Many people prefer to have side dishes that go well with the main course. Some of the popular side dishes are salads, potatoes, and bread. In the United States, a typical meal with a meat-based main dish is usually accompanied by one vegetable side dish, sometimes in the form of salad, and one starch side dish like mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread. However, if you are tired of the same side dishes every dinner or during special events, why not try something new and incorporate some cheesy goodness into it?
Cheese is something that you can mix with almost any dish, and that includes side dishes, too. If you are looking into creating a side dish for the upcoming dinner or party you are hosting, here’s a list of some of the best cheesy side dishes that you can enjoy.
1. Loaded Baked Potato Chips
Cheese and potatoes are truly perfect when mixed with one another. And when it comes to potatoes, they are delicious in all forms. Loaded baked potato chips are mini, bit-size baked potato slices that are topped with cheese and other fixings. These can be served on game day, at parties, or as an afternoon snack. All you need for this side dish are medium potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives. You can check out the detailed recipe of this cheesy side dish at PureWow.
2. Three-Cheese Jalapeño Poppers
This side dish is made of Jalapeños filled with three kinds of cheeses and extra crispy panko. It is a delicious side dish that you can serve to your guests or to your family. All you need are some panko, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Jalapeños. You can visit Damn Delicious for detailed instructions on how to create this cheesy side dish.
3. Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta with Garlicky Greens
If you’ve never tried polenta before, it is a delicious side dish that is better when you swirl big crumbles of creamy goat cheese. It is also perfect with toppings like mushrooms or meatballs. To make it even tastier, you can add in some dark leafy greens and a dusting of parmesan cheese. To make the creamy goat cheese polenta, you need some water or broth, polenta or corn grits, salt, unsalted butter, and crumbled goat cheese. For the garlicky greens, you need some olive oil, garlic, kale, and parmesan cheese. You can visit Fork Knife Swoon for the detailed recipe of this delectable side dish.
4. Mac and Cheese Stuffed Fried Zucchini
This side dish might sound a bit strange, but you will love it once you taste it. It is a nice side dish, especially during the fall and the football season. But if you have zucchini in the summer, it is also a delicious indulgence. For this side dish, you will need some elbow pasta, unsalted butter, flour, warm milk, cheddar cheese, fontina cheese, Havarti cheese, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, eggs, and zucchini. Check out the full recipe at Half-Baked Harvest.
5. Cheesy Corn Casserole
This is a perfect side dish for holidays and other special events. It is loaded with cheese, corn, and buttery crackers that will surely become a favorite in your family. It is a traditional holiday dish that is sometimes called corn pudding. It is made of steamed, fresh, or canned corn and thickening ingredients. To create the texture, you can use cheese, cracker crumbs, and eggs. For extra flavor, you can add in some seasonings and onions. If you want to know how to make some cheesy corn casserole, you can visit the House of Yumm for the complete recipe.
6. Spicy Mexican Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is truly a delicious side dish. But you can put a twist on it by making it extra spicy and adding some Mexican touch. This side dish is composed of plenty of jalapeños and onions to make the base flavorful. To give it a hint of smokiness, chipotle salsa is added. You can add two kinds of cheese to make it extra gooey. Also, instead of putting breadcrumbs on top, you can add in some tortilla chips. You can view the detailed recipe of this cheesy side dish at What’s Gaby Cooking.
7. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Make your dinner extra special by making some cheesy scalloped potatoes as your side dish. This is perfect to be paired with ham or steak. It may look challenging to make, but it is surprisingly easy. All you need are some butter, garlic, onion, fresh thyme, kosher salt, pepper, heavy cream, chicken broth, potatoes, bay leaves, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. For the full recipe, you can visit FoodieCrush.
8. Fresh Onion Bake
If you want a cheesy side dish that is easy to make, this one is perfect for you. It is made with only three ingredients, which are a loaf of French bread, Swiss cheese, and onion soup mix. All you have to do is arrange the bread slices on baking sheets and bake them until golden. After that, arrange half of them in a single layer on a baking dish and top it with cheese and the remaining bread slices. Pour the onion soup over the bread and sprinkle the remaining cheese. Bake it for up to 30 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the soup and when the cheese is golden. For a more detailed recipe, you can check it out at Mr. Food.
These are some of the best cheesy side dish recipes that we can recommend. All of these tasty side dishes can surely make your dinner or party extra special.