29 Scrummy Side Dish Ideas To Go With Meatloaf

If you love meatloaf, I don’t blame you – it’s just such a comforting dish, not to mention cheap to make. But what do you have with it? That’s the question.

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29 Scrummy Side Dish Ideas To Go With Meatloaf

Well, the good news is that I’ve been scouring the internet looking for the best side dishes to pair with meatloaf, and I’m going to present a whopping 29 of them to you that you can browse through.

With any luck at least one dish will catch your eye, and possibly your heart, too.

Then I’m going to top that off with a section where I answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.

And without further ado, let’s get straight to it!

1. Super Easy Potato Gratin Recipe From The Spruce Eats

Let’s kick things off with something delicious and creamy – this gratin has a crispy top, but underneath it’s wonderfully cheesy, pairing perfectly with meatloaf.

Be sure you don’t skimp on the ingredients, for full effect you need whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and brie cheese (see also ‘23 Brie Cheese Recipes‘).

The recipe yields 6 servings, and takes about 75 minutes to make.

2. Bisquick Cornbread Recipe From Insanely Good Recipes

OMG – I think you’re gonna love this! There’s nothing quite like cornbread and this is the best recipe I’ve found for it. It comes out warm, slightly sweet, buttery, and perfectly soft and moist.

It doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, and the recipe yields 10 servings at 247 calories each. Prep time is only 5 minutes and it’s ready to eat in 40 minutes altogether.

3. Skinny Baked Cauliflower Tots Recipe From Gimmie Delicious

If, like me, you’re a fan of tater tots, I think you’re gonna just love this recipe! And it’s a much healthier alternative. 

It features cauliflower florets, onion, minced bell pepper, cheddar cheese,egg, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and breadcrumbs. The recipe yields 30 to 40 tots and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

4. Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe From The Spruce Eats

This traditional Irish dish is just yummy, and it’s perfect for celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day.

It features russet potatoes, curly kale, green onions, butter, and salt and pepper. And I strongly recommend adding a dollop of butter on the top to serve – delicious!

The recipe yields 4 to 6 servings, and it’s ready to eat in just 35 minutes.

5. Spicy Roasted Potato Wedges Recipe From My Recipes

I don’t know about you , but I just love potato wedges. Done right and they’re crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside.

This recipe features a mildly spiced dressing, made up of garlic, smoked paprika (see also ‘Does Smoked Paprika Have A Taste? If So, Is It Good?‘), cayenne pepper, thyme, and salt and pepper. The recipe yields 8 servings and is ready in under an hour.

6. Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Recipe From A Cedar Spoon

What could be healthier to pair your meatloaf with than a place of scrumptious Mediterranean vegetables as per this recipe?

It looks amazing with its rainbow colors of tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, and squash. And it gets dressed in lemon juice, oregano, thyme, garlic, and salt and pepper.

The recipe yields 4 to 6 servings and is ready in 45 minutes.

7. Hasselback Sweet Potatoes Recipe From The Spruce Eats

For those of you who don’t already know, hasselback potatoes are ones that are cut about halfway through into thin, fan-like slices. And they make for a perfect side dish for meatloaf.

This recipe features delicious sweet potatoes, and the result is a crispy exterior, combined with a soft, creamy center. The recipe yields 4 servings, and is ready to eat in 80 minutes.

8. Copycat KFC Coleslaw Recipe From Insanely Good Recipes

If you love the coleslaw at KFC, you will love this recipe, it’s so similar!

It tastes so fresh and crunchy, with ingredients like shredded carrot, onion, cabbage, lemon juice, sugar, mayonnaise, milk, onion powder, and salt and pepper.

The recipe yields 8 servings and is ready to eat in just 10 minutes.

9. Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe From Home Cooked Harvest

Wow, for such a simple dish this one really packs in the flavor. And it’s super easy to make, too.

You peel and boil some potatoes and mash them together with butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, chives, minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Then you leave it to bake until the sprinkling of cheese on top has melted.

The recipe yields 8 servings, and is ready to eat in 75 minutes.

10. Cheesy Herbed Garlic Bread Recipe From Living Lou

OMG – you’re gonna love this!

This garlic bread recipe features a large, crusty on the outside ciabatta loaf, garlic, butter, green onions, two types of cheese, cheddar and stretchy mozzarella, and freshly chopped basil.

It’s 381 calories per serving.

Better yet, it’s ready to eat in just 15 short minutes, and it makes 10 servings.

11. Lighter Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe From Skinny Taste

Mac and cheese (see also ‘15 Tasty Side Dishes To Serve With Mac And Cheese‘) is a well-loved American classic. But this recipe is one with a difference – it’s lighter and healthier, but just as comforting and delicious.

You use whole wheat macaroni, whole wheat breadcrumbs, skim milk, and reduced fat cheddar. The recipe yields 8 servings, comes to just 261 calories per serving and is ready to eat in less than an hour.

12. Fruit ‘N’ Nut Tossed Salad Recipe From Taste Of Home

How about serving up your meatloaf alongside an interesting salad like this one?

It features few ingredients, including romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, seedless red grapes, and toasted almonds.

Then for the dressing there’s lemon juice, sugar, grated lemon zest, a dash of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. And it’s ready to eat in just 15 minutes.

13. Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Tots Recipe From Kalyn’s Kitchen

This tater tot alternative dish is just delicious! And it’s a perfect accompaniment to your meatloaf. What’s more, it also happens to be so low in carbs that it’s classed as keto-friendly (see also ‘33 Of The Most Delicious Keto Side Dishes‘). And it’s gluten free to boot.

It doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, mostly cauliflower, cheddar, flour and Parmesan cheese. The recipe yields 4 servings and is ready in just over an hour.

14. Easy Carrot & Swede Mash Recipe From Effortless Foodie

This root veg mash is a lower carb, lower calorie alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. 

You boil the carrot and swede until tender, drain, and mash together along with some heavy cream, butter, and a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper.

It yields 6 servings at just 96 calories per serving, and it’s ready to eat in just half an hour.

15. Easy Sauteed Mushrooms With Garlic Butter Recipe From Drive Me Hungry

This super simple side dish is an absolute breeze to make. You need very few ingredients, just mushrooms, avocado oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and chopped herbs for garnish.

You can also make a flavoring to go with it, featuring one of worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, or white wine.

The recipe yields 8 servings and is ready to eat in less than 15 minutes.

16. Honey Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe From The Cafe Sucre Farine

This easy to make side dish makes for an excellent accompaniment to meatloaf.

It features healthy vitamin packed carrots, in a dressing made up of maple syrup, honey, ground coriander, fresh thyme, fresh chives, and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds.

What’s more, each serving is a mere 153 calories, and it’s ready to eat in as little as 40 minutes.

17. Seasoned Rice Recipe From Spend With Pennies

Rice may be a common accompaniment to meatloaf, but you shouldn’t have to settle for plain white rice. Why not go for some tasty seasoned rice, as per this recipe?

You take some long grain white rice, and infuse it with butter, beef broth, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, minced onion, and parsley for garnish.

The recipe yields 4 servings and is ready in 45 minutes.

18. Steamed Broccoli And Feta Cheese Recipe From A Couple Cooks

This super healthy side dish goes great with meatloaf, and it can be ready to eat in as little as 10 minutes.

The broccoli comes out bright green, crisp, tender, and flavorful, and can be dressed in a drizzle of olive oil, combined with thinly sliced red onion and a crumbling of creamy feta cheese, which really contrasts with the flavor of the broccoli.

19. Roasted Asparagus With Pecan Parmesan Seasoning Recipe From Walder Wellness

This delicious side dish features healthy, nutrient rich asparagus, together with a range of other ingredients to form a cheesy vegan vegan pecan parmesan made with nutritional yeast.

It requires very few ingredients, and it can be ready to eat in as little as 25 minutes. The recipe yields 4 servings altogether.

20. Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe From A Couple Cooks

If there’s any veg that’s packed with flavor, it’s the good old brussel sprout, love it or hate it.

With this recipe at hand you can make a stunning brussel sprout side dish to go along with your meatloaf. You simply roast the brussel sprouts until they are blackened and caramelized, then toss them in a tangy sweet balsamic sauce.

The recipe yields 4 servings, and is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

21. Creamed Spinach And Parsnips Recipe From Food 52

This decadent creamy recipe is amazing, and it features few easy to source ingredients. You will need parsnips, honey, spinach, onion, flour, olive oil, cream, salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.

The recipe yields 2 to 4 servings and takes about 70 minutes to make.

22. Caramelized Onion Quinoa Recipe From The Almond Eater

This dish makes an excellent accompaniment to meatloaf. It only requires 7 ingredients, including the likes of yellow onions, quinoa, spinach leaves, butter, olive oil, minced garlic cloves, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

The recipe yields 4 servings and can be ready to eat in just 35 minutes.

23. Nut Rice Pilaf Recipe From The Spruce Eats

This dish features a host of flavorful ingredients, including onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, brown rice, dry white wine, broth, and your choice of nuts. (I like it with almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts.)

The recipe yields 6 to 8 servings, coming in at 242 calories per serving, and is ready to eat in 75 minutes.

24. Roasted Green Beans With Caramelized Onions Recipe From Skinny Taste

If you’re interested in eating more of your healthy greens, but want to find a way for them to taste more interesting, then how about this side dish recipe?

It’s easy to make and you need very few ingredients. You roast your green beans until tender and crisp, and while they are in the oven you caramelize some onions to top the green beans with. Each recipe comes to just 102 calories.

25. Creamy Polenta Recipe From Chef Billy Parisi

This creamy Italian recipe features cooked yellow cornmeal in a seasoned broth and finished off with butter and parmesan cheese. 

The recipe yields 8 servings and is ready to eat in just 35 minutes.

26. 7 Layer Salad Recipe From The View From The Great Island

This filling salad dish makes for a wonderful healthy side dish next to a slice of meatloaf.

It features a rainbow of ingredients, including greens, cherry tomatoes, purple cabbage, orange bell pepper, hard boiled eggs, black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled crisp bacon pieces.

And it features a creamy buttermilk dressing.

27. Sweetcorn Fritters Recipe From BBC Good Food

This super simple recipe is delicious. A perfect accompaniment to meatloaf.

You don’t need a lot of ingredients, it’s mostly sweetcorn, green onions, flour, milk eggs, and seasoning such as cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.

The recipe yields 12 fritters, and is ready to eat in less than half an hour.

28. Sweet Potato Fries Recipe From New York Times

Sweet potato fries are not only healthier than regular fries but they taste better, too. And if you floor this recipe, you can make your own.

You don’t need a lot of ingredients, it’s just sweet potatoes cut into sticks, olive oil and seasoning. I like mine with paprika.

29. Cauliflower Cheese Recipe From Recipe Tin Eats

This popular classic pairs excellently with meatloaf, and you basically roast cauliflower florets in a wonderfully cheesy sauce featuring red leicester cheese and gruyere cheese.

The recipe yields 6 servings. It’s high in calories, but it’s absolutely worth it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Good To Serve With Meatloaf?

I would argue that every side dish on my shortlist goes well with meatloaf. But if you want to be healthy, something with some healthy veg might be a good idea.

What Kind Of Rice Goes With Meatloaf?

If you plan on laying your slices of meatloaf over a bed of rice, I would recommend that you use seasoned rice, to get that little bit of extra flavor on your palette.

Wrap Up

So, as you can see there are plenty of ideas out there for side dishes for meatloaf. The trick is to just pick one to make at a time – that’s the tricky bit. Good luck, and bon appetit.

29 Scrummy Side Dish Ideas To Go With Meatloaf

29 Scrummy Side Dish Ideas To Go With Meatloaf

Recipe by Jenna

A selection of 29 side dishes to enjoy alongside a slice of meatloaf, complete with answers to your most frequently asked questions

Course: Side Dishes
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

Directions

  • Pick a recipe from the list above
  • Click the recipe name and visit the website
  • Collect the ingredients and cook the food
  • Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review

Recipe Video

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