Side Dishes
A side dish can support the main course or provide a contrasting texture and flavor. Potatoes, vegetables, beans, grains, pasta, and dressings offer different ways to complete the meal. Begin with the ingredient or serving you want, from browned mushrooms to a creamy gratin, then choose a preparation that fits the rest of the table.
Browse the posts below, or choose a subcategory when available.
Beans & Legumes
Butter beans and pinto beans offer substantial side dishes with different seasonings and sauces. Browse these legumes for a preparation that can accompany another dish or become part of a wider meal.
Pasta & Macaroni Side Dishes
Macaroni and other pasta forms provide a base for creamy or savory side dishes. These recipes offer portions to serve alongside another dish, with sauces and finishes shaping their texture.
Potato Side Dishes
Mashed, gratinéed, fried, and smashed potatoes offer different ways to complete a meal. Lemon-garlic mash and layered potato preparations show how the same ingredient can change texture through the method.
Rice, Grains, & Grits
Rice, grains, and grits provide a base for both simple seasonings and fuller combinations. Mushroom rice, cilantro-lime rice, and buttery corn rice offer different flavors to serve beside another dish.
Stuffings & Dressings
Bread and other ingredients gather into stuffings and dressings with different seasonings. Beer cheese and pecan preparations provide starting points for an accompaniment, with the cooking method specified in each recipe.
Vegetable Side Dishes
Browned mushrooms, zucchini preparations, and other vegetables offer sides with varied textures. Browse dishes that use sautéing, baking, or another method to bring a vegetable accompaniment to the table.
In this collection
Okra and Tomatoes
Fresh summer okra, sliced and cooked with canned tomatoes (you could use fresh instead), bacon, onion, celery, and a few seasonings makes a delicious vegetable side dish for…
Semmelknöedel (Bread Dumplings)
Ingredients 1 (1 pound) loaf stale French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley…
Cooking Rice in the Microwave
Ingredients 2 Servings 1/2 cup rice 1 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon butter or margarine. 4 Servings 1 cup rice 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt…
Simple Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Inspired by an innovative macaroni and cheese recipe that calls for adding sodium citrate, an emulsifying salt, to cheese to keep it smooth when heated (instead of adding…
Sous Vide Scalloped Potatoes
Every holiday season, you wait with anticipation when the bubbling, pan of scalloped potatoes is put on the table, salivating at the thought of those creamy, cheesy potatoes…
Sous Vide Pennies from Heaven
Pennies from Heaven are sweet, orange-infused, glazed carrots, studded with apricots and dusted with a pinch of cinnamon sugar. They get their name from their “divine” flavor; it’s…
Creamed Bacon Spinach
Ingredients 8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 garlic clove, grated 3/4 c up heavy cream kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2…
Bacon Green Bean Bundles
Bacon Green Bean Bundles. Tender crisp green beans wrapped in bacon and brushed with a simple brown sugar glaze. These are easy enough for a weeknight meal and…
Garlic and Bacon Green Beans
Ingredients 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, ends trimmed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 6 garlic cloves, minced 6 bacon strips, cooked, drained…
Foolproof Onion Rings
It’s always difficult to decide whether to get onion rings or fries (get a combo if they’ll let you!). Proper beer-battered onion rings, with a substantial crisp crust…
