You come home at the end of a long exhausting workday and are now faced with the daunting task of feeding yourself dinner. You have some meat thawing in the fridge, but what to have with it? If you need some inspiration, check out this list of easy side dishes for dinner!
Many of these ideas include shelf-stable ingredients you can have on hand. Similar to my “Go-to” meal idea, it is a good idea to have some side dishes and veggies that you love, on hand to turn one item into a complete meal. It can save you from having to eat a dinner of just meat (although that may sound good to some people!) or resort to paying for take-out.
Having a few easy side dishes for dinner on hand doesn’t need to be a complicated task. It could be as simple as buying a few favorites the next time you are at the store, and then checking your stash when you make your grocery list every few weeks. These examples are mostly carb-based side dishes. I will be doing a post on veggie ideas sometime soon!
The recipes I chose are simple and fast cooking because these are side dishes, not the star of the show. I wanted something that can be made in the time it takes the meat to cook (roughly 20-30 minutes) so that dinner would be quick.
Are you ready! Here is a big list!
Rice a Roni (or any sort of boxed rice mix). They cook in 20-25 minutes which is the time it usually takes to quickly cook any meat to go with it. These box mixes can even turn into a complete meal with the addition of some diced meat and frozen veggies mixed in. This is the base for my Go-To Meal of Easy Jambalaya!
Canned beans. Baked beans are a super simple side, dump a can into an oven-safe casserole dish. I usually doctor mine up a bit with some chopped-up bacon, a little ketchup, and brown sugar before baking until heated through. I do something similar with black beans. Add some peppers or salsa and hot sauce, then bake until heated through. These are the ultimate shelf-stable side dishes!
Roasted sweet potatoes. Dice sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes and roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Sweet potatoes are pretty durable and will store in a dark place for several weeks. Regular potatoes can also be cooked this way.
Microwave quinoa or rice packets. These are super quick! Most of the ones I have seen are 90 seconds in the microwave, and serve! There are a ton of different flavors and brands. Many are just a couple of bucks, so get several and try them out to find your favorite! I love to have these with my Chili Salmon Go-To Meal.
Mac and Cheese. Yes, the iconic blue box had to make an appearance here! Ready in 11 minutes, plus the time it takes to boil water, this is quick and delicious. Plus, think of all the childhood memories it will bring back!
Cornbread. Use a box mix to make this really easy! 5 minutes to stir it up, less than 20 to bake, and top with some butter and honey! Perfect side if dinner is soup or has a lot of saucy goodness to soak up!
Red lentils. I love lentils! Red lentils are most commonly used in Indian food, specifically Dahl. Red lentils are great because they cook really fast. This recipe for Red Lentil Pilaf cooks in 15 minutes, and the lentils only take up 10 of those minutes. It uses some basic veggies that are easy to have on hand and can be substituted for something you do have on hand.
White rice. Good ole white rice! It is the universal side dish. This could take many forms. You can boil white rice on the stove or in a rice cooker within 20 minutes. Or use one of the 90-second microwave packages. Any is a great choice!
Frozen side dishes. Birds Eye and other brands in the frozen veggie section have started including some carb-based side dishes as well. They are in microwavable bags, and often have a sauce and veggie and carb included. Often these microwave in 2-5 minutes and are ready to eat out of the bag. I have seen various rice pilaf, diced potatoes, or veggies with cheddar sauce. Spend a few minutes in the freezer section and check out what is available to you!
Couscous. Have you heard of it? It is a quick-cooking tiny pasta. There are two types, Israeli which are the tiny balls or regular couscous. Both cook in about 5 minutes once you boil the water. Add some spices, and you have a tasty, unique side dish. Check out these two recipes for ideas.
Frozen garlic bread or garlic knots. Maybe not the healthiest choice, but perfect for an occasional decadent treat! Easy to have on hand in the freezer and just pull out the number you need for dinner tonight!
Instant Mashed Potatoes. Classic comfort food! They can even come in multiple flavors, so you can pick your favorite! Plus they are a perfect base to doctor up with some bacon, cheese, sour cream, or diced onions. I love them with my BBQ Chicken Go-To meal! Customize them until your heart’s content!
Ok. That was a lot and now I am hungry!
I hope this sparked some inspiration to help you look forward to dinner! It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, repeating the same few meals over and over. Pick something new to try out and get yourself out of that rut! With these easy side dishes for dinner, you can have something fresh to try any night of the week!
What side dish ideas did I miss? Share your favorite one in the comments below or over on our Instagram page!
A meal isn’t complete without a hearty side dish! Thanks for sharing these yummy options.
Absolutely! The side dishes add some pizazz to the menu!
I can see mixing and matching these side dishes. These are simple and cheap to make – perfect for a working gal like myself.
Absolutely! Most will work with any type of main dish and many can be made vegetarian or vegan if needed! Perfect for us busy working ladies!
Ooh that was a lot of suggestions that look easy to cook up, thanks!
Glad you were able to get some inspiration out of it! Happy cooking!