Meatloaf sure is tasty. It is classic comfort food that goes with any side of your choice. You can build other dishes around it, and you won’t be having that much trouble complimenting it.
What to Serve with Meatloaf for Dinner?
Transform your simple family dinner experience into an ultimate dinner experience made at the comfort of your kitchen. Bring out that savory meatloaf recipe as you discover what you should serve with it.
So, what goes with meatloaf? Here are a few of the highly recommended sides with a few tips for you to try.
Best Side Dishes For Meatloaf
Mashed Potato
On top of this list is mashed potato. A classic meal can never go wrong with a traditional side dish. This is the best pair for your meatloaf.
A creamy mashed potato complements the meaty taste of your main dish. Don’t stress, though. There’s a simple mashed potato recipe that you can try.
Use either russets or Yukon golds potatoes. These are the best variety for your mashed potato recipe. You can choose either to peel it or not before you boil it. In a large pot, place your potatoes and season them generously with salt.
Bring to a boil for around 15 to 18 minutes until softened, then drain. Mash your potatoes until it’s smooth.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and add milk until it’s warm. Pour over your mixture to the mashed potatoes and stir until it’s creamy and smooth. Add sour cream, salt, and pepper. It’s now ready to serve.
What to serve with meatloaf besides mashed potatoes? This list can go on but has listed a few highly recommended sides to go with your meatloaf.
Garlic Bread
One of the things that people love about garlic bread is that it’s easy to prepare. It will save you much time yet makes a great addition to your dinner table. The secret to a great garlic bread is on the spread to top it. Make your garlic bread spread, or you may try this simple recipe.
You’ll need half a cup of softened butter, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley for the ingredients. Mix all the ingredients in a jar or a mixing bowl. That’s it for your spread.
As for the bread, you may use French bread and slice it according to your preference. Spread your mixture on top of your sliced bread and pop it into the oven or broiler until it turns brown. There you have it! Your very own homemade garlic bread. It’s better than store-bought!
Mashed Cauliflower
If you’re concerned about your carbohydrate intake, cauliflower is a great alternative. You will be surprised that even kids will surely love it, too. All that you need is cauliflower, salt, pepper, butter, milk, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.
To start, chop off the head of the cauliflower and steam until it’s fork-tender. Once done, you may use a food processor to smoothen your softened cauliflower easily. Season it with salt and pepper.
Then, add the rest of the ingredients and blend again until it’s smooth. You can add other seasonings like paprika and minced garlic, then blend again. You won’t have to eat a bland cauliflower again.
Creamy Spinach
Another healthy option for your meatloaf is creamy spinach. Its creamy taste goes well with your meatloaf, too. The secret to a great creamed spinach lies in its white sauce.
Use fresh spinach and wilt it in a pot of boiling water. Do this for only a minute and immediately immerse in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain out any excess water and set it aside.
Next is making the white sauce. In a pot, melt in your ¼ cup of butter and whisk with flour until it turns light brown. Add your onion and continue cooking for about two to three minutes. Then, add your garlic until aromatic (this will only take about 30 seconds).
Pour in your cup of milk and constantly stir until it thickens. Season it with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Feel free to add other seasonings if you must. Add your spinach into the white sauce and stir to combine.
Top it with parmesan cheese and serve.
Mac and Cheese
Another side that kids and adults will surely love is simple mac and cheese. You can make it out of instant mac and cheese, or you may try this three-ingredient mac and cheese.
Homemade is better than your store-bought mac and cheese box. All that you need is milk, elbow macaroni, and cheddar cheese.
In a pot, bring your five cups of milk to a boil. Add your elbow macaroni and constantly stir for about ten minutes or until the macaroni is cooked, or you may follow the instructions on the packaging to avoid an overcooked macaroni.
Turn off the heat and add your two cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese coats your macaroni. Best served while still hot.
Glazed Carrots
One of the best accompaniments to any meat is carrots. Its sweet and tangy taste will balance the tasty meatloaf. Start by gathering baby carrots (at least 1.5 lbs), salt, ground black pepper, butter, honey, brown sugar, and lemon juice.
Place your baby carrots in a saucepan, cover them with water, add one and ½ teaspoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, continue cooking until the carrots are tender, taking about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a pan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add the honey and brown sugar and continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and your tender baby carrots. Mix continuously until it glazes your carrots. Add some salt and pepper, then start plating.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. For added crunch, you may top it with sesame seeds or almonds for that added crunch.
Rice
A protein-packed dish goes well with rice. It quickly absorbs all the flavor since rice is very bland. Also, you can easily prepare this by using a rice cooker. No sweat!
Coleslaw
Balance your high-calorie dish with something light and healthy. Also, its crunch matches the tender and moist texture of your meatloaf. Also, you can prepare this in just five minutes.
There is available coleslaw mix in grocery stores that you can already use. Mix this with half a cup of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of sugar (or you can also use honey), one and ½ tablespoons of lemon juice, a tablespoon of vinegar, salt, and pepper. Now, you’re done!
All that you must do is refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. This is to let the dressing soften for a few hours, but it still maintains its crunch. Others prefer to refrigerate it overnight. Of course, it depends on how you want its texture to be like when you eat it. This is best served chilled.
What to Serve With Turkey Meatloaf
If you’re making a turkey meatloaf, these sides go perfectly with your main dish.
- Honey glazed sweet potatoes
- Glazed carrots
- Fruit salad
- Green salad
- Honey roasted squash
What to Serve with Italian Meatloaf
An Italian meatloaf is a combination of ground beef and Italian sausages cooked in a tomato sauce and topped with any cheese of choice but preferably parmesan and ricotta. If this is what you have decided to cook, these sides make a perfect combination for them.
- Creamy mac and cheese
- Cheesy garlic bread
- Quinoa Caprese salad
- Tomato basil bruschetta
- Crispy eggplant Caprese salad
What to Serve with Mexican Meatloaf
Perhaps, one of the best meatloaves that you can try is a Mexican meatloaf. It is made of ground beef and seasoned with cumin and green peppers. Then, loaded with any cheese of your choice and topped with salsa. You can pair this with:
- Mexican fried rice
- Cilantro lime rice
- Green salads
- Buttered corn
- Glazed carrots
This list can go on since meatloaf is very versatile. Whether it’s turkey meatloaf, Italian meatloaf, or a Mexican meatloaf, you can easily find sides that can complement them. You can never go wrong with your choices.
Whether it’s a thanksgiving dinner, potluck, or a simple dinner at home, you can always make it great.
