Sides

In this recipe, Brussels sprouts gain a sweet, almost nutty flavor when roasted in a high-temperature oven. First, tossing them with balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar enhances their flavor and helps the sprouts caramelize even more. The sprouts will continue to crisp as they cook so roast until very deep brown.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 4 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss Brussels sprouts in all of the remaining ingredients, until well coated.
3. Spread the coated Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan in a single layer, and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Sprouts are done when well caramelized and fork-tender.

Helpful Tip: Brussels sprouts can vary in size quite a bit. If you have a few sprouts that are larger than the others, to cut those into quarters to ensure that they cook through as quickly as the smaller, halved sprouts.

Serving size: ⅔ cup Calories: 100

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We make our Creamed Corn from scratch using real ingredients by sautéing corn with butter and onions and then simmering it in a slightly sweetened, thickened milk. We like to add just a few drops of vanilla extract to the sauce to secretly enhance the flavor and the sweetness of the corn. You will taste a huge difference compared to what comes out of the can!

Creamed Corn

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 5 side dish portions

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup minced yellow onion
• 20 ounces frozen corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion, and sauté for 3 minutes, just until they are translucent.
2. Add the frozen corn, and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk and then stir into the pot, stirring until the milk begins to thicken.
4. Reduce the heat to low, and stir the sugar, salt, pepper, and vanilla extract into the pot. Cover, and let cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Forget about sticky sweet glazes. These carrots are cooked with honey and brown sugar to coat them in a light glaze. Butter, lemon juice, and nutmeg help offset the sweetness, ensuring that these carrots will pair with any entrée.

Glazed Carrots

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 6 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick discs
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 ½ tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the carrots in a sauce pot over high heat, and cover with water. Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 7–10 minutes, or until carrots are fork-tender. Drain well.
2. Add the butter, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, nutmeg, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to a sauté pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the carrots to the sauté pan and fold into the sauce. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, or until carrots are well coated and the glaze has thickened. Top with chopped parsley before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: You can also use 1 pound of baby carrots in this recipe in place of sliced carrots. For thicker baby carrots, you may need to boil for 2–3 minutes longer in step 1 to ensure that they are fork-tender.

Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Whether you prepare this ultra-simple side dish from fresh or frozen broccoli (directions are provided for either choice), you are sure to produce a nutritious addition to any meal. While you’ll get a good amount of vitamin C from the lemon in this recipe, surprisingly, broccoli actually contains more vitamin C than citrus!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Lemon & Garlic Broccoli Sauté

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 4 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 16 ounces broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced pimentos

Directions

1. If using fresh broccoli florets, place a pot of water over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil the fresh broccoli for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. If using frozen broccoli florets, cover, and microwave for 1–2 minutes, just until thawed.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prepared broccoli florets, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally to let the broccoli brown slightly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in diced pimentos before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: Many stores sell fresh broccoli florets that you can microwave to steam right in the bag, allowing you to skip straight to step 3. Microwave for 90 seconds less than the package directions to ensure the broccoli doesn’t overcook as you sauté.

Serving size: ⅔ cup Calories: 100

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Good things come to those that wait. Baked beans are often served up mushy and ultra sweet. We used the gentle heat of the slow cooker to produce perfectly creamy beans that strike a winning balance of sweetness and rich smoke flavor.

Boston Baked Beans

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 20 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 12 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry Great Northern beans
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
• 3 thick-cut slices bacon, raw, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Place the beans in a large bowl or pot, and cover with 2 inches of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Soak overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
3. Add the chopped bacon and onion to the bottom of a slow cooker set to low heat. Top with the rinsed beans.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the water, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, pepper, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Pour the mixture on top of all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
5. Cover, and let cook for 8 hours, or until beans are tender.

HELPFUL TIP: Most people believe that adding salt to beans as they cook will result in undercooked beans with a tough skin; however, soaking the beans in salted water to “brine” them (as is done in this recipe) has been shown to have the exact opposite effect, making for creamy and tender beans.

Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 100

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For our take on this classic picnic side, we use a combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt to deliver a creamy salad with far fewer calories than using mayonnaise alone. Then we really punch up the flavor with celery, red bell pepper, sweet relish, mustard, and celery salt, in place of ordinary salt.

Macaroni Salad

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 6 side dish portions

Ingredients

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• ¾ cup diced celery
• ⅓ cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 6 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet relish
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water before adding to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl, and fold together until all is well combined.
3. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: For the perfect macaroni consistency, cook the pasta 1 minute less than you normally would, testing to see that it is just slightly more al dente than you prefer. The mustard and vinegar will continue cooking the pasta as it chills in the fridge, letting the dressing actually absorb into the macaroni itself.

Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Fried sweet potato wedges have become a popular alternative to their starchy counterpart, but we turn to the grill for a new twist. A little oil and the high heat of the grill produces the same crisp, golden exterior and creamy interior without the deep-frying! And a final dusting of mildly sweet seasoned salt knocks these wedges out of the park.

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 4 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Directions

1. Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 5 long wedges.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat.
3. Toss the potato wedges in olive oil before placing on the grill horizontally (to prevent them from falling through the grate). Grill for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through. Wedges are done when they easily bend with pressure from your grilling tongs.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, seasoning salt, cinnamon, and smoked paprika, if desired. Sprinkle evenly over the grilled wedges before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: Smoked paprika adds a great flavor to the sweet potato wedges that is reminiscent of barbecue potato chips. If you do not have any on hand, or are not a fan of that smoky flavor, you can simply omit it.

Serving size: 5 wedges Calories: 100

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Bob’s Farm to Table: Move over mashed potatoes! Smashed cauliflower is a low-calorie and low-carbohydrate alternative that looks and tastes a whole lot like your standard mashed spud. Like potatoes, cauliflower loves to soak up the flavor of other ingredients, so the secret is to season the smash just as you would season your mash. Say that five times fast!

Smashed Cauliflower

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 4 Side Dish portions

Ingredients

• 24 ounces frozen cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Directions

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave cauliflower for 3 minutes, just until warmed throughout.
2. Add the warmed cauliflower, sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor, and process until almost entirely smooth.
3. Return to the microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes, or until hot. Stir in the chopped chives, and serve.

HELPFUL TIP: This can also be made with an average-sized head of fresh cauliflower, cut into florets and steamed until very tender, 8–10 minutes. Drain well, and pat dry with paper towels before proceeding to step 2 of the recipe.

Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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We pair creamy, flavor-packed Gorgonzola and a dusting of crisp panko bread crumbs with asparagus for a refined, yet rich and satisfying gratin. Just a small reduction of the cheese and butter still gives you great flavor without the extra calories!

Asparagus Gratin

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 6 Side dish portions

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds asparagus
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Paprika

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a pot of water over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Trim 1 inch from the bottoms of the asparagus stalks, and discard. Cut each stalk of asparagus into 3 pieces, each 2–3 inches long.
3. Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes if pencil-thin or 3–4 minutes if any thicker. Drain, and transfer to a baking dish.
4. Add the butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to the baking dish, and toss the asparagus to fully coat.
5. Top the asparagus with the Gorgonzola cheese and then the panko bread crumbs. Lightly spray the bread crumbs with nonstick cooking spray to moisten, and then sprinkle a pinch of paprika over the top, for color.
6. Bake for 12–15 minutes, just until the bread crumbs begin to brown. Serve immediately.

HELPFUL TIP: If you like your cooked asparagus to have more of a crisp snap to it, pencil-thin asparagus can be made into this gratin without preboiling.

Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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You can make authentic fried rice that rivals anything found in a cardboard takeout container with only a few ingredients. While we often like to cook with fresh vegetables, frozen peas and carrots mix is perfectly sized for an excellent quick and easy fried rice. With this recipe, the only thing missing is the chopsticks, and maybe a fortune cookie!

Vegetable Fried Rice

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Sides

Makes: 6 Side Dish portions

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ⅓ cup sliced green onions

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 15–20 minutes, just until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, and let cool for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the skillet, and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add the cooked rice and frozen vegetables to the skillet, and toss with the oil and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Create a hole in the center of the rice to pour the beaten egg, allowing it to reach the surface of the skillet. Let cook for 1 minute before breaking up the cooked egg and stirring it into the rice.
5. Add the soy sauce and sliced green onions to the skillet, and sauté, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: For even more flavor, add ¼ teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder (sold in either the spice aisle or the Asian food section) to the hot oil when you add the onion in step 2.

Serving size: ⅓ cup Calories: 100

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