Side Dish Recipes

►Home- All Recipes ►Side Dish Recipes ►Potato Salad ►Mushroom Tart - Galette ►Cole Slaw ►Roasted Vegetables ►Roasted Brussels Sprouts ►Roasted Grapes and Sausage ►Baked Rice with Pomegranate Relish ►Corn Pudding ►Corn Bread ►Bagels ►Parsnip Puree ►Mashed Potatoes ►Sweet Potato Casserole ►Mashed Cauliflower ►Baked Potatoes ►Glazed Carrots ►Cranberry Sauce ►Irish Soda Bread ►Sauteed Squash ►Green Bean Casserole ►Gravy ►Stuffing ►Leave a Comment ►Get Recipes by Email

Over the years I have collected lots of side dish recipes that I have come to depend on. Many times my dinner guests will complement me on my side dishes instead of on the entrée I am serving. That certainly is the case with my mother’s recipe for potato salad.

A side dish usually refers to a smaller portion compared to the larger entrée of a meal, which is served along with the entrée. It can be cold or hot, heavy or healthy, spicy or mild; just about anything that complements the entrée somehow. A good selection of side dishes can certainly make a meal into a feast. A good rule of thumb when serving a meat based entrée is to offer one vegetable side dish and one starchy side dish like a bread, potato, rice or pasta along with the main course. I like serving some tortellini pasta with a little cream sauce along with grilled steak. Consider a side salad, a smaller version of a salad course salad, as a healthy companion to any entrée. When picking a side dish, I try to think about color and texture. For example, if I am serving a creamy casserole like my hot chicken salad as my main dish, I will not serve my green bean casserole as a side dish. My green bean casserole is delicious, but it is also creamy in texture like the entrée casserole so in this case I would serve my roasted vegetables for more of a contrast in color and texture. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes. Home made mashed potatoes are so much better than instant, and are an easy side dish for novice cooks to make. There are only four ingredients, and all you have to do is take the time to prepare them. Mashed potatoes are a good side dish to make before you prepare your other menu items. That’s because they hold heat well when kept to the side in a covered pot while you cook the entrée. Make a big batch since they keep well as leftovers with a little reheating and maybe a dash of milk. For a quick delicious veggie side dish, try my glazed carrots recipe. It only takes a few minutes and adds so much color to the table. Be sure to serve close to eating time since they cool very quickly. I suppose the biggest day of the year in the U.S. for side dishes is Thanksgiving day. It’s my favorite holiday since it is all about the food! It calls for a real feast with a large roast turkey entrée and all the side dish trimmings. You can view a complete menu plus recipes for a holiday dinner complete with side dishes on my holiday dinner page. This page has links to all my side dish recipes - just pick a recipe from the side dish navigation bar on the left of this page.

Mom’s Potato Salad

Roasted Vegetables

Homemade Gravy

Stuffing for Chicken or Turkey

How to Bake a Potato

Cranberry Sauce

Honey Glazed Carrots

Coleslaw

Corn Pudding