49 Potato Side Dishes to Go With Every Meal

Lemony Greek Potatoes With Oregano and Garlic (Pareve) — The Spruce

The humble potato really goes with everything, and it works in such a wide range of preparations. If you enjoy them baked, mashed, or scalloped, we have some awesome dishes for you. But don't stop there. Try these excellent recipes for potatoes roasted, fried, boiled, baked, sautéed, and more. And when you dress up the humble spuds with bacon, chives, and other garnishes, they become something really special.

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Skillet Fried Potatoes

The Spruce

Onions, peppers, and potatoes all get tossed together in a sizzling hot skillet for this delicious side dish that can work as well for dinner as it does for breakfast or brunch. You can also use leftover potatoes in this simple preparation, and it lends itself well to variation to suit your family's tastes.
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Loaded Potato Casserole

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Want to serve something more special than plain old mashed potatoes at a party, holiday dinner, or potluck? This loaded potato casserole upscales it into a casserole for any occasion by including sour cream, herbed cheese, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Make it a day in advance and heat it when you're ready to serve for an even easier preparation.
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Potato Skins

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Classic potato skins taste great fried, but this recipe makes them even easier by baking in the oven. Scoop out the insides, rub a little olive oil on the skin and potato flesh, then top it all off with sour cream, bacon, and cheddar cheese, making them melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Use the leftover mash in meatloaf or eat it by itself for a dinner side later.
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Irish Potato Cakes

The Spruce

A little thicker than traditional potato pancakes or latkes, these Irish potato cakes produces a crispy patty that makes a wonderful breakfast, appetizer, or even a unique side dish for brunch or dinner. Vegetarians will love them as a main course served with sour cream, applesauce, or a savory sauce of your choice.

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French Fries on the Grill

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

You may have made fish or chicken and vegetables in foil packets, but have you ever tried french fries that way? Whether you want to get out of the kitchen and into the backyard or need a fun camping out recipe, this preparation makes crispy, crunchy fries to smother in all your favorite toppings, all without turning on the stove.
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Air Fryer French Fries

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Amazingly, it takes just 2 tablespoons of oil to make these air fryer french fries that turn out crispy on the exterior and tender inside. The lower calorie load means you can splurge a little on a burger or air-fried fish.
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Duck Fat Fries

The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

If you are looking for a little "extra" in your fries, try these duck fat fries. A staple in French bistro cuisine, they are crisp, golden, and delicately flavored from the duck fat, which is a perfect fat for deep-frying due to its high melting point.
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Twice-Baked Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

When you make these succulent twice-baked potatoes, they taste twice as nice. The baked shell gets stuffed with a savory mashed potato mixture that includes cream cheese and chives. It's then baked until the topping turns golden brown. Try them for a slightly different and flavorful twist on the traditional jacket potato.

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Colcannon

The Spruce

Sick of regular mashed potatoes? Try colcannon, a traditional hearty and soul-warming Irish recipe. It consists of mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale and onions, then finished off with a pool of melted butter to create a decadent and delicious side dish.
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Spanish Patatas Bravas

The Spruce

Patatas bravas is a delicious Spanish tapas that you will quickly fall in love with. Bite-sized fried potatoes get dipped or drizzled with an assertive spicy sauce. This one uses Tabasco for that kick. Use a little more for a spicier sauce or less for a more mild preparation.
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Savory Scalloped Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Creamy and saucy scalloped potatoes make a terrific accompaniment to fish, ham, chicken, or beef. This recipe features a delicious homemade sauce that includes a dash of nutmeg and a little mustard for extra zip and complexity.
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Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

The Spruce

Because they come together in the slow cooker, these scalloped potatoes make an excellent side for a busy day. Cheddar cheese gives them a delicious, homey flavor, and either sliced or diced potatoes will get nice and tender during the long cook time. It also frees up the stove for other uses, if you have a big dinner to prepare.

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Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Because this recipe uses skin-on potatoes, that means less prep work for you and more vitamins and minerals in the finished dish. These simple roasted potatoes go well with just about everything and work with any herbs you have in your garden. Use the small, heritage potatoes you find at the farmers market for a pretty and easy dish that doesn't require any slicing or try red or russet potatoes.
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Sausage and Potato Soup With Kale

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Get your veggies in with this sausage and potato soup that tastes great as a starter or a hearty side but also works as a small meal. Kale gives it an extra hit of nutrition, but any leafy green like spinach, chard, or escarole also works. Make it spicier or milder, depending on the type of Italian sausage you use.
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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

The Instant Pot cooks whole potatoes in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven. Plus, the Instant Pot generates far less heat, which means you can enjoy baked potatoes any time of the year.
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Cheesy Potato Croquettes

The Spruce / Marian Blazes

Try these cheesy potato croquettes for a tasty side that makes use of mashed potatoes in a new way. After you cook the potatoes, mash them over low heat with some butter to let the steam escape. That results in a drier potato for better shaping and frying.

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Instant Pot Potato Soup

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

While it's hearty enough to be a main dish, this potato soup recipe makes a fantastic side, too. Adding garlic, shallots, and thyme ensures it is filled with flavor, and the creamy soup is ready in 30 minutes. To give it that loaded baked potato touch, add bacon, shredded cheddar, chives, and sour cream to each bowl.
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Easy Latkes

The Spruce

Using shredded potatoes gives these simple latkes a crispy exterior and a creamy interior, perfect for dipping in sour cream or applesauce as a side for virtually any meal. To save time, use frozen hash browns. Whether you go fresh or frozen, make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible for the crispiest results.
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Classic French Dauphinois

The Spruce / Diana Mocanu

Serve dinner with a French accent when you combine potatoes, cream, crème fraîche, and a little bruised garlic into this comforting dauphinois. Add Gruyère cheese if you want a little more intense flavor. If you don't have crème fraîche, sour cream will substitute just fine.
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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

How to improve on mashed potatoes? Add roasted garlic. These garlic mashed potatoes have much more flavor than the traditional kind. Leave the skin on the potatoes for color and flavor, use sour cream in place of some of the milk for a tangier taste, or make it even more decadent by replacing the milk with cream or half-and-half.

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Air Fryer Baked Potato

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Air fryer baked potatoes serve up the perfect balance of fluffy insides and crispy skin. Use russet potatoes for the best results, and rub them with olive oil and salt before you cook them to enhance the flavor and crunch. They cook in about 40 minutes and save you from turning on the oven.
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Roasted Purple Potatoes With Cilantro and Garlic

The Spruce

These gorgeous purple potatoes will make a stir at any get-together, and they really couldn't be easier. Tossing them with some garlic, herbs, and cilantro for kick and beautiful color contrast. If you can't find purple potatoes, red-skinned or russets work too, but they won't look as fun.
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Loaded Potato Salad

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Switch up your usual potato salad with this fun twist. It uses baked potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives for a backyard take on loaded jacket taters. Serve it chilled and garnish it with a little extra shredded cheese and green onions for a pretty presentation.
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Air Fryer Latkes

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Although latkes are a Hanukkah tradition, potato pancakes are also a wonderful accompaniment to a variety of dishes at any time of the year. Cooking the latkes in the air fryer eliminates the need for standing over the stove, making for a less messy, hands-free process. Prepare the latke batter as usual, form into pancakes, and place in batches in an oiled air-fryer basket. Cook until golden brown and crispy.

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Creamed New Potatoes With Green Beans

Diana Rattray

Creamed new potatoes and green beans combines two essential veggie and starch sides for an easy meal. Fresh green beans taste great, but you can use frozen when they aren't in season. If new potatoes aren't available, dice up some russets or Yukon potatoes instead.
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Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

For a quick and easy potato side dish, whip out the air fryer. In about half an hour you have crispy, herby, tasty roasted potatoes without ever having to turn on the oven. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan for extra flavor.
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Greek Lemon Potatoes

The Spruce

If you've ever been to a Greek restaurant and ordered the lemon potatoes, you already know how delicious that combo tastes. Use fresh-squeezed lemon juice for the best results and add a little water to the roasting pan so the potatoes get that signature crispy outside with a tender inside.
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Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo

Mashed potatoes are often a family favorite but can be a bit ho-hum at times. This recipe including horseradish and yogurt takes the typical side dish up a notch, adding earthy heat and a little tang. Once the potatoes are cooked, they are mashed along with butter, grated horseradish, Greek yogurt, and milk and then mixed until creamy.

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Golden Potato Salad

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Boost both the nutrition and the color in your potato salad by using Yukon Gold spuds, which have more vitamin C than russets and also come in a lovely golden color. They also hold their shape better than other varieties. When choosing mustard for this recipe, spring for the good stuff—the high-quality grainy mustard—it has the best flavor and texture.
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Serbian Potato Salad

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

A vinegar and oil dressing gives this Serbian potato salad a tangy flavor that will make a delicious contrast at a picnic or backyard barbecue. It tastes best if you allow the flavors to meld in the refrigerator for at least eight hours, so this also works wonderfully as a make-ahead side dish.
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Baked German Potato Salad

The Spruce / Christine Ma

By baking the onions and potatoes before tossing with the sauce, this baked German potato salad gets nice and caramelized. Fingerling potatoes look pretty and come in the right size to get properly browned, but you can cut up Yukons, reds, or russets into even-sized pieces, too.
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Northumberland Pan Haggerty

The Spruce

Pan Haggerty is a tasty and filling Northumberland recipe that comes together similarly to a gratin but without any cream. It works well alongside sausages or other hearty meats. This recipe uses just potatoes, cheese, and onions, but some people like to add cabbage to sneak in a few extra veggies.

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Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin With Ham

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Potatoes au gratin means the dish uses milk and cheese to bind potatoes into a casserole and this easy recipe adds ham for extra heartiness. It works well as a filling side or even as a breakfast or lunch dish in itself. This is a great way to use up extra chopped ham, too.
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Unbelievably Easy, Fluffy, and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

The key to the perfect fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes is a ricer. The kitchen gadget not only keeps your potatoes from turning gluey, it also eliminates the step of peeling each potato.
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Potatoes Aligot

The Spruce / Diana Mocanu

A traditional French aligot is more than mashed potatoes or cheesy potatoes. It's a velvety, creamy amalgamation of those, and once you try it, you'll never go back to plain old mashed potatoes. Cantal is the traditional cheese, but cheddar works too if you can't find it.
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Easy Oven Fries

The Spruce

Never buy a bag of frozen french fries again after you master this easy oven recipe. They have less fat than the fried version, and you can sprinkle them with kosher salt or your favorite spices. Try them with Old Bay or barbecue seasoning for a different take.

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Truffled Fries

The Spruce

Make this decadent restaurant classic at home with just a few ingredients. Truffle oil can be pricey—luckily, a little bit goes a long way. Waxy potatoes like Yukons work best because they get crispy when fried, but you can experiment with different varieties.
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Homemade Hash Browns

The Spruce

Bring the taste of your favorite diner breakfast home with these homemade hash browns. These simple shredded potatoes taste great under a fried egg with a side of bacon or sausage for breakfast or brunch, or try them alongside steak or chicken for lunch or dinner. They can even go in a casserole for a one-pot meal.
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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce

Using the Instant Pot to make these simple mashed potatoes cuts prep time in half. They take just about 20 minutes, so you can whip them up even for a weekday dinner. If you don't have an Instant Pot, use any pressure cooker and follow manufacturer's instructions for releasing the steam.
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Creamy, Cheesy Hash Browns

Maria Lapina / Getty Images

There are two camps of people in this world: Those who like their hash browns crispy and those who prefer a creamy version. For the second group, this recipe uses several kinds of cream, plus cheese for a versatile side dish that comes out rich and hearty—it's the perfect comfort food.

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Perfect Home Fries

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Some diners serve shredded hash browns as a breakfast side and others go with cubed potato home fries. This recipe lets you whip up the latter right at home. Small waxy potatoes get the crispiest and chopped onions adds a zesty flavor that works well alongside sausages or steaks for dinner with eggs and meats for breakfast or brunch or to toss into a casserole.
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Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

The Spruce

This old-school potato salad, sometimes called German potato salad, doesn't use any mayonnaise. The dressing is comprised of vinegar, oil, sugar, and seasonings for a sweet-tart taste that complements just about any protein. Because it has no dairy, it works great for a portable side, but it's great for dinner at home too.
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Greek Potato Skins

The Spruce / Jennifer Meier

For a different twist on traditional potato skins, try this Greek version. It uses olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and prosciutto for a presentation that will remind you of your favorite Greek dishes. They make a great appetizer or a side dish for souvlaki, gyros, or really any main dish.
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Moroccan Fried Potatoes

The Spruce / Christine Benlafquih

These Moroccan deep-fried potatoes make a nice change from your usual french fries or other potato sides. With spices like paprika, thyme, white pepper, and garlic, they have a delicious spice to them that sets them apart. Try them alongside a tagine or any grilled meats.

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Perfect Baked Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

When you just want a classic steakhouse-style side, go for the baked potato. This recipe will ensure your spuds come out perfect every time, so you can take it from there. Top them with melted butter and some chopped chives as a side for chicken, pork, or steak, or set up a baked potato bar with a whole range of garnishes for a fun DIY evening.
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Roasted Baked Potato Slices

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

For a cross between roasted and baked potatoes, give these sliced spuds a try. Just slice up a baking potato, toss it in olive oil, and roast it for a tender potato with slightly crispy edges. Then, add your favorite spices to mix things up. These potatoes work wonderfully for just about any meal.
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Muffin Tin Potato Stacks

Vera Lair / Stocksy United

Grab your muffin tin for these pretty, simple potato stacks. Sliced potatoes, cheese, cream, and some warming spices all come together for a hearty, satisfying side dish. While this recipe calls for cheddar cheese, any variety you like will work.
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Microwave Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce

When you need a quick and easy side dish, these microwave mashed potatoes will hit the spot. Just pop the spuds in the microwave, then mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Leave the skin on for extra texture or peel for creamier taters.

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Onion Cheese Mashed Potato Puffs

The Spruce / Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

For a lighter side than traditional mashed potatoes, try these light and cheesy mashed potato puffs. With cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, plus onion powder, they have an assertive flavor without the heaviness of many potato sides.

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