Side Dish Recipes - Southern Living

Photo: John Kernick

Lemon-Herb Potatoes

Assorted herbs, lemon juice, and garlic is all you'll need to make this zippy side dish. It's great served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Recipe: Lemon-Herb Potatoes

Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

Sprinkle pecans seasoned with ginger and curry over Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette.

Recipe: Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

The rich, nutty taste of browned butter adds extraordinary flavor to these everyday-easy mashed potatoes. A slow cooker is a great way to keep them moist and hot while you prepare the rest of meal.

Recipe: Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Carrot Orzo

Though made with orzo rather than rice, this colorful dish is similar to risotto. The creamy pasta perfectly complements the Lemon Chicken and flavor-filled green beans.

Recipe: Carrot Orzo

Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon

Red pepper perks up Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon, but it's tame enough for the whole family.

Recipe: Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon

Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

This from-scratch recipe is suited for any level of cook - even first timers.

Tip: Brush unbaked rolls with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and fennel seeds. Or, brush unbaked rolls with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, coarsely ground pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.

Recipe: Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Simple Beet Salad

Fresh herbs and chopped walnuts dress up Simple Beet Salad. For a twist, add crumbled goat cheese.

Recipe: Simple Beet Salad

Mushroom, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad

This elegant but easy salad is a favorite for casual entertaining. It’s especially good with Molasses-Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Two-Color Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

Recipe: Mushroom, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad

Jennifer Davick / Styling: Buffy Hargett / Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Potato Cobb Salad

Instead of being tossed together in a bowl, the colorful ingredients for Potato Cobb Salad are arranged on a plate. To save time, the potatoes can be cooked overnight so they are ready to assemble just before serving.

Recipe: Potato Cobb Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Green Bean-and-Red Bell Pepper Toss

Combine French green beans and red bell pepper strips with shallots and garlic for a delicious side dish that's far from boring.

Recipe: Green Bean-and-Red Bell Pepper Toss

Golden Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is a must-have at any traditional Southern table. Try this 5-star version that has just 8 ingredients and is a snap to prepare.

Recipe: Golden Macaroni and Cheese

Jennifer Davick

Sweet Onion 'n' Fruit Salad

In Sweet Onion 'n' Fruit Salad, tangy mango and papaya offer the perfect complement to caramelized onions for a flavorful side salad.

Recipe: Sweet Onion 'n' Fruit Salad

Crowder Pea Succotash

Move over, butter beans. Crowder Pea Succotash, jazzed up with fresh thyme and red bell pepper, is set to become a new classic Southern side.

Recipe: Crowder Pea Succotash

Jennifer Davick / Styling Lisa Powell Bailey / Food Styling Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

Grits Bar

Feature grits the next time you entertain. Offer both plain and cheese, and keep them hot in slow cookers or chafing dishes. Choose quick-cooking, regular, or white or yellow stone-ground grits. (We don't recommend instant here.)

Serve several toppings, such as Tomato Gravy featured in the photo, so guests can mix in their favorite flavors. Here's some great ideas:

Gravies and pestos
Shredded cheeses
Roasted vegetables
Crumbled bacon
Grilled corn kernels
Recipe: Tomato Gravy
Recipe: Parmesan Grits

Charles Walton IV / Styling: Buffy Hargett / Food Styling: Angela Sellers

Kentucky Bluegrass Salad

A scattering of dried cranberries teams up with fresh pears and asparagus for an impressively easy salad.

Recipe: Kentucky Bluegrass Salad

Jennifer Davick / Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey / Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Easy Three-Seed Pan Rolls

These rolls start with frozen bread dough but taste as if they're made from scratch--perfect for no-fuss entertaining. You'll get a spectacular look and big flavor while saving time.

Recipe: Easy Three-Seed Pan Rolls

Baked Onions

Sweet, caramelized pearl onions make an elegant side dish. This version is flavored with butter, white wine, and brown sugar and then baked for less than an hour.

Recipe: Baked Onions

Jennifer Davick / Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine / Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Thai Noodle Salad

Add some Asian flair to your menu with the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors that make up Thai Noodle Salad.

Recipe: Thai Noodle Salad

Photo: Lauren Rubinstein

Melon-and-Mozzarella Salad

This rainbow of summer fruit makes an elegant presentation and a refreshing side for a luncheon, brunch, or dinner. Layer and chill the salad up to eight hours in advance.

Recipe: Melon-and-Mozzarella Salad