Comfort Food Side Dish Recipes

Photo: Jonny Valiant

Our Favorite Comfort Food Sides

If your menu needs another vegetable or side, these healthy versions of your favorite comforting classics will surely net compliments for the cook.

We'll start our journey with a rustic stuffing. Holiday foods are some of the most nostalgic of our family traditions. Don't leave this favorite off the table.

View Recipe: Sausage and Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Sweet Onion Casserole

Onions, rice, and a creamy cheese sauce make this casserole a winner in our book. We're fairly sure you'll agree.

View Recipe: Sweet Onion Casserole

Photo: John Autry

Roasted Chile-Garlic Broccoli

The bold flavors of chile paste and dark sesame oil call for pairing with a robust entrée like grilled salmon, tuna, or beef.

View Recipe: Roasted Chile-Garlic Broccoli

Photo: Jonny Valiant

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

You don't need butter and cream to make wonderfully creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Heart-healthy olive oil adds flavor and silkiness without saturated fat.

View Recipe: Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

Photo: Quentin Bacon

Smoky Three-Bean Bake

Three kinds of beans take the classic dish from ho-hum to fun, with different shapes and pleasing textures—from the al dente bite of chickpeas to the creaminess of Great Northern beans. If you happen to use hot smoked paprika, you can omit the ground red pepper.

View Recipe: Smoky Three-Bean Bake

Photo: Grant Cornett

Browned Butter Asparagus

A hint of tarragon adds unique, fresh flavor to the dish, but you can use any herb you like.

View Recipe: Browned Butter Asparagus

Photo: Nina Choi

Israeli Carrots

The vivid garlic-and-fresh-herb vinaigrette contrasts with the sweet carrots. If baby carrots are unavailable, simply cut a regular carrot in half widthwise, halve the skinny bottom portion lengthwise, and quarter the thicker top section.

View Recipe: Israeli Carrots

Photo: Jonny Valiant

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Braise the Brussels sprouts and toast the bread-crumbs up to a day ahead. Before serving, add cooked, crumbled bacon to the toasted breadcrumb mixture, and then sprinkle the mixture over the sprouts. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated.

View Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Photo: Randy Mayor

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

"I give this recipe five stars because we can't live without it!" said a cookinglight.com reader. "I don't make conventional pickles like Mama used to do, but I have to have a jar of these in the refrigerator at all times during cuke season!"

Recipe: Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

This recipe uses less salt than traditional recipes and comes together in less than 30 minutes—what's not to love?

Recipe: Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

Photo: Randy Mayor

Zesty Broccoli Casserole

This favorite casserole was revamped to include the same creamy tang of the original recipe, but with 26 fewer grams of fat. The water chestnuts add a surprising crunch, and the substitution of sharp Cheddar cheese for the milder Colby variety provides additional zing.

View Recipe: Zesty Broccoli Casserole

Southerners are well acquainted with the joys of okra, especially the crunchy-tender combination that results from deep-frying the pods.

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Oven-Fried Okra

Southerners are well acquainted with the joys of okra, especially the crunchy-tender combination that results from deep-frying the pods. But anyone can enjoy this dish, which keeps all the crunch and dispenses with the grease.

View Recipe: Oven-Fried Okra

Photo: Howard L. Puckett

New-Fashioned Apple and Raisin Slaw

Crunchy and creamy are the two most important characteristics of a good slaw, but this recipe turns the traditional on its head. Sweet apples form the base of the salad, along with a generous helping of raisins, while balsamic vinegar in the dressing keeps things from getting too sweet.

View Recipe: New-Fashioned Apple and Raisin Slaw

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Camembert Mashed Potatoes

Soft, mild Camembert cheese adds the same creaminess to mashed potatoes that butter and cream do, but it also brings in a sophisticated tangy, distinctly cheesy flavor. Any young, soft cheese can be used in this recipe―try your favorite brie, or even a creamy chévre.

View Recipe: Camembert Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Randy Mayor

Garlic Fries

Rated 5-stars by readers and named an all-time favorite by our staff, these oven-baked fries are so good (and easy!) that you'll never go back to deep-fried fries.

View Recipe: Garlic Fries