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Side Dishes

Potatoes, green beans, carrots, corn, and a bright cucumber salad.

A side should finish when the main does. These are short: roasted potatoes, a skillet of green beans, carrots, corn, and a raw salad that needs no stove.

Salt them like they matter. A pale side next to a well-seasoned chicken is the usual reason a plate tastes unfinished.

Time

Difficulty

Meal

Cooking method

Dietary

High protein means the estimate is about 30g or more per serving. Vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, and lower-carb are applied only when the recipe is written to meet them.

Budget

32 recipes

Bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes with a pat of butter and chopped parsley

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Russet potatoes are boiled until tender, dried in the hot pot, and mashed with warm milk and butter. Garlic and parsley keep the mash familiar without turning it into a flavored side.

40 min · Easy

Bowl of creamy potato salad with egg, celery, and a sprinkle of dill

Potato Salad

Yukon Gold potatoes and hard-cooked eggs are folded with celery, onion, pickle, and a mayonnaise-mustard dressing. The salad is chilled so the potatoes soak up the dressing before serving.

40 min · Easy

Baking dish of thick baked beans with pieces of bacon and a darkened top

Baked Beans

Canned navy beans bake in a sauce of bacon, onion, molasses, ketchup, and mustard. The oven thickens the sauce and browns the top without a long soak.

1 hr 5 min · Easy

Skillet of red Spanish rice with tomato, onion, and green pepper

Spanish Rice

Long-grain rice is toasted in oil with onion, pepper, and garlic, then simmered in tomato and chicken broth. The grains finish separate, stained red, and soft all the way through.

35 min · Easy

Skillet of thick mashed refried pinto beans with onion and a lime wedge

Refried Beans

Canned pinto beans are fried with onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder, then mashed with their liquid. The beans should be thick enough to hold a shape on a plate, not soupy.

23 min · Easy

Platter of Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onion, and slabs of feta

Greek Salad

Tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and olives are tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano. A block of feta goes on at the end so it stays in large pieces.

20 min · Easy

Bowl of broccoli salad with bacon, cheddar, red onion, and sunflower seeds

Broccoli Salad

Raw broccoli is tossed with crisp bacon, cheddar, red onion, and sunflower seeds in a sweet-tangy mayonnaise dressing. The salad sits long enough for the florets to soften slightly but stay crunchy.

25 min · Easy

Pot of silky collard greens with pieces of smoked ham hock in the broth

Collard Greens

Collard leaves simmer with a smoked ham hock, onion, garlic, and a splash of vinegar until they are silky. The pot liquor should taste savory, not muddy or bitter.

1 hr 15 min · Easy

Skillet of glossy creamed corn with a pool of butter on top

Creamed Corn

Corn simmers in milk and cream with a little butter and a cornstarch slurry so the sauce turns glossy. It should coat a spoon, not run like soup.

25 min · Easy

Skillet of dirty rice with browned ground pork, peppers, and scallions

Dirty Rice

Ground pork browns with the trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, then rice simmers in the same pot. The grains pick up the browned meat and Cajun seasoning so the rice looks speckled, not plain.

45 min · Easy

Baking dish of au gratin potatoes with a browned cheddar top and creamy sliced potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes

Thin potato slices bake in a cheddar and milk sauce until the center is tender and the top is browned. A short stovetop sauce, then a 375°F oven, keeps the potatoes from sitting in raw milk.

1 hr 20 min · Medium

Baking dish of golden corn pudding with a spoonful taken out to show the soft center

Corn Pudding

Corn, eggs, milk, and cornmeal bake into a soft custard with a set center and a golden top. It is a side, not a dessert, even with a spoon of sugar in the batter.

1 hr · Easy

Bowl of fluffy cilantro lime rice with lime wedges

Cilantro Lime Rice

Plain long-grain rice steamed, then stirred with lime juice and cilantro. Rinse the rice so it cooks up separate, not sticky.

23 min · Easy

Crispy oven fries spread on a sheet pan with salt

Crispy Oven Fries

Thick russet fries soaked, dried, and roasted on a hot sheet until the edges are deep golden. Crowding the pan is what makes them limp.

1 hr 5 min · Easy

Bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes with chives and a pool of butter

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Yukon potatoes mash with warm milk and sour cream so the texture stays fluffy, not gluey. Chives go in off the heat.

35 min · Easy

Roasted cauliflower steaks drizzled with tahini sauce and parsley

Tahini Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower steaks and florets roast until the cut sides brown, then get a lemon-tahini spooned over the top. It is a side that can also be the plate.

40 min · Easy

Fluffy rice pilaf with parsley and lemon in a skillet

Herbed Rice Pilaf

Rice is toasted in butter with onion, then simmered in broth until the grains stay separate. Parsley and lemon go in at the end.

30 min · Easy

Roasted asparagus spears with lemon and parmesan

Charred Lemon Asparagus

Asparagus roasts hot so the tips char and the stalks stay snappy. Lemon and a little parmesan go on while the pan is still hot.

20 min · Easy

Skillet of seared corn in brown butter with chives

Brown Butter Skillet Corn

Frozen or fresh corn sears in browned butter until some kernels spot. Salt and chives are the whole seasoning.

22 min · Easy

Glossy soy-glazed snap peas in a skillet

Soy-Glazed Snap Peas

Snap peas hit a hot pan for a few minutes, then a thin soy-honey glaze coats them. They should stay crisp, not limp.

14 min · Easy

Smashed cucumbers in a garlic chili dressing

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers are smashed so the dressing gets inside, then salted and dressed with garlic, soy, and chili. It is cold, crunchy, and not the creamy cucumber salad.

15 min · Easy

Toasted garlic bread sliced on a board

Skillet Garlic Bread

Split bread is toasted in a covered skillet with garlic butter so the crust crisps and the crumb stays soft. It does not need the oven.

18 min · Easy

Golden cornbread muffins in a tin

Cornbread Muffins

A slightly savory cornbread batter bakes in a muffin tin so the edges brown and the centers stay tender. Honey is in the batter, not poured on after.

26 min · Easy

Roasted broccoli with charred edges and lemon zest on a sheet pan

Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli florets roast at high heat until the edges char and the stems stay crisp. Lemon and garlic go on after the oven so they stay bright.

28 min · Easy

A bowl of creamy coleslaw

Classic Coleslaw

Shredded cabbage and carrot in a tangy mayo dressing, salted so it tastes like slaw and not like sweet salad.

15 min · Easy

A bowl of creamy macaroni salad with celery and paprika

Creamy Macaroni Salad

Elbow macaroni, celery, and a mustard-mayo dressing. A picnic salad with a measured amount of sugar, not a cup of it.

25 min · Easy

A baking dish of scalloped potatoes with a browned top

Scalloped Potatoes

Thin potatoes baked in seasoned milk and a little cheddar until the center is tender and the top is brown.

1 hr 20 min · Easy

Roasted potato wedges with golden edges, parmesan, and parsley.

Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Potato wedges tossed with oil, garlic, and parmesan, roasted or air-fried until the edges brown. A side that can sit next to chicken or steak.

40 min · Easy

Roasted carrots with a honey glaze and thyme.

Honey Roasted Carrots

Carrots roasted with oil, salt, and thyme, then glossed with a little honey. Sweet, but not candy. A side for chicken or a roast.

40 min · Easy

Corn with crema, cotija, chili powder, and lime.

Elote-Style Corn

Corn coated in a little mayonnaise, cotija, chili, and lime. Grill it if the grill is already on. Otherwise a skillet and a cover will char it.

18 min · Easy

A skillet of blistered green beans with garlic and lemon.

Garlic Green Beans

Green beans blistered in a hot skillet with garlic and finished with lemon. A 15-minute side that stays bright instead of olive-drab.

15 min · Easy

A bowl of cucumber, tomato, red onion, herbs, and feta.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumber, tomato, and red onion with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and feta. A raw side that takes about 15 minutes and no stove.

15 min · Easy

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