3 Easy Holiday Side Dishes You Can Make on a Budget

Maple roasted mini potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon paprika
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons parsley – at the end

Recipe

I picked up a bag of little baby potatoes that I needed to wash and prep.

First, prepare the potatoes. If you like, you can slice them in half, then place them on a sheet pan. I am only going to make about half of the recipe, and I am going to slice the bigger potatoes in half, so they cook evenly. 

Next, I am going to drizzle some olive oil on top of the potatoes and make sure they are evenly coated.  

Season them with a bit of salt and some smoked paprika, and drizzle maple syrup over them.

You'll place them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, and they will be delicious.

Brown sugar carrots

Ingredients

• 1 Pound whole carrots
• 1-2 Tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt/pepper

Recipe

I have 1 pound of carrots, some pepper, salt, butter, and brown sugar. I used coconut sugar, which is better for you. The potatoes and the carrot recipe cook at 400, so I will put them on two separate baking sheets and cook them at the same time. 

First, I am going to peel a few of these carrots. I am leaving the carrots whole for presentation's sake. Next, we will season them with a little pepper, some salt, and about one tablespoon of butter, cut them into small pieces, and put those pieces over the carrots. You could use olive oil if you would rather have olive oil. 

Then I am going to sprinkle some brown sugar over the top. That will make it nice and caramelized and taste delicious as a holiday side dish. 

Now I am going to place both side dishes in a 400-degree oven for about 40-45 minutes. 

The carrots are soft, but not mushy. 

Maple balsamic brussels sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Brussels sprouts – I used frozen
• ¼ Red onion – sliced
• 3 Teaspoons balsamic glaze
• 2 Teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons water
• ½ Teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Teaspoons garlic powder
• Salt/pepper

Recipe

The next side dish is going to be maple balsamic brussels sprouts. Doesn't that sound delicious? 

I have some frozen brussels sprouts. This is a more budget-friendly way to make this by getting the Brussels sprouts frozen. 

I have a bag of brussels sprouts, a red onion, some Dijon mustard, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, water, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Place the Brussels sprouts in a baking dish.

I am going to make the marinade, and to do that, I am going to add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, glaze, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and some water in a bowl and mix it.

Next, I will pour the mixture over the brussels sprouts and let it marinate.

I'm going to take a minute to remove the potatoes and carrots from the oven. Once the potatoes were out of the oven, I added a little bit of parsley at the top.

Back to the Brussels sprouts. I'm going to taste the onions because they're almost like pickled onions right now. Very good. Place them in the oven to cook. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 mins

They came out perfect. You could double the sauce or make extra for the side and then drizzle it on top as it comes out of the oven. 

Holiday side dishes

So those are your three quick, easy, budget-friendly holiday side dishes. They all go well with ham or turkey. What will you be serving this holiday season? Share in the comments below!