Side Dish Recipes

Asparagus and pimento side dish steams fresh asparagus and tops with lime juice, pimento, and pine nuts. A 10-minute Mediterranean-leaning side that works hot or chilled.

Easy creamed spinach: a Pennsylvania-style side made by wilting fresh spinach in its own water, then folding it into a quick nutmeg-spiked bechamel. Seven ingredients, half an hour.

Lamb and fennel salad with a creamy Spanish-style hazelnut garlic dressing, endive, spinach, and crumbled goat cheese. An elegant salad with Mediterranean soul.

Microwave eggplant with chopped tomatoes, green chilies, cumin, oregano, and melted Monterey Jack cheese. A low-calorie Mexican-inspired vegetable side dish.

Easy fish bisque built on canned cream of cheddar and tomato bisque soups, then simmered with milk, dry sherry, dill and flaky whitefish. A creamy seafood soup ready in under 10 minutes.

Creamed broccoli with parmesan blanches florets and stems, then mashes them into a nutmeg-spiked cream reduction. A rustic vegetable side that reads like a dressed-up purée.

Butternut squash with carrots and onions glazed in a white miso and orange juice sauce. A vegan side dish with deep umami sweetness, no butter or oil required.

Sesame spinach salad dressed with walnut oil, sesame oil, and reduced-sodium soy sauce, topped with sliced mushrooms and toasted sesame seeds. A light, nutty Asian-style side.

Smashed spiced sweet potatoes are oven-roasted whole, then smashed rustic-chunky with butter, maple syrup, chili powder, cumin, and ginger. A warm-spiced holiday side that beats marshmallow casseroles.

Twice-baked creamy stuffed potatoes loaded with crispy bacon, sour cream, Parmesan, scallions, and paprika. Steakhouse side-dish classic at home.

Texas caviar made from dried black beans slow-simmered with a smoky ham hock, then tossed with sauteed peppers, onions, and fresh tomatoes. A Lone Star classic side dish.

Twice-baked stuffed potato loaded with cottage cheese, cheddar, sunflower seeds, green pepper, carrots, and scallions. A lean, vegetable-packed baked potato made in the microwave.

Five-green salad with iceberg, Boston lettuce, romaine, chicory, and spinach, each dressed separately in Italian dressing and arranged in strips with Parmesan.

Savory cornbread muffins loaded with cheddar, Parmesan, and properly boiled poke salat, an Arkansas Cornbread Festival recipe. A Southern wild-greens twist on cheesy cornbread.

Tom yam het is the vegan Thai hot and sour mushroom soup with oyster mushrooms, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and chili. Built on vegetable stock and Nam Prik Pow chili paste for a quick 30-minute bowl.

Cheesy crusted spiced acorn squash roasts wedges of sweet squash under a crunchy Parmesan, sage, garlic, lemon-zest breadcrumb crust with a pinch of cayenne. A fast vegetarian side for weeknight dinners.