57 Easy Side Dishes To Keep in Your Back Pocket

We’re just going to come out and say it: Sometimes the sides are the best part of the meal. Vegetable sides are bright and colorful, healthy sides fill us up with fiber and whole grains — and comforting sides like potatoes and rice are always crowd-pleasers. Whether you’re looking for a leafy green salad, something to make with all that quinoa in your pantry or ideas for a special occasion (did someone say, ‘Thanksgiving sides’?) you’ll find plenty of delicious options right here — starting with this bold twist on two classics.

Crispy roasted potatoes get a major upgrade with the punchy flavors of Caesar salad. Anchovy-spiked oil coats the potatoes before roasting, while cubes of crusty bread add that crouton-y crunch. A velvety Caesar mayo — bright with lemon and garlic — brings everything together. Topped with Parmesan and fresh parsley, it’s a crowd-pleasing side with serious flavor.

This chewy farro pilaf comes together with just a handful of common ingredients but has incredible flavor thanks to a little shallot and fresh chopped parsley. Toasting the pasta and farro in oil before cooking also adds a nice, nutty nuance.

Carrots don’t usually get the crispy treatment, but they’re surprisingly great candidates. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness, then smashing them into a layer of finely shredded Parmesan creates a salty, lacy crust that shatters as you bite in. The tarragon-lemon dipping sauce cuts through the richness and keeps things bright. Because the recipe is naturally gluten-free, it works just as well as a snack or appetizer as it does a side dish. When going the side-dish route, I like to spread the sauce on the bottom of a platter and pile the carrots on top, so you get a little with every bite.

Bright in both color and flavor, Ellie's Wheat Berry Salad makes a great side dish for grilled meats and fish; pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.

The combination of maple syrup, horseradish and butter in these slightly sweet and sharp spuds—perfect for your next holiday dinner—is a home run.

The secret to this quick-cooking spaghetti squash is the microwave: Spaghetti squash cooks in under 20 minutes when you zap it; toss the pastalike strands with an Indian-inspired sauce for an easy weeknight side.

Enjoy one of your favorite bar and party snacks in a new form. Cauliflower with a spicy buffalo coating and served with a cool, creamy blue cheese sauce is a delicious, vegetable-centric stand-in for the traditional wings.

This cozy, cheesy tomato rice is a no-fuss side dish the whole family will enjoy. Preparing it in a slow cooker makes it super easy to throw together – just toss in a few pantry staples, set it and walk away. A couple of hours later, you’ll have a warm, comforting side dish ready to serve with a variety of mains – try it with grilled chicken, tacos or a pot of saucy beans for the perfect accompaniment. Plenty of pepper Jack added just before serving creates a perfectly melty, creamy finish.

It doesn't need to be July or August for you to enjoy corn on the cob. In fact, this easy 15-minute recipe gives you the perfect excuse to make it and eat it any time of the year! The star of this side dish is the paprika butter topping, which you'll make by combining softened butter, grated garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. If you have some of the topping leftover, a little birdy told us that it tastes amazing smeared across a grilled hotdog too.

These hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes that have been cut into a fan shape, then dotted with a butter, oil, thyme and garlic mixture before baking. Serve with a Greek yogurt topping for a new way to eat your sweet potatoes.

Frozen green beans, canned white cannellini beans and frozen edamame beans are at the heart of this fiber-rich side dish recipe. We suggest serving it with the homemade mustard-vinaigrette included in the recipe, though your favorite store-bought salad dressing could also work!

Even the biggest mashed potato fan will be on board with this creamy cauliflower side.

The irresistible flavor of sour cream-and-onion potato chips inspired this tangy twist on a comfort favorite. We gave a super-creamy mixture of three cheeses a boost by folding in a generous amount of sour cream and minced chives. Curly cavatappi pasta holds the sauce beautifully, and a topping of crushed potato chips ensures every bite gets irresistible crunch and flavor. Feel free to swap in any short pasta for cavatappi — whatever shape you use, be sure to undercook it by a few minutes before adding to the sauce.

Roasting Brussels sprouts brings out their nutty flavor; Ina likes hers crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

This bright potato salad skips the mayo in favor of a punchy mustard vinaigrette that’s balanced by the sweetness of caramelized leeks and onion. Tossed with the vinaigrette while still warm, the fingerling potatoes soak up every bit of flavor. A generous amount of fresh herbs and crisp sugar snap peas to finish add a burst of spring flavors. It’s an excellent make-ahead that's equally at home alongside grilled fish, barbecue or roast chicken. Or pack it to level up the fare at your next picnic.

Cauliflower can shine in many forms. This recipe shows how simple it is to turn the florets into a healthy, low-carb side dish—our version has only about one-quarter of the carbohydrates in rice.

This side dish has the perfect balance of citrus and spice. We love using baby kale—it's quicker than regular kale on prep and cooking time but still packed full of vitamins K and C and the nutrient lutein (reportedly good for eye health).

Dress up canned black beans with fresh, colorful veggies like corn off the cob, tomatoes and avocados.

Bok choy comes into season in the spring and fall. There are a few different ways to cook it; the Food Network test kitchen tried all of them, and this simple 15-minute technique is our favorite. It involves quickly stir-frying the bok choy with garlic, ginger, a splash of Shaoxing wine and savory chicken bouillon. At Chinese restaurants, adult bok choy is typically blanched until just-tender or sliced thinly for stir fries, but we prefer to split heads of tender baby bok choy in half. Just be sure to rinse your bok choy thoroughly, as sand and grit can hide between the leaves.

Saute fresh green beans with your favorite mushrooms—just one kind or a few different varieties—for a simple side dish that pairs well with chicken, fish or beef.

Barley can be found in two forms—hulled and pearl. Pearling removes almost a third of the grain, making it quicker cooking and reducing some nutrients. Hulled barley takes longer to cook but has a higher nutrient content and a pleasant, toothsome chewiness. This pilaf recipe is a simple way to enjoy hulled barley.

These potatoes still taste buttery and rich but are much lighter than the full-fat version; they're made with a small amount of butter and reduced-fat cream cheese.

If there's one vegetable that pairs perfectly with just about any protein—be it chicken, beef or fish—it's green beans. In this 15-minute recipe from Food Network Magazine, the beloved veggies are cooked in olive oil until beautifully browned. They are then topped with a herby "crumble" made from fresh parsley, basil, pistachios and scallions.

This tasty side dish gets a twist with the added bonus of squash. Not only does the squash add a vibrant color and tons of vitamins to the dish, it provides a creamy texture that plays well off the crisp corn kernels.

This ruby-red side dish isn't just a showstopper. It's also packed with betalains, red and yellow pigments that act as antioxidants that search for and stabilize free radicals (which can cause cell damage).

Roasting lemon peel along with potatoes ensures that the resulting side dish is packed with lemony flavor.

Who wouldn't want to dig into a plate full of these expertly caramelized baby carrots?! Looks aside, this yummy side is perfect for anyone who's super curious about cooking with harissa, but hasn't tried it yet.

This salad comes together quickly, but giving the cabbage and Brussels sprouts extra time to rest in the creamy dressing before serving ensures that the vegetables have flavor in every bite.

Oats don't always have to be sweet; they're great in savory dishes as well. Risotto, a comforting Italian dish usually made with Arborio rice, can also be made with steel-cut oats for a homey and heart-healthy version. Try it for dinner with grilled shrimp or blackened catfish.

Though mixing sliced strawberries in with kale might seem like a strange suggestion, this simple step makes this weeknight side dish a total game changer! Roasted sunflower seeds and thin stalks of fennel also give the side ample crunch and texture, which nicely offsets the chewiness of the kale.

Loading your garlic bread with chopped herbs means you won't need to cover it with a thick coating of cheese.

Wheat berries are one of the chewiest of all whole grains—soaking them overnight helps to soften them. They combine nicely with fluffy basmati rice in this Indian-inspired side dish.

Orange juice and dill are the secret ingredients of this easy side dish that showcases vitamin-rich carrots.

By quickly broiling the zucchini first, you can ensure all the pieces will be evenly cooked once they get baked with the tomato sauce.

Slice a head of cauliflower into 1-inch-thick "steaks" and then brown to perfection in a skillet for a nutritious and filling side. Top with a savory-sweet relish made with roasted peppers and golden raisins.

Did you know that kimchi, a spicy fermented Korean condiment, is a probiotic like yogurt? It's a great ingredient to include in your healthy pantry. A little goes a long way—as in this very flavorful and low-fat side dish.

Pan-fry grated zucchini formed into bite-size pancakes for an easy, utensil-free side dish or finger food.

Full-flavored, savory garlic and olives and aromatic basil brighten the crisp asparagus. Cutting the asparagus into short pieces allows them to cook quickly.

The flavors and textures of mango, cucumber, rice, peanuts and cilantro pair so well together, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been eating rice this way for years.

This fiber-packed side dish makes a comforting and impressive addition to any meal. It's best with hulled (also called dehulled) barley, which is less processed, chewier and takes longer to cook than pearl barley. Both varieties work for this recipe (though pearl barley, while still healthy, is not considered a whole grain). Or substitute brown rice, farro or your favorite whole grain.

Farro, an Italian whole grain similar in texture to barley or wheat berries, lends its hearty bite to Giada’s chilled salad.

This high-fiber side dish is colorful and comforting. The sweetness of the apricots and sweet potato and the tang of the lemon juice are nicely balanced by the warm spice.

Replace mayo with Greek yogurt for a creamier, healthier dip for these crispy, Creole-flavored skillet fries.

Bell peppers and fennel probably aren't ingredients you've seen used in slaw recipes before, but this fun "garden" variety from Food Network Magazine is full of them! To coat the shredded cabbage and fennel that makes up the slaw's base, we use a zesty and creamy mixture of yogurt, sour cream, vinegar and garlic salt.

This lightened-up cornbread gets its sweetness from a touch of honey. It's the perfect dipper for hearty stews!

Kasha is a form of buckwheat that has been toasted. Although "wheat" is in its name, buckwheat is actually gluten-free and more closely related to rhubarb. It's particularly high in vitamins and minerals.

A salad made with superfoods—spinach, walnuts, pomegranate, mushrooms and tomatoes—is packed with nutrients and flavor.

Buying pre-sliced fresh mushrooms instead of canned saves time, making this a super-quick fix for low calories and full flavor. Serve these mushrooms on their own as a side or on top of chicken, pork or fish.

Apple cider vinegar is a great ingredient to grab when you’re putting together a quick marinade, vinaigrette, chutney or dressing. For this unique coleslaw recipe, we combined it with sugar, celery salt and vegetable oil to easily dress up shredded green cabbage and carrots. It's simple, easy and can even be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until dinnertime!

If you've never thought to use heirloom tomatoes and baby potatoes in the same dish before, we're here to tell you that they're a match made in food heaven! For this simple side dish recipe, you'll mix the two together and top them with chopped basil, parsley and chives.

This 5-star Swiss chard recipe makes a great side dish for monthly enjoyment! You’ll use both the stems and the leaves of a bunch of rainbow chard here, as well as a can of black-eyed peas. Seasoning the dish with a few dashes of bottled hot sauce finishes it off, adding in a bold, unexpected kick which pairs nicely with just about any of these pork tenderloin recipes.

A little bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper is all you need to transform whole eggplants, bell peppers, zucchinis and heads of cabbage into grilled masterpieces this summer.

Boxed quinoa is one of our all-time favorite pantry staples. It's also one of the main ingredients featured in this brightly colored salad recipe from Food Network Magazine. You'll use diced strawberries, baby spinach and sliced shallot along with it, plus a handful of chopped salted almonds for added crunch and texture. A refreshing and creamy poppyseed dressing finishes the dish off, giving you a side that's as filling as it is flavorful. In the mood for even more quinoa recipes? Check out this ultimate list of our best quinoa recipes!

Toss green beans with smashed garlic and roast until tender for a 20-minute side dish.

Green, leafy Swiss chard adds color to this brightened-up version of baked beans.

A Southern comfort classic, Tennessee Onions are made with layers of sweet onions, butter, pantry-friendly seasonings and a blanket of melty cheese. We use a combination of mild Cheddar, Gouda and Parmesan for the perfect combination of savory, salty and oh-so gooey. Baked until golden and bubbly, this easy side dish is rich, savory and pairs perfectly with barbecue, burgers, grilled meats or even your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the kind of crowd-pleaser that takes just minutes to prepare but delivers big flavor.