Healthy Side Dishes for Fall
I think the right side dishes can turn an ordinary fall dinner into a meal everyone looks forward to! Especially one of these recipes for garlic green beans, honey slow cooker carrots, roasted cabbage, crispy Parmesan rice cakes, and more. They are some of my favorite ways to eat healthy, easy, and delicious real food.
For me there’s nothing more quintessentially fall than being able to turn the oven on again to roast a chicken or pork sirloin and then add a fun delicious side or two to it. And if it’s easy (and maybe roasts along with the meat?), healthy, and full of flavor? That’s the reason for “oven season” again, in my book (speaking from a summer girl point of view!).
You know, I grew up with pretty boring and bland side dishes. Mushy piles of boiled spinach or brussels sprouts, warmed canned green beans, cottage cheese and applesauce (yes, that was a side dish – often served with macaroni), and so many lettuce-carrots-tomatoes salads. So many.
I thought I didn’t like many of these things, but I found it was just the way they were cooked. Sautéing just enough to keep the vegetables crisp and roasting (oh, roasting changed the way I looked at vegetables forever!) makes all the difference. Suddenly eating healthy vegetable side dishes wasn’t so hard anymore. And I also found that simple preparations of potato, bean, and rice dishes could also keep these real foods healthy – no layers of fat and cheese needed.
Below I’ve gathered twenty of my and my family’s favorite things to serve with anything from roast chicken and pork, to ham, and to pasta and more. I hope it helps you find a new side to serve this fall!
Vegetable Side Dishes
No.1
Amazing Garlic Green Beans
Our family’s preferred way to eat green beans is this deceptively simple dish that results in great flavor whether made in a skillet or on the grill.
No.2
Quick & Easy Roasted Green Beans (Fresh or Frozen)
When I’ve got the oven turned on, though, this is the quick green bean recipe I turn to again and again.
No.3
Creamy Baked Corn – 5 Simple Ingredients
While I love this with fresh corn, it’s still wonderful with frozen corn and just the right amount of creaminess without tasting heavy.
No.4
Amazing Grated Baked Carrots with Lemon & Garlic
You simply will not believe how good carrots taste made this way. Example: my daughter has asked for this for her birthday dinner!
No.5
Best Roasted Carrots with Garlic and Spices
Quick, easy, super healthy and SO flavorful, I turn to this recipe all fall and winter.
No.6
Easy Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Carrots with Onions
Crisp-tender and flavored with the garlic and carrots, there’s just enough honey to bring out the sweetness of the carrots, but not take over. Perfect for holidays when the oven is in use.
No.7
Chili Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots
You can make this spicy or not, depending on the chili powder you choose. It’s a great way to make staple fall and winter veggies taste special.
No.8
Spiced Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
I could eat half a cauliflower made this way – the crispy edges! The spices! The tender interior! A staple recipe for me.
No.9
Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Parmesan
This is another classic recipe in our house with a sauce that’s lighter than a cheese sauce, but with all the flavor thanks to the parmesan.
No.10
Easy Seasoned Roasted Broccoli – Fresh or Frozen
When you want a healthy vegetable side dish quickly, this is the recipe to go for. It also helps that roasting broccoli makes it taste amazing.
No.11
Easy Roasted Cabbage with Amazing Onion Dijon Sauce
This was one of my first viral recipes and with one taste you’ll know why! I only cook cabbage this way now if it’s for a side dish.
No.12
Quick Sourdough Vegetable Fritters
I love using up discard with these fritters – they are SO good! I like to make a big batch since they reheat wonderfully in an air fryer.
Potato, Rice & Beans Side Dishes
No.1
Hasselback Potatoes Recipe (Baked Potato Fans with Cheese)
I love this recipe when I want something a little more special than baked potatoes. You can use any kind of cheese you’d like.
No.2
Garlic Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Adding sour cream and garlic to mashed potatoes elevates them to a whole other level!
No.3
Tasty Baked Butter Rice (White or Brown Rice)
This was my grandma’s specialty – the dish everyone asked for again and again. I’m so glad she wrote down the recipe for me!
No.4
Easy Onion and Cheese Quiche
I love making this recipe when I want a side dish a little different than normal, especially for guests. It’s wonderful with baked ham or roasted chicken.
No.5
Parmesan Rice Cakes
My kids used to cheer when these were on the menu – everyone loves them. I always plan to make more rice than we need to be able to make these for the next meal.
No.6
Easy Vegetable Barley Pilaf Recipe
Barley is such a fun change from rice and has a wonderfully chewy texture that makes this sort of comfort food.
No.7
Simple Slow Cooker Barley Recipe with Curry & Carrots
Cooking barley in a slow cooker is not only easy, it also makes it creamy and even more comforting.
No.8
Easy Honey Baked Bean Recipe (Slow Cooker)
Making baked beans in a slow cooker means no constant stirring. I’ve made them healthier with less sweetness and the ability to make them saucier if you’d like.
Healthy Main Dishes for Fall
If you’re looking for some main dishes to go along with these sides, these are some of my favorites:
