19 Side Dishes To Jazz Up Your Menu
Sneak Preview: Peruse this collection of 19 side dishes suitable for holidays, celebrations, parties, Sunday dinners, or vegetarian entrees.
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Do you get stuck on the side dishes when you plan your menu? Or maybe you need to take something to a potluck or celebratory gathering. Look through these side dishes for something to jazz up your menu with fresh color, exciting textures, and valuable nutrition.
Start here:
Fresh Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole Without Soup Recipe
This is a traditional Broccoli-Rice Casserole with mushrooms but no canned soup. See microwave directions in the notes below the recipe directions.
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Easy Carrot Casserole Recipe
Puréed carrots get the company-best treatment with a little butter, sugar, and maple flavoring. You’ll love the soufflé-like texture. An Instant Pot and a food processor make assembly quick and easy, but neither is essential. Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour.
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Sweet Potato Balls: A Fun and Festive Side Dish
These mashed sweet potatoes are formed into balls, rolled in a spicy egg white mixture, and then rolled in chopped pecans. They are a delicious make-ahead alternative to marshmallow, butter, and sugar-laden sweet potato casseroles.
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Tex-Mex Yellow Squash Casserole with Leftover Cornbread and Green Chiles
This is a spicy mixture of summer squash, corn, green chiles, and leftover cornbread. Southern cuisine combined with Tex-Mex flavors makes a memorable side dish or vegetarian entree.
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Cilantro Hominy Rice Recipe
Try this flavorful side dish of buttery cilantro rice with hominy alongside grilled meats–especially a steak or a pork tenderloin.
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Deviled Eggs Without Mustard
Your whole family will appreciate these deviled eggs with a mildly sweet and tart twist. Apologies for the leftovers you won’t have to take home because there won’t be any.
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Smoked Carrots Recipe
Baby Carrots get the oven-roasted treatment along with a sprinkle of smoked paprika that results in smoky baby carrots.
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Baked Yellow Squash Soufflé
Fresh yellow squash makes a delicious but simple casserole similar to that served at Black-Eyed Pea restaurants in the South.
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Simple Squash Patties Recipe
These miniature, savory, yellow squash pancakes are for all ages. They are finger food for kids, especially when there is ranch dressing on the side.
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Crunchy Coleslaw Recipe with Ramen
Try this slightly untraditional coleslaw with a sweet-and-sour dressing, almonds, and Ramen noodles. It’s full of flavor and crunch.
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Old-Fashioned Potato Salad with Cooked Dressing Recipe
A classic potato salad with homemade cooked dressing, but no mustard (there are no rules against adding it anyway if you want).
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Baked Beans with Sausage and Ground Beef Recipe
Well-seasoned baked beans are taken to a new level with the addition of ground beef, hot sausage, and bacon.
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Roasted Eggplant and Potatoes Recipe
Roasted eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and sliced mushrooms are seasoned with Ranch dressing dry-mix packet and oil, then roasted in a hot oven.
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Spicy Eggplant Recipe with Green Chiles and Cheese
Southwestern Eggplant Dressing uses cornbread as a base with all sorts of veggies added, including green chiles, for a savory side dish or vegetarian entree.
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Simple Baked Mukimame and Mushrooms
Frozen mukimame combines with sliced fresh mushrooms to make an easy but flavorful side dish.
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Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
Make your mashed cauliflower more appealing and non-soggy by cooking in the microwave–uncovered.
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Potato and Sweet Potato Mash Recipe
White potatoes and sweet potatoes are cooked together, mashed separately, then swirled together to make an interesting and tasty side dish.
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Easy Calabacitas (“Little Squashes”) Recipe with Potatoes and Corn
Fresh Calabacitas contain yellow squash, zucchini, onions, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. Makes a great side dish or soft taco filling.
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Easy Cheesy Rice Pilaf
Long-grain rice combined with yellow bell peppers, parsley, and cheese makes a colorful side dish.
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If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.