This was a hard category for me to undertake. For me, side dishes are often more important to the meal than the entrée. Wait, that’s not true. Most of the time, for me, side dishes make the meal.
As I’ve gotten older, I find meat less appealing. Yes, I still eat meat. But a lot less than when I was younger. So, keeping my list of favorite side dishes to a reasonable size was like asking me to choose which of my kids I loved the most. Almost impossible! (Not for my kids because I love them all to the moon and back.) But to choose my favorite side dishes? Holy cow. And then, what constitutes a side dish? The starch or the vegetables or a combination thereof. So, I have broken this category into two parts. MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE STARCH) and MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE VEGGIES).
And even then, the lists are longer than I wanted. But none of these dishes could be eliminated. So, if you were looking for a short list, just know that I tried my darndest to adhere to the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Sister.) But this was the best I could do.
So, I hope you find these lists beneficial. I know looking at my “favorites” lists is a lot easier than looking through all the recipes on this site. But don’t limit yourself to just my favorites. Because all the recipes on this site I consider worthy of your time and effort in the kitchen.
OK, that’s it for today. It’s stormy outside so there are no mountains in evidence. It’s windy, so the birds must have hunkered down and decided to stay at ground level rather than be up in our trees. Even Port Susan Bay is disguised as a fog bank. So, our outdoor color palette for today seems to be restricted to various shades of grey and green. With more of the same predicted.
But we are cozy in our home, with nothing more important to worry about than the possibility of snow this weekend. My wish is that every person on earth was blessed with this same inconsequential level of concern. I realize this will never be the case. But if I happen upon a bottle with a genie in it, my first and only wish will be for life to become considerably easier for everyone on earth.
Peace and love to all.
MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE STARCH)
Asian Flavored Steamed Rice
Baked Cheddar Cheese and Fresh Chive Polenta
Brown Rice Patties
Creamy and Savory Grits
Creamy Garlic and Rosemary Polenta
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Creamy Polenta with Cream Cheese
Easy Fried Rice
Fried Marinated Tofu with Green Onions and Sesame Seeds
Green Chilies and Rice Casserole
Gruyèr Cheese Soufflé
Israeli Couscous with Shallots, Garlic, and Shiitake Mushrooms
Lemon Pepper Rice
Lemony Quinoa with Fresh Herbs
Mushroom Risotto with Green Onions and Peas
Potato, Gruyère Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Gratin
Noodles Romanoff
Quinoa, Kale, and Shallot Pilaf
Rice Cooker Savory Brown Basmati Rice
Savory German Bread Pudding with Mushrooms
Savory Kale and Mushroom Strata (Bread Pudding)
Savory Mushroom Rice-A-Roni
Savory Wild Rice, Brown Rice, and Mushroom Pilaf
Simple Vegetarian Fried Brown Basmati Rice
Spinach and Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
Turmeric Rice
White Cheddar Cheese Grits
Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding
MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE VEGGIES)
Accordion Baked Potatoes (Hasselback) (Under Easy Friday Night Fish Fry)
Beets in a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
Braised Green Cabbage
Cheezy Baked Cauliflower
Chinese Salt and Pepper oven Roasted Beans
Collard Greens with Smoked Pork Hock
Creamy Caramelized Pearl Onions and Petite Peas
Creamy Corn Pudding
Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dried Corn Casserole
Eggplant Parmesan Light
French Mashed Potatoes with Gruyère and Mozzarella Cheese (Aligot)
Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Fried Zucchini
German Potato Salad
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili Garlic Sauce
Honey and Soy Sauce Glazed Green Beans
Honey, Thyme, and Balsamic Glaze Dressed Beets with Feta Cheese
Mashed Potatoes with Bacon, Cheese, Chives, and Sour Cream
Oktoberfest Sauerkraut
Oven Baked Melting Potato Slices
Oven Roasted Steak Fries with Fry Sauce
Roasted Carrots with a Honey Bourbon Glaze
Roasted Veggies with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Scalloped Potatoes
Spinach and Gruyère Cheese Gratin
Spinach with Almonds and Feta Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole
Twice Baked Potatoes
Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese
Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with Pepper Jack and White Cheddar Cheese
Zucchini, Caramelized Onion, and Pepper Jack Cheese Gratin
Zucchini Pancakes