6 Quick and Easy Side Dishes to Elevate Any Meal
We all love trying new recipes for fish, meat and whatever protein we are making, but we tend to neglect the side dishes and always go with the same familiar ones.
Today, I want to share a few wonderful easy side dishes that will bring some novelty into your meals. These are the most quick and easy side dishes that go well with any source of protein. Let’s get cooking!
1. Roasted parmesan green beans
These are so easy to make and so delicious.
1. Get a pack of fresh beans, go through them picking off any ends, stems, or bad pieces, then give the beans a rinse and put them in a bowl.
2. Give them a coating of olive oil, and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. For the crunch, add some panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
4. Dump it all on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 F until they look toasty and roasted to your liking.
This is the easiest vegetable side dish to try if you want to switch up to a healthier side dish.
2. Crock pot mashed potatoes
Crock pot mashed potatoes are my go to.
1. Wash, peel and cut up your potatoes and add into a crock pot covered with water.
2. Add in chicken bouillon powder or some chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.
3. Mix that together, put the lid on it and cook on high for about four hours.
4. Once they are done, drain them. To the crock pot add in my dairy of choice - I normally do either regular milk or evaporated milk. Add in a couple tablespoons of butter, put the lid on and let it sit for a couple minutes for the butter to start melting and the dairy to warm up. To get super creamy mashed potatoes, you need your dairy to be warm, since a cold product would shock the hot potatoes.
5. Give them a taste test and add more seasonings if need be. Then add a couple tablespoons of butter on top, put the lid on and keep it on warm until it is time to eat.
3. Honey butter corn
This is my new favorite way to eat corn.
1. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a pan.
2. Add in a bag of frozen corn, or more if you want leftovers.
3. Add in some salt, pepper, a drizzle of honey and some cream cheese. Stir everything together and let that cream cheese melt and everything heat through.
4. Roasted cauliflower
I have been obsessed with roasted veggies, and this roasted cauliflower is so good. You could make any other roasted veggies this way, such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, potatoes or carrots.
1. Drizzle your cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and some paprika. I also love adding balsamic vinegar on mine.
2. Toss it and put on a sheet pan. Roast it up at 400 F for 20-30 minutes.
This is a flavorful side dish, perfect to pair with any dinner.
5. Stick of butter rice
1. In an oven safe pan, mix rice, a can of French onion soup, and a can of beef consommé.
2. Add in a few dashes of W sauce and then stir it.
3. Add 9-10 pieces of butter, or a whole stick.
4. Wrap it with foil and put it in the oven at 375 for 45-50 minutes, without opening it.
The rice comes out fluffy and so flavorful.
6. Creamy baked Brussels sprouts
This is a great new way to make Brussels sprouts, and it is probably lazy keto or at least low carb.
1. Wash and cut up your Brussel sprouts.
2. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika Italian seasoning.
3. Add in some minced garlic, some heavy cream, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese, and mix it together.
4. Dump it all into a casserole dish and bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
5. Optionally, top with cheese for a bubbly texture, or just leave it as is for a roasty look. I liked the creaminess at the bottom and then that little texture at the top, so I prefer it without the cheese on top.
The Brussels sprouts had a little bit of a crunch, and I am definitely making this again.
Easy side dishes
Try these easy side dish recipes and let me know how it goes in the comments!
What is it like at your home? Do you usually make a few sides to every meal? Do you always tend to go with the same ones or do you like trying new recipes?
I look forward to seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.
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