Healthy Winter Side Dish Recipes

It's been said that serving cabbage for New Year's promises prosperity, so adding a few carrot coins can only sweeten the purse.

There's nothing easier--or tastier!--than a pan of roasted root vegetables. Clean them, trim them, and season them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and let them roast to perfection in the oven while you focus on the rest of your meal.

Instead of the typical glazed carrot side dish, try this version, with added parsnips and a tangy--but sweet--balsamic vinegar glaze.

Take advantage of pears when they're at their best in the fall and winter. This fruit salad combines ripe pears with low-fat Greek yogurt, toasted pecans, and a touch of honey. It's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

We mix Yukon gold and red-skin sweet potatoes with mild leeks in this easy au gratin recipe. The combination of Parmesan and Cheddar makes this dish irresistible.

This unique squash hybrid is smooth and silky like kabocha squash with the rich, sweet flavor of a butternut. Use it as a base for a grain bowl or slice into wedges and serve with a creamy yogurt sauce.

Sage and nutmeg are the perfect seasoning pair for these acorn squash slices. Sprinkled with Parmesan just before serving, this vegetable side dish goes well with any main dish you're serving.

Cheddar cheese, maple syrup, and turkey bacon dress up mashed butternut squash for a delightful side dish.

Smashing vegetables creates cracks that soak up this savory vinaigrette for an easy and super-flavorful veggie side dish. You can try this technique with other root vegetables, such as parsnips and celery root, as well.

To infuse peas with flavor, simmer them with dried spices, which pack a more intense punch than fresh. Smoked paprika delivers the essence of ham hocks or bacon while keeping this classic side dish vegan.

This gluten-free dressing (or stuffing, if you prefer) leans on a blend of brown and wild rice for a complex nutty flavor. Look for dried Mission figs in the bulk aisle or with the packaged dried fruit in your grocery store. You can swap in dried cherries or cranberries if you can't find dried figs.

You'll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.

Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and celery root make up a colorful roasted vegetable medley. If you can't find celery root (also called celeriac) you can swap in another root vegetable such as carrots, parsnips, or turnips.

Instead of serving mashed potatoes for dinner, try this smashed parsnip recipe. Parsnips are higher in fiber and lower in calories and carbs than potatoes. This side dish is ready in just 35 minutes--perfect for dinner after a busy day at the office.

Local honey not only supports your neighborhood bee farmers, but it's unprocessed and pure, unlike the filtered honey that's available in your grocery store. Just a couple tablespoons of honey is all that's needed to sweeten this yummy roasted squash recipe. The sweet taste contrasts nicely with the sea salt to make each bite melt in your mouth.

This take on a green bean casserole from José Andrés features perfectly cooked green beans in a mushroom sauce made with real cream. Andrés even gives the traditional canned french-fried onions a run for their money with some freshly frizzled shallot rings. Serve for Thanksgiving or as a side for roast beef or roast chicken.

Russets are our potato of choice for this garlicky mashed potato recipe because they cook up super-fluffy.

Smoky Black Forest ham, celery and onion are common in stuffing, but the real surprise here is the addition of applesauce, which keeps the stuffing moist while boosting the flavor of the diced Granny Smiths.

In this healthy root vegetable recipe, we take the flavor of salt-and-vinegar chips and apply them to turnips. We found that simmering the turnips with vinegar before roasting infuses the flavor throughout. Try this technique with other root vegetables and potatoes too.

Make this classic comfort food side dish in an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, to get the potatoes soft and tender in a jiff! This easy, 5-ingredient recipe is perfect for the holidays because it's all done in one pot and doesn't take up any extra oven or stove space.