Some sides are polite and quiet. These are not those. Every recipe in this list of 31 side dishes has something to say, and it says it with volume. There’s no shrinking into the background or settling for second place—each one delivers enough punch to make the entrée question its job security. It’s hard to call them “sides” when they’re clearly leading the charge.
Cucumber Salad with Feta
This one brings a cool edge that doesn’t try to steal focus but ends up doing it anyway. Cucumber Salad with Feta has enough structure and bite to hold attention past the first bite. There’s balance here that doesn’t feel like it’s playing it safe. If you weren’t expecting it to carry the meal, that’s on you.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Salad with Feta
Grilled Smoked Corn on the Cob
You’ve had corn on the cob. This is not that. Grilled Smoked Corn on the Cob comes in with serious confidence and zero interest in staying in the supporting role. The texture, the flavor, the way it competes with the mains without even trying—it’s doing everything side dishes were always supposed to.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Smoked Corn on the Cob
The Backyard Table
Get it NOW and level up your outdoor dining! The Backyard Table - Recipes for Summer Cookouts features 34 of Chef Jenn's BEST recipes for outdoor eating and entertaining.
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
- Grilled Corn Guacamole
- Grilled French Onion Burgers
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Blueberry Grunt
- and so many more!
Every recipe is created, tested and loved by Chef Jenn and her family - there's no AI here!
Get it now, at a special introductory price of $7.99. That's over 50 pages of foodie love at your fingertips!
Buy Now!Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes
Some salads exist to check a box. Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes isn’t one of them. It has enough going on to carry a meal, but still manages to play well with others. It’s fresh, sure, but more importantly, it remembers to be interesting.
Get the Recipe: Tabouli Salad with Smoked Tomatoes
Greek Green Beans
It’s easy to forget how much a side dish can change the entire tone of a meal until this one shows up. Greek Green Beans know how to throw off the balance in the best way, stealing attention without making a scene. They hit all the right notes—comfort, contrast, and just enough edge to keep things interesting. Not loud, but definitely not forgettable.
Get the Recipe: Greek Green Beans
Ukrainian Potatoes
Some sides stay in the background, but Ukrainian Potatoes make it impossible to keep them there. They bring the kind of presence that makes you question why you ever reached for plain mashed anything. Bold without trying to be, they walk that fine line between simple and smart. It’s not the kind of dish that needs dressing up to stand out.
Get the Recipe: Ukrainian Potatoes
Cauliflower with Lemon and Dill
This isn’t the cauliflower people dread at the end of a buffet. Cauliflower with Lemon and Dill flips the script and proves it’s capable of pulling its weight. It has enough personality to live outside the shadow of the main dish without overpowering it. You’ll want to make more just to see what else it can get away with.
Get the Recipe: Cauliflower with Lemon and Dill
Smoked Mac & Cheese
Mac and cheese is never a bad idea, but Smoked Mac & Cheese is clearly operating on a different level. The smoke adds the kind of punch that makes the main dish feel like it’s coasting. It’s the comfort food version of showing up overdressed and completely owning it. No one’s looking at the roast when this hits the table.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Mac & Cheese
Grilled Ratatouille
The name might sound like something fancy, but this one’s all about grounded flavor. Grilled Ratatouille doesn’t just accompany the meal—it challenges it. It holds its own with a quiet kind of confidence that somehow takes over your plate by the second helping. It’s the kind of side you start planning your main around.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Ratatouille
Mexican Rice
It’s easy to overlook rice, but this version has enough character to change that. Mexican Rice shows up with flavor and personality that makes the main dish sit up and take notice. It’s not just filler; it’s a full player in the meal’s story. You’ll find yourself planning meals just so this side can show up again.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Rice
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
The word steak usually means a big deal, and these cauliflower steaks live up to that. Grilled Cauliflower Steaks bring a surprising heft to the side dish game without crowding the plate. They hold their own with a strong presence that shifts the meal’s dynamics. This isn’t a side you’ll be forgetting anytime soon.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Turkey Fried Rice
Fried rice is a classic, but this one brings a fresh twist that keeps it interesting. Turkey Fried Rice manages to balance familiarity with a unique edge that keeps things from getting boring. It’s a side that feels like more than just a supporting act. You might even catch yourself wondering if the turkey deserves more spotlight.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Fried Rice
Grilled Vegetables
Simple doesn’t mean forgettable with this one. Grilled Vegetables carry enough char and flavor to make a quiet but powerful statement. They’re the kind of sides that round out a meal without trying too hard, but still get noticed. When they’re on the table, the main dish knows it’s not the only star.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Vegetables
Sautéed Beet Greens with Pancetta
The name doesn’t scream “center of attention,” but that’s where this side ends up. Sautéed Beet Greens with Pancetta surprise people who thought they were just filling space on the plate. There’s a depth here that turns a throwaway portion into something you actually fight over. Nobody calls these leftovers with a straight face.
Get the Recipe: Sautéed Beet Greens with Pancetta
Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter & Almonds
These aren’t the Brussels sprouts that scarred you as a kid. Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter & Almonds are built to win over the skeptics and make loyalists out of everyone else. The texture and contrast make it more than a checkbox vegetable—it becomes the reason you take seconds. Even the roast seems a little less important now.
Get the Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter & Almonds
Grilled Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Smashed potatoes get a serious upgrade here, and it’s hard to go back after this. Grilled Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes bring a crispness and flavor profile that refuses to be just an afterthought. They bring a balance of texture and boldness that makes you rethink what a potato side can do. It’s a dish that demands attention without asking for it.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Copycat Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots
Familiar but far from basic, these baby carrots make a quiet statement at the table. Copycat Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots have enough going on to make people ask for seconds. They’re the kind of side that proves even the simplest vegetables can have a moment. If you’re thinking “just carrots,” this will change your mind.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Couscous gets an upgrade with flavors that stand out without shouting. Mediterranean Couscous Salad plays well with mains but isn’t afraid to make its own mark. It balances heartiness and freshness in a way that keeps meals interesting. It’s a side that makes you rethink the role of grain salads.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is a classic, but this version brings a fresh attitude to a familiar dish. It’s rich enough to hold its own but doesn’t try to overpower anything else on the plate. This is one of those sides that has a way of creeping into the spotlight by being quietly excellent. It makes you reconsider what creamy really means.
Get the Recipe: Creamed Corn
Grilled Pineapple with Buttery Lime Glaze
Pineapple at dinner usually means dessert, but this side flips expectations. Grilled Pineapple with Buttery Lime Glaze balances sweet and savory in a way that wakes up the whole meal. It brings a fresh element that makes everything else taste better by comparison. It’s a reminder that sides can surprise you.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Pineapple with Buttery Lime Glaze
Mini Flaky Cheese Biscuits
Biscuits are always good, but these mini flaky cheese versions demand a special kind of respect. Mini Flaky Cheese Biscuits have a way of drawing people back for just one more without guilt. They’re a side that’s easy to forget you’re eating until it’s gone. They make a convincing argument for why bread sides deserve a bigger spotlight.
Get the Recipe: Mini Flaky Cheese Biscuits
Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes
This salad doesn’t shy away from making an impression. Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes balances fresh and hearty in a way that makes you question what “side” really means. It feels like a complete dish on its own, but it plays well with the main course too. You’ll find it hard to treat this one as just a throw-in.
Get the Recipe: Spring Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Potatoes
Smoked Cauliflower
Smoked Cauliflower takes a vegetable people often overlook and turns it into a memorable presence. This side isn’t trying to play it safe or fade into the background. It delivers enough character to shake up the usual lineup and command attention. If cauliflower had a fan club, this would be the president.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Cauliflower
Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad
Combining two sides into one dish sounds like overkill, but this works. Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad balances textures and flavors that keep the meal moving forward. It’s a side that manages to be fresh and satisfying without overcomplicating things. When this dish shows up, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for plain old salad.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad
German Yellow Beans
These beans don’t just show up to fill space—they make a statement. German Yellow Beans combine texture and flavor that hold their own on the plate. They bring a brightness and bite that balance richer mains without trying to be flashy. It’s a side dish that earns its place every time.
Get the Recipe: German Yellow Beans
Grandma’s Mashed Potato Casserole
Mashed potatoes get an upgrade with a casserole version that’s more than just a sidekick. This dish has enough heft and flavor to make it a contender for the main event. It’s comforting without being boring and familiar without feeling stale. When this hits the table, leftovers become a very serious business.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Mashed Potato Casserole
Classic Mac and Cheese
Classic doesn’t mean predictable with this mac and cheese. It’s a side that has enough creamy, cheesy heft to compete for attention without stealing the whole meal. Comfort food doesn’t get much more straightforward or satisfying. It’s one of those dishes that proves why some classics never go out of style.
Get the Recipe: Classic Mac and Cheese
Parisian Potatoes
The name sounds fancy, but these potatoes know how to keep things approachable and satisfying. Parisian Potatoes bring a texture and flavor that make you pay attention without overwhelming the meal. It’s a side that proves potatoes still have surprises left. They’ll make you question why you ever settled for plain spuds.
Get the Recipe: Parisian Potatoes
Copycat Domino’s Cheddar Bacon Loaded Tots
Loaded tots are the kind of side dish that commands attention without apology. This copycat version brings the kind of flavor punch that makes it hard to save room for anything else. It’s comfort food with a serious attitude, proving that sides don’t have to be polite. When these tots arrive, the main course better be ready for competition.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Domino’s Cheddar Bacon Loaded Tots
Quick Smoked Tomatoes
Tomatoes don’t usually get the star treatment, but these smoked versions do. The quick smoke adds a layer of flavor that makes them more than just an afterthought. They bring enough punch to keep things lively without taking over the plate. It’s a side that surprises by showing up ready to work.
Get the Recipe: Quick Smoked Tomatoes
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus often flies under the radar, but this grilled version changes the game. It has enough texture and flavor to make people pay attention, even when the main dish is a heavyweight. This side proves that simple ingredients can still pack a punch. It’s the kind of dish you’ll want on the table more often.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Orzo salad might sound basic, but this one doesn’t settle for that. The Mediterranean twist keeps things interesting and the shrimp adds just enough substance to keep it from fading into the background. It’s a side that works hard to hold its own without stealing the show. You might find yourself thinking of it as a main.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp