More staying at home and less eating out due to this lockdown are extra hard on us foodies who crave spices and different flavours every day. While you may have picked up cooking during this quarantine, one doesn’t feel like trying elaborate dishes every day. But what if you could add side dishes to your everyday meals and make them unique? These recipes are easy to try and won’t take a lot of time, and you can add them to spice things up as the ingredients are pretty basic, and you probably already have them in your kitchen.
10 Easy Side Dishes You Can Add To Your Everyday Meals
1. MASHED POTATOES
Mashed potatoes are simple, quick, and go great with meat and vegetables as well. If you’re have something spicy or loaded with flavors, mashed potatoes are the best thing to serve to balance out the flavors. For this recipe, you’ll need potatoes, cream, butter, and salt. First, chop your potatoes into small blocks and boil them until they are soft. Once the potatoes are soft, you can mash them, and you can use a strainer to make them even smoother. Once your potatoes are mashed, heat a pan and add the potatoes along with some cream.
The amount of cream you add depends on the consistency of the mashed potatoes you want. Cook the entire thing until it’s smooth, then take it out and add some melted butter if you wish. You can also add coriander or other spices of your choice on top of it to make it even better.
2. INSTANT GARLIC BREAD
Garlic bread is something everyone loves, but who has the energy to bake one when you can make yours in less than 10 minutes. You will need white bread, garlic, oregano, and butter for this. So first, melt your butter and add some chopped garlic to it along with the oregano. Once that is ready, grab a brush and apply this mixture on your bread and toss it in a heated pan until it is adequately toasted and your instant garlic bread is ready, which you can serve with pasta, soup, or any dish you like
3. MOZZARELLA STICKS
Mozzarella sticks are the perfect easy, cheesy, and delicious snack you should try right now. Start by cutting your mozzarella sticks into long thin bars, then crack open two eggs in a bowl and mix a little oil in them. On the side, take bread crumbs and add your favorite seasoning to it, like garlic, oregano, or chili flakes. Take the mozzarella sticks and dip them in eggs, then in bread crumbs and repeat the process until they are nice and thick and ready to be fried. Fry them until they are nice and golden, and enjoy this delicious snack with your favorite sauce.
4. CHEESE CORN
While we are well into the monsoon season, markets are flooded with corn; this is the best time to include these in your diet because of how rich they are in fiber and taste. You will need corn, grated cheese, butter, oregano, and chili flakes for this recipe. First, cut your corn cobs in three parts, apply some melted butter, roll it in some grated cheese, and then add some oregano and chili flakes on top. Pop that corn in the oven or microwave will do the work as well. Once it’s done, you’ll be amazed by how amazing this quick and easy recipe tastes.
5. PULL APART BUNS
All you need is buns that can be homemade or store-bought, butter, garlic, and cheese for this recipe. Start by slicing the buns from the top in a criss-cross manner, and make sure to cut deep enough to make pieces. Once that’s done, stuff shredded cheese in the gaps between the squares. For the next step, melt your butter and add chopped up garlic and some oregano to it, and with a brush, cover your buns with butter and bake until all the cheese has melted for a delicious and easy appetizer.
6. BAKED POTATO
Potatoes are everyone’s favorite, considering how tasty they are in literally any form, and we insist you try baked potatoes for this side dish. You’ll need a big potato, cream, cheese, oregano, and chili flakes for this recipe. Take the whole potato and without peeling it, stab it with a fork randomly here and there multiple times, then cover it with olive oil or vegetable oil and put it in the oven or microwave until it’s soft.
Once it’s done, take it out and cut vertically in the center, and with a fork, gently mash it from the inside, making sure the potato doesn’t break completely into two halves. Then add your cheese and spices and microwave it once again. Top it with some cream and coriander, and to make it even better, you can add boiled chicken as well.
7. CHILLI CHEESE TOAST
This recipe is straightforward and absolutely perfect for a side dish. All you need to do is grate some cheese such as mozzarella. Add chili flakes, oregano, and some garlic to the grated cheese and mix well. Add that on top of your bread and put it in the oven till the cheese is melted. Once it’s done, you can enjoy it with some soup or your favorite sauce as well.
8. CHICKEN SOUP IN A MUG
Who doesn’t like a good bowl of soup with their meal? And now you can make it in a microwave as well. You will need potatoes, finely chopped chicken, chicken stalk, milk, corn starch, and cheese for this recipe. First, chop up your potatoes in fine cubes, put it in a mug, add some cold water, and put it in the microwave. Once the potatoes are cooked properly and are soft, drain the water and add your chicken stalk, cheese, chopped chicken, salt, and a pinch of corn starch, and pop it in the microwave. You’ll be amazed by how thick and delicious this simple recipe will turn out to be.
9. CRISPY CORN
This delicious, crunchy, and spicy snack is something that you must try at least once. It would be best if you began by boiling some corn, and while the corn is still wet, add cornflour to it in parts, so it’s all nicely covered. Fry the mixture, and once it’s done, add your salt, red chili, and chat masala to it for taste, and this delicious side dish is ready to be enjoyed.
10. CHEESY DIP
This is definitely the best cheese dip you will ever try, and you can have it with bread, fries, or anything you want, considering how amazing it is. For this, add some butter to a pan and heat it. Then add some shredded mozzarella cheese and stir it until it is nice and melted. Add some milk to make the mixture a little thin and then add some mashed potatoes to it and mix well.
You can add as much mashed potatoes as you want but make sure that they are boiled, and the quantity of potatoes is less than the cheese, preferably less than half. Then add some oregano to it and enjoy it with some bread or even naan.
Read also – 22 Most Popular Foods to Eat in Scotland