Food and Recipes Meat Beef 45 Savory Side Dishes For Pot Roast By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 20, 2024 Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Pot roast is a dinnertime staple. You probably have your go-to recipe memorized at this point. But what to serve with pot roast is a whole another debate. Mashed potatoes are often the default, but we've collected a few of other favorite sides that go wonderfully with this hearty main dish. From homemade dinner rolls, to quick and easy salads, there's something for everyone and every skill level. Classic Beef Pot Roast 01 of 45 Homemade Mashed Potatoes Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall There's perhaps nothing more classic than serving freshly made mashed potatoes under pot roast. They absorb all the juicy goodness from the roast. Get The Recipe 02 of 45 Roasted Broccoli Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Think of this recipe as the basic template for cooking a delicious plate of broccoli, and from there you can take it any direction you like. Add ranch or everything bagel seasoning for a flavorful kick, or serve simply with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Get The Recipe 03 of 45 Easy Cauliflower Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Cheddar cheese and sour cream make this dish ultra creamy and gooey. So much so, even the pickiest of eaters will leave behind only clean plates. Get The Recipe 04 of 45 Garlic Parmesan Green Beans Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Parmesan and bacon are two flavor-packed ingredients that take humble green beans to new heights. Get The Recipe 05 of 45 Broccoli-Cheese Casserole Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This classic casserole goes with a variety of main dishes, from roast chicken to, yes, pot roast. Get The Recipe 06 of 45 Southern-Style Green Beans Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling These beans are not for those that like their veggies served with a snap. But what they lack in crunch they more than make up for with deep, rich flavor. Get The Recipe 07 of 45 Oven-Roasted Asparagus When asparagus season rolls around in the spring this is one of the first dishes we turn to. The simple preparation is not only weeknight-friendly, but let's the vegetable shine. Get The Recipe 08 of 45 Roasted Potatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Sometimes simple is best and these potatoes prove just that. They get beautifully crisp on the outside, but stay fluffy on the inside. Get The Recipe 09 of 45 Air Fryer Asparagus Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We love using the air fryer to quickly make a tasty side dish. Although you could truly top this asparagus with whatever you like, we're partial to the magical combination of goat cheese and everything bagel seasoning in this recipe. Get The Recipe 10 of 45 Scalloped Potatoes Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Rich doesn't even begin to describe this decadent casserole. Tender slices of potato are cooked in a béchamel sauce for a hearty side dish bound to please everyone at the table. Get The Recipe 11 of 45 Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox You've tried mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, and baked potatoes, but have ever smashed your potatoes? This technique creates more surface area on the spuds, which in turn means more crispy bits. Get The Recipe 12 of 45 Roasted Sweet Potatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Mix things up and swap regular russets for sweet potatoes alongside pot roast. This simple recipe is easy to customize with your favorite seasoning blends. Get The Recipe 13 of 45 Easy Creamed Spinach Antonis Achilleos In this recipe, fresh spinach is enveloped in cream, Parmesan cheese, and butter. It's one of the easiest ways to eat your veggies, if you ask us. Get The Recipe 14 of 45 Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Think of this recipe as our version of a traditional caesar. We've swapped romaine for kale and croutons for breadcrumbs, but the creamy dressing hits all the same classic caesar dressing notes. Get The Recipe 15 of 45 Asparagus Gratin Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Although we love a simple asparagus preparation, sometimes you want to go the extra mile, and this recipe is one way to do so. Baked in cream, Fontina, and Parmesan, this asparagus cooks up golden brown and bubbly. Get The Recipe 16 of 45 Harvest Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch This salad is anything but boring. Loaded with tons of texture from the pecans and crunchy apples, and contrasting flavors from the bitter kale and sweet squash, it has everything you could want in a side salad. Get The Recipe 17 of 45 Maple-Bacon Brussels Sprouts Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox A touch of maple syrup in this recipe helps caramelize and lightly sweeten Brussels sprouts, while salty bacon helps lend the dish a bit of fat for balance. Get The Recipe 18 of 45 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree Who says slaw has to have cabbage? Thinly slicing Brussels sprouts creates a similar texture to shredded cabbage but with a little more crunch. Get The Recipe 19 of 45 Cajun Potatoes Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox If you like a touch of heat in your side dishes, try these potatoes. Cajun seasoning provides the savory and spicy kick that sets this potato side dish apart from all others. Get The Recipe 20 of 45 Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox A light smashing helps Brussels sprouts become extra crispy and irresistible in this recipe. Get The Recipe 21 of 45 Glazed Carrots Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Multicolor carrots are completely optional, but if you can find them, we think they're well worth it as they make this side dish a little extra pretty. Get The Recipe 22 of 45 Ginger Carrots Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Fresh orange juice and freshly grated ginger add tons of brightness and zing to this simple carrot side dish. Get The Recipe 23 of 45 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Although designed for carrots and parsnips, this recipe is ultra flexible and can be made with sweet potatoes and turnips too. Get The Recipe 24 of 45 Sugar Snap Pea Salad Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This salad is almost too pretty to eat. The key word being almost. Edible flowers are entirely optional, but create an extra pretty presentation. Get The Recipe 25 of 45 Skillet-Roasted Carrots Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley The combination of apple cider vinegar and honey creates the perfect glaze on these simply prepared carrots. Get The Recipe 26 of 45 Southern Fried Corn Caitlin Bensel We love making this recipe when we have fresh corn, but it works year-round with frozen corn too. But our favorite part of this recipe has to be that it uses bacon grease to create a flavorful base for this 15-minute side dish. Get The Recipe 27 of 45 Parker House Rolls Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn / Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman These rolls require a little patience (and working with yeast) but they blow anything you can pick up premade at the grocery store out of the water. Get The Recipe 28 of 45 Honey-Butter Skillet Corn Alison Miksch As you may have guessed from the title of this recipe, this dish dresses up corn in honey, and yes, butter. But the secret ingredient is the 1/4 cup of cream cheese we sneak in there too. Get The Recipe 29 of 45 Cloverleaf Rolls Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Perhaps you only make fresh rolls for holiday dinners or entertaining, but this easy recipe might just convince you to make it a regular occurrence, especially because they go so well with pot roast and all its juices. Get The Recipe 30 of 45 Southern-Style Collard Greens Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Christina Brockman There aren't many meals that we wouldn't suggest serving with a side of greens. This is our trusted recipe, and it's complete with smoky flavors from both bacon and smoked ham. Get The Recipe 31 of 45 Apple-Cranberry Salad Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn If you need something lighter on the table to cut through the richness of pot roast, look no further. Tart dried cranberries and crunchy, but sweet apples give this side salad tons of great texture and flavor. Get The Recipe 32 of 45 Smoky Creamed Greens Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely You're likely familiar with creamed spinach, but have you tried creaming your greens? It's not the traditional Southern way, but that doesn't mean it's not delicious. Get The Recipe 33 of 45 Romaine Salad With Oranges And Radishes Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely We'll serve this side salad with just about anything. It has the perfect balance of spicy radish and sweet orange segments, which lends brightness to any meal. Get The Recipe 34 of 45 Sautéed Squash And Zucchini Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Sometimes simple is best and this side dish is a perfect example. Ready in less than 20 minutes, and only requiring 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), it's exactly the kind of effortless side we turn to on busy weeknights. Get The Recipe 35 of 45 Roasted Delicata Squash Jessica Furniss With an edible skin and beautiful scalloped shape, Delicata has quickly become one of favorite squashes to prepare. Although we keep this recipe simple, seasoning with just thyme and red pepper flakes, you can easily sub in your favorite spices. Get The Recipe 36 of 45 Creamed-Corn Grits Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Mashed potatoes might be the traditional starchy side for serving with pot roast, but we think these creamy grits work just as well as spuds. Get The Recipe 37 of 45 Easy Squash Casserole Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Squash casserole, especially this extra easy version, is our year-round go-to for a satisfying and hearty side dish no matter what we're serving. Get The Recipe 38 of 45 Roasted Broccolini Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Ditch the broccoli and try its thinner (but just as tasty) cousin broccolini. Here, we prepare it simply with olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon, but you can truly season it however you like. Get The Recipe 39 of 45 Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely For a lighter take on mashed potatoes, try this cauliflower version instead. They get just as creamy and fluffy! Get The Recipe 40 of 45 Microwave Baked Potato Caitlin Bensel For a quick side dish, turn to your microwave. It perfectly steams a classic baked potato, which you can top with all your favorite condiments. Get The Recipe 41 of 45 Leafy Green Salad With Sunflower Seed Dressing Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Sunflower seeds are one of our favorite crunchy toppings for salads. In this recipe they're married with radishes, tender herbs, and spring onions, for a light and refreshing side dish. Get The Recipe 42 of 45 Air Fryer Green Beans Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Sesame oil, chili crunch, soy sauce, and ginger add tons of depth and flavor to humble green beans in this recipe. Get The Recipe 43 of 45 Brown Sugar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon photographs by ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; RECIPE: ANNA THEOKTISTO; FOOD STYLING: RUTH BLACKBURN; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINA DALEY A little sweet and a little salty, these Brussels sprouts have it all. And with only 7 ingredients required, they couldn't be easier to pull off. Get The Recipe 44 of 45 Skillet-Charred Pole Beans With Bacon Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Bacon, garlic, and vinegar are the perfect trio of flavors that dress up simple pole beans in this recipe. Get The Recipe 45 of 45 Instant Pot Collard Greens Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Greens are typically a slow and steady cooking process, but using an Instant Pot changes all that. Ready in just 40 minutes, no one will know that you sped things up a little. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit