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Salads and Side Dishes

From apple coleslaw to Green Zebra tomato salad, Americans love their side dishes almost as much as the main courses they compliment.
Loaded Mashed Potato Bake Recipe
Everyone loves loaded baked potatoes! Now enjoy that same great flavor combination in this super easy loaded mashed potato casserole recipe.
Will Savarese's "Everything Fries"
This great French fries recipe comes from Will Savarese, Chef at Robert’s Restaurant in New York City.
Beet and Pear Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese
This is a beautiful beet and pear salad recipe. The deeply colored, sliced beets are topped with sweet pears, goat cheese and a simple walnut vinaigrette.
Fresh Corn and Shelling Bean Ragout Recipe
This cousin of the Native American classic, succotash, makes a fantastic fall side dish, but is "meaty" and satisfying enough to be eaten as a main course.
Santa Maria-Style Salsa Recipe
This mild Santa Maria-style salsa recipe is adapted from one by Susan Righetti, an authority on the cuisine of California's central coast.
Toasted Fresh Corn Salad with Roasted Red Pepper
This fresh corn salad recipe relies on a classic combo of sweet corn and tangy roasted red peppers, all brought together with a simple creamy vinaigrette dressing.
Mushroom and Truffle Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
This scalloped potatoes recipe is rich, earthy, and delicious thanks to a fantastic Italian cheese called, sottocenere.
Balsamic Peaches and Greens Salad
Simplicity is the key to this sweet and savory summer peaches and greens salad.
Wolfgang Puck's Chino Chopped Vegetable Salad
This chino chopped vegetable salad recipe comes from celebrity guest author, Wolfgang Puck.
Creamy Corn Custard Recipe
This corn custard recipe is light, but still rich and satisfying. It makes a wonderful side dish for all kinds of meats. Since this corn custard is so soft and creamy, texturally, it makes a great match for things like barbecue pork, grilled steaks, and fried fish.
Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe
Green tomatoes make a great pickled vegetable, and can be used as a garnish for all kinds of sandwiches.
Pan Roasted Tomato-Glazed Zucchini Recipe
This pan-roasted zucchini recipe is so fast and easy, and will pair perfectly with all your favorite main courses.
Baked Barbecue Beans Recipe
This simple barbecue beans recipe makes a classic side dish for any of your grilled meats.
Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
This healthy sweet potato salad features a low-fat honey mustard dressing, and would make a great change of pace from more traditional potato salads.
Sour Cream Potato Salad Recipe
A tangy sour cream dressing turns a basic potato salad recipe into something special. This potato salad recipe can be done with russet, red, or gold potatoes.
Santa Maria Style Beans Recipe
This Santa Maria style beans recipe is a classic side dish for California's famous barbecued tri tip of beef.
Shrimp Salad with Creamy Fresh Herb Dressing
This shrimp salad recipe combines sweet shrimp and a creamy fresh herb dressing. This shrimp salad couldn’t be easier to make, as it’s simply tossed together and chilled.
"Rocket" Beans - Butter Beans with Bacon and Arugula
"Rocket" is another name for the popular salad green, arugula. While rocket is great for salads, it's also wonderful used as an herb in hot dishes like this butter beans with bacon and arugula recipe.
Potato, Bacon, and Egg Salad Recipe
A beautifully simple potato salad, arranged with sliced vegetables, eggs, and radishes. A simple sherry dressing brings this fresh and easy salad recipe together. Serve as a light lunch or side dish with a main course.
Mustard Glazed Potatoes
Wake up those boring old spuds with this mustard glazed potato recipe. This easy potato side dish recipe has lots of room for personalizing to you own taste by using different types of mustard and herbs.
Oven-Fried Onion Rings
These oven-fried onion rings are low fat, crisp, and so easy. Why bother with all the mess frying onion rings when this baked version works so well?
Warm Leeks with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
Leeks make a great change of pace from the usual vegetable side dish routine. These tender leeks with lemon Dijon vinaigrette would make a great side dish for almost any meat, poultry or seafood recipe.
Winter Slaw - A Sweet and Crunchy Apple Coleslaw Recipe
This simple and delicious coleslaw recipe has a wonderful combination of sweet crisp apples and fresh crunchy cabbage. The recipe's called winter coleslaw because of the apples, cabbage and citrus dressing, but would also work for any summer cookout.
Holiday Mixed Greens Salad with Dried Cranberries and Fig Balsamic Dressing
This great holiday salad recipe features a dressing made with fig balsamic vinegar. Flavor vinegars are very common theses days, and are a great way to make simple and delicious salad dressings.
Triple Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Garlic is used three ways in this triple garlic mashed potatoes recipe. Some is boiled with the potatoes, some is sautéed in the butter, and a little is added raw at the end.
Pecan and Apricot Dressing and Poultry Stuffing Recipe
This delicious savory dressing/stuffing recipe combines rich pecans, with sweet, tart dried apricots. You can use it for stuffing turkey, or other poultry, or serve it along side roast pork, or even a prime rib of beef.
Classic Fresh Herb Stuffing Recipe - Thanksgiving Dressing
This classic bread dressing recipe is given a modern twist with fresh tarragon, an herb that pair perfectly with poultry.
Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing - A Savory Sausage Dressing Recipe
Italian sausage spices up this delicious thanksgiving dressing recipe. Even though this recipe can be used to stuff a turkey, it is best cooked separately.
Cranberry and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
This very simple cranberry and apple stuffed acorn squash recipe makes for a delicious, colorful side dish for any special holiday dinner. This was adapted from a stuffed acorn squash recipe from Elena at Elana's pantry.
Brown Rice, Lentil, and Pumpkin Seed Salad Recipe
It's hard to imagine a better combination of healthy and delicious than this brown rice, lentil, and pumpkin seed salad recipe. The next time you want an earthy, rich, and satisfying cold side dish, give this simple recipe a try.
Buttermilk Mashed Yams Recipe
Are looking for a super-easy holiday side dish recipe? Then this low-fat, highly nutritious buttermilk mashed yams recipe is for you. Three simple ingredients combine to make yam magic! You can also use sweet potatoes for a delicious variation.
Blue Cheese and Green Bean Casserole Recipe
This rich and decadent blue cheese and green bean casserole recipe is for those special occasion meals when you aren’t going to be counting the calories. This green bean casserole makes a wonderful side dish for a grilled steak, and is also is great for those holiday dinners.
Rainy Day Mac and Cheese Recipe
The name of this macaroni and cheese recipe says it all. This is the mac and cheese that put the "comfort" in comfort food. Dig into a dish of this classic, creamy macaroni and cheese anytime you want to warm up from the inside out.
Quick and Easy Pickled Vegetables Recipe
This colorful and crisp pickled vegetables recipe is so easy to make, and requires no complicated canning procedure. A hot sweet and sour brine is used to marinate the vegetables, and in just a couple days your quick and easy pickled vegetables are ready to enjoy!
Goat Cheese Stuffed Summer Squash Recipe
This recipe is such a great way to use those beautiful, and bountiful summer squash. This goat cheese stuffed summer squash recipe will work with either green or yellow squash, and make a wonderful side dish.
Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Fried green tomatoes are an American classic, and one of the most famous southern recipes of all-time. The great thing about this fried green tomatoes recipe is that the same technique can be used for other vegetables like eggplant and squash. Fried green tomatoes are often served as side dishes, or as a snack with hot sauce.
Roasted Peppers and Seasonal Vegetables
So simple, so healthy, so delicious! This versatile roasted pepper and vegetable recipe makes a great side dish for almost any meal. You can use any number of seasonal vegetables, herbs, and spices. The secret is a nice hot oven which will help caramelize the edges of the peppers, and give the roasted vegetables a deep, rich flavor.
Summer Vegetable Skewer Recipe
Tri-colored bell peppers are the star of this colorful vegetable skewer recipe. The pepper's sweet, delicious flavor will soak into the zucchini, as the garlic-infused olive oil scents the earthy mushrooms. Vegetable skewers are a welcomed addition to any barbecue or cookout, and a great way to use fresh seasonal vegetables.
Butter-Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
This roasted cauliflower recipe is a great way to enjoy this very nutritious vegetable. Cauliflower recipes aren't usually the most exciting dishes on the table, but this butter-roasted version is as unusual as it is delicious.
Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Fresh, Ripe, Summer Tomatoes
Here's a top 10 countdown of recipes and preparations using one of the stars of summer eating; the sweet, and perfectly ripe tomato. After suffering with pink, mealy supermarket tomatoes all winter, there's nothing that says summer like a beautiful, just picked tomato.
Greek Salad with Fresh Tomatoes and Feta
Greek immigrants who settled in the Midwest brought this classic fresh salad to America's tables. A Greek salad is a perfect recipe to enjoy sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes, along with the traditional cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese.
Six Super Summer Side Dish Recipes
No matter how great your ribs are, or how tender the grilled chicken, if the side dishes are lacking, your summer spread is just not all it could be. Here are six crowd-pleasing side dish recipes to make your next summer meal complete. The secret to a great side dish is its ability to compliment the main courses, yet be interesting enough to stand up on their own.
Artichoke and Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
Tired of the same old pasta salad recipes? Try this artichoke and tortellini pasta salad recipe for a great change of pace. The canned artichoke hearts, and simple Italian dressing, makes this delicious pasta salad very fast and easy to put together.
Deli-Style Red Potato Salad Recipe
This deli-style red potato salad recipe is delicious with all your favorite sandwiches, as well as alongside a spicy rack of ribs at the next cookout. Red potatoes work so well in potato salad recipes since they don't fall apart after being cooked.
Feta, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad Recipe
When tomatoes are in season, there's nothing like a fresh and colorful feta, red onion, and tomato salad. The simple balsamic dressing really brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes, as well as balancing the tangy feta in this great summer salad.
Red Pepper and Fresh Corn Salad Recipe
This red pepper and fresh corn salad recipe is a colorful, and delicious way to break that summer salad routine. A crunchy, sweet, fresh corn salad is perfect for any picnic, cookout, or barbecue.
Honey Mustard Coleslaw Recipe
This honey mustard coleslaw recipe is sweet, tangy and delicious. It's a perfect coleslaw recipe to pair with almost any grilled meat or chicken.
Sweet-Hot Carrot and Cabbage Coleslaw Recipe
This sweet-hot carrot and cabbage coleslaw recipe is simple, crunchy and fresh tasting. A perfect all-purpose coleslaw recipe for any picnic or barbecue.
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
This truffle macaroni and cheese recipe is a gourmet twist on the comfort classic. This recipe is from the Artisan Cheese Center, and would be perfect for that special occasion dinner party. Once only available in exclusive gourmet shops, truffle oil is now sold at most high-end grocery stores.
Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
This colorful, healthy, and delicious roasted beet and arugula salad is a wonderful combination of tastes and textures. The earthy, sweet beets, the spicy greens, the tangy cheese, and the crunchy pecans all shine in this impressive salad recipe.
Kalamata Olive Mashed Potatoes
This Greek olive mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along grilled, roasted, or barbequed lamb. While it may sound unusual to add olives to a mashed potato recipe, their briny flavor, along with the hint of cumin, is a great and unusual twist.
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along side steaks, roast beef, and braised short ribs. The horseradish gives this mashed potato recipe a wonderfully spicy kick.
Sweet Onion and Sage Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along roast pork, sausage, or chicken. Lemon and fresh thyme are a classic combination, and will turn those plain mashed potatoes into something special.
Lemon Thyme Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along side seafood, or chicken recipes. Lemon and fresh thyme are a classic combination, and will turn those plain mashed potatoes into something special.
Dijon Tarragon Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along side any poached, grilled, or roasted chicken recipes. The tang of the Dijon, and the sweet, aromatic tarragon gives this mashed potato recipe it's deliciously different flavor.
Creamy Chive Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato recipe is perfect for those times when plain mashed potatoes just won't do. Unlike many garlic mashed potato recipes, this version cooks the garlic with the potatoes for a more mild, sweeter flavor.
6 Deliciously Different Ways to Enjoy Fresh Asparagus
Asparagus is America's favorite spring vegetable for a reason; it's delicious, packed with nutrients, fast to prepare, low calorie, and can be enjoyed in a huge array of recipes. Here are 6 easy asparagus recipes that really show off the versatility of this succulent spear.
Roasted Asparagus Recipe with Toasted Hazelnuts
Roasting asparagus in a hot oven is an easy, and flavorful way to enjoy these delicious green spears. The flavor is concentrated as the asparagus turns a deep, dark green. A topping of hazelnuts toasted in butter and olive oil finishes this earthy dish.
Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Garlic Butter
This very simple asparagus recipe really brings out the fresh flavor of the spears. Lemon and garlic butter is great on anything, but especially tender, grilled asparagus!
Twice-Baked Potatoes with English Peas
This delicious stuffed twice-baked potato recipe come compliments of the Artisan Cheese Center. It features a great combination of flavors and will be a wonderful way to use those beautiful spring peas. If you can't get fresh peas, frozen peas will work fine in this twice-baked potato recipe.
Waldorf Salad - Video Recipe
Invented in 1896 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, this is America's most famous fruit salad. One taste of this crunchy, juicy, sweet, and tangy salad, and you'll know why it's such a favorite.
Wild Alaskan Salmon Salad
Bump up your protein and Omega-3 intake with this delicious tuna alternative. Wild Alaskan salmon salad is a great make-ahead dish, and it packs more flavor than regular old salad spreads.
Potato and Cheese Pierogi Casserole
Pierogies are potato and cheese stuffed pasta dumplings indigenous to Eastern Europe. They are delicious, but can be time consuming to make. In this ingenious casserole recipe the pierogies are deconstructed and layered to save lots of work.
Broccoli and Cottage Cheese Casserole
The addition of broccoli and cottage cheese turns an ordinary macaroni and cheese recipe into a deliciously healthy casserole.
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
This cheesy zucchini casserole recipe is very easy to prepare, and makes a great side dish for almost any meal. Next time you need to make a dish for a potluck dinner try this popular vegetable casserole recipe.
Pan-roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic
No need to blanch the asparagus first in this easy and delicious asparagus recipe. Asparagus cooked in this style is more flavorful, and keeps more of the valuable nutrients. This asparagus recipe is great for a first course or as a vegetable side.
Low-Fat Butter-Free Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
The tangy, low-fat goodness of buttermilk makes a great mashed potato recipe, without any butter. Despite the name, buttermilk is very low in fat and calories, and allows room for a little sour cream in the recipe. The results are delicious, and healthy mashed potatoes.
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing
This colorful, healthy avocado and grapefruit salad recipe features an exciting array of tastes and textures. It has peppery arugula lettuce, a simple and light yogurt dressing, sharp curls of Parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts. These ingredients really go wonderfully with the silky avocado, and the sweet and tangy grapefruit.
Sweet Potato Steak Fries
So simple and delicious, these sweet potato fries are a great way to enjoy one of nature's most nutritious foods. Since these are done in a hot oven, they don't need lots of oil to "fry." These sweet potato fries are great with burgers, steaks and almost anything else you would serve with regular fries.
Macaroni and Cottage Cheese Casserole
The addition of cottage cheese and sour cream turns the ordinary macaroni and cheese into a deliciously creamy casserole. To counter the mild cottage cheese, a sharp cheddar is also used in this great macaroni and cheese recipe.
5 Spice Carrots
The carrot recipe is an extremely easy, yet unusual, carrot side dish using one of my favorite "secret" ingredients; Chinese 5-spice. This spice mix was invented literally thousands of years ago, and is suppose to season food in perfect balance with the five elementary flavors of Chinese cuisine; sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory. This dish is a great example of how Asian influences in California can transform a basic roast carrot recipe into something extraordinary.
Traditional Potato Salad
This classic potato salad recipe, featuring a traditional mayonnaise dressing and eggs, is the version many of us grew up. That's probably the reason this potato salad is such a popular American side dish.
Pear Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola
This easy pear salad features a delicious combination of flavors and textures. The crisp juicy pears, crunchy walnuts, sweet chewy currants, and the soft tangy cheese all work perfectly together. A pear salad like this makes a great first course for almost any menu.
Green Bean Salad with Fresh Mint
This quick and easy green bean salad recipe is very low fat thanks to a light, simple rice vinegar dressing. Rice vinegar has a natural sweet and tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the fresh mint. A cold green bean salad is a very refreshing side dish served next to richer entrees.
Apple Cider and Sage Dressing
What better dressing to serve with the all-American bird than one made with the all-American apple. This aromatic, slightly sweet, and savory dressing goes very well with turkey, but also pairs nicely with roast goose, duck, chicken and pork.
Waldorf Salad with Roast Turkey
The Waldorf salad was created at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. This delicious salad was invented by Oscar Tschirky, the dinning room manager at the hotel. One taste is all you'll need to realize why this salad has been a lunch favorite for over a century. While the original fruit and nuts-only version is great, most modern recipes add chicken or turkey for more filling, higher-protein salad.
Spicy Roasted Yams with a Lime and Chipotle Glaze
This step-by-step recipe is low in fat, high in flavor, and very easy. It's a great side dish for so many things; from those barbecued ribs in summer, to your Thanksgiving turkey in the fall.
The Cobb Salad
Cobb Salad was invented at The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, California in 1926. It is named for its creator, a Mr. Bob Cobb.
California Coleslaw
This recipe is a very fast and fresh twist on that boring old coleslaw. The dressing is surprisingly simple, but highly flavored. This is a great recipe for the busy cook, as it only takes a few minutes to put together.
"New School" Macaroni and Cheese
A "revolutionary new method" may be a bit strong, but this recipe requires no Béchamel sauce (the classic French butter and flour-based white cream sauce). That means this version is much easier, way faster, less starchy, and every bit as satisfying.
Succotash
One could argue this is the original "American food." While this recipe always contained the corn and beans, the squash was a common addition.
Traditional Boston Baked Beans
"Beantown's" signature side dish.

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