50+ Top Side Dish Recipes
In my opinion, a side dish can make or break the meal. I know that’s not the way most people see side dishes, but the fact of the matter is that the best ham or chicken in the world isn’t a meal without something else on the plate. When you’re considering what to order in a restaurant, 99% of the time two side dishes is a major selling feature over one included side… because secretly, the side dishes make the meal.
Here’s 50 of the top side dish recipes we’ve ever published – ideal for any occasion, from a potluck meal or weeknight dinner – featuring pasta salads, potato salads, potato bakes, baked vegetable dishes, and more!
Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
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This Italian Sub Pasta Salad is a cold pasta salad made with rotini pasta, creamy mayo dressing, fresh veggies, and hearty deli meats like salami, ham, and pepperoni, tossed with a tangy, slightly spicy dressing.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is made with tender shredded chicken, rotini pasta, crisp celery, cheddar cheese, and a bold buffalo ranch dressing.
Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad
This Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad is a fresh and flavorful cold pasta dish made with tender shredded chicken, crunchy vegetables, and rotini pasta tossed in a creamy sesame soy dressing.
Avocado Pasta Salad
This Avocado Pasta Salad is a fresh and flavorful side dish made with tender bowtie pasta, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, crispy bacon pieces, and a simple lemon olive oil dressing.
Classic Greek Bow Tie Pasta Salad
This Classic Greek Bow Tie Pasta Salad is a light, fresh, and colorful side dish made with tender bow tie pasta, crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, red onion, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and a simple homemade Greek dressing.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a creamy, tangy pasta salad recipe made with rotini pasta, crunchy pickles, bacon, and a simple homemade dressing. It’s an easy side dish made with just a few ingredients that’s great for busy days.
Smoked Sausage Pasta Salad
This Smoked Sausage Pasta Salad is a flavorful pasta salad recipe made with smoky beef sausage, tender rotini noodles, juicy tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and a creamy spicy dressing with Italian dressing and sriracha.
Cheesy Taco Pasta Salad
Easy Taco Pasta Salad made with ground beef, cheese, pasta, and Doritos! A flavorful side dish great for family dinner, parties, potlucks, and game day. It is hearty, cheesy, tangy, and crunchy—ready in just 20 minutes!
Caesar Pasta Salad
Shrimp Pasta Salad
This easy Shrimp Pasta Salad is creamy, refreshing, and full of flavor—made with tender shrimp, pasta, and a simple homemade dressing. Great for potlucks, lunches, or light dinners.
Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
This easy Orzo Salad combines tender pasta with fresh veggies, salty olives, creamy feta, and a bright lemony dressing. It’s a quick, refreshing dish for lunch, dinner, or a side.
Broccoli Pasta Salad
This Broccoli Pasta Salad is a creamy, crunchy, and colorful side dish made with tender pasta, fresh broccoli, crispy bacon, and a sweet-tangy dressing. Great for potlucks, picnics, or an easy weeknight meal.
Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad
This Italian Hoagie Pasta Salad is made with pasta, deli meats, cheese, veggies, and a creamy Italian-style dressing. It’s easy to make, full of flavor, and great for potlucks, cookouts, or a quick lunch.
Cobb Pasta Salad
This Cobb Pasta Salad combines tender bowtie pasta with classic Cobb salad toppings like bacon, blue cheese, eggs, avocado, and tomatoes, all tossed in creamy ranch dressing. It’s great for lunches, potlucks, or easy summer dinners.
Tortellini Pesto Salad
This Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish made with cheese tortellini, fresh veggies, and basil pesto. It’s perfect for make-ahead meals, potlucks, or a light lunch!
Loaded Street Corn Potato Salad
This Loaded Street Corn Potato Salad is a creamy, smoky, tangy Mexican street corn–inspired potato salad made with tender baby potatoes, charred corn, a zesty lime chili dressing, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro.
Sour Cream And Onion Potato Salad
This Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad is a creamy potato salad recipe made with tender baby gold potatoes, sour cream, Greek yogurt, fresh chives, and flavorful onions.
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
This Deviled Egg Potato Salad is a creamy deviled egg potato salad side dish made with tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, and crispy bacon pieces.
Classic American Potato Salad
This Classic American Potato Salad is a creamy, traditional side dish made with tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, and onion.
Amish Potato Salad
This Amish Potato Salad with a sweet mustard dressing combines tender potatoes, crunchy celery, shredded carrots, and hard-boiled eggs—all brought together with a creamy, sweet mustard mayo dressing.
Smashed Potato Salad
This Smashed Potato Salad has all the cozy goodness of classic potato salad, but with crispy baby potatoes and a light, creamy herb dressing. It’s a fresh and flavorful side dish that’s ready in no time.
Crispy Potato Latkes
Potato latkes are golden and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. They’re great for brunch, holidays, or just a weeknight side. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.
Air Fryer Accordion Potatoes
These fun accordion-style potatoes are crispy on the edges and tender inside. Using the air fryer makes them quick and easy without a lot of oil, so you can enjoy a lighter version of this fun potato side.
Cheesy Party Potatoes
Golden and cheesy party potatoes are easy to bake in the oven and always a hit. Soft potatoes with melted cheese make this dish a crowd-pleaser for holiday meals or potlucks.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
This Creamy Scalloped Potatoes recipe is a cozy, creamy baked potato side dish made with tender sliced potatoes, rich garlic cream sauce, and a little (uh, or a lot of) Parmesan cheese on top.
French Onion Potato Bake
This baked potato dish is layered with caramelized onions and cheese. It’s a comforting and simple dish that pairs perfectly with roasted meats or holiday dinners.
Crockpot Creamy and Cheesy Potatoes
These Crockpot Creamy and Cheesy Potatoes are one of those recipes you can toss together in minutes and let the slow cooker do the rest.
Cheesy Bacon Loaded Tater Tots
This Cheesy Bacon Loaded Tater Tots recipe is a side dish made with crispy tater tots, bacon, creamy queso, and assembled with a little ranch and fresh scallions. It is a warm, cheesy, and satisfying dish that’s great as a snack, side, or even a main course for a casual meal.
Mini Deviled Potatoes
Mini deviled potatoes are cute, bite-sized, and packed with flavor. They’re perfect for finger food at parties or small get-togethers, and kids love them too.
Air Fryer Parmesan Truffle Fries
Fries are a forever favorite in our house, so I always keep this Parmesan Truffle Fries recipe on hand—it works well as a quick side dish for dinner or an easy snack.
Cheesy Southwest Potato Skins
Southwest potato skins have a little kick from spices and peppers. Add cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and you have a side dish that’s full of flavor without being too complicated.
Air Fryer Bacon and Cheese Potato Slices
These air fryer potato slices are topped with bacon and cheese, making them crispy, flavorful, and super easy. A great side for weeknight dinners or casual family meals.
Pepperjack Potato Casserole
A cheesy, spicy twist on classic baked potatoes, this Pepperjack Potato Casserole is creamy, flavorful, and topped with a crunchy cracker and bacon topping.
Loaded Mini Baked Potato Bites
Mini baked potato bites are great for parties. Top them with sour cream, cheese, and bacon for a little indulgence that everyone will love.
Sweet Potato Casserole Side Dish
This Sweet Potato Casserole is a comforting side dish recipe that is sweet, creamy, and topped with gooey marshmallows.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
This Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe is a classic holiday side dish made with tender sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, pure maple syrup, and warm spices that bake into a rich, sweet glaze. Kids and adults love this sweet potato side dish.
Green Bean Casserole
This Green Bean Casserole is a classic holiday side dish made with tender green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, milk, and crispy fried onions baked until golden and bubbly. An easy side dish, ready in no time!
Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
These Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta are rich, flavorful, and ready in just 30 minutes. It’s a nice way to introduce Brussels sprouts to kids or picky eaters. The crispy pancetta adds just the right amount of salty crunch, while the mushrooms and Boursin herbed cream cheese give the dish a creamy, comforting touch.
Zucchini Bites with Garlic and Parmesan
This Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini with Parmesan is one of my favorite ways to sneak some veggies into snack time or serve up a quick side dish for dinner.
Ratatouille Casserole
This Ratatouille Casserole is one of those easy, yet healthy and comforting sides. Made with vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms, it has all the same flavors of traditional ratatouille, but it comes together in one dish.
Grilled Vegetable Platter
These Grilled Vegetable Platter vegetables are a healthy grilled side dish made with fresh summer vegetables, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and simple seasonings. It’s an easy platter side dish perfect for family dinners or backyard cookouts.
Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar & Herbs
This Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar and Herbs is a simple side dish recipe made with zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions tossed in a balsamic and olive oil marinade. They make a healthy side dish for chicken, steak, fish, or even pasta.
Herb and Vegetable Stuffing
This Herb and Vegetable Stuffing recipe is a simple and flavorful side dish made with fresh herbs, hearty vegetables, and a touch of Parmesan cheese.
Apple and Cranberry Stuffing Mix
This Apple and Cranberry Stuffing is a sweet and savory stuffing recipe that is an ideal holiday side dish. Made with a mix of tart cranberries, sweet apples, and soft, buttery bread cubes.
Roasted Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
These roasted bacon wrapped asparagus bundles are one of those easy side dishes that always look impressive with very little effort. The asparagus turns tender in the oven while the bacon adds a crispy and salty layer everyone loves.
And these Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts are made with only 4-ingredients. But if you want another variation, try this recipe below:
Maple Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Brussels
If you’re trying to get your family excited about Brussels sprouts, this recipe helps a lot. The maple glaze adds a little sweetness while the bacon gives these Brussels sprouts a crispy texture that balances everything out.
Apple Cranberry Coleslaw Salad
This Apple Cranberry Coleslaw is a creamy apple cranberry coleslaw salad made with crunchy coleslaw mix, fresh apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, and a light sweet-tangy dressing.
Ramen Noodle Broccoli Slaw Salad
This Ramen Noodle Broccoli Slaw Salad is a fresh salad that combines crisp broccoli slaw, crunchy sunflower seeds, and ramen noodles tossed in a tangy, buttery dressing. It’s a salad recipe that’s great for a simple side dish.
Italian Chopped Salad
If you’re short on time, this Italian Chopped Salad is a quick and easy favorite at our house. It’s an easy meal recipe with crunchy veggies, hearty toppings, and a simple homemade zesty dressing.
Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing
This Avocado Salad is a quick, fresh, and healthy recipe that’s ready in just 10 minutes. We love it on warm days when cooking feels like too much, or when dinner just needs a little something extra on the side.
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
This Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is rich, cheesy, and has a golden, crunchy topping that makes every bite special. I love serving this for a cozy family dinner, and it’s great for weeknights or even holiday gatherings.
Cranberry Cornbread Casserole
This Cranberry Cornbread Casserole is a sweet and savory holiday side dish made with cornbread mix, sweet corn, creamed corn, sour cream, butter, egg, and cranberry sauce.
Stuffing Muffin Tin Bites
These Stuffing Muffin Tin Bites are an easy-to-serve traditional holiday stuffing—a side dish made with herbs, Parmesan cheese, and a little gravy. I like making them for Christmas or Thanksgiving because they’re quick to prepare, and everyone gets their own little serving without extra fuss.
Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls
These Cranberry and Turkey Stuffing Balls got everything we love about Thanksgiving—tender turkey, stuffing, and a pop of cranberry sweetness—all rolled up into bite-sized balls. You can serve them as a holiday appetizer, a side dish, or even make them ahead.
Buttery Herb Stuffing Biscuits
These Stuffing Biscuits are soft, fluffy, and a delicious holiday side dish recipe with the same savory herbs and veggies you’d find in a traditional stuffing. They have buttery herbs, carrots, celery, and onion baked right into soft biscuit dough.
