Healthy Side Dish Recipes

Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.

A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.

These super-flavorful mushrooms get a hint of sweetness thanks to a splash of balsamic vinegar. Parmesan cheese added at the end lends a savory note. Enjoy them as an accompaniment to steak or on their own as a side dish.

One pan is all you need for a heaping pile of nutritious, tender and colorful roasted root vegetables. Whip up this recipe at the beginning of the week to use in easy, healthy dinners all week long.

Fresh herbs, onion and sautéed bacon flavor this easy Brussels sprouts recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated—buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

This fresh and colorful chopped salad has all of the delicious flavors you love from the classic caprese salad, plus even more healthy veggies. Add grilled or roasted chicken for a quick main dish.

These full-flavored potatoes are a great new approach to your typical potato side dish. The potatoes roast, then "melt" with the flavors of lemon, rosemary and garlic. They're good enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for a weeknight.

This cucumber kimchi recipe gets its flavor from garlic, fish sauce and a hint of Korean chile powder. Make this side dish ahead of time to let the flavors absorb into the cucumbers.

This street corn dish, known as esquites, is served in cups instead of on the cob for all the flavor of elote without the mess.

This flavorful dish--with the combination of balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese--makes a great weeknight meal since it requires little legwork (and only one pan!). The marjoram adds a distinct earthy aroma. If you don't have marjoram in your spice arsenal, you can use dried oregano instead. Both have a woodsy flavor that complements the dish beautifully.

This easy casserole is a kid-friendly recipe that the whole family will love. The simple flavor profile will complement just about anything and thanks to convenience products like preshredded potatoes, you won't spend hours in the kitchen mixing it up.

Who says spinach salads are only for spring? Use autumn's tender crop of fresh spinach and other seasonal vegetables to make this fall salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, cheddar and pecans. This colorful and healthy salad would be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving menu, but there's no reason to save it for holidays--serve it along with chicken or pork for a healthy weeknight dinner, or turn it into a main course by adding some chickpeas or chopped chicken or turkey.

This creamy broccoli and mushroom casserole is as comforting as it gets. A cheesy sauce filled with mushrooms coats tender-crisp broccoli, and a panko breadcrumb topping adds a crispy finish. Serve this crowd-pleasing side with roasted chicken, pork or steak.

We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.

In this healthy side dish, sweet potatoes are tossed with maple syrup, butter and lemon juice and roasted until golden brown. The delicious glaze that forms transforms this simple dish into something sublime.

Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.

Give your plate a pop of color with this simple vegetable side dish.

Steaming (but not for too long!) is a foolproof way to get perfect, crisp-tender green beans, every time. This easy recipe is a great starting point for other flavors or preparations, like adding cooked green beans to a salad.

These energy balls are the perfect make-ahead snack. Filled with cranberries, almonds, oats and dates, these energy balls come together in minutes. Maple syrup and tahini help bind everything together while adding a touch of sweetness and bitterness.

The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy broccoli casserole over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.

Combining a trio of purple vegetables--cabbage, carrots and daikon--makes for a stunning slaw recipe. It would be equally delicious tossed with a classic creamy dressing.

A mix of cool, crunchy vegetables gives this healthy salad satisfying bite for a perfect potluck side.

As the name implies, these sweet potatoes melt right in your mouth. After browning in a hot oven, thick slices of sweet potato simmer in broth and soak up the flavors of maple syrup and lemon. This simple dish is great alongside roasted chicken or pork and makes a great Thanksgiving side dish.

This incredibly simple and quick recipe for roasted sweet potatoes relies on the most basic of seasonings--olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve it with your favorite main dish for a quick weeknight meal.