Hi friend!
Hosting a cozy holiday dinner for a small crew? These 5 downsized holiday side recipes are perfect for 4-6 people. This is part two of my holiday sides series, you can find video one here https://youtu.be/1Onheh_qoos and the printable recipes for part one here: https://staceyssimplemeals.com/4-thanksgiving-side-dishes-that-feed-4-6-people/
The Amazon products that I used in the video are
Carote Pan Set https://amzn.to/47NJHyr
This slicer is very similar to the Pampered Chef one https://amzn.to/48OAasS
Hotec Silicone Spatula Set https://amzn.to/47I7bWz
As an Amazon Affiliate, I do receive a commission when you order using my links. It doesn’t cost you any more to use these links. I appreciate you supporting me by using these links.
Here are the recipes!
Potato Au Gratin with Ham
Ingredients
- 2 T Butter
- 3 T Diced Onions
- 1 c Half and Half
- 1 c Milk
- 3 T Flour
- ½ t Black Pepper
- 1/2 t Salt
- ¼ t Ground Dry Mustard
- 1 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 c Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- ¼ c Diced Ham
- 1 ½ pounds of Sliced Potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- To reduce cooking time, parboil the sliced potatoes
- Melt butter in a pan
- Sauté the onion and diced ham in 1 T of butter and set the side
- Make the cheese sauce by melting the remaining butter
- Add the salt, pepper and ground mustard and stir to combine
- Add the flour and stir until all of the flour is incorporated-it will be thick and that’s okay.
- Add the milk and half and half to the flour mixture a little at a time whisking until it is smooth.
- Once you have your milk and half and half incorporated add the cheeses
- If the cheese sauce gets too thick simply remove it from the heat, adding more milk to thin it out if necessary.
- Drain the par boiled potatoes
- In a 9×9 pan layer the cheese sauce, potatoes, and ham and onions alternating until you reach the top of the pan finishing the layers with the cheese sauce.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered and 5-10 minutes uncovered. Check the potatoes for doneness and if they are not soft continue cooking uncovered until your potatoes have reached your desired tenderness.
- Enjoy!
Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds of sliced yellow squash about 3 medium yellow squash
- 1 Onion diced 1 cup
- ½ t Salt
- ½ t Pepper
- 1 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Sour Cream
- 1 Sleeve of Ritz Crackers Crushed
- 3 T Melted Butter
- ¼ Parmesan Cheese
- Oil for the sauté pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Sauté the onions in the oil with the salt and pepper.
- Add squash to the onions and continue to cook until the squash is tender
- Drain any liquid from the cooked squash
- In a bowl combine the squash mixture with the sour cream and cheddar cheese
- Make your cracker crumb topping by combining the butter, the Ritz crackers and the parmesan cheese
- Place your squash mixture into a greased 9×9 pan
- Topping with the cracker topping
- Bake for 25 minutes
- If the topping gets too brown, cover the dish with foil and continue to bake until the casserole is bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- ¼ c Grated Onion you could use diced onions as well
- 2 T Diced Jalapeno
- 1 Garlic Clove Minced
- 8 oz Sour Cream
- 1 14 oz can Creamed Corn
- 1 14 oz Can of Corn drained
- 1 Egg
- 1 Box of Corn Muffin Mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Combine all ingredients and place in a greased 9×9 pan
- Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Spicy Southern Lima Beans
Ingredients
- ¼ c Diced Ham Chinks
- 1 Bag Frozen Lima Beans
- 3 Cups Water
- ¼ t Garlic Powder
- ¼ t Onion Powder
- ¼ t Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/8 t Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a pan and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 20 minutes until the Lima Beans are tender
- Enjoy!
Easy Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz Fresh Cranberries washed
- 1/2 c Sugar
- 1/2 c Brown Sugar
- 1/4 t Cinnamon
- Juice of one orange (about 2 ounces)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients and place in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes
- Allow to cool completely
- Enjoy!
These small batch holiday sides will feed a smaller crowd and leave you with fewer holiday leftovers. Be sure to let me know if you make any of these downsized sides.
Have a wonderful week!
#HolidayRecipes #SmallBatchCooking #SoloCooking #DownsizedSides #EasyHolidayMeals #RiceCookerRecipes #CrockpotSides #MicrowaveMeals


Will be using all of these recipes this year! It just he and me now.
Thanks for all of the yummy content.
[…] entire turkey dinner, I have your side dishes covered too. You can find those recipes here: https://staceyssimplemeals.com/5-easy-thanksgiving-sides-for-small-gatherings/ and here: […]