My best side dishes for prime rib dinner: what to eat with prime rib to transform it into a memorable and flavorful meal. These side dish recipes are perfect for holiday dinners, special occasions, or just because. Choose from refreshing salads, fluffy dinner rolls, creamy mac and cheese, and more Christmas & Thanksgiving favorites!
Before you do your shopping, be sure to see my guide on how to pick the perfect prime rib roast. Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday prime rib early, too!
Jump to:
- Best Side Dishes To Serve With Prime Rib
- 1. Sour Cream Macaroni and Cheese
- 2. Fondant Potatoes
- 3. Creamed Corn
- 4. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 5. Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- 6. Green Garden Salad
- 7. Honey and Herb Roasted Carrots
- 8. Butter Herb Rhodes Rolls
- 9. Creamed Spinach
- 10. Baked Buttercup Squash
- 11. Maple Candied Yams
- 12. Baked Cauliflower with Cheese
- 13. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- 14. Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib
- 15. Prime Rib Au Jus
- 16. Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
- 17. Roasted Brussel Sprouts With Bacon
- 18. Creamy Parmesan Orzo
- 19. Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- 💭 Tips For Choosing Your Side Dishes For A Prime Rib Dinner
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Best Side Dishes For Prime Rib Dinner: 15+ Elegant & Flavorful Recipes To Make!
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Best Side Dishes To Serve With Prime Rib
Whether making a juicy Christmas prime rib roast or simply indulging in a roasted prime rib dinner, you can't forget the sides! From gravy to salad, rolls, and potatoes, the side dishes are what make the meal!
The side dishes have a lot to compete with (who can resist a succulent prime rib roast), so choosing the best recipes is key! Here are a few prime rib side dishes that can hold their own alongside this tender and flavorful cut of beef!
1. Sour Cream Macaroni and Cheese
This creamy macaroni and cheese is enhanced with sour cream for the perfect balance of richness, creaminess, and tang! It features a velvety blend of sour cream, cheddar, and al dente macaroni for an indulgent and satisfying side.
When it comes to prime rib dinners, you really can't go wrong with any macaroni and cheese recipes!
2. Fondant Potatoes
Elevate your prime rib dinner with a side of fondant potatoes! Fondant potatoes are russet potatoes that are sliced, pan-seared, and slow-cooked in a rich broth.
These Pinterest-worthy potatoes have a super tender texture and rich, buttery flavor to match!
3. Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is a comforting side dish made by simmering sweet corn kernels in a rich, velvety cream sauce. It balances the savory flavors of prime rib with its creamy texture and hint of natural corn sweetness.
4. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato recipes complement prime rib beautifully by offering a starchy and slightly sweet contrast to the savory roast. Twice-baked sweet potatoes involve baking sweet potatoes, scooping out the flesh, mixing it with flavorful ingredients, and baking again until golden!
5. Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
While I am a huge fan of classic Campbell's green bean casserole, I think a main dish as elegant as prime rib calls for something special! Adding crispy bacon only elevates the flavor of this casserole even more!
6. Green Garden Salad
With crisp and refreshing leafy greens, ripe tomatoes, and crunchy cucumbers, a garden salad makes a terrific light starter before the meal. You can always swap out my quick apple cider vinaigrette for ranch, Italian vinaigrette, honey mustard vinaigrette, or your favorite dressing!
7. Honey and Herb Roasted Carrots
Honey enhances the natural sweetness of the carrots, while fresh herbs add aromatics and layers of flavor! As the carrots cook, the honey creates a caramelized glaze that perfectly complements rich and savory roast beef!
8. Butter Herb Rhodes Rolls
Rhodes rolls come pre-made and frozen, which means all you have to do is thaw and bake! A quick brush with homemade herb butter gives them an irresistible flavor that sets these dinner rolls apart!
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
9. Creamed Spinach
This steakhouse creamed spinach recipe perfectly balances tender greens and rich, creamy cheese sauce. It's so indulgent that it's easy to forget you're eating vegetables!
10. Baked Buttercup Squash
The natural sweetness of buttercup squash is brought out as it's baked to perfection! It's seasoned with honey, salt, and pumpkin pie spice for a tender, caramelized side dish, perfect for fall or winter!
11. Maple Candied Yams
Candied yams glazed with maple syrup will add a sweet contrast to a savory roast beef dinner. They also feature smokey, salty bacon to balance the sweetness!
Candied yams are a classic Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish, so naturally, they would make an excellent addition to your holiday roast!
12. Baked Cauliflower with Cheese
Even the kids will go nuts for cauliflower when it's covered in gooey melted cheddar! It's an easy vegetable side dish suitable for special occasions and always impresses guests!
13. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
While pan-fried asparagus or sauteed asparagus would also be great choices, wrapping asparagus in bacon gives it some extra pizazz! It's a quick and easy upgrade that makes it a side dish worthy of a succulent prime rib roast!
14. Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib
Prime rib is so tender and juicy it doesn't need a sauce, though it can enhance its flavor even further! Creamy horseradish sauce adds a zesty kick that complements the rich, savory notes of the prime rib.
15. Prime Rib Au Jus
Prime rib au jus is a sauce made by simmering your roast drippings with broth, creating a rich and flavorful gravy! Not only is it delicious when ladled over the beef, but it's great on top of your mashed potatoes, too!
16. Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
Any fluffy dinner roll will go wonderfully with roast beef, but when I splurge on prime rib, I like to serve rolls with a little pizazz like these cloverleaf rolls. They're soft, fluffy, and golden, and surprisingly easy to make despite looking more intricate than most dinner rolls.
17. Roasted Brussel Sprouts With Bacon
These brussel sprouts take on a smokey and sweet flavor from caramelizing while they roast in the oven. Not to mention, there are savory bits of bacon in every bite!
18. Creamy Parmesan Orzo
I love orzo because it's technically pasta but has a shape and texture quite similar to rice. Cooked until tender and mixed with a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce, this orzo tastes like a delicious mix between risotto and mac and cheese.
19. Garlic Butter Mushrooms
The beefy and earthy flavor of prime rib complements the earthy flavor of mushrooms beautifully, and even more so when they're swimming in garlic butter. It's a quick 10 minute recip that is worthy of any upscale restaurant.
💭 Tips For Choosing Your Side Dishes For A Prime Rib Dinner
Like any beef roast, prime rib goes great with most vegetables, potatoes, and of course, au jus sauce. I like to pair my prime rib with elevated versions of classic roast beef sides and use these guidelines to choose the recipes:
- Potatoes: I almost always pair roasts with potatoes in some form or fashion. For prime rib, I like going with elevated potato side dishes like fondant potatoes or dauphinoise potatoes. My rich and creamy cream cheese mashed potatoes would be a nice upgrade to traditional mashed potatoes.
- Vegetables: When it comes to veggies, it all depends on what I have on hand and what is in season. Carrots, broccoli, asparagus and green beans are a few of my year-round favorites.
- Bread: I think that roasts almost require a dinner roll, slice of bread, or biscuit to soak up any sauce or yummy beef juice. Even crusty garlic bread would work well.
- Condiments: Prime rib au jus is just one of the condiments you can pair with prime rib. My personal favorite is horseradish sauce, or you could go with a refreshing gremolata made with parsley.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Best Side Dishes For Prime Rib Dinner: 15+ Elegant & Flavorful Recipes To Make!
Ingredients
Sour Cream Macaroni & Cheese
- 1 lb elbow macaroni (cooked, drained, rinsed)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded, *see notes)
Optional Topping For Baked Mac & Cheese
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs (or Panko breadcrumbs)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 3 tablespoon butter (melted)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Sour Cream Macaroni & Cheese
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes for al dente pasta. Remove from heat when done and rinse in cool water then return to your saucepan.
- Add the sour cream, butter, and seasoning to your pasta (salt, pepper, garlic powder). Stir over low heat until the butter is melted.
- Remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until melted, then serve immediately.
Optional Topping For Baked Mac & Cheese
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Mix until the butter has coated the dry ingredients.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the combined sour cream mac & cheese in a casserole dish. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and the topping is golden.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Each cup of shredded cheddar cheese is approximately 4 ounces.
- Check out my post on the best cheese for macaroni and cheese for more tasty cheese combinations you can try!
- Freshly shredded cheese is always the best choice when making mac and cheese. The store-bought packages of shredded cheese coat the cheese with cellulose to block moisture which keeps the cheese from melting as easily.
- I like to add a pinch of paprika or ground mustard to complement the rich and creamy flavor of the macaroni.
- The number of optional mix-ins you could try is endless! Diced ham, lump crab meat, pickled jalapenos, bacon, frozen peas, there are so many great ways to make this recipe your own!
- I don't recommend freezing this macaroni and cheese because the sour cream-based sauce will start to separate. If you are looking for a freezer-friendly mac and cheese, give this mac and cheese without flour a try!
- To store: Let the leftovers cool fully before transferring them to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Large portions can be reheated in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published November 11, 2023
Comments
No Comments