Fall Side Dish Recipes You'll Love

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
August 28, 2014

These fall-inspired veggie and potato side dishes might steal the show at the dinner table. Try creamy scalloped potatoes, cauliflower gratin, roasted Brussels sprouts, hash brown casserole, corn pudding and more.

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Southwest Corn Pudding

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Buttery onions, cheddar and green chilies lace our stuffinglike pudding. Inspired by traditional skillet corn bread, this recipe works as a side or as a meatless main served with a salad or garlicky sauteed kale.

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Long-Cooked Collards with Apples and Bacon

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This side dish is an autumn favorite at Iowa's Rapid Creek Cidery -- and a great way to explore nutritious collard greens. The recipe takes a while, but most of the cooking is hands-free, leaving plenty of time to prepare pork chops or chicken.

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Lemony Green Beans

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Garlic, shallots and lemon brighten crisp-tender beans. Save time by parboiling the green beans a day early.

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Brussels Sprouts with Ham and Leeks

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Dry-cured country ham adds smoky-salty flavor to veggies, but regular ham will work as well.

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Cider-Glazed Vegetables

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We put everything we love about fall into this easy side dish- a riot of bright colors, hearty veggies, woodsy sage, and a brown sugar-sweetened hard cider glaze.

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Apple and Couscous-Bulgur Salad

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Apple cider and lemon juice add a touch of pucker that keeps this hearty grain salad from tasting too sweet. For a nutritional boost, use whole wheat couscous.

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Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

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This dead-simple and totally delicious casserole is a homey addition to any weekend meal, potluck or even a holiday spread.

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Cornucopia Stuffed Squash

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Similar recipes call for sausage, but these acorns of plenty overflow with a healthy mix of barley, spinach, sunflower seeds, shiitake mushrooms, dried cranberries and smoked Gouda.

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Ratatouille

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When cooler nights trigger cravings for warming autumn suppers but the garden still bears a summer's bounty of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and eggplant, we call on the French for help. The classic vegetable stew is traditionally served unadorned, but we love it spooned over homemade garlic bread as a luxe fork-and-knife sandwich.

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Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

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This easy-to-make layered cheesy potato dish pairs well with pork chops or ham.

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Roasted Panzanella Salad

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This colorful salad stars sweet roasted cherry tomatoes with the tart of red wine vinegar.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Orange zest, nutmeg and smoked paprika add layers of flavor to these tender biscuits.

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Curried Cauliflower, Apples and Chickpeas

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Cinnamon and curry powder balance Granny Smith apples in this roasted cauliflower mixture.

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Onion, Apple and Cheese Gratin

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At Iowa's Rapid Creek Cidery, chef Matt Steigerwald serves this gratin (which tastes sort of like the best French onion soup ever) with grilled artisan bread. Crisp and charred, it's a good foil to the gooey richness.

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German Potato Salad

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Serve this old-fashioned potluck dish warm.

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Bacon-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Frying bacon in the skillet, then tossing sprouts and red onion in the drippings before roasting means you'll only dirty one pan making this elegant side dish.

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Apple Scones with Spiced Maple Butter

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They're light, buttery and fall artwork on your plate. We almost hate to cover up the baked-on apple slice with the whipped maple butter. Almost.

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Honey-Sage Sweet Potatoes, Pears and Walnuts

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A colorful mixture of sweet potatoes, red onion and pears blends with sage and sweet honey in this easy roasted side.

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Cauliflower Gratin

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Tossing cauliflower with bread crumbs, Dijon, cheddar, herbs and almonds makes this humble veg holiday-special.

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Spicy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

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For a gloriously orange update to scalloped potatoes, we layered sweet potatoes, sharp cheddar and chipotle peppers. But the luscious creamy goodness? Still the same.

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Lemony Greens, ‘Shrooms and Grapes

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Lemon and grapes brighten the fresh green bean, broccoli and mushroom mixture.

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Potato Latkes

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Cast iron's heat retention means oil holds a high temperature, so fried foods crisp quickly and evenly. These traditional Jewish potato-onion fritters have tender centers and lacy rims. Top them with sour cream or applesauce.

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Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes

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Mix pantry ingredients-canned apple pie filling, canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apricot preserves, orange marmalade and chopped pecans-for a quick and easy side dish with a crunchy nut topping.

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Moroccan Carrot Slaw

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Combining cinnamony pumpkin-pie spice with fresh mint lends North African flavor in a flash. Try this simple salad as a side dish to grilled chicken.

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Sweet Apple Risotto

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Sweeter than traditional risotto, this dish from Rapid Creek Cidery works beautifully as a side to chef Matt Steigerwald's Roast Chicken with Mushroom Jus (see the chicken recipe here).

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Hash Brown Casserole

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A crispy, savory crust of cheese, crushed cornflakes and butter tops a combination of ham, hash browns, cubed cheese, condensed soup and sour cream. A potluck favorite!

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Cajun Sweet Corn and Bacon Jumble

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Salty bacon and Cajun seasoning liven up this roasted veggie mixture for a hearty side.

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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

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The combo of butternut squash, rigatoni, bacon and smoked cheese makes for a delicious twist on traditional mac and cheese.

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Cauliflower Pilaf

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Pulsing cauliflower in the food processor yields an uncanny, 100-percent-good-for-you alternative to rice. Our version has Middle Eastern-inspired flavorings, but you can make a plain version by sautéing the ground cauliflower in a bit of oil and seasoning with salt.

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Sassy Baked Beans

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Mix and match different kinds of beans and meat to suit your preferences. Our smoky-sweet baked beans will beat canned beans every time!

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Nutty Asian Cabbage with Plums

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Soy sauce, ginger, sugar and nutty almonds lend this cabbage mixture a sweet and salty appeal.

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Butter-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Health considerations aside, this recipe from chef Marshall Paulsen of Minneapolis' Birchwood Cafe will make you question the wisdom of always roasting veggies in olive oil. The butter browns to aromatic perfection while the sprouts cook-genius! If you want to fancy the sprouts up, add the bacon and pomegranate seeds.

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Rutabaga Gratin

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Take a break from 'taters and try nutty-sweet rutabaga in this deliciously cheesy cold-weather side.

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Cinnamon Carrots with Maple Thyme Butter

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These sweet oven-roasted carrots are a perfect complement to a holiday menu, but they're easy enough to be a weeknight side. This comfort food recipe comes from Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.

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Wilted Asian Kale

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Pumpkin-pie spice is the secret ingredient in this nutrient-packed side dish.

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Chard, Mushroom and Cannellini Beans over Parmesan Polenta

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The bitter earthiness of Swiss chard hides under a healthy dose of garlic and crushed red pepper in this soothingly satisfying weeknight supper dish.

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes