20 Easy and Unique Easter Side Dish Ideas!
Planning an amazing Easter dinner for your family and friends this year? Sure, the main dish is important but the side dishes you choose can make or break the whole experience for your guests. Luckily, there are countless side dish options that will please even the pickiest of eaters. To help make Easter meal planning easier for you, we’ve compiled our 20 best (and most unique) side dish recipes. The best part? They’re all easy to make, so you can spend less time cooking and more time enjoying the holiday with your friends and family.
From potatoes, corn and beans to zucchini, cauliflower and asparagus, we have side dish recipes for each and every popular vegetable this year. If you’re looking for great side dish ideas for your Easter feast this year, consider serving up some of these delicious dishes:
1. Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Everyone loves deviled eggs — but they can be somewhat fussy to make. This recipe is a busy cook’s solution: all the flavor of deviled eggs, with none of the fuss. Think of it as a deconstructed deviled egg. You’ll love it! (And by the way, this method for hard-boiling eggs is full-proof. They’ll be perfect every time!
2. Grandma’s Scalloped Potatoes
Creamy scalloped potatoes are a staple for Easter dinner (or any holiday dinner for that matter). They take a little more time to cook than some of the other recipes on our list but the prep time is only 20 minutes (the rest of the time they’re just cooking so they don’t really take away your time on Easter day). Trust us, these delicious potatoes are worth every minute of the wait.
3. Sauteed Green Beans
Here is a simple side dish to make to go with any meal. These green beans are crisp and full of flavor (thanks to the delicious garlic) For those of you watching your waistband, this recipe is healthy as well. Doesn’t get any better than that!
4. Buttery Dinner Rolls
Every Easter dinner needs dinner rolls. These light and airy rolls are simply divine. Serve them with warm butter and your guests will eat them up in no time.
5. Bacon and Ranch Foil Packet Potatoes
Grilling season is nearly upon us, and these potatoes, which are cooked directly on the grill in a foil packet, are a must-try. Try topping them with shredded cheddar or Parmesan or a spoonful of sour cream. Don’t have a grill (or weather isn’t good enough for grilling this Easter weekend)? No worries! Just bake them in an oven set at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
6. Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
Spinach is a great side dish choice for a large family dinner (like Easter dinner) because it’s both healthy and delicious. Spinach is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and iron (among other things) which will leave your guests feeling happy, healthy and full of nutrients!
7. Parmesan Herb Bubble Bread
There’s nothing quite like that fresh baked bread smell. Bring that smell home in a fraction of the time using frozen bread dough in these cheesy, herb-kissed, buttery gems. Before you know it, you’ll have an empty plate on your hands!
8. Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries
These roasted sweet potatoes are sweet and buttery, but have a zing with the cranberries which makes it the perfect side dish to any Easter dinner. It almost tastes like stuffing, which will compliment your turkey dinner well.
9. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are one of the favorite side dishes ever created. You can serve them with almost anything, cover them with cheese, gravy, or just eat them plain. You can whip them up with skins on, or make the traditional skin off kind. There are so many ways to enjoy this simple side dish. This version is made with the skin on, to keep the nutrients, and lots of garlic and fresh herbs to give them tons of flavor!
10. Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic
Who knew cauliflower could taste so good? Roasting the cauliflower brings out a delicious nuttiness and the lemon and garlic add to the fun! Your entire family will enjoy it and you won’t have to beg anyone to finish their vegetables.
11. Easy Coleslaw
This light and fresh coleslaw is easy-to-make and loved by everyone. The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to make. You can make it the night before or the morning of Easter and it will still be fresh and crisp for dinner.
12. Creamed Corn
This creamed corn is impossibly rich, creamy and buttery. It’s so decadent and delicious, and it’s good both warm and room-temperature, which makes it a perfect side dish to any meal. Try adding chopped green chilies to give it a little kick!
13. Garlic and Herb Tomatoes
In the time it takes you to heat up some frozen veggies for dinner, you can have this fresh and tasty side dish on the table and ready to go! Grape tomatoes sizzle up quickly with some fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil and help create a dish worth repeating!
14. Green Bean Casserole with Onion Straws
This is a delicious green bean casserole that goes great with just about anything. I’d recommend it for a side dish during a turkey dinner, but it could go well with any type of roasted meat dish. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients!
15. Grilled Asparagus Wraps
Asparagus is a good side dish choice on its own but, if you want to spice it up a little, you can wrap them in prosciutto for added flavor. If the weather doesn’t allow for grilling this Easter season, you can always baked these in the oven as well.
16. Glazed Carrots
Adding a little bit of glaze to roasted carrots will make them significantly more delicious than traditional (and plain) roasted carrots. You can use bagged baby carrots to make this cost-effective and time-saving side dish.
17. Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin with Parmesan Cheese
This unique and delicious dish will be a sure hit with your friends and family this year. The flavors of the fresh veggies pair so nicely with the thyme, parmesan and caramelized onions, this may just become your new favorite side dish.
18. Oven Roasted Potato Salad
No Easter dinner is complete without a potato salad. Roasting the vegetables in a potato salad rather than boiling them brings deeper flavor with so little effort which will make this a go-to recipe for many years to come. All of your guests will enjoy this unique potato salad.
19. Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Are you scared of brussels sprouts? Don’t be anymore! This recipe has turned many a sprout hater into a sprout lover. Why not give it a try? Plus, not only is it tasty, they are really good for you!
20. Vegetable Tian
This French dish is reminiscent of ratatouille. It comes out beautifully and will really be a show stopper of the meal. Use a food processor or mandolin so that you’re not chopping for hours. Salt this dish generously. The bottom will collect some beautiful juices that will make a natural gravy. Top the dish with your favorite woody herbs, such as thyme or rosemary.
