Lighter American Side Dish Recipes

Everyone always talks about the main dish, but a really good side dish can steal the show. Here we keep the calories low enough so that a second helping won’t do much damage.

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Lighten Up, Side Dishes!

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

What would Thanksgiving be without sweet potato casserole? Who wants meat without the potatoes? Feel free to dig into these significantly lighter casseroles and veggie dishes that will delight your family and dinner guests.

For example, a delicious serving of Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

Roasting Brussels sprouts really brings out their nutty flavor, which goes so well with smoky bacon and sweet red onions.

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Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Mashed Potatoes

If you start with naturally creamy potatoes, like Yukon Golds, you won’t need to add cream and sticks of butter to make delicious mashed potatoes. A gentle fresh chive garnish brightens these rich flavors.

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Fennel, Sausage & Caramelized-Apple Stuffing

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Fennel, Sausage & Caramelized-Apple Stuffing

This sophisticated stuffing truly satisfies. It combines the sweet licorice flavor of fennel, the tang of sourdough bread, the tartness of apple, and the rich spiciness of Italian sausage.

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Squash Casserole

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Squash Casserole

Moms often serve this dish to picky eaters who don’t want to eat their vegetables. It works every time, thanks to the crumbled crackers and creamy cheese traditionally found in this dish. This version is lighter—but your kids will never know the difference.

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Corn Pudding

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is a specialty of the rural South. This recipe, which uses 5 cups of kernels, is great when you have a bumper crop of corn. Frozen, thawed kernels can be substituted when corn is out of season.

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Fried Rice

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Fried Rice

Enjoy a healthier version of this Chinese takeout favorite at home! To make it a meal, increase the portion size and top with a sunny-side-up egg.

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Truffled Mac and Cheese

Photo: Johnny Autry

View Recipe: Truffled Mac and Cheese

White truffle oil has an intense earthy flavor that wakes up ordinary mac and cheese. We also get extra flavor by steeping the milk with onion and bay leaf.

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Calabacitas

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Calabacitas

This Southwestern summer squash mixture is a popular side dish throughout New Mexico and south Texas. Calabacitas means “little squash” in Spanish. Tuck it into tortillas for a vegetarian taco or add pork or chicken to make it a main.

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Butternut Squash Agrodolce

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View Recipe: Butternut Squash Agrodolce

Roasted butternut squash is a classic fall dish. A tangy sweet-and-sour vinaigrette made with honey and red wine vinegar and a garnish of vibrant basil and mint gives this well-loved dish a delicous new twist.

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Funeral Potatoes

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Funeral Potatoes

This popular Utah comfort food is commonly brought to a post-funeral communal meal. The covered dish, or easy-to-reheat casserole, is a classic for potlucks and other large gatherings.

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Classic Slaw

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Classic Slaw

This is a simple slaw with a lot of attitude. It’s the perfect complement to a pulled-pork sandwich and an ideal side dish to serve at a summer barbecue.

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Vermont Baked Beans

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Vermont Baked Beans

In Boston, molasses and salt pork are the traditional additions to a pot of baked beans. The sauce for these baked beans isn’t as thick and sweet as Boston’s rendition, and the flavor of the maple syrup and bacon make it undeniably Vermont.

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Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans

This spicy casserole, an old Cajun favorite, traditionally features chicken livers and gizzards, but we’ve substituted juicy chicken thighs.

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Southern Field Peas

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Southern Field Peas

The Southerners in the Cooking Light Test Kitchen love this dish. It uses pink-eyed peas, which are a local favorite, but feel free to use black-eyed peas instead.

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Sweet Onion Casserole

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View Recipe: Sweet Onion Casserole

This is THE way to enjoy sweet onions from Washington, California, or Georgia. Rice and cheese add heft and flavor to this casserole while letting the star veggie shine.

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Roasted Carrots

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View Recipe: Roasted Carrots

This recipe was inspired by a dish at Nightwood restaurant in Chicago. Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness.

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Cherries & Toasted Pecans

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View Recipe: Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Cherries & Toasted Pecans

The nutty, almost smoky flavor of wild rice pairs beautifully with sweet dried cherries. This dish works well with turkey and other poultry.

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Quick Collards

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Quick Collards

Collard greens are a favorite in the American South, where the greens are traditionally boiled with ham hock. This modern technique relies instead on a speedy sauté, which cooks ribbons of greens in record time. The quick cooking preserves most of the greens’ nutrients so they aren’t lost to the “pot likker,” the broth left at the bottom of the pot after the greens have been cooked.

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Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallow Topping

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View Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallow Topping

Based on sweet potato pie, a favorite in the South, this famous Thanksgiving side dish has a rich history. The marshmallows were added by Janet McKenzie Hill, the founder of the Boston Cooking-School Magazine, in 1917, when the marshmallow evolved from a specialty confection into an everyday treat.

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Garlic-Parsley Steak "Fries"

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View Recipe: Garlic-Parsley Steak "Fries"

These roasted potato wedges, blistered and brown from the heat of the oven, beautifully combine the rich flavors of potato and garlic.

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Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

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View Recipe: Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Cooking the sweet potatoes on a grill retains vitamins that would be lost if they were boiled, and gives them a crisp, charred edge that contrasts with the sweet interior. Tossing them with the lemon-olive oil dressing brightens the flavor.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Mornay Sauce

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View Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower with Mornay Sauce

Roasting intensifies the delicate flavor of this vegetable, lending it a sweet, nutty flavor and creamy texture. The dry cooking technique far surpasses boiling, which can leave cauliflower soggy, bland, and depleted of nutrients.

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Beans & Greens

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View Recipe: Beans & Greens

This recipe takes its cue from Italian-American cooks, who know how to make fresh seasonal ingredients taste wonderful. For a hearty main dish, simply toss with whole-wheat pasta.

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Onion Rings

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View Recipe: Onion Rings

Unlike deep-fried onion rings, these are cooked in a shallow pan with a smaller amount of oil. Be sure to check that the underside of each onion is nicely browned before you flip.

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Succotash

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Succotash

Succotash is generally made with lima beans, but edamame add protein to this colorful side. Shelled edamame are now commonly available year-round in the frozen food section of most supermarkets.

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Stewed Okra & Tomatoes

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View Recipe: Stewed Okra & Tomatoes

Okra is a Southern classic that people tend to love or hate. Here, the acidity of the tomatoes helps thin the vegetable’s viscous juices and preserves its crunchiness. Be sure to pick small pods, as they are more tender.

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Lighter American Side Dishes

1 of 27

Lighten Up, Side Dishes!

2 of 27

Mashed Potatoes

3 of 27

Fennel, Sausage & Caramelized-Apple Stuffing

4 of 27

Squash Casserole

5 of 27

Corn Pudding

6 of 27

Fried Rice

7 of 27

Truffled Mac and Cheese

8 of 27

Calabacitas

9 of 27

Butternut Squash Agrodolce

10 of 27

Funeral Potatoes

11 of 27

Classic Slaw

12 of 27

Vermont Baked Beans

13 of 27

Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans

14 of 27

Southern Field Peas

15 of 27

Sweet Onion Casserole

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Roasted Carrots

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Cherries & Toasted Pecans

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Quick Collards

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Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallow Topping

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Garlic-Parsley Steak "Fries"

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Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

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Roasted Cauliflower with Mornay Sauce

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Beans & Greens

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Onion Rings

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Succotash

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Stewed Okra & Tomatoes

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