So you're hosting a big Christmas dinner and don't know what to serve with that roast, turkey or ham? Relax. Picking side dishes is a snap.
Instructions
1. Decide what your main course will be. Your "big deal" entree, whether it's a roast beef, ham, turkey or something else, will determine what side dishes you serve.
2. Determine how it will taste. Sounds like a simple question, and it is. Will it be sweet or salty, spicy or bland? Will it be mild or bold?
3. Plan on serving several side dishes with the meal. Some should complement the main course, others contrast it.
4. Accompany a ham, which is very salty, with a sweet side dish, such as roasted apple chunks, a sweet sauce or chopped pineapple. Oven-dried seasoned tomatoes and ginger-glazed carrots (see related eHow) go well with ham.
5. Pick mild vegetable dishes to accompany ham, which is already very well seasoned. Good choices include wilted spinach, dilled cucumber salad or steamed broccoli.
6. Pair a juicy, flavorful roast beef with at least one side dish that will absorb its juices. Mashed potatoes is the classic choice here, but other good side dishes for beef include sauteed mushrooms, wilted or creamed spinach, and steamed or roasted asparagus.
7. Match a boldly seasoned or spiced entree, such as Cajun prime rib, with side dishes that both complement and temper the seasoning. Roasted peppers will complement the seasoning, and mashed potatoes and creamed spinach will temper it.
Tags: side dishes, creamed spinach, main course, roast beef, side dish