unreasonable amount of space on the holiday table, and potatoes are one of them.
Actually, potatoes may deserve their own table.
You have your mashed potatoes to hold the gravy, something cheesy for the calcium, and a make-ahead option because when the turkey is resting, you should get a break too. Plus you need a sweet potato dish to add some colorful orange to your deliciously brown Thanksgiving spread.
Luckily, I have options.
Over the years I have made a lot of potato recipes, so I rounded up eleven of my favorites that I think are especially good for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinners, and any holiday meal where carbohydrates are being taken seriously.
There are classic mashed potatoes, extra-creamy mashed potatoes, cheesy mashed potato casserole, fancy little Duchess Potatoes, Mashed Potato Bombs, and even Wasabi Mashed Potatoes if your holiday dinner could use a little excitement.
Then we move into sweet potato territory with everything from the classic casserole route to baked sweet potatoes with savory maple butter.
Basically, if you cannot find a potato here that makes you happy, then the Spud Life isn’t for you.
1. Best Mashed Potatoes
The Classic Every Holiday Table Needs
If you just want really, really good mashed potatoes, start here.
These are the potatoes I make when I want that classic fluffy bowl of mashed potatoes sitting next to a roast, turkey, or anything involving gravy.
I use russet potatoes because their higher starch content gives you that light, fluffy texture. One of my biggest tips is to cut the potatoes into larger, evenly sized chunks rather than tiny pieces so they do not absorb too much water while they cook.
These are flavorful enough that they really do not need gravy.
That has never stopped me from adding gravy.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Turkey and gravy
- Roast beef
- Christmas dinner
- Anyone who wants traditional mashed potatoes
- The person who sees the gravy boat as a drinking glass
2. The Creamiest Mashed Potatoes Ever
My Restaurant Trick Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes came from something I learned years ago when I worked in a restaurant and was put in charge of making the potatoes.
The chef taught me a very specific way of making them, and I have been using those tricks ever since.
You do not need a fancy mixer or complicated equipment. The goal is simply to use the right potatoes and handle them properly so they stay creamy instead of turning gummy or gluey.
Once again, I use russets for these because they mash beautifully and give you that creamy, fluffy texture everyone wants.
This is one of those recipes that makes people think you are much fancier in the kitchen than you actually have to be.
We love that.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas dinner
- A special Sunday dinner
- Roast chicken
- Beef tenderloin
- Anyone who considers mashed potatoes the main course
GET THE RECIPE: The Creamiest Mashed Potatoes Ever
3. Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
The Holiday Host’s Best Friend
If you are hosting Thanksgiving, please allow yourself to make something ahead.
These potatoes exist specifically to make your life easier.
Unlike my traditional mashed potato recipes, these potatoes are baked instead of boiled, then mashed with butter and cream.
Baking helps keep excess water out of the potatoes, which is especially important when you know they are going to be reheated later.
The best part is that you can warm them back up in the slow cooker, on the stove, or even in the microwave.
That means one less pot boiling on Thanksgiving morning and one less thing competing for precious oven space.
Sometimes the best holiday recipe is the one that keeps you from losing your mind at 1:47 PM.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving hosts
- Christmas dinner
- Big family gatherings
- Anyone short on stove space
- Anyone who wants to prep the day before
- People who would like to actually sit down before their guests arrive
4. Cheesy Onion Mashed Potato Casserole
Like the Inside of a Pierogi Became a Holiday Side Dish
These potatoes are another make-ahead masterpiece.
Savory sautéed onions, cheese, and creamy mashed potatoes come together in a casserole that reminds me of the filling inside some of my favorite pierogis.
Cottage cheese helps make these potatoes extra cheesy while still baking up surprisingly light and fluffy.
You can assemble the whole thing the day before, refrigerate it, and bake it when you need it.
I especially love this one with roast beef, beef tenderloin, or prime rib because you can pop the casserole into the oven while your meat is resting.
That is holiday efficiency.
Make This One For:
- Prime rib
- Beef tenderloin
- Christmas dinner
- A Polish-inspired holiday table
- Make-ahead entertaining
- Cheese and onion people
- Anyone who believes pierogi filling deserves more exposure
GET THE RECIPE: Cheesy Onion Mashed Potato Casserole
5. Duchess Potatoes
Fancy-Looking Potatoes Without Fancy-Chef Effort
Duchess Potatoes are what you make when you want everyone to think you have really gone above and beyond.
They are somewhere between mashed potatoes and twice-baked potatoes, but they are much easier to make than individual twice-baked potatoes.
The potato mixture gets piped into pretty little swirls and baked until the edges get golden.
You can use a pastry bag with a large star tip, a decorating tool or even a zip-top bag with the corner cut off.
They look incredibly pretty on a holiday platter and are also an inexpensive way to make a basic ingredient feel special.
Fancy potatoes on a budget. Exactly my kind of glamour.
Make This One For:
- Christmas dinner
- A fancy Thanksgiving
- Beef tenderloin
- Prime rib
- Individual holiday servings
- A dinner party
- Anyone who enjoys food that looks far more difficult than it actually was
GET THE RECIPE: Duchess Potatoes
6. Mashed Potato Bombs
Little Cheesy Potato Puffs of Happiness
These are slightly different from the other potato recipes because they work beautifully as either a holiday side or an appetizer.
Mashed Potato Bombs are creamy, cheesy little potato puffs made with instant mashed potatoes, cheese, sour cream, egg and paprika.
And yes, I said instant potatoes.
For this particular recipe, instant potatoes are actually important because their texture helps these little potato bombs hold together properly.
I also think these would be fantastic for a Thanksgiving weekend football game when everyone claims they are still full from Thursday but somehow keeps wandering into the kitchen looking for snacks.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving appetizers
- Christmas parties
- Football Sunday
- Holiday cocktail hour
- Leftover grazing days
- Anyone who loves cheesy potatoes
GET THE RECIPE: Mashed Potato Bombs
7. Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
For the Holiday Table That Could Use a Little Personality
If you have already served regular mashed potatoes approximately 4,000 times in your life, let’s shake things up.
These Wasabi Mashed Potatoes are creamy with just enough wasabi to give them an earthy little kick.
They are especially good with beef roasts, steaks, and pork, which makes them a great Christmas dinner side if you are serving prime rib or beef tenderloin instead of turkey.
The important thing with wasabi is to give the flavor a moment to develop before deciding you need more.
That heat can sneak up on you and nobody needs Aunt Linda crying over her mashed potatoes at Christmas.
Well, not because of the wasabi anyway.
Make This One For:
- Beef tenderloin
- Prime rib
- Steak
- Asian-inspired pork
- Christmas dinner
- Adventurous eaters
- Anyone bored with plain mashed potatoes
GET THE RECIPE: Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
A Sweet Potato Interlude…
Now we need to discuss sweet potatoes.
For many years I did not even particularly like sweet potatoes.
I know, please respect my privacy during this difficult admission.
Over time, however, I figured out that perhaps the problem was not sweet potatoes themselves.
I simply needed them prepared in ways that actually tasted good to me.
So now, naturally, I have four recipes.
That is how these things happen.
Now back to our list.
8. Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole
The Classic Holiday Sweet Potato Moment
If your family expects sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, this is the place to start.
This casserole was actually born because Mister Tipsy loves sweet potatoes and I had some I needed to use up.
At the time, I was still firmly in the “I don’t like sweet potatoes” camp.
Then I made this.
The recipe is simple, comforting and exactly the kind of sweet potato side dish that belongs on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
If you have people who insist Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without a sweet potato casserole, give them what they want.
The holidays are not the time to start family wars.
We already have enough opportunities for that.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Traditional holiday dinners
- Sweet potato lovers
- Anyone who demands a sweet potato casserole every November
GET THE RECIPE: The Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole
9. Baked Sweet Potatoes With Cinnamon Crunch Topping
Sweet, Savory and Crunchy
This recipe has one of those ingredient combinations that makes people look at you suspiciously right up until they taste it.
The sweet potatoes have brown sugar and cinnamon, but they also get garlic salt and pepper.
Then everything gets topped with buttery crushed cereal squares for a crispy topping.
It gives you the sweet flavor people expect from holiday sweet potatoes while also having enough savory flavor to keep the whole thing from tasting like dessert disguised as a vegetable.
Although if your Thanksgiving vegetable wants to behave like dessert, I am personally not going to report it.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas dinner
- People who love crunchy toppings
- Sweet-and-savory fans
- Anyone tired of marshmallows
- A fun alternative to traditional sweet potato casserole
GET THE RECIPE: Baked Sweet Potatoes With Cinnamon Crunch Topping
10. Ultimate Baked Sweet Potatoes With Savory Maple Butter
Sweet Potatoes for People Who Don’t Want Dessert on Their Dinner Plate
This is one of my newer sweet potato recipes and one of my favorites because it leans much more savory.
The potatoes are baked whole with olive oil and kosher salt so the skins get some texture while the insides stay soft and fluffy.
Then comes the good part.
The compound butter combines maple syrup and brown sugar with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and other seasonings.
Toasted pecans, flaky salt and chives finish everything off.
You still get that little bit of sweetness people associate with sweet potatoes, but there is plenty of savory flavor to balance it out.
This would be especially good if your Thanksgiving table already has several sweeter dishes and you want the sweet potatoes to stay firmly on the dinner side of things.
Make This One For:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Roast pork
- Steak
- Turkey
- Sweet-and-savory people
- Anyone who thinks sweet potatoes need to calm down with the sugar
GET THE RECIPE: Ultimate Baked Sweet Potatoes With Savory Maple Butter
11. Air Fried Sweet Potatoes With Magic Butter
A Holiday Side Without Using Your Oven
Here is something especially valuable around the holidays: A side dish that does not need the oven.
These sweet potatoes are cooked in the air fryer until the skins are lightly crisp and caramelized and the insides are soft.
Before air frying, I brush them with a little maple syrup.
Then they get my Magic Butter, which is made with butter, buttermilk powder, dill, garlic salt and black pepper.
This is another sweet potato recipe for those of us who like a little sweetness but do not necessarily want our potatoes covered in marshmallows.
And because they are made in the air fryer, these are especially useful when the turkey, stuffing, casseroles, and everything else have already taken your oven hostage.
Make This One For:
- Smaller Thanksgiving dinners
- Christmas dinner
- Anyone short on oven space
- Sweet-and-savory fans
- Steak or pork dinners
- A holiday dinner for two or four
- People who remembered at 3 PM that they forgot the sweet potatoes
GET THE RECIPE: Air Fried Sweet Potatoes With Magic Butter
Which Holiday Potato Recipe Should You Make?
Eleven potato recipes may feel like a lot of responsibility.
Allow me to simplify this.
If you want the traditional mashed potatoes:
Make the Best Mashed Potatoes.
If creamy texture is your number one priority:
Make The Creamiest Mashed Potatoes Ever.
If you want to do the work ahead of time:
Make the Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes.
If you want cheesy, oniony comfort food:
Make the Cheesy Onion Mashed Potato Casserole.
If you want something elegant:
Make the Duchess Potatoes.
If you want a potato appetizer or football snack:
Make the Mashed Potato Bombs.
If you are serving beef and want something unexpected:
Make the Wasabi Mashed Potatoes.
If your family expects classic sweet potatoes:
Make the Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole.
If you love a crunchy topping:
Make the Baked Sweet Potatoes With Cinnamon Crunch Topping.
If you prefer sweet potatoes on the savory side:
Make the Ultimate Baked Sweet Potatoes With Savory Maple Butter.
If your oven is completely full:
Make the Air Fried Sweet Potatoes With Magic Butter.
And yes, you can serve more than one kind of potato.
I strongly encourage this type of behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions About Holiday Potatoes
Can I make mashed potatoes ahead of time?
Yes, but some recipes reheat better than others.
My Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes were specifically developed for this purpose and can be reheated using several methods, including the slow cooker, stovetop or microwave.
If you are hosting a large holiday dinner, having the mashed potatoes finished ahead of time is one of the easiest ways to take pressure off Thanksgiving Day.
What potatoes are best for mashed potatoes?
I prefer russet potatoes for light, fluffy mashed potatoes.
Their starch content helps create that pillowy texture, which is why I use them in several of my mashed potato recipes.
How do I keep mashed potatoes from getting watery?
One major mistake is cutting potatoes into pieces that are too small before boiling them.
Smaller pieces absorb more water.
Larger, evenly sized chunks help limit the amount of water that gets into the potatoes.
You can also use my baked Make-Ahead Mashed Potato method if you want to avoid boiling altogether.
What potato side goes best with prime rib?
I would choose the Cheesy Onion Mashed Potato Casserole, Duchess Potatoes, or Wasabi Mashed Potatoes.
All three feel a little more special and are excellent alongside beef.
What is the best potato recipe if I am short on oven space?
The Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes are helpful because you have multiple reheating options, including a slow cooker.
The Air Fried Sweet Potatoes With Magic Butter are another excellent choice because they never need to go into your main oven at all.
Can I serve both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving?
Of course.
In fact, this is one of the few situations where I think doubling up on the same general food category makes complete sense.
Mashed potatoes serve an entirely different purpose than sweet potatoes.
One is there for the gravy.
The other is there because your mother, aunt, or grandmother will notice immediately if it is missing.
These are both important jobs.
Save This List for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Holiday dinners are stressful enough without trying to remember which potato recipe you saw three weeks ago while scrolling on your phone at midnight.
Save this roundup and come back when you are planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu.
Whether you want traditional mashed potatoes, something you can make ahead, cheesy potatoes, fancy potatoes, or a sweet potato recipe that does not involve turning dinner into dessert, there is something here for you.
And if you end up serving two kinds of potatoes?
I support you.
Three?
Now we are best friends.
Because as far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as too many potatoes on a holiday table.
If you’re looking for some amazing football food, check out these Game Day Recipes and of course you should read my Stuffing Round Up for your other Thanksgiving needs.