I have nothing against a good main dish, but some of the most memorable bites at a meal come from the side of the plate. We have all seen it happen. The roast, steak, or grilled chicken gets top billing, only for everyone to keep going back for the potatoes, salad, or casserole instead.
The best side dishes do more than round out a meal. They bring flavor, texture, and just enough personality to steal a little attention for themselves. These 21 recipes are the ones that remind me why sides sometimes deserve star billing.
Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
Let's be honest, the only reason anyone gets excited about eating a tree-shaped vegetable is if it is buried under a mountain of cheese. This bake smothers a crisp broccoli and cauliflower blend in a rich cheddar sauce until it bubbles up around a crunchy breadcrumb crust, turning a side dish into the main event.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
Loaded Mac and Cheese
The worst thing a mac and cheese can be is loose and runny on the plate, which is why a baked, golden crust is non-negotiable. Folding the pasta into a blend of melted cheeses before it goes into the oven gives it a firm structure, so it holds its shape when everyone grabs a massive scoop.
Get the Recipe: Loaded Mac and Cheese
Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes
If you are still just boiling your potatoes, we need to talk, because smashing them flat with a coffee mug is a game-changer. It creates all these jagged, uneven edges that get incredibly dark and crispy in the oven while keeping the inside pillowy soft.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes
Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn
There are some weeknights when my energy level for cooking is zero, and that is exactly when this dump-and-go dish comes in handy. You just toss sweet corn, cream cheese, and jalapeños into the slow cooker and let it turn into a rich, spicy side that you will probably end up eating straight out of the crock with tortilla chips.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn
Avocado Chicken Salad
I love a creamy salad on a hot afternoon, but a heavy jar of mayonnaise is usually the last thing I want to pull out of the fridge. Instead, mashing ripe avocados with fresh lemon juice creates a super-smooth, bright base for chicken and crunchy vegetables that easily steal the spotlight.
Get the Recipe: Avocado Chicken Salad
Cheesy Funeral Potatoes (Hash Brown Casserole)
You can bring a lot of fancy dishes to a family potluck, but nothing will ever disappear faster than a hot pan of hash brown casserole. It is practically impossible to mess up: you are just mixing frozen potatoes with sour cream and cheese, but that crunchy, buttery cornflake topping makes people push past the main course for a second scoop.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Funeral Potatoes (Hash Brown Casserole)
Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Harissa Oil
Eggplant gets a terrible reputation for being spongy and sad, but that is only because it hasn't met a screaming-hot grill grate yet. Giving the slices some serious char softens them completely, creating the perfect folds to catch crumbly white feta and a fiery splash of harissa oil.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Harissa Oil
Asparagus And Ricotta Tart
If you are trying to convince a house full of picky eaters that green vegetables can actually be exciting, wrapping them in a flaky pastry crust is the ultimate sneaky move. Tucking fresh asparagus into creamy ricotta looks like something from a high-end bakery, but it is incredibly simple to pull off before dinner.
Get the Recipe: Asparagus And Ricotta Tart
Buttered Cabbage
It always blows my mind how the cheapest, most boring-looking head of cabbage in the produce aisle can transform into pure comfort food with just a little heat. Chopping it up and simmering it slowly with a generous amount of butter turns it sweet and tender, proving you don't need a big grocery budget to completely clear the table.
Get the Recipe: Buttered Cabbage
Twice Baked Loaded Potato Casserole
Staring at a bowl of cold leftover mashed potatoes from the night before can be uninspiring, but turning them into a loaded bake completely rescues them. Whisking in sour cream and extra butter brings back that smooth texture, and burying the top in bacon and green onions gives you all the magic of a twice-backed potato without any of the tedious stuffing.
Get the Recipe: Twice Baked Loaded Potato Casserole
Slow Cooker Baked Beans With Bacon
Trying to get that thick, old-school diner texture out of a can of baked beans is a losing battle, which is why letting them simmer all day in a slow cooker is well worth the wait. The brown sugar and thick slices of bacon melt down into a rich, smoky sauce that will make you look at a can opener with pure embarrassment.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Baked Beans With Bacon
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans
We have all survived that holiday side dish made with mushy, metallic-tasting canned vegetables, but switching to fresh green beans completely changes the texture. Snapping crisp beans into pieces gives the dish an actual bite, especially when they are tossed in cream sauce and buried under fried onions.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans
Tomato and Smashed Cucumber Salad
Taking your frustrations out on a cucumber with a rolling pin sounds a little wild, but breaking them open is also the best way to build a salad. Those rough, jagged ridges soak up the dressing way better than a smooth knife slice ever could, creating a super crunchy mix that tastes exactly like summer.
Get the Recipe: Tomato and Smashed Cucumber Salad
Cast-Iron Charred Beet Salad With Greek Yogurt
Beets are naturally packed with sugar, and hitting them with high heat in a hot iron skillet caramelizes the outside until they are sweet and smoky. Tossing those hot, charred pieces over a bed of cold, tangy Greek yogurt creates a hot-and-cold contrast that will completely steal the show at a barbecue.
Get the Recipe: Cast-Iron Charred Beet Salad With Greek Yogurt
Argentinian Empanadas
I firmly believe that wrapping literally anything in a flaky pastry crust makes it ten times better, and these baked hand pies are the proof. They are stuffed with three different savory vegetable fillings, making them so warm, crunchy, and fun to eat that nobody will even care if you forgot to cook a main course.
Get the Recipe: Argentinian Empanadas
Middle Eastern Caramelized Sweet Potato Slices With Date Syrup
Sweet potatoes are great, but slicing them thin and roasting them until the edges get dark and crispy unlocks an entirely new level of flavor. To set up the perfect plate, smear some smooth cream cheese on the bottom, pile the warm potatoes on top, and drizzle it all with sweet date syrup.
Get the Recipe: Middle Eastern Caramelized Sweet Potato Slices With Date Syrup
Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans
Let's be completely honest with each other: calling this a side dish is just a socially acceptable excuse to eat dessert right alongside your dinner. Mashing the sweet potatoes with warm spices is a classic start, but burying them under crunchy pecans and puffy marshmallows turns the top into a gooey, sweet dish.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans
Balsamic Berry Salad with Goat Cheese
Adding fresh strawberries and blueberries to a dinner plate might feel a little chaotic at first, but the flavor combination is unbeatable. The sweet fruit cuts right through a tangy balsamic dressing, and when it hits that creamy goat cheese, you get a bright bowl that completely vanishes from the table.
Get the Recipe: Balsamic Berry Salad with Goat Cheese
Gluten-Free Carrot Soufflé
If your usual holiday table is starting to feel a little predictable, this light, fluffy carrot bake is the perfect way to shake things up. It rises like a cloud in the oven and blends carrots and warm spices into something just sweet enough to feel like a treat.
Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Carrot Soufflé
Loaded Cabbage Steaks
Slicing a head of cabbage into thick, heavy disks is my favorite shortcut for turning a humble vegetable into the main event. Roasting them in savory bacon fat softens the middle while crisping the edges, and a drizzle of creamy garlic dressing makes the whole thing feel surprisingly hearty.
Get the Recipe: Loaded Cabbage Steaks
10-Minute Beet and Feta Salad With Pears and Pistachios
Keeping a package of pre-cooked beets in your fridge crisper is also my secret for last-minute dinner emergencies. You just toss them with sweet pears, salty feta cheese, and a handful of crunchy pistachios for a colorful bowl that looks like it took way more effort than a ten-minute assembly.
Get the Recipe: 10-Minute Beet and Feta Salad With Pears and Pistachios
Sometimes the side dish is the reason people go back for seconds.
