5-Ingredient Side Dish Recipes

Recipes: Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes

Add zing to your salads with fresh dill, or swap it for basil, mint, or parsley. For pasta, try using whole wheat for its earthy, toothsome quality; any kind will do.

Recipe: Grilled Jalapeño-Lime Corn on the Cob

Add south-of-the-border flavor to buttery grilled corn with jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and lime juice.

Recipe: Skillet Cornbread

Quickly incorporate the hot bacon drippings into the batter with a fork. When you pour it back into the hot skillet, listen for the sizzle. That sound means your crust will be dark golden and crisp.

Recipe: Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

Classic cafeteria-style goodness, this recipe yields enough to serve as a side for a crowd, or it could be dinner for a family of four. Recipe by Pam Rawlinson, North Augusta, South Carolina.

Recipe: Baked Zucchini Chips

Serve these crispy baked chips as a side or an app.

Recipe: Zucchini-Carrot Salad with Catalina Dressing

Dress thinly sliced vegetables with our fresh take on catalina dressing—inspired by two Birmingham chefs, Wil Drake and Roscoe Hall—and garnish with any fresh herbs you like.

Eggplant slices tend to shrink significantly as they cook, so start with hearty 1-inch-thick slabs.

Recipe: Spiced Eggplant Cutlets with Chickpea-Feta Salad

Recipes: Green Machine Salad

There's enough acidity to keep the apples from turning brown if made up to three hours ahead. Use a vegetable peeler to transform asparagus into thin ribbons, a technique that also works well with carrots.

Recipe: Snappy Pea-and-Herb Salad

Serve this fragrant side with just about any grilled meat; it plays well off smoky, charred flavors. Toss in feta cheese and shrimp to turn it into a main.

Recipe: Strawberry-Tomato Salad

Look for mini multicolored tomatoes at the supermarket. Toss them with strawberries for a surprising combo to serve with grilled salmon, chicken, or pork.

Recipe: Braised White Turnips 

This recipe is a simple way to create a delicious and beautiful side dish for your Thanksgiving table. If you prefer single-item sides rather than casseroles, or gratins, then dishes like these Braised White Turnips are the perfect dishes for you. These are cooked in butter, then simmered first in vinegar, then after in honey and butter, to create a beautiful combination of sweet-and-sour-tasting turnips. We based this recipe on one from Atlanta chef Linton Hopkins found in the book Lodge Cast Iron Nation. Use small Japanese turnips from farmers' markets, or peel and cut larger turnips into 1- to 2-inch cubes.

Recipe: Smashed Fried Okra

What a revelation! Use a meat mallet to smash okra and create more surface area for crispy-brown goodness. Try this at home.

Recipe: Skillet-Roasted Okra and Shrimp

Adapted from Virginia Willis' book, Okra, published by The University of North Carolina Press, this fast sauté is great over grits or a bed of arugula.

Recipe: Fresh Corn Quinoa

Fresh Corn Quinoa combines corn kernels, chard basil, and mint with red quinoa for a quick and tasty side dish. Try it with Rosemary Chicken.

Greens can be cooked in minutes over high heat, making it possible to serve collards on a busy weeknight. Try this recipe with whatever green you've got on hand, or mix a few varieties together.

Recipe: Any Greens Sauté

Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas

Smoky ham hocks enrich the broth, yielding a delicious pot of field peas. Try smoking your own hocks--they will yield roughly double what you'll get from store-bought hocks.

Recipe: Charred Eggplant with Miso Dressing

Miso is a Japanese staple with a slightly salty, pungent flavor. Find it in the international or refrigerated aisle at your grocery store.

Recipe: Hot Bacon Caprese Salad

Update the Italian tomato salad with a rich, tart dressing.

Recipe: Grilled Mexican Corn Salad

This recipe is an off-the-cob play on a popular Mexican street dish.

Recipe: Zucchini-Potato Casserole

This elegant tian, a French dish of layered vegetables, is delicious warm or at room temp.

Recipe: Mediterranean Green Beans

Use the olive mix to dress other veggies, such as tomato wedges, cooked baby potatoes, or roasted bell peppers.

Recipe: Grilled Squash and Salsa Verde

Pepitas, goat cheese, and homemade Salsa Verde jazz up this simple veggie.

Slice the cucumbers just until you reach the seeds, but no farther or the noodles become raggedy. Pair with fish or shrimp.

Recipe: Scallion-and-Benne Cucumber Noodles

Recipe: Tortelloni-and-Grilled Vegetable Salad

This versatile pasta pairs with any grilled vegetable, so use what you have on hand or what looks best at the farmers' market.

Recipe: Tomato-and-Gorgonzola Pasta Salad

We love juicy beefsteaks for their sweet, intense flavor. Colorful small tomatoes and any crumbled cheese work well here too.

Recipe: Whipped-Cream Corn Salad

To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed through Step 1. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, and proceed with recipe.

Recipe: Sweet Pea-and-Mint Pasta Toss

Serve this minty side with grilled shrimp for a quick company-worthy dinner. Can't find torcetti? Use cavatappi or gemelli.

Recipe: Watermelon-and-Feta Orzo Salad

Punch up this classic pairing of watermelon and feta with peppery watercress or arugula.

Recipe: Candied Roasted Squash

A recipe with only three ingredients calls for smart technique and a little bit of finesse. Score the squash flesh to create more surface area for caramelizing.

Recipe: Sautéed Mushrooms

Any types of mushrooms work well here. Sear them in batches, without crowding, in a hot skillet so that they will take on color without steaming.