With few ingredients and simple cooking methods, these recipes are the way to go for fast and affordable weeknight dinners. Never worry about getting your vegetable servings with sides that include healthy green beans, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, beets, and more. Dinner doesn’t have to be stressful, complicated, or challenging in order to be delicious. These recipes will save you time and money, while giving your pantry ingredients a brand new life.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you always have sweet potatoes on hand and this recipe, you’ll have a quick, goes-with-anything side dish whenever you need it.
Alison Miksch
While you can make this side anytime of year with frozen kernels, it’s even better in the summertime with fresh, sweet ears of corn.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
From hash browns at breakfast to roasted fingerlings for dinner, there’s rarely a time when this starchy vegetable isn’t welcome on the table—including these smashed potatoes.
Photography, and Food Styling: Karen Rankin
You can easily make these crispy fries using the oven or the air fryer.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
These spears are pretty enough to serve at a party, but they’ll be right at home on your dinner table, too.
Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
A touch of bacon and Parmesan cheese add savoriness to quick green beans.
Caitlin Bensel
Other than the toppings you choose to put on this quick baked potato, you’ll only need a potato and a bit of oil to make this classic side dish. In less than 10 minutes, you can make this fluffy, tender potato.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
All it takes are potatoes, onions, and a few pantry staples to make this savory breakfast classic that tastes just as great served at any meal of the day.
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Ideal for the height of summer when okra is practically spilling out of every road-side farm stand, this simple dish highlights the Southern staple. If you don’t like heat, you can easily forgo the cayenne pepper.
Break out the air fryer for our easiest-ever vegetable side dish. With crumbled goat cheese and everything bagel seasoning atop, this recipe is sure to impress.
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Corn pone, also known as hot water cornbread, is an old-fashioned side that can stand in place of your usual skillet cornbread or dinner rolls.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
While this roasted veggie is good on its own or tossed with lemon juice and parmesan, the smokiness from the bacon and added sweetness from the maple syrup makes them irresistible.
Southern Living
This dreamy side dish will be a new favorite at every cookout, and no one will know it was so much easier to make than a casserole.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If salt, pepper, and butter are already in the fridge or pantry, you only need one additional ingredient for this side: baby gold potatoes. With our tested and true technique, you can create these potato discs that are buttery and fluffy inside, and crispy and browned outside.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you’re not from the South you might not consider this a salad. But if you know, you know. This old-school dish can be served with just about anything that’s on the dinner table. (Yes, we know it’s over three ingredients, but not by many…)
Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Cabbage is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient that often gets forgotten. You can easily keep this dish meatless by using olive oil instead of the bacon drippings to sauté the onion and cabbage.
Jessica Furniss
When fall brings delicata squash season, this three-ingredient side will be a go to multiple times a week. In addition to only calling for squash, oil, and salt, the peel on this squash is entirely edible, so you don’t have to bother with peeling. Altogether, this is a winning side for many reasons.
photographs by ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; RECIPE: ANNA THEOKTISTO; FOOD STYLING: RUTH BLACKBURN; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINA DALEY
From chicken to steak or even salmon, you can’t go wrong when pairing this crispy veggie side dish with your favorite protein.
Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Why boil corn when you can add more flavor by grilling it? All you need is fresh corn to achieve a smoky, savory side.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Tossed with herbs and garlic, these restaurant menu-worthy roasted potatoes won’t last long on the table. Fingerlings come in a variety of colors giving the medley a mix of shades.
Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This healthy side dish takes little effort to prepare and is ready in 20 minutes or less. The bright asparagus topped with slivered almonds pairs perfectly with a variety of main dishes.
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
It’s hard to beat this side dish that goes with so many different dinner options.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Keep this delicious and simple side dish as is or dress up your florets with some lemon juice, cheese (such as Parmesan, asiago, or cotija), or herbs.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Take your traditional side of rice up a notch with this crispy version. Serve it with the protein and vegetable of your choice for a delicious meal.
Caitlin Bensel
It’s never been easier to get a serving of veggies at dinner than with this fast recipe.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
Perfect sounds too good to be true, but trust us. This simple recipe is all you need for the best grits.
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley
Ready in just 10 minutes, this simple side dish adds elegance to the table with its rich colors. Apple cider vinegar and honey give the vegetables a nice sweet-and-sour balance.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
With just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, this fall varietal can be turned into many fan-favorite dishes, from soups to salad toppings.
Emily Laurae/Southern Living
For a more savory version, add sour cream or cheese and herbs instead of maple syrup.
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith
Wow your dinner guests with these potato stacks that look impressive, but are a cinch to make. The thinly sliced potatoes seasoned with butter and herbs create a delicious, crispy snack.