When meal planning, side dishes can often be an afterthought. It’s good to stock up on the basics so you can whip something up quickly in pinch, but I’ve also included a wide variety of recipes and ideas here so you can plan easy and delicious pairings with your main courses.
Sides Recipes by Category
Here are a bunch of sides recipes by category … click on an image or scroll to explore.
Go-to Basic Sides
…and here are some super simple sides that are EASY to make and will go with just about any meal!
Vegetable Sides
- Roasted Vegetables
- Braised Asparagus
- Charred Broccoli with Honey Mustard
- Easy Mexican Street Corn
- Easy Cauliflower Gratin
- Grilled Zucchini with Feta and Herbs
- Simple Corn Salad
- Simple Veggie Mash
- Best Okra
- Easy Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes
- Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Avocados
- Green Bean Casserole (with French Fried Onions)
- Asian Coleslaw (with Radish MiniSticks)
- Collard Greens
Rice & Pasta Sides
- Beet and Goat Cheese (Brown Rice) Risotto
- Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto
- Red Beans and (Brown) Rice
- Packaged Brown Rice Ramen Noodles
- Costa Rican Rice and Beans
I have lots of other pasta recipes, but many of those would be considered main courses. You can view them all in the recipe index.
Potato Sides
- Sweet Potato Mash (with Pecans)
- Potato Skins
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Easy Duchess Potatoes
- Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
- Southern Potato Salad (without Mayo)
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Oven-Baked Cheese Fries
Salads
- 33 Salad Ideas for Inspiration
- Creamy Kale Caesar Salad
- Simple Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
- Homemade Salad Dressing
- Easy Homemade Croutons
- Kid-friendly Apple and Cheddar Salad
- Cobb salad with blue cheese dressing
- Kale and Apple Salad
Biscuits & Breads
- The Best Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Super Easy Buttermilk Scallion Cornbread Casserole
- Whole-Wheat Rosemary Foccacia Bread
- Whole-Grain Cornbread
- Melt-in-your-mouth Cream Biscuits
- Cheddar Biscuits with Scallions
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Simple Skillet Cornbread
- Whole-Wheat Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits
- Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits
- Sprouted Wheat Cheddar and Chive Scones
Miscellaneous Sides
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- Creamy Polenta
- Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Glazed Nuts
- Easy Slow Cooker Refried Beans
- Sheet Pan Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes
- Parsnip Smash
- Easy Peasy Applesauce
- Tomato, Corn & Black Bean Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Easy Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes
- Fruit Kabobs with Honey Cream Dip
More Recipes (Recipe Index)
Still looking for more? Prefer to browse pictures? Check out our Recipe Index and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for advanced filters and recipe photos.
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