If you are tired of the same side dishes at holiday dinners, Food Explora’s top easy side dishes below will appeal to you. Everyone in the family will enjoy these delectable side dish recipes.
There are also Vegan and Gluten-free side dish recipes for everyone’s taste. Some can be enjoyed as a complete one-pot-meal.
What would the holidays be without desserts? There are also two recipes for sweet treats that are suitable for any occasion. Please share your favorite number side dishes in the comments section.
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Food Explora's Easy Side Dishes
Side Dish Recipe #1: Easy Baked Jerk Chicken Mac and Cheese.
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Side Dish Recipe #10: Brussels Sprouts With Balsamic Ginger Dressing.
Side Dish Recipe #12: Creamy Polenta
A Jamaican Side Dish: Rice ad Peas
In many Jamaican Households, Rice and Peas is the only or main side dish that is served on a Sunday evening. Most often, it is served with “french fried chicken.”
There are many different variations to Jamaican rice and peas side dish recipe.
Morris Time Cooking on their YouTube channel below showcases a step by step version on how they cook their authentic Jamaican rice and peas.
One Of My Favorite Side Dishes

Food Explora's Sweet Sides.
Here are two sweet treats from Food Explora that are ideal for the holiday season.
As a seafood lover, I’m tempted by the Sweet & Spicy Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Ackee Fried Rice. But with Christmas coming up, the Shaved Brussels Sprouts In Balsamic Ginger Sauce sound like a must-try!
all great recipe! glad there are vegan options too
Yum! All these side dishes look amazing! I will have to try some of them out. Thanks for sharing!
These all look so good! Especially that cranberry pasta. Yum!
I love your spin on different side dishes to make, especially the Jerk Chicken Mac n Cheese. That sounds so yummy. This is going in my recipe book!
Wow these have got my mouth watering, especially the Mac & Cheese! They all look and sound absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing these Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Great ideas! I love orzo but never make it 🤷🏼♀️ I definitely think I need to revisit that for my dinner table
Some of these recipes sounds delicious especially the Jerk Chicken Mac and Cheese definitely need to give that a try. Thanks for sharing
The mac and cheese looks good, they all look good. Thanks for sharing!
~Michelle
https://michellescrazybusylife.net
The jerk chicken Mac and Cheese sounds like a great recipe. Mac and Cheese is a great dish, often quite filling on its own, so why not add jerk chicken and make it a meal
Unwanted Life, there is jerk chicken in the mac and cheese. It’s actually a complete meal on its own.
Mm.. oatmeal dumplings sounds delicious!
I’ve been meaning to try orzo for a while, it’s not easy to find in the UK
Thanks for dropping by Rachel. Hope you get to make the Orza side dish someday.
This is a great list of easy side dishes! I think the vegan sweet potato salad is my favorite. I agree, it’s always the same side dishes at holiday dinners. This will change it up a bit!
One of my favorite side dishes Jenna. Thanks for dropping by.
These side dishes & puddings look amazing! The sweet potato pudding is something I would probably make.
Thank you Mummy Con….. The pudding is delicious.
i woul dlike some right now
Thanks for dropping by Jimmy.
If I had to pick one, it would be Jamaican beans and rice. Great collection!!!
Thank you, Vaishali. Great choice.
What a marvelous list of tasty dishes.
Thank you Larena