Serving your leftover ham for a big family group after easter or Christmas – what do you serve with it?
Serving ham in sandwiches or ham steaks as your main protein at a large family gathering is often a family tradition. Serving ham or ham steak is especially popular at New Years Day lunch or dinner.
Ham is always enjoyed by kids, teenagers, and adults alike!. But the key to serving ham at a family gathering is to pair it with sides that go with ham.
Here we have taste-tested sides that go well with ham and give you the ultimate party guide on what to serve with ham.
Sides range from Turmeric Rice to mashed potatoes and grandma’s butter carrots.
Here we list the top fifteen sides for ham recipe in 2024
1. Ham and Scalloped potatoes
The salty Ham taste with cheesy au gratin potatoes provides a perfect balance of dishes.
There are multi-layers of thin-sliced potatoes, with cream and cheese plus some onions make an amazing ham side dish.
Sprinkle on top some bacon bits for even extra flavor for the potatoes and it will make leftover ham yummy.
2. Mashed potatoes and Ham
This dish is probably the most popular side dish to serve with ham. Cook them so that they are fluffy and light. Flavor with butter and cream and a touch of garlic. Even a sprinkle of paprika to give color to the dish will make it amazing. This dish goes well with honey baked ham and brown sugar glaze.
3. Ham with Mashed Sweet potatoes
Sweet potato or mashed Yams give a slightly sweet side dish and when mixed some thyme and seasoned with salt and pepper make this ham side dish a favorite.
To reduce the cooking time of sweet potatoes is to cut them up into smaller pieces before cooking.
4. Green Salad and Ham
Serving ham at a family picnic then a garden salad is a great option.
See our resource on how to choose the best salads for a summer BBQ
Green salads are a favorite food for party providers, they are healthy and delicious.
5. Carrots with Ham
A classic is to serve carrots and ham, together with mashed potato and fresh garden peas.
You can make ham steaks and this becomes a really good full meal. See our recipe for Grandma’s Carrots.
6. Coleslaw and Ham
Coleslaw is a traditional American side dish that has been around since the early 1900’s. It is usually served cold and often includes shredded cabbage, carrots, celery, and other vegetables. Coleslaw is typically eaten as an accompaniment to barbecued meats, such as pork, beef, chicken, and turkey.
It also goes really well with ham, and because it is served cold then it is great for a picnic party side dish.
Coleslaw is also known as slaw, cole slaw, and coleslaw mix. The name comes from the German word “kohl” meaning cabbage.
If you haven’t tried coleslaw and ham then you are missing out.
See our exact table of how much coleslaw you need to serve for a large group.
7. Turmeric Rice and Ham
This recipe is laden with Turmeric and coconut flavor. If you want to serve a fancy ham dinner then serve ham with turmeric rice.
See how to make turmeric rice.
8. Caramelized Onions to Flavor Ham
Caramelized onions are a delicious side dish that goes perfectly with burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta dishes, and even salads. They are also a healthy alternative to french fries. They go perfectly with ham as a side dish.
The onions are cooked slowly until they turn into a sweet and savory treat. The process takes longer than frying, but the end result is worth it.
9. Guacamole and Salsa Ham Sides
Guacamole is a Mexican dish that is traditionally served with chips. It consists of mashed avocado mixed with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
It is also used as an ingredient in other dishes such as tacos, burritos, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and Ham.
Guacamole has become popular around the world due to its versatility. It can be eaten alone or added to other foods.
10. Mushroom risotto
This Italian-inspired recipe combines rice with mushrooms and onions. And of course not forgetting some cheese to top it all off.
Make sure you use a good quality chicken broth or stock when making mushroom risotto.
11. Gado Gado – Served with Ham
Gado Gado is a popular Indonesian dish consisting of vegetables, meat, and rice cooked together in coconut milk. It is usually served with peanut sauce.
Gado Gado has been around a long time and was originally created by the Javanese people. The name “gado” means “to mix” while “gado gado” means ‘mixed vegetables’.
Today, Gado Gado is eaten throughout Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. It is also commonly found in restaurants in the United States.
It is an exotic side dish to serve with ham.
12. Green beans and sliced Almond with Ham
and garlic are delicious
Green beans are healthy vegetables that are full of fiber and nutrients. They are also low in calories and fat. However, green beans are often over cooked and become mushy.
To get the best out of green beans, cook them in a pan with butter and garlic. The combination of these ingredients makes the green beans taste amazing and sliced toasted almonds gives a great texture and goes with ham so well.
13. Whole Cooked Sweet corn
I love corn on the cob. It’s delicious, healthy, and a perfect summertime treat. Corn on the cob pairs up with ham and makes a delicious side dish.
14. Roasted Baby Asparagus
This versatile side dish of baby asparagus will go well with ham. You can even wrap the ham around the asparagus.
If you want to elevate the taste of this roasted asparagus, there are a few possible condiments
Parmesan cheese, paprika, and cayenne powder.
15. Bacon potato salad with Ham
Bacon potato salad is a delicious side dish that is perfect for summertime entertaining. It’s also a healthy option because it contains lots of vegetables and lean protein.
Slice up the ham and they match each other’s flavor.
If you’re looking for a delicious side dish that’s also healthy, then you should try these recipes. They are sure to impress your guests.
If you want to serve ham at your next dinner party, then you should definitely consider making these side dishes. They are perfect for serving alongside ham because they complement each other perfectly.
These recipes are simple to prepare and require only a few ingredients. So, if you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe for ham, then you should definitely give these a try. Also, see how much Potato Salad to Serve your Guests
So to summarize again here are the top dishes to serve with ham at your party
- Au gratin potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole
- baked potato
- bean soup
- Green Salad
- Roasted Carrot with Butter
- Turmeric Rice
- Caramelized Onions
- Guacamole
- Gado Gado Salad
- Mushroom risotto
- Green bean and toasted almond slices
- Whole Sweet Corn
- Roasted baby asparagus
- Potato Salad with Crispy Bacon
- Brussels Sprout
- Deviled Eggs – How many per Person
- Baked Beans
- pea soup
Include this beauty in your list of side dishes for ham?
Corn Pudding – while it sounds strange – this will delight everyone you serve it to.
Mashed potatoes or buttermilk cornbread?
If you need a simple brown sugar ham recipe for 50 people then Mashed potato or buttermilk cornbread is a great starter – even adding grits will improve the dish or creamy potato. You can even make in a casserole dish in the oven.
What are the best Condiments to Serve with Ham for a Big Group or Party?
When you have a main dish of ham serving these condiments will add flavor – for example, who has not heard of ham and mustard.
- Mustard (dijon mustard)
- Cream cheese
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- goat cheese
- olive oil on a ham slice
- fruit salad
- deviled eggs
So whatever your leftover ham, Christmas ham, Easter ham, or just a nice honey glazed ham you have lots of choices for your ham dinner or picnic.
Easter Ham Dinner
The holiday season brings many opportunities to celebrate and enjoy food. This includes Easter, which is celebrated by Christians around the world and it’s often accompanied by a meal featuring ham.
Other dishes that are also served are
- mashed potato
- baby peas
New Years Day Ham Lunch
A new years day lunch, be it a picnic if you live in Florida, or inside if you are in New England. Serving a honey-roasted ham is a way to celebrate the new year.
What Sauces To Serve With Ham
- Pineapple Jam or Chutney
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Peanut Dipping Sauce with Kaffir Lime
- Dijon Mustard and Apricot Sauce
- Soy Ginger Sauce
- Cranberry Sauce
- Spicy Honey Glaze
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Chili Garlic Sauce
- Mushroom Gravy
- Caramelized Onion Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
What Is the Best Sauce to Serve with Ham For 2024
The best sauce to serve with ham is Kaffir Lime and Pineapple, it just elevates the Ham flavor to a new level.
Haming it up!
So you’ve decided to bake ham for dinner tonight. But what do you serve with it? We hope you got some good ideas above from our list of foods and sauces that pair well with ham.
The best way to enjoy a piece of ham is to pair it with a delicious side dish or salad.