30 Days of Splendid Sides

Hearty pumpkin and creamy sweet potatoes steal the show in this winter-weather pilaf. It’s an ideal way to add fiber to your diet and a beautiful showcase for some underused winter vegetables.

Citrus gives a common side dish an unexpected, but delightfully delicious, makeover. The dish is light and refreshing so it won't bog down your plate.

View Recipe: Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots Recipes  

Served as an accompaniment to pork or poultry, these baked apples are a sure way to take advantage of the season’s bounty while adding flair to your meal. Leftovers?  These apples can be served over oatmeal or slices of breakfast bread the next morning.

Chopped shallots and fresh thyme and parsley come together with quick-cooking couscous for a versatile, no-fuss side dish.

This favorite casserole was revamped to include the same creamy tang of the original recipe, but with 26 fewer grams of fat. The water chestnuts add a surprising crunch, and the substitution of sharp Cheddar cheese for the milder Colby variety provides additional zing.

Orzo pasta is a versatile base for dishes, and this one is chock-full of zesty ingredients. Red onions add crunch and the combination of artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and kalamata olives all add fresh brininess to the salad.

View Recipe: Carrot Soufflé

View Recipe: Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic

View Recipe: New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Steaming vegetables helps to retain all of the healthful water-soluble vitamins, and these carrots are no exception. The addition of the garlic-ginger butter gives an exotic flair to an otherwise classic dish.

Sprinkle a buttery, brown sugar and pecan mixture over the top of the creamy potatoes in this casserole side dish that's sweet enough to be dessert.

Haricots verts are tiny, fresh French green beans. If you can’t find them, substitute regular fresh beans, which you’ll need to cook a few minutes longer. You can also use white wine vinegar instead of Champagne, if necessary.

Be sure to purchase a crumbly wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano for this super quick potato side dish. The salty flavor will give just the right bite to these melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes.

View Recipe: Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad

Lots of tastes and textures to sample as you travel around your plate—that's our idea behind having lots of sides. Start the journey with this rustic stuffing.

View Recipe: Garlic Fries

View Recipe: Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider

Making your own bread cubes is easy and yields delicious results. You can prepare the toasted bread cubes two to three days before Thanksgiving; store at room temperature in a zip-top plastic bag. If there's space in the oven, bake the stuffing while the turkey roasts. Otherwise, bake it in the morning, and reheat it while the turkey stands.

View Recipe: Herbed Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms and Sausage

• Watch the How-To Video: Recipe Makeover: Herbed Bread Stuffing

Peppery mustard greens and slightly bitter escarole combine with raisins and pungent garlic for a tasty green veggie side. If you can’t find mustard greens or escarole, you can make this dish with fresh spinach.

Make everyone happy and top this lightened version of the classic sweet potato casserole with both marshmallows and toasted pecans.

View Recipe: Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

It seems like just about every family has a signature stuffing (or dressing) recipe, based on one of a wide variety of grains. This recipe uses nutty wild rice, along with tart-sweet dried fruit and plenty of classic sage, creating an inspired side that might just become a new tradition in your home.

View Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Gratin

This classic macaroni and cheese recipe has been updated for heightened flavor with the addition of Gouda and Parmesan cheeses and fresh spinach.

View Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Barley

View Recipe: Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

Bake potatoes up to two days ahead, and fill with stuffing. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and bake.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

The sweetness and tartness of citrus provides a nice respite from the earthy and hearty flavors of most other winter produce. This simple dish dresses raw orange and red onion with just olive oil for a nice, light flavor whose acidity and pungency make an excellent counterpoint to cold-weather dishes made from fattier cuts of meat, such as beef stew.