Always go to vegetables for your side dishes? Most of us do! Sometimes you just want something different! These 60 NON-Vegetable Side Dishes are must try recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Try some of these new recipes for your next weeknight dinner.
Sweet potatoes, green beans, brussels sprouts, french fries, cauliflower rice… we all know these healthy side dish recipes! Time to try some other delicious side dishes to compliment your main course and favorite vegetables.
60 Non-Vegetable Side Dishes
Beans
Beans always make for delicious and healthy side dishes! Find a delicious variety in this list from baked to refried.
Simple Black Beans are full of flavor and easy to make. One of the best side dishes to serve with rice or over tacos.
This Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans recipe is a quick and easy side dish! It uses canned beans so you don't have to worry about fussing with boiling or soaking dried beans and it can be made in advance. It's perfect for a BBQ or potluck.
Slightly sweet and adaptably spicy, these Black Beans with Bacon are savory perfection! The recipe is downright bulletproof, too: fast, flexible, and so easy to make!
Instant Pot Baked Beans made with dried beans, bacon and bell pepper that are cooked in rich smoky maple syrup sauce. This easy side dish requires no pre-soaking or cooking for hours.
Homemade baked beans is a family favorite, year-round comfort food recipe! Soak beans in the morning, boil in the evening, and bake overnight.
These Slow Cooker Refried Beans take only 5 minutes prep, turn on the slow cooker and leave them! No soaking the beans is required.
This recipe for delicious French Lentils with Dijon Vinaigrette is easy to make, and makes the perfect side dish!
This colourful chickpea dirty rice is easy to make and is the perfect side dish if you are looking for a pop of colour and spice. So tasty too!
Fruity Side Dishes
Fruit is so often skipped over when thinking of side dishes! Fruit is delicious paired with a variety of grains as well as on it's own. These delicious sides are sure to brighten up your meals.
These Grilled Pineapples are the ultimate summer side dish that will perfectly complement any of your grilled or fried dishes! If you are looking for an affordable, easy to make, and healthy treat to brighten your backyard cookouts, beach BBQ party, or family picnics and bring the taste of summer to your plate, then this grilled tropical fruit recipe is for you.
Fried plantains are a perfect sweet and salty side dish.
Homemade Crock Pot 3-Ingredient Applesauce tastes better than store bought and is super easy to make! Eat this applesauce as a snack, a side dish or use it in recipes!
A healthy fruit salad loaded with fresh, colorful fruit and tossed with a light, lime-maple dressing. Takes only 10 minutes to prepare and is made with only 5 ingredients.
Homemade Peach Applesauce is a delicious snack made right in your crock pot or slow cooker. This recipe has no added sugar and is kid approved.
This Apple Cranberry Sauce is a fun twist on the traditional holiday side dish. This deliciously sweet sauce is easy to make and can be whipped up in minutes.
This Spicy Mango Rice recipe is easy to make and delicious. The perfect side dish to any dinner or for entertaining. Made with chili, cilantro, lime & mango.
You will love this Mango Avocado Salad, perfect side for any Mexican food and you’ll love it for get togethers and cookouts too. Fruity, crunchy and a touch of unexpected spicy heat.
Here's a tropical rice pilaf recipe that's quick and easy to make and absolutely irresistible.
Sweet-tart cranberries combine with crunchy pepitas and fresh orange in this simple, versatile couscous dish. Serve it warm as a side dish or cold as a salad: either way, Cranberry Orange Pearl Couscous is a perfect complement to any light meal!
Grains and Pastas
Looking for the perfect healthy side dish? Consider a variety of grains during the week. Aside from pasta and white rice think about adding quinoa, couscous, buckwheat, wild rice and more. A delicious grain can take the center stage when done right!
Basil Parmesan Risotto is a simple dish loaded with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. This creamy side dish is great to pair with chicken or pork meals.
My favorite way to make Homemade Macaroni and Cheese! The kids will be sure to enjoy this no-fuss recipe that is kept very simple!
Crispy and perfectly toasted, this Air Fryer Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Parmesan makes a great side dish when you want delicious food in a hurry.
Delicious and refreshing Almond and Mandarin Quinoa Salad is delicious served hot or cold!
Risotto is underrated when it comes to serving it as a side dish! So delicious, it will bring your main dish up a notch!
Italian Pasta Salad loaded with meats, cheeses, olives and vegetables. A delicious side dish or main meal!
This Homemade Cilantro Lime Rice is the perfect, easy side dish. It is loaded with cilantro and lime flavor.
This pasta alla cenere is an easy gorgonzola pasta with olives from Italy. A delicious creamy gourmet dish with only 3 main ingredients, this makes a fabulous side dish for red and white meat.
Instant pot buckwheat will quickly become your favorite grain to cook in your pressure cooker. These buckwheat groats are great as a side dish, breakfast hot cereal, or add a scoop to your favorite salad for extra nutrients.
Wild rice with cranberries and pecans is a delicious side dish perfect for autumn.
Hot honey mac and cheese balls make the perfect side or appetizer. We'll show you our technique to prevent the cheese from oozing out. Well also show you our quick hot honey for a side that is tasty and surprising!
Couscous cooked in a rich tomato sauce bursting with flavour! This Tomato Couscous Recipe is easy-to-follow and will soon become a household favourite! Serve this delicious side with fish, meat or veggies.
Ready in 10 minutes and full of spices and tomato sauce, this Instant Pot Mexican Rice is perfect for your next Taco Tuesday! Serve this rice with burritos, fajitas, or quesadillas!
Forbidden Rice and Beans is loaded with healthy ingredients. This combination of black rice and white beans is an easy way to add more protein to your meal.
This Instant Pot lemon rice recipe can be made in 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal or side dish for busy families.
This coconut turmeric rice is full of flavour, with a lovely creaminess and a hint of spice. Very easy to make with pantry staples!
A change from traditional stuffing, this rice dressing is packed full of bacon, mushrooms, and fluffy rice. It's a great make ahead side dish that is so easy and so delicious!
Breads and Rolls
These next recipes are tasty ways to add bread or rolls to your meal! Homemade bread doesn't need to be intimidating with these easy homemade recipes. There is nothing quite like the great taste of fresh baked bread.
This honey and buttermilk cornbread recipe is baked in a cast iron skillet and served with sweet and salty whipped honey butter!
Buttermilk biscuits are super soft with a hint of sweetness. Great to pair with soup or pasta dishes!
Parker House Rolls get upgraded with a delicious chimichurri and panko seasoning. They're soft and fluffy, crunchy, and savoury.
These Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits are loaded with cheddar cheese and bacon. They make for a delicious side dish or base for an egg sandwich!
Homemade Sausage Stuffing is filled with sausage, onion, celery and sage. Perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any family meal!
These pumpkin dinner rolls are super soft and gently spiced. After baking they're coated with sweet honey butter.
This fancy pants herb parmesan wool roll bread looks difficult to make but is quite easy. It’s packed with chopped herbs and parmesan and is pillowy soft.
Learn to make crab rangoon crescent rolls in this easy recipe. A cream cheese and crab mixture is surrounded by a tender, flaky crust.
Make the dough for these easy and delicious Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks in your bread maker, quickly cut them with a pizza cutter, pop them in the oven and bake to perfection in 15 minutes! Your house will smell amazing, while the bread machine does all the work! They are the perfect side with soup or salad and taste great dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar or your favorite pizza sauce!
You will love these soft, fairly light bread buns with a chewy and salty pretzel-like crust around the outside that’s perfectly golden brown too.
Yorkshire puddings are a traditional side dish in the UK. Perfect side to serve with Roast beef or chicken.
This delicious pesto garlic bread is so quick and easy to make and is perfect served alongside your favorite dishes, or as a tasty appetizer. It takes minutes to prep with just 4 ingredients. Garlic butter and pesto is spread on to a ciabatta loaf and oven baked for crispy edges and soft and fluffy middle.
More Recipes
This section has even more non veggie side dishes to try! These recipes are loaded with savory flavor and can also be used as appetizers.
Learn how to make your own crispy fried tofu wontons at home! Warning, you might never go back to take out as they'll be your favorite side dish!
These crispy goat cheese croquettes are an appetizer that everyone will love! Creamy goat cheese mixed with thyme, breaded with Panko and fried until crispy and golden. Then drizzled with honey, and sprinkled with finely chopped walnuts and almonds.
This Healthy Deviled Eggs Recipe is simple to make and full of flavor! Deviled eggs make a delicious appetizer or snack. These are also a very popular addition to an Easter spread.
Brimming with avocado, tomatoes, shallots, and tossed in tangy lime juice, this healthy crab meat salad is refreshing and perfect for summer!
Gougères Cheese Puffs are warm, soft and creamy, like a dollop of toasty bread infused with gooey cheese. Warm and tasty–mmm!
These Chipotle Deviled Eggs are filled with a chipotle yogurt dip instead of mayonnaise and mustard and are topped with crushed bacon.
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