What To Serve With Meatloaf (Tasty Side Dishes)

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If you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with meatloaf, look no further than these tasty side dishes for meatloaf. 

Meatloaf is a staple food in the U.S. and has been around for quite some time, though haven’t really appeared in cookbooks up until the 19th century, and has since gained popularity and has been a regular on many American households’ dinner tables.

Another interesting fact about meatloaf is that everyone seems to have their recipe for it because there’s no ‘one right way’ to do it. 

You can follow the classic recipe or prepare a cheesy meatloaf, or add anything to it that fits your fancy.

That’s actually another thing about meatloaf; its inherent texture and composition make the addition of other ingredients easy, like a blank canvas ready for you to unleash your culinary Picasso. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the tweaks you make to it, you can get tired of eating the same old meatloaf every other week.

But.

There are a variety of side dishes you can pair with it to rekindle your romance with meatloaf.

Caramelized Onions work beautifully with meatloaf, thanks to their subtly sweet flavor, while roasted veggies like Roasted Mini Peppers are great additions to the menu, too.

From refreshing salads to oven-fresh bread, we’ll be taking a look at these delicious and incredibly easy-to-make sides that pair amazingly well with meatloaf.

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What To Serve With Meatloaf

Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

For kids who’ll refuse to anything except fries or mashed potatoes, you can prepare mashed cauliflower to get them to consume more nutrients.

This is a great healthy alternative to mashed potatoes and takes almost no time to make due to less prep time. 

The secret is to use the right ingredients to bring out their best flavor.

Add sour cream, garlic, and parmesan for a creamy, rich flavor that your kids won’t be able to say no to.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Even though sweet potatoes may be the less popular choice than white potatoes as a meatloaf side dish, they make an incredibly easy side-dish.

These baked sweet potato fries are the ultimate side dish to pair with your homemade meatloaf.

All you need to do is cut your sweet potato into thin or thick fries, depending on your preference, spread them on a baking tray in a single layer, toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings, and bake them. 

Mashed sweet potatoes

It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t love mashed potatoes, but with this recipe, you can surprise your guest with an extra bit of flavor and color?This recipe for mashed sweet potatoes will take the classic flavors of mashed potatoes to a whole other level. 

The secret ingredient in this recipe is cream cheese and it makes these potatoes creamy and delicious.

Creamy Broccoli Salad

You may be familiar with broccoli salads as a popular side dish choice, but this is the ultimate recipe that will take the simple flavors up a notch.

Make sure to use the crunchiest raw broccoli you can find and add some cashews, red onions, dried cranberries, and a heaping serving of cheddar cheese.

Toss the salad with a tangy dressing and enjoy it next to a hearty meatloaf.

You’ll find that this salad hits all the notes of sweet, crunchy, salty and have all your guests asking for the recipe.

Creamed Spinach

Another amazing side dish for meatloaf has to be creamed spinach.

It tastes nothing like regular spinach because it’s cooked in a light sauce with the freshest of spices and aromatics, with just the right amount of grated parmesan cheese and half-and-half to make an incredibly creamy savory sauce.

It’s better to use baby spinach to prepare this recipe, as it’s already tender and tastes a lot less bitter than fully grown spinach.

It also takes less cooking time and introduces creaminess to the finished product.

Caramelized Onions

As a child, I used to hate onions, and I picked them out of everything I ate back then.

And this very dish made me a believer.

Caramelized onions take on a subtly sweet flavor along with their natural savor and earthy note while losing most of the pungent bite.

That delicious combination of flavors will go well with anything. 

Ingredients include: Onions, olive oil, and salt.

Sauteed Apples

If you’re in the southern United States like we are, you may be familiar with this popular side dish, a touch of sweetness alongside tender, savory meatloaf.

Peel your favorite apples that you have around, chunk them up, and give them time to simmer in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

They’ll be ready right as the meatloaf comes out of the oven to rest.

Ingredients include: Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and vanilla extract.

Roasted Butternut Squash

There’s just something about Butternut Squash that is just so appealing.

It’s got this rich, earthy, sweet taste that, when coupled with its nutty texture, just goes well with everything.

Here’s the Cookingchew version of this recipe which I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Ingredients include: Butternut squash, rosemary, minced garlic, olive oil, and seasoning.

German Cucumber Salad Recipe

Ahh cucumbers: refreshing, cheap, and oh-so-easy to turn into a salad.

When I’m looking for comfort food that’s tasty and refreshing, our version of German Cucumber Salad always tops my list.

Ingredients include: Cucumbers, onions, sour cream, chives, and dried dill.

Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad

I’m a sucker for anything Tex-Mex.

Not at all surprising since I’m from deep in the heart of The Lone Star State.

And one of the recipes that will go really well with your meatloaf from around here is our version of the Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad.

It’s guaranteed to give you this explosion of flavor that will complement nicely with every meal.

Ingredients include: Quinoa, lime, olive oil, tomatoes, and avocados.

Caesar Salad

And now, I present our unique take on the classic Caesar salad.

Our version excludes anchovies and raw eggs, which are usually present in the traditional form of the dish.

The single, most important thing to do with this dish is to refrigerate it before serving.

I recommend refrigerating about 2 hours before serving (though overnight will be much better), giving time for the flavors to meld and for your salad to chill.

Ingredients include: Romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, mustard sauce, and lemon juice.

Creamy Fruit Salad

If you’re in the mood for fruit, this one’s a good choice.

Sweet and creamy, it’s a fantastic side dish you can enjoy year-round, especially in the spring and summer when more fruits are available.

You may use any fruit you like, and it is perfect for those emergencies when you need something sweet and refreshing on the table stat.

Ingredients include: Apples, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and greek yogurt.

Grilled Peach Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette

Grilled Peaches.

Now there’s something you don’t hear every day.

We won’t be stopping there, though, oh no.

We’ll instead be amping the unusualness by dousing the now savory-sweet peaches with a sprinkle of champaign vinaigrette.

The resulting boom of flavors is something I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Ingredients include: Romaine lettuce, peaches, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, and seasoning.

Skillet Creamed Corn

This skillet creamed corn is a rich, comforting dish that comes together right on the stovetop. It’s the perfect way to take a simple bag of frozen corn and turn it into the star of the show.

Air Fryer Smashed Red Potatoes

To be honest with you, it kind of caught me off guard how tasty these smashed red potatoes really are. These potatoes are soft on the inside and have crispy edges on the outside.

Roasted Mini Peppers

Did you know paprika is made of powdered dried bell peppers?

If you’re a fan of paprika, then you’ll love these Roasted Mini Peppers.

You can roast them in the air fryer quickly and easily.

They make excellent side dishes or even snacks.

Ingredients include: Mini peppers, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Easy Marinated Tomatoes

This dish can easily be considered perfect: it’s simple, elegant, and only requires a few ingredients and a little time.

It goes well with everything as well, which makes sense since one of the most popular and widely used condiments is made from tomatoes.

Ingredients include: Tomatoes, red onions, olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Fried Pickles

After one visit to the Texas Roadhouse and having a taste of their fried pickles, I knew I had to find out how to make them at home.

They were that good.

And the fact that they’re listed here means that effort has paid off. 

Ingredients include: Dill pickles, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, all-purpose flour, and oregano.

Jiffy Corn Casserole

A meridional staple classic, corn casserole has been gracing dinner tables in the south since time immemorial.

Many versions of this dish exist, but the one presented to you today is the easiest and tastiest variant I could find: The Jiffy Corn Mix.

You’re going to love how easy it is to put together.

Ingredients include: Jiffy cornbread mix, cream corn, whole kernel corn, sour cream, and butter.

Mexican Street Corn

Mexican Street Corn, or Elote, is a Mexican staple you can encounter just about anywhere when you’re over there, from side street vendors to a part of a multi-course meal in a fancy restaurant.

They’re that popular.

Now we’ll be showing you our version of this sweet and oftentimes spicy treat.

Ingredients include: Tajin seasoning, mayonnaise, sweet corn, sour cream, and red pepper flakes.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

The thing I love about mushrooms is that it’s a culinary chameleon: it subtly takes on the flavor of anything it is cooked with: it never clashes, and it always seems to complement everything.

In this version, I’ll be showing you how to stuff them with goat cheese and sausage, but really, you can use any stuffing you want.

Let loose and experiment.

Let us know if you made it and what stuffing works for you.

Ingredients include: Portobello mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, poblano peppers, turkey sausages, and goat cheese.

Cauliflower Rice

Did you know that cauliflower is a viable substitute for rice?

Yes.

So if you’re looking for a rice alternative that’s high in fiber and has less sugar, then this is for you.

Ingredients include: Cauliflower, virgin olive oil, and black pepper.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits Copycat Recipe

The problem is, I can’t justify a whole restaurant trip every time I want those cheesy, garlicky little bites of heaven. Just don’t skip the garlic-butter dabbed on all the warm biscuit tops at the end; it’s where the magic happens!

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread In An Iron Skillet

It is difficult to beat having a slice of a hot and buttery piece of cornbread with, well, pretty much anything. Then if you add some cheddar cheese and a hint of jalapeño, you have something seriously darn tasty and filling, and relatively easy and cheap to make.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

When it comes to making the perfect side dish for meat dishes like steak or pork chops, there is one dish that stands above all the rest: mashed potatoes. A bowl of light, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes will catapult any good meat dish into “amazing territory”.

The bottom line

If you’ve grown tired of eating meatloaf for dinner almost every other week, you should try pairing it with these delicious savory side dishes to round out the meal perfectly. 

You can also prepare more than one side dish if you’re serving a large group of people, but make sure there’s enough for everyone.