Good side dish ideas

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ready4change
ready4change Posts: 151 Member
in Recipes
My husband and I are having about 15-20 people over tomorrow night and I am running STUCK on what to make. Everyone is bringing their own meat to grill and I'm going to make the side dishes. So far, I've got cheesy potatoes (not the healthiest, but so darn good! :blushing: ) on my list. That's it. That's where my list stops.

Any suggestions?!?!

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  • MissKim
    MissKim Posts: 2,853 Member
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    BAKED BEANS! YUMMY
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,977 Member
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    Make an oriental cole slaw - shredded cabbage, ramen noodles (uncooked), scallions, sunflower seeds. Then you take a little oil, vinegar, 2t sugar and the ramen noodle packet, heat it up and throw the dressing over the cabbage. Season to taste.

    I've had this with a bunch of veggies added too. We use less oil and more vinegar cause that's how we like it.
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,977 Member
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    Maybe some ears of corn.

    Or, a pasta salad. Make it with a bunch of veggies and lite italian dressing, whole wheat pasta. That sounds really yummy.
  • allisontaylor
    allisontaylor Posts: 57
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    Get a BIG bag of the pre-cut and washed mix of baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, mix in a bowl with some low-fat/calorie salad dressing (I like Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger, but you can use Italian, etc.). Wrap in foil and seal well (I double up on the bottom foil to try and avoid leaks) and bake in the oven at about 350 for an hour or so. Really yummy, feeds a crowd, can be prepped ahead of time, and NO clean up! You can also add in a pack of mushrooms and an onion if you like - be creative with the veggies!
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
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    Maybe a big tossed salad? Or, how about since the grill is on anyway.....grilled fruit. Peaches and plums work really good on the grill.
  • ready4change
    ready4change Posts: 151 Member
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    Hm -- grilled fruit? I've never tried that! Probably a silly question, but how do you do that? :smile:
  • czar1978
    czar1978 Posts: 83
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    You could make a large salad (spinach, romaine, mixed greens) with lots of fresh veggies. Keep higher-calorie, higher-fat salad toppings (such as croutons, cheese, etc.) on the side so people have the option of adding them to their salad if they want them. Also, have a few different light dressings to go with the salad.

    A good potato option is baked sweet potatoes. Here is one of my favorite recipes. I have even used dried rosemary instead of fresh; just add to taste.

    Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Yield: 6 to 8 servings)

    Ingredients:
    4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    4 large garlic cloves, minced
    1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme sprigs for garnish
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

    Preparation:
    Preheat oven to 450°F. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in 13x9-inch baking dish. Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with thyme sprigs.
  • swerth
    swerth Posts: 5
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    grilled squash, zuchinni, add a little olive oil and some mrs dash seasoning put straight on grill and cook until tender yummy.
  • annhjk
    annhjk Posts: 794 Member
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    how about just a plain old veggie tray? Calico beans are a big hit too - pm me if you want the recipe.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
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    Grill up some Shrimp with Bell peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms and put it in a bowl after wards, Pasta salad, Fruit salad, Veggie dish and i love to make big bowls of popcorn for everyone to snack on while there talking and hanging out! You can even add pretzels and m&m's in the popcorn to make it more fun. Our #1 favorite is stuffed Jalapeños with light cream cheese or even cheddar and then bbq them my boyfriend wraps his with bacon so yummy!! !
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
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    Hm -- grilled fruit? I've never tried that! Probably a silly question, but how do you do that? :smile:

    Cut in half and take the pit out (don't try to cut up smaller than in half unless you are putting on scewers). Put on grill "open" side down. My sister brushes hers with a little bit of oil before putting on the grill and swears they taste way better that way. I don't and think they taste just fine. I have deluted honey and brushed on and that tasted mighty good - but usually they just get put on plain. Since you are not actually "cooking" them like you would a burger the goal is to just get them warmed but not roasting hot.

    I can also attest that they go really good with ice cream - unfortunately. :blushing:
  • joann
    joann Posts: 624 Member
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    You could do a whole wheat pasta salad load it up with veggies and use fat free italian dressing. You could even add turkey pepporoni, laughing cow cheese....what ever you want to throw in it. and alittle goes along way.

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