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Our collection of the Best Side Dish Recipes has everything you need to put together the perfect side dish for any meal! All of our side dish recipes are loved by families and reviewers alike. With plenty of side dishes to choose from for every occasion, you are guaranteed to find a new favorite side dish here!

Jump to:
- Buttery Mashed Potatoes - the Best Side Dish
- Side Dish Recipes FAQs
- Best Side Dishes for Beef
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil
- Crispy Potato Wedges
- Best Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
- How to Cook Rice Perfectly
- Amazing Air Fryer Asparagus Fries Recipe
- Creamy Asparagus Pasta Recipe
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Best Side Dishes for Pork
- Best Corn Ribs Recipe
- Easy Cilantro Lime Rice
- Street Corn Recipe
- Air Fried Mushrooms
- Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms
- German Potato Salad
- Papas Con Chorizo (Sheet Pan Recipe)
- How to Cook Orzo
- Glazed Maple Carrots
- Best Side Dishes for Chicken
- Easy Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
- Best Smothered Potatoes Recipe with Sausage
- Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- Creamy Mushroom Risotto (Instant Pot Risotto)
- Instant Pot Rice Recipe (White or Brown Rice)
- Easy Cauliflower Rice Salad
- Party Side Dishes
- Best Creamed Corn Casserole (5 Ingredients)
- Au Gratin Potatoes with Gruyere
- Potato Pave
- Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans
- Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Amazing Veggies Au Gratin
- Cream Cheese Garlic Bread Rolls
- Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
Buttery Mashed Potatoes - the Best Side Dish
Of all the best side dish recipes, one contender remains at the top: deliciously fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes! My recipe for garlic mashed potatoes is creamy, fluffy, and oh-so buttery and delicious. Mashed potatoes always deserve a place on the table!

Side Dish Recipes FAQs
Depending on where you live, the most popular side dishes vary. But, in the United States, the most popular side dishes have to be potato dishes like mashed potatoes, French fries, and home fries, as well as corn recipes, rice recipes, and sauteed or roasted vegetables.
Choose which side dishes to serve based on the protein you're preparing for the main course. If you plan on making hamburgers, for example, a good side dish would be French fries, while mashed potatoes or a salad would go better with a steak. Fish and seafood pairs well with salsa, light salads, or rice dishes, while pork and ham go well with rice, potatoes, and corn. And, of course, if you're cooking for the holidays, there are perfect side dishes for Turkey, too - like green bean casserole or stuffing.
Best Side Dishes for Beef
For steak and roast beef recipes, pair your meal with roasted or mashed potatoes, bread rolls, salads, or roasted vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, or green beans. For a burger recipe or beef tacos, pair it with crispy potato wedges, salads, or corn-on-the-cob recipes. Here are some of our recommendations for the best side dishes for beef:
Grilled Potatoes in Foil
Crispy Potato Wedges
Best Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
How to Cook Rice Perfectly
Amazing Air Fryer Asparagus Fries Recipe
Creamy Asparagus Pasta Recipe
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Best Side Dishes for Pork
Pork and ham pair well with corn recipes, potato salads, casseroles, and roasted vegetables like carrots, green beans, or potatoes. Try some of our best side dishes for pork:
Best Corn Ribs Recipe
Easy Cilantro Lime Rice
Street Corn Recipe
Air Fried Mushrooms
Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms
German Potato Salad
Papas Con Chorizo (Sheet Pan Recipe)
How to Cook Orzo
Glazed Maple Carrots
Best Side Dishes for Chicken
Chicken dishes pair well with all kinds of side dishes, including roasted vegetables, rice, and salads. Some of the best side dishes for chicken include:
Easy Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
Best Smothered Potatoes Recipe with Sausage
Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Risotto (Instant Pot Risotto)
Instant Pot Rice Recipe (White or Brown Rice)
Easy Cauliflower Rice Salad
Party Side Dishes
If you're pairing your side dishes with a holiday meal like a turkey dinner, the best side dishes to serve are crowd-feeding recipes like casseroles. Green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, creamed corn casserole, and more are great choices for holiday sides.
See our Best Side Dishes for Thanksgiving for more ideas for the holidays!
Best Creamed Corn Casserole (5 Ingredients)
Au Gratin Potatoes with Gruyere
Potato Pave
Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Amazing Veggies Au Gratin
Cream Cheese Garlic Bread Rolls
Did you try one of our best side dish recipes? Let us know in the comments below, and leave a rating on the recipe! We love to hear from you.

Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
Equipment
- Wooden spatula or spoon
- Large pot
- Large mixing bowl
- Vegetable peeler
- Sauce pan
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1½ cups Whole milk
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 5 sprigs Fresh thyme
- 2 Dried bay leaves
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter 1½ sticks, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a large pot with cold water enough to cover them by 1 inch. Salt water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, but not saturated or crumbly (20-25 minutes).4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- Drain the potatoes (reserve ½ cup of the water if making potatoes ahead of time). Return potatoes to the pot and set over low heat. Gently stir until the moisture is gone and the potatoes are dry, about 1-2 minutes.
- Heat milk, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat once melted and combined.1½ cups Whole milk, 2 cloves garlic, 5 sprigs Fresh thyme, ¾ cup Unsalted butter, 2 Dried bay leaves
- Transfer potatoes to an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and blend until the desired consistency is reached (or use an electric hand mixer). Alternatively, a potato masher by hand also works.
- Remove herbs from the warm milk mixture and discard them. Gradually add the mixture to the potatoes, stirring with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixture until they are combined and smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with extra butter and chives if desired.
Notes
- Start with cold water: potatoes cook more evenly if you let the water slowly come to temperature instead of adding them to already boiling water.
- Season the potatoes before cooking them using heavily salted water. This allows the salt to infuse with the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into even pieces (about 1-inch in size or so). This way, they cook evenly.
- Full fat whole milk gives you a heartier mashed potato! Use whole milk for buttery mashed potatoes.
- Avoid over or under-cooking the potatoes by checking them frequently while they cook. You don't want them to get over-saturated with water and crumbly.
- Infuse the milk mixture with herbs before adding it to the potatoes, and remove the herbs before mixing it in.
- Dry-stir the potatoes to remove excess moisture.
Nutrition
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