It’s holiday time and, with that, comes trips back home for family gatherings. Not all kids/siblings/whatever have to bring something to the table, but if you do it’s nice to have a couple ideas to get your head thinking in the holiday game.

These are some simple and generally pretty cheap side dish ideas that the general public loves. Of course there are so many more, but these are both classics and some new ideas you might want to try.

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Green Bean Casserole (BettyCrocker.com)

Ingredients:

– 2 (14.5) oz. cans French-style green beans, drained

– 1 (10 ¾) oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup

– ¼ cup milk

– 1 (2.8) oz. container French-fried onions

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Mix green beans, soups and milk in a baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes, topping with fried onions during the last 5 minutes.

Cheap, simple and a generally loved dish. Bam. Green bean casserole is a great option for family gatherings, especially because it can be prepared a day in advance, then cooked the next day.

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Little Smokies (AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients:

– 1 (18 oz.) bottle barbeque sauce

– 1 cup packed brown sugar

– ½ cup ketchup

– 1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

– ½ cup chopped onion

– 2 (16 oz.) packages little wieners

Directions:

Stir everything together in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 hours.

Love, love, love these. This recipe is so easy, it’s nuts. The only downfall for being a college student and taking this back home is that it requires a crock pot, which many students don’t own yet. Also, the little wieners can be kind of expensive. Regardless, make these the way they are or wrap bacon around them and you’re bound to make a good impression on mom.

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Can of jellied cranberry sauce (common sense)

Directions:

Open can, let the contents plop into serving dish.

Okay, so maybe this is cheating in a way (and the product sounds totally gross), but it’s all good. Jellied cranberry juice isn’t for everyone – and some family might think you’re cheap and/or lazy for buying only a can or two to bring – so proceed with caution. If you’re in need of a cheap, convenient and fast option, this fits the bill.

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Sausage Bread (MyRecipes.com)

Ingredients:

– 1 pound ground hot pork sausage

– 1 (11 oz.) can refrigerated bread dough

– 1 ½ cups shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook and drain sausage. Unroll dough into rectangular shape on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese and sausage evenly on dough. Roll dough into long, tube-like shape. Turn the rolled dough seam down on the baking sheet. Pinch the ends of the dough to keep the contents inside. Cut 3 (¼ inch) deep slits on the top of the dough. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, let stand 10 before cutting.

This is an extremely simple recipe (even though the instructions look a bit confusing). Along with being super easy and super cheap, it can be made and then stored in a crock pot for traveling and keeping it warm. Not to mention sausage bread is tasty and can be changed by adding whatever other ingredients inside.

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Oreo Fluff (Cooks.com)

Ingredients:

– 1 package OreoⓇ cookies

– 1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding

– ½ cup milk

– 1 (16 oz.) container whipped cream

Directions:

Crush OreoⓇ cookies. In a bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Add crushed cookies to bowl. BAM. Done.

This will forever be a hit at any gathering you host or attend. You’d be hard-pressed to find a group that doesn’t appreciate a bowl of chocolate and pudding, and just tasty yumminess. The good thing about this recipe – including the simpleness – is that it can be refrigerated and kept for awhile, so it doesn’t have to be served right away. Simple and cheap, saveable and tasty. Perfect, right?

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This isn’t exactly a detailed list of decadent cuisine, but a blue-collar array of side dishes tends to fit the time and budget of college students especially.

There are some other side dishes you can bring, including: coleslaw, scalloped potatoes, fresh fruit, cheese dip, scalloped corn, mac ‘n’ cheese, stuffed peppers, meat tray, corn on the cob, stuffing, or some desert things, like cookies, bars or pie.