First of all, the color combination looks fabulous. The dark red hue of the ribs plus the warm yellow tones of mac and cheese makes for such a picture-perfect plate. Second, and more importantly, the smokiness of the barbecue complements oh so well with the richness of the mac and cheese.
Sides For Mac And Cheese
Transform your mac and cheese into a full meal with sweet and savory meatloaf. These two dishes are excellent all by themselves. But when paired together, they create a magical symphony of taste and texture.
When it comes to veggie dishes, fresh is best; but, you can also use frozen broccoli if needed. In fact, you can pop it in the oven alongside the mac and cheese and they will finish cooking at the same time.
Next, pop them in the oven to make a crisp on the outside and tender on the inside snack. The smoky and savory flavors of this dish complement the richness of mac and cheese, making you wonder why they ever lived apart.
If you are like me, a meal is never complete without dessert. Sure, mac and cheese is already hearty, especially when paired with another side dish. But, as they say, you should always make room for dessert.
Macaroni and cheese, more commonly known as mac and cheese in the US, is a dish that consists of cooked macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce. It can be oven baked or cooked on the stovetop. When making mac and cheese, people use different kinds of cheese for their mac and cheese recipes, including brie, gouda, Gruyère, and cream cheese. However, the most common and most popular cheese that people use is sharp cheddar cheese.
First up in our what to serve with mac and cheese: something that goes with anything. Meet our "Goes with Anything" salad! Crisp veggies the perfect pair against the rich cheese. This salad features a rainbow of veggies: radishes, carrots, red and green onion, and tangy jarred pepperoncini. The salad dressing is customizable: here we'd recommend Healthy Ranch, Best Balsamic Vinaigrette, Easy Honey Mustard, or Homemade Caesar.
Another great side to serve with mac and cheese: green veggies! This broccoli is seriously quick to whip up: it takes only 10 minutes total and it comes out bright green and crisp tender. Mix with olive oil, red onion and feta cheese (or skip the cheese if you don't want a cheese overload). Or try our Sauteed Broccoli or Roasted Broccoli methods!
More green veggies to serve with mac and cheese: these lemony green beans! The bright, zesty lemon is a fantastic contrast to rich cheese. These bright green beans also take about 10 minutes to make and are a beautiful pair to pasta of any kind.
What to serve with mac and cheese to add back some nutrients and fiber? This sauteed spinach, which actually does taste amazing! Scented with garlic, it's wilted until bright green in a bit of olive oil. Then it's finished off with lemon juice to give it a brightness. The flavor is fresh and vibrant, not lifeless and mushy as you might expect! It tastes so good, you'll find yourself sneaking seconds.
Can you serve coleslaw with mac and cheese? You bet. This refreshing, crunchy colelsaw is covered in a tangy creamy dressing that has a healthy spin. This recipe is totally balanced in sweet and savory flavors, and there's less mayo than most coleslaw recipes. Even better: it's sweetened with a touch of maple syrup instead of a load of refined sugar.
Back to the green vegetables: this kale salad really is the best! Dark green Tuscan kale is covered in a tangy, Italian-style lemon and garlic dressing that is out of this world good! It's flavored with a little Parmesan cheese for savory element. The zesty flavor is a fantastic contrast with gooey pasta.
And last up in what to serve with mac and cheese: radish chopped salad! This springy salad features radishes, crisp romaine and shredded green cabbage. It's jumbled with gorgonzola crumbles and a creamy Blue Cheese Dressing. Not a blue cheese fan? No problem. Omit the crumbles and top with Creamy Pesto Healthy Salad Dressing.
That must be the reason behind the plethora of macaroni and cheese recipes, from Velveeta Mac and Cheese (our absolute fave!), to Instant Pot, baked, stove-top, and gourmet recipes greet us at every recipe corner.
Mac and cheese is typically thought of as a southern dish, which is why it is usually paired with main dishes, such as BBQ ribs, served with pulled pork, or brisket. However, it is not limited to the south, served at cookouts, holiday gatherings and weeknight dinners nationwide!
Since baked Velveeta mac and cheese is a weeknight dinner staple at our house, I more often serve it as main dish and eat something lighter to go along side it, such as salads, vegetables, or bread for a simple meal.
Mac and cheese can be baked as is, or topped with one of these suggested toppings. Tip: My mom would always do half one topping, half another so the family and guests could choose their favorite.
Pineapple Pretzel Salad makes a delightful cool and creamy dish perfect for holiday gatherings, potlucks, and BBQs. This easy, sweet and salty recipe has a layer or buttery crushed pretzels, sweet cream cheese filling, and refreshing crushed pineapple topping.
Make-ahead, marinated Green Bean Salad is an easy, healthy recipe perfect for summer! Simply toss green beans, tomatoes, and red onions with a balsamic vinaigrette and serve cold with blue or feta cheese.
Uses only four ingredients to make the most amazing sticky, sweet, and savory chicken recipe. Oven baked chicken breasts are stuffed with oozing melted cheddar cheese, wrapped in crispy bacon, smothered in BBQ sauce.
Little known fact: apples and cheese go hand in hand! Now imagine Mac and Cheese and all that cheesy goodness with sweet apple salad!! And add further intrigue to your taste buds with walnuts and raisins added!!!
This oven fried chicken is crispy, tender, and flavorful. To make life even easier and to save time, use Bisquick to make oven-fried chicken. It pairs perfectly with mac and cheese for a weeknight meal your family will love.
Elbow pastaUnsalted butterAll-purpose flourWhole milkHalf and halfFreshly shredded sharp cheddar cheeseFreshly shredded Gruyere cheeseSaltGround black pepperPaprika
Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until fully coated. Pour half of the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the remaining cheese. Then top that with the remaining pasta and top with the remaining cheese.
This meal is a great way to get some greens in while still enjoying all of those amazing flavors. A simple salad with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light dressing will be the perfect accompaniment to your mac and cheese with bread crumbs.
The best side dishes to serve with mac and cheese are BBQ baby back ribs, meatloaf, lemon butter broccoli, and Autumn crunch salad. You can also serve hot dogs, Italian roasted veggies, or garlic swirl rolls. For holiday dishes, try bourbon glazed ham or butter poached lobster.
Lemon butter broccoli is my go-to vegetable side for mac and cheese. If you want something vibrant, try corn succotash or blistered tomatoes. Parmesan zucchini or Italian roasted vegetables are good options too.
Southern mac and cheese is made from scratch. First, prepared with a combination of soul food seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, flour, milk, and a mix of cheeses to cut the richness of just cheese.
There are so many different ways to make macaroni and cheese. You can use all cheddar cheese or add feta cheese for extra flavor. You can even use parmesan, but if you do, I recommend mixing it with cheddar to balance the strong flavor.
If you want to mix something into the mac and cheese to cut back on the carbs and increase the nutrition, consider using butternut squash or cauliflower. For the cheese sauce, you can use cream, regular milk, skim milk, or almond milk.
Mac and cheese pairs with all-American barbecue so well that classic comfort food restaurants treat it as a side dish, right along with baked beans and coleslaw. This unique version stars three different cheeses for a creamy, tangy flavor and a sprinkling 0f fresh herbs for brightness. It is finished under the broiler for a slight char on top.
In a bowl, combine the olive oil and the remaining 2 Tbs. melted butter. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic paste and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the pecorino cheese. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom and sides of the prepared gratin dish with some of the bread crumb mixture.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil, being careful not to let it boil over. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining pecorino and the American and cheddar cheeses. Whisk gently until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
Who says side dishes at quick restaurants have to be fries? At McAlister's Deli, you can choose from ten different items to add more variety to your plate. Choose the fresh taste of fresh fruit, steamed broccoli or a side salad. Or the smooth taste of mac & cheese, potato salad or applesauce. Choose your sandwich's sidekick. You can even have chips.**Side offerings vary by restaurant
You can never go wrong with macaroni and cheese! We're about to blow. your. mind. with how easy and delicious this recipe is. It's the favorite side dish for every occasion, both at home and at your next potluck!
Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes that literally goes with everything. Perfect for the holidays, parties, weekly dinners and more, you really can't go wrong with it! The boxed versions are good to have in a pinch, but homemade macaroni and cheese is definitely the way to go.
You can never go wrong with plain macaroni and cheese! Pretty much any kid (or kid-at-heart) can verify that it's a staple you could have every day and never get tired of. But we wouldn't be ShelfCooking.com if we didn't give you some extra ideas to spice your mac and cheese up and stretch that food even further! Here are some of our favorite add-ins that go really well in macaroni and cheese: 2ff7e9595c
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