Southern Soul Food Christmas Side Dishes
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Two words we love to hear come December…
Christmas dinner!
Because the most magical time of the year comes with a holiday feast that should include the best Christmas dinner side dishes!
So, close your eyes. Take a deep breath. And imagine yourself sitting down at home on Christmas Day, surrounded by family and friends.
The scent of a soul food Christmas dinner in the air. An aromatic smell and the essence of Black folks’ food.
This year, create delicious memories with this exceptional soul food Christmas side dishes menu!
The best Christmas side dishes include:
- Black folks’ soul food candied yams
- Southern creamy mashed potatoes
- Soul food collard greens
- Soul food Southern cabbage
- Fresh cranberry sauce
- Black folks’ baked mac and cheese
- Black folks’ chicken and dressing
- Old-fashioned Southern cornbread dressing
🎙 Listen to The Soul Food Pod episode: Soul Food Christmas Dinner
What dishes are served on Christmas?
A soul food Christmas menu is a dinner with Southern soul food entrées and Black folks’ main dish recipes and side dishes.
From the rooter to the tooter, as old Black folks might say!
What do you serve with Christmas dinner?
23 best Christmas side dishes
- Black Folks Southern candied yams with marshmallows
Fall in love with something new this year – Black folks’ Southern candied yams! These sweet babies are perfect for winter or fall. A side dish – kinda like a Southern dessert!
- Black folks collard greens
Without a doubt, Black folks’ collard greens are one of the most flavorful and hearty vegetables on earth! It’s like eating Black excellence.
- Black folks’ fresh cranberry sauce
Forget those canned alternatives. This fresh cranberry sauce is made from all-natural and soul food spices. So delicious!
- Black folks Southern baked mac and cheese
Macaroni noodles boiled in a milk bath, tossed in a creamy cheese sauce, seasoned, and then baked until brown and crispy around the edges!
- Southern mac and cheese
- Soul food lobster mac and cheese
- Black folks creamed corn pudding
Made from the highest quality ingredients available – buttery homemade cornbread, fresh sour cream laden with melt-in-your-mouth Parmesan cheese!
- Black folks’ cornbread dressing recipe
This Southern dish is made of fluffy cornbread, fresh herbs, and veggies cooked with plenty of butter, broth, and egg.
- Old-fashioned Southern cornbread dressing
- Southern turkey dressing recipe
- Black folks’ chicken and dressing
- Southern cornbread dressing with chicken gizzards
- Black folks’ Southern oyster dressing
- Southern liver dressing recipe
- Black folks Southern green beans
Tired of bland green beans all the time?
Instant Pot Southern green beans recipe brings life back to this boring dish! In just 2 minutes, these soul food seasoned veggies are ready for your Thanksgiving dinner table!
- Black folks brown sugar-glazed carrots
Brown sugar-glazed carrots are the simplest way to get your guests to say, “Wow.” Just add some thyme, salt, pepper, chicken stock, and butter to bring out the best of this vegetable! You’ll be like, “Wow, carrots! I didn’t know you had that in you!”
- Southern creamed corn
It doesn’t get more southern than creamed corn! That’s why Southern creamed corn is a nostalgic dish. The essence of warmth and home cooking.
- Black folks’ Southern cabbage recipe
- Black folks baked apples
Is it a dessert or a side dish? Let these delicious Black folks’ baked apples be the conversation starter at your next Thanksgiving feast!
- Black folks’ creamy mashed potatoes recipe
- Black folks’ Southern potato salad recipe
- Black folks’ soul food macaroni salad
- Soul food red beans and rice
- Black folks black-eyed peas
A Black folks’ New Year’s holiday tradition!
- Soul food Southern deviled eggs recipe
- The Soul Food Pot Southern roasted Brussels sprouts recipe – coming soon!
Best soul food cornbread recipes
Trading in dinner rolls or buttermilk biscuits for buttermilk cornbread this Christmas?
Then check out these Christmas cornbread recipe ideas!
- Black folks’ homemade cornbread
What would a Southern soul food feast be without the cornbread, y’all?
Making the cornbread for this recipe from scratch?
Yep! So you won’t need Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix here! From its thinly crisped edges to the chewy center, this skillet-baked bread is waiting for you to savor!
- Sweet cornbread recipe
- Cornbread recipe with corn
- Cranberry sauce cornbread
It’s the best of both worlds with this recipe! A combination of Black folks’ fresh cranberry sauce and Black folks’ homemade cornbread.
Also, check out this recipe for how to make fresh cranberry sauce even easier in an Instant Pot!
What do you serve after Christmas dinner?
And here’s my list of the best holiday desserts to add to your list.
- Black folks’ Southern red velvet cake
Why not wow the crowd with a classic Southern dessert– Black folks’ red velvet cake?
- Christmas sweet potato pie recipe
- Black folks’ Southern bread pudding
- Black folks Southern soul food carrot cake
- Black folks’ Southern banana pudding
Sure, you’ve had banana pudding before. But this is different because it’s banana pudding the Black way! (Yes, with cream cheese!)
- Black folks’ chocolate Southern banana pudding
- Instant Pot banana pudding made from scratch
- Black folks’ sweet potato pie
Black folks’ deep-south sweet potato pie is somewhere between a Southern candied yam and an old-fashioned gingersnap!
- Purple sweet potato pie
This ain’t no humble pie!
A purple sweet potato pie is a stark contrast from the traditional Thanksgiving hues of brown and orange. This pie is bright purple, so if you want your dessert this year to stand out from the crowd – make it a Black folks’ purple sweet potato pie!
- Southern sweet potato pie
- Grandma’s old-fashioned sweet potato pie
- Soul food almond flour pie crust
An almond flour pie crust is so easy to make, just like a regular pie crust. Even if you don’t have any baking experience at all, trust me, you’ll be able to whip this up in minutes!
- Black folks’ Southern peach cobbler recipe
- Black folks’ Southern pecan pie recipe
- Soul food apple pie
- Strawberry pretzel salad
- Black folks’ Southern tea cakes
- Pillsbury mini Christmas wreaths
Soul food Christmas cocktails & drinks
- Black folks’ soul food homemade eggnog
- Black folks moscato sangria recipe
- Black folks Hennessy & Puerto Rican eggnog (Hennessy coquito)
- Southern sweet tea
- Red Southern hibiscus sweet tea
Christmas candied yams recipe
Many people know the ham or the turkey to be the stars of the Christmas dinner table.
But this time, I’m bringing attention to one of the supporting-character sides. The Christmas candied yams!
Kitchen equipment for Christmas side dishes soul food candied yams
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
- 9×13″ baking dish or casserole dish (if not using an Instant Pot)
- KitchenAid classic Y-peeler
Ingredients for Christmas side dishes soul food candied yams
- 3 -3 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes
- 6 cups of cool water
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup of unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
- ½ cup of brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar)
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger (or minced)
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of miniature marshmallows for topping (optional)
Instructions for Christmas soul food Southern candied yams
- Wash the sweet potatoes. (I like to use this vegetable scrubber HERE.)
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into thick round wedges.
- Then set them aside to soak in a bowl of cool water to prevent browning while preparing the candied yams syrup.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, ginger, ground clove, and vanilla extract to the melted butter.
- Mix the ingredients well to create the syrup glaze for the candied yams.
- Next, Drain the sweet potato rounds in a colander.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add ½ a cup of water and the sweet potato rounds to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Pour the syrup glaze over the sweet potatoes.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Optional – Open the Instant Pot lid and sprinkle the miniature marshmallows over the cooked, candied yams.
- With the lid placed not entirely on the Instant Pot (in a resting position, so it doesn’t lock back into position on the pot) continue with the setting on ‘keep warm.’
- After about 5 minutes, check to see if the marshmallows have melted.
- Once the marshmallows are melted, turn off the Instant Pot and transfer your Black folks’ Southern candied yams recipe to a serving dish.
- Serve Christmas soul food Southern candied yams right away, and enjoy!
- Optionally, garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, like a candied sweet potato casserole recipe.
What pairs well with candied yams?
You can’t have this holiday side dish without the rest of the soul food supporting cast from the favorite soul food side dishes list HERE.
Christmas side dishes FAQs
How many side dishes for Christmas dinner?
If you’re asking Black folks, the answer is as many as will fit on the Christmas dinner table!
A soul food Christmas includes a whole soul food menu of delicious entrées and Christmas side dishes, including:
- Brown sugar & pineapple glazed ham
- Black folks’ baked macaroni and cheese
- Soul food candied yams
- Southern sweet potato pie
What do you serve with Christmas ham?
The above side dishes plus these too:
- Soul food collard greens
- Southern creamy mashed potatoes
- Fresh cranberry sauce
- Southern potato salad
What is the most popular side dish for Christmas dinner?
The favorite has gotta be the soulful perfect side dish inspired by the African yam – soul food candied yams!
Is your mouth watering yet?
What is the most eaten food on Christmas Day?
Survey says – it’s a Christmas ham!
What are the top 10 Christmas dinner foods?
Wondering what should you serve for Christmas dinner? Or what are the most beloved Christmas side dishes?
For all the answers and step-by-step recipe guidance. Checkout out this entire Christmas dinner list for the best main course, sides, desserts, and drinks for a sweet Southern soul food Christmas dinner.
What is a good Christmas Southern side dish?
Start here with this holiday table easy candied sweet potato recipe.
What to bring to a potluck without cooking?
Try any one of these easy 5-minute-or-less Instant Pot Christmas side dish recipes. Each is faster than the crock pot!
- Southern green beans
- Southern cooked cabbage
- Soul food brown sugar roasted carrots
- Soul food Southern coleslaw
Why limit yourself to just Christmas?
Did you enjoy these Southern soul food Christmas side dishes?
Have you had these Christmas recipes?
Would you make them?
Comment below and lemme know.
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Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish (if not using an Instant Pot)
- KitchenAid classic Y-peeler
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes 3 -3 ½ pounds
- 6 cups water cool water
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup butter unsalted butter, or vegan butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar granulated
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon of ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ginger ground or minced
- ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups marshmallows *Optional – miniature marshmallows for topping
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes. (I like to use this vegetable scrubber HERE.)
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into thick round wedges.
- Then set them aside to soak in a bowl of cool water to prevent browning while preparing the candied yams syrup.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, ginger, ground clove, and vanilla extract to the melted butter.
- Mix the ingredients well to create the syrup glaze for the candied yams.
- Next, Drain the sweet potato rounds in a colander.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add ½ a cup of water and the sweet potato rounds to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Pour the syrup glaze over the sweet potatoes.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- When the cook time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Optional – Open the Instant Pot lid and sprinkle the miniature marshmallows over the cooked, candied yams.
- With the lid placed not entirely on the Instant Pot (in a resting position, so it doesn’t lock back into position on the pot) continue with the setting on ‘keep warm.’
- After about 5 minutes, check to see if the marshmallows have melted.
- Once the marshmallows are melted, turn off the Instant Pot and transfer your Black folks’ Southern candied yams recipe to a serving dish.
- Serve Christmas candied yams right away, and enjoy!
- Optionally, garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, like a candied sweet potato casserole recipe.