Potatoes are a classic side dish for any meal, from timeless mashed potatoes for a holiday dinner to a necessary potato salad for that summer barbeque. The options are endless for potato sides, including unique dishes to liven up any meal you might make.
From frying, roasting, grilling, mashing, smashing, or twice-baking, we’ve got you covered with this unique list of potato sides for your next family dinner or special gathering.
What goes well with potato sides?
Potatoes go well with almost anything. Tasty on their own with salt and pepper, or to complement meat and veggies, the accompaniments are endless. Here are some pantry staples that pair well with potato sides:
- Proteins: chicken, beef, tofu, fish
- Vegetables: onions, cauliflower, parsnips, mushrooms, green beans
- Seasonings: garlic, curry powder, parsley, pepper, rosemary, salt, thyme
- Garnishes: bay leaf, scallions, chives, bacon
- Sauces: mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, oil
What proteins go best with potato sides?
Although each recipe is full of different flavors and textures, the choice is yours. These proteins go well with almost any potato side dish:
- Beef – juicy and salty steak combines with creamy, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes, especially cheesy scalloped potatoes or herby mashed potatoes
- Chicken – opting for a mild herbed or citrus-flavored chicken to complement more flavorful, bold potato dishes will bring complementing variety to your plate
- Fish – mild, flaky fish offer texture contrast to crispy, crunchier potato side dishes
- Tofu – mild proteins like tofu offer the creative freedom to pair with almost any potato dish as the soft and spongy texture will absorb the flavors of the ingredients you’re cooking your potato side with
Are potatoes healthy?
Potatoes have a boatload of nutritional and health benefits. Aside from being a hearty source of carbohydrates and fiber, potatoes are rich in key antioxidants that help fight diseases and vitamins and minerals that help your body function properly.
The fiber found in potatoes is known as resistant starch and acts as a prebiotic for good bacteria that improve gut health. Fiber can also help prevent heart disease by allowing your body to have better control of sugar levels in your blood and by keeping cholesterol down.
Plus, baked potato skin is loaded with potassium and magnesium, both essential vitamins to proper body function. Potassium is known to regulate your heartbeat, is important for synthesizing and metabolizing carbohydrates, and it supports muscle and nerve function. Magnesium also ensures proper function of the muscles and nerves and energy production
Which potatoes are the healthiest?
While all potatoes are rich in complex carbs, fat-free, and low in calories, the healthiest spuds are those with a darker-colored skin, such as purple and red potatoes, due to higher levels of antioxidants.
How Long Can You Keep Potatoes?
Depending on the variety of potato, how they’re stored, and whether they’ve been cooked or not determine whether they last for days whereas some may last for months.
- Fresh potatoes in room temperature: 1-2 weeks
- Raw potatoes (cut and stored in water): 24 hours
- Mashed potatoes (cooked and refrigerated): 3-4 days
- Boiled potatoes (cooked and refrigerated): 3-4 days
- Frozen, cooked potatoes: 10-12 months
25 Unique Potato Sides for Your Next Gathering
1. Blackstone Loaded Potato Chips
If you’re making meat and potatoes, choose this recipe from Cooks Well With Others to make them both on the same griddle. All you need is bacon, cheese, and two russet potatoes for a flavorful side dish similar to what you’d find at a restaurant.
Bonus: add on sour cream, ranch, or chives to bring out the savory flavors of this dish.
2. German Potato Sides Salad
You’ve probably made, tasted, or bought potato salad for a summer barbeque time and time again. But have you tried this German Potato Salad recipe from Culinary Hill? Crispy bacon and tangy mustard collide to take a German twist on your classic potato salad.
Ideal for a unique potluck dish or even Oktoberfest celebrations, this starchy side dish knocks all of the others out of the park.
3. Easy Leek and Creamy Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Spice And Life offers us this recipe for Leek Mashed Potatoes that turns your classic comfort food and holiday staple into a dish that no one will forget. The recipe suggests using the less-starchy Russet or Yukon potatoes for their creamy texture, making it simple to mash them up.
With nutritious leeks (high in vitamins A, C, and K, iron, and manganese), this recipe will impress your guests with an irresistible creamy, buttery texture.
4. Vegan Twice-Baked Potato Sides
Another essential holiday comfort food can be made vegan with this recipe from Steph Sunshine. The recipe calls for a homemade cheese sauce with a creamy texture thanks to cashews and an impeccable flavor from butternut squash, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and seasonings.
Topped with paprika and chives, these twice-baked potatoes will become a staple to your holiday potlucks.
5. Garlic and Rosemary Potato Sides Steak Fries
Once you make these garlic and rosemary steak fries from Everyday Gourmet With Blakley, you’ll reconsider getting fries out to eat. These baked fries are healthier than the fried ones, plus they’re easier to make. You’ll be making plenty more after you see all of the meals this tasty side pairs with.
6. Gamja Jorim Potato Sides (Korean Braised Potatoes)
Looking to bring Korean barbeque to the comfort of your home? Gamja Jorim is a traditional side dish in Korean cuisine and this recipe from Korean Bapsang pairs well with Korean barbeque staples, steamed rice, vegetables, and more.
Simmering the potatoes in a flavorful braising liquid until the sauce is reduced produces a savory dish that everyone will enjoy.
7. Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
Spice up a simple baked potato with vertical cuts that make an accordion-like appearance with this recipe from Simply Recipes. These buttery, crispy, crunchy potatoes take some effort to put together but make for a unique dish alongside a special dinner.
8. Pommes de Terre à la Berrichonne – French Herb Potatoes
Crispy, herby potatoes with bacon and onions are slowly roasted in a flavorful stock and white wine to make a classic French potato side dish. Insight Flavour shares this recipe which balances the sweetness of onions and the saltiness of the other ingredients to create a unique side for your next potluck.
9. Vegan Loaded Greek Fries
The Healthful Ideas gives us this recipe for Vegan Loaded Greek Fries that are made with dried herbs and topped with fresh parsley, red onion, and feta for an exquisite twist on your classic fry. Make them vegan with dairy-free feta, or skip it and still enjoy all of the fresh ingredients this recipe has to offer atop a bunch of flavorful fries.
The recipe also includes a 7-ingredient homemade Tzatziki sauce for dipping that takes 15 minutes to whip up.
10. Garlic Herb Muffin Pan Potato Sides Galettes
An easy and elegant side dish, this Garlic Herb Muffin Pan Potato Galettes recipe from From a Chef’s Kitchen can be enjoyed all year round. These golden, crispy stacked potato slices are buttery, garlicky, and herb-infused to satisfy anyone’s taste buds.
11. Classic Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
For your next family gathering or potluck, impress your guests with this classic Cheesy Scalloped Potato recipe from Scrambled Chefs. A comfort food classic using a combination of cheddar cheese and jack cheese for a delicious, cheesy side dish.
Plus, this recipe calls for a homemade sauce with thyme for loads of extra flavor.
12. Masala Smashed Potatoes
Spicy Tamarind gives us this recipe for Masala Smashed Potatoes that makes potatoes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These potatoes are loaded with tons of flavor thanks to spices like coriander powder, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and garlic powder and garnishes such as chaat masala, coriander leaves, and lemon juice.
Not to mention, this recipe is gluten-free and vegan-friendly, so everyone can enjoy it.
13. Quick and Easy Fondant Potatoes
Quick and easy, yet elegant and delicious, are a few words to describe this Fondant Potato recipe from Small Town Woman. The potatoes are browned and then baked in creamy butter and savory chicken stock, making them a tasty side dish for any weekday dinner.
14. French Lyonnaise Potatoes
Pinch and Swirl shares this recipe for a classic French side dish that produces crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside potatoes. Tossed with soft, buttery onions and finished with fresh parsley, the exquisite flavors combine to make a unique side dish that no one will forget.
15. Classic Homemade Mashed Potatoes
What’s better than rich, creamy, buttery mashed potatoes? With a variety of ways to make this classic dish, this recipe from Gimme Some Oven keeps it simple and allows you to customize it to suit you or your guests’ taste buds.
16. Aloo Methi Sabzi Potato Sides Fenugreek Stir Fry
Aloo Methi Sabzi is a quick and simple yet nutritious and savory Indian side dish loaded with a combination of mild spices, sautéed onions, and methi leaves, also known as fenugreek leaves. The recipe from Archana’s Kitchen even includes recommended recipes to serve this one with.
The dish can be served alongside Tawa Paratha and Kadhi for a quick weekday family dinner, or with Kachumber Salad to make it more filling and nutritious.
17. Diced Air Fryer Potatoes
Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The Dinner Bite shows us how to make this recipe for diced Air Fryer Potatoes that is a simple, savory side dish that will be ready in approximately 30 minutes with minimal prep and common pantry items.
18. Loaded Baked Potato Sides Casserole
With a Loaded Baked Potato Casserole recipe as delicious as this one from Allrecipes, you’ll be making this side dish for every holiday. Combining bacon, sour cream, cheddar, scallions, and cream cheese, this dish is in fact loaded and oh-so-irresistible.
19. Mexican Roasted Potatoes
Potato sides can be made for more meals than holiday dinners, as Bites With Bri shows us with this bold Mexican Roasted Potato Recipe. Baby yellow potato halves are tossed in loads of Mexican spices and dipped in finely grated parmesan cheese, which is then baked cheese-side-down, making the cheese crispy and crunchy atop soft-roasted potatoes.
Finish this potato side dish with crumbled queso fresco and jalapeño lime crema for the highlight of any Mexican dinner night you have in your future.
20. Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes with Garlic & Herbs
A Full Living offers us this recipe for Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes that is simple yet delicious with added garlic, herbs, seasonings, and parmesan cheese to satisfy all of your savory taste buds. Air frying is quick and easy, yet produces that crispy, golden brown potato we all know and love.
21. Vegan Potato Sides Vindaloo
Spice up your potato side dish with this gluten-free and vegan version of the famously spicy Goan Pork Vindaloo from The Spicy Cafe. The recipe calls for boiled potatoes marinated in savory vindaloo masala and chilles to bring out the flavors and spice.
Like any other dish, adjust the amount of heat you bring to it depending on you and your guests’ desired level of spice.
22. Mashed Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
A traditional Hanukkah side dish or a way to use leftover mashed potatoes, Two Kooks in the Kitchen shares this recipe for Latkes that is crispy on the outside, and creamy and cheesy on the inside. Latkes pair well with comforting chicken, meatloaf, salmon, or a hearty salad.
23. Turkish Potato Salad (Patates Salatasi)
This Healthy Table shows us how to make this recipe that turns your average potato salad into a tasty Turkish side dish anyone will enjoy. The dish is hearty and filling since it’s loaded with bell peppers and green onions and oh-so-flavorful thanks to fresh herbs and spices.
Often enjoyed as a main dish during summer picnics or as part of a mezze spread, Patates Salatasi can also be made as a unique potato salad dish to liven up your next barbeque or potluck.
24. Duchess Baked Potatoes
Creamy, decadent, and easy to make, yet sophisticated and elegant enough to serve at your next holiday gathering, these delicious Duchess Baked Potatoes from For The Love of Cooking are a must-have on the dinner table. Pairing well with pork chops and green beans, this golden-brown dish will become a big hit with your whole family.
25. Classic Potato Salad
A summer barbeque isn’t complete without that creamy potato salad everyone loves. Food and Wine gives us this recipe that has a touch of scallions and parsley making this classic side dish that much more irresistible.
The recipe calls for baby potatoes that have a naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture that hold their shape better than cut-up full-size potatoes, making this dish a simple, yet delicious one.
Potato Sides FAQs
Do potatoes go bad?
Potatoes can go bad, and there are signs that will let you know when. Raw potatoes should be firm, not soft or mushy. They also should have an earthy or nutty aroma, not a musty or moldy odor. Sometimes, a potato might have a small blemish, but large bruises, blemishes, or black spots are warning signs of a rotted potato.
How Do You Store Potatoes Long-Term?
Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place like a paper bag, cabinet of a pantry, drawer, or a cardboard box and make sure they still have airflow. Stay away from warm spots like next to the oven, under the sink, or on top of the fridge.
Avoid storing potatoes with onions, avocados, bananas, and apples as it might encourage sprouting in your potatoes.
How Do You Store Cut Potatoes?
Storing cut potatoes is a quick and easy task that may prevent browning. If you plan on making a potato recipe and want to save some prep time, skin them or run them under cold water to remove any dirt, then slice them up. Place the cut potato slices in a bowl or airtight container and cover them completely with cold water, then store them in the refrigerator. Use refrigerator-stored cut potatoes up to 24 hours later.
Should You Refrigerate Potatoes?
Avoid keeping your potatoes in the refrigerator as their metabolism shifts and results in the breakdown of some starch to sugars. Instead, aim for 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 to 95 percent humidity.
Can You Freeze Potatoes?
Raw potatoes don’t freeze well, but you can store cooked or partially cooked potatoes in the freezer for 10-12 months.
Is it Better to Bake a Potato in the Oven or Microwave?
Although you can bake potatoes in the oven or microwave, microwaving them requires turning the potato so it bakes evenly and doesn’t result in the crispy skin you get in the oven.
Is it OK to Eat Potatoes That Have Sprouted?
Recently sprouted potatoes are safe to eat if you remove the sprouts by breaking them off. Try to eat potatoes with sprouts soon after you notice them as growing sprouts can suck sugars and nutrients from the potato, causing them to shrivel and lose the usual crunch.
Eating the sprouts themselves are not recommended as they contain solanine, chaconine, and other toxic glycoalkaloids that can have serious side effects.
Why is it Important Not to Eat Green Potatoes?
The same toxins found in sprouted potatoes may be found in green potatoes or even parts of potatoes with a greenish tint. Avoid eating green potatoes, or cutting away at any green parts of the skin and flesh.
Potato Sides Conclusion
From classic potato sides necessary for any holiday to bold, unique dishes that will impress your guests, spuds are the star starch to complete almost any meal. With a variety of ways to make them, dress them, and add to them, each of these dishes is packed with flavor ready to complement your next meal.