Side Dish Recipe Ideas

Spinaci alla Genovese. A traditional Italian sautéed spinach dish from Genoa that has raisins, pine nuts and garlic. Spinaci alla Genovese is a traditional Italian spinach dish from Genoa. It has pine nuts, which are abundant in the region, as well as raisins and garlic. The raisins add a lovely sweetness and texture to the to the dish with the pine nuts complimenting the spinach flavor.

Meat and Cheese Manicotti. Savory and comforting manicotti filled with ricotta and beef served in a fresh homemade tomato sauce and topped with browned mozzarella. Manicotti are delicious and easy to prepare. Filling manicotti with ricotta and beef gives it a lasagna like flavor without all the extra work! Not to mention they are easy to stuff and fill with your favorite mix. This recipe uses beef but it also works with a mix of beef and pork or the meat of your choice.

Baked Chicken with Italian Seasoning. A roasted and juicy chicken breast that is marinated in a savory Italian seasoning. This Italian herb chicken is one of my go to dinner ideas when entertaining guests or want a savory quick weekday meal. The best part is it can be prepared the night before and left to marinate in the fridge. Not only does this make cooking it super quick, but the extra time marinating makes the chicken extra tender and juicy

Crispy Homemade French Fries. This easy and healthy alternative to fried french fries is the perfect way to make fries at home. One of the things I do not like about making homemade fries is dealing with the oil. Not only is it unhealthy, but also makes a mess and not convenient for a weekday meal. I find you can get similar, but healthy, results by using a convection oven. Essentially, you are air frying the potatoes versus using oil.

Crispy Italian Porchetta.Porchetta is an Italian boneless pork roast with crispy skin and filled with herbs and garlic. Traditionally, the whole pig is used. Given most people don’t have access to a whole pig, it is easy to make homemade porchetta with pork belly and a boneless pork loin. This classic street food is so flavorful it is served only with ciabatta bread. It is also common to find it served on Christmas.

Homemade Anolini soup. Anolini are little flavorful meat filled pasta that are traditional served on Christmas Day in Emilia-Romagna or New Years in Piacenza. What makes these little filled pasta so irresistible is the filling. It consists of stracotto (overcooked) meat, its cooking juices, Parmigiano-Reggiano and breadcrumbs.

Fresh crispy fried smelts with white pepper, shallots, peppers, green onions. Served with a sesame soy dipping sauce. Extra crispy, spicy and flaky fried smelts are an economic twist on the classic shrimp or calamari. Smelts have a very clean and mild taste. Whether you are looking for an appetizer or main course, this salt and pepper fish recipe comes together in minutes and is super simple to make!

Candied Bourbon and Brown Sugar Carrots. These bourbon glazed carrots are the perfect side for a weekday dinner or Holiday feast! The addition of brown sugar and butter creates a silky smooth glaze and is the perfect way to enjoy carrots. Fresh carrots cooked in a sweet bourbon brown butter and thyme glaze.

Oven roasted potatoes baked potatoes covered in salt. What is salt crusting? It is an ancient method of evening cooking fish, meat and vegetables. It is most often used for fish as it keeps in the moisture and ensures even cooking. However, a salt crusted potato is delicious! The potato will have a slightly more potato flavor and perfectly seasoned skin.

Tender and flavorful chicken nugget that is healthy and easy to make. Sometimes being an adult you want nothing more than chicken nuggets. This recipe uses the classic, almost chicken soup like, flavor we remember from childhood. The secret ingredient, chicken bouillon!

Roasted pumpkin makes the perfect fall soup! Pumpkins are one of my favorite fall foods due to their versatility. There are not many other fruits (pumpkins are technically a fruit) that can be used in sweet and savory dishes. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness and is how I start most of my pumpkin/squash dishes. Best part about this recipe is it is dairy free!

Fluffy and garlic mashed potatoes make the perfect side dish for any occasion. What I love about this method is they don’t have the raw garlic flavor and it is more mild from cooking in the potato water. If you like your extra garlicky add double the garlic cloves.

This pan roasted asparagus is one of the quickest and delicious side dishes! It is perfect for a busy weekday and comes together in under 10 minutes. Best part, there are only 2 ingredients!

Oven Broiled Chicken Shawarma with White Sauce. A NYC classic, chicken shawarma is the ultimate in street food sandwiches. This version require no special cookware and instead the chicken is broiled. This imparts that charred and smoky flavor you are after while making it quick and simple. Not to mention, this comes together quickly making it a perfect weekday meal idea. Simply marinade overnight and though in the oven the next day!

Summer is a time for light and easy side dishes, and this one does not disappoint! Based of the traditional German potato salad, this is a lighter version that skips the bacon for more vinegar and is vegan. I prefer to use baby red potatoes as it makes for a creamier end product. Add this to your next BBQ or summer party! I think it is best at room temperature, but it is equally delicious warm or chilled.