10 Side Dishes You Can Make When You’re in a Rush

You’ve got the main. But what is the side dish going to be when you don’t really have much more time?

I once asked my uncle if he would like pasta, rice, or potatoes as a side. “It doesn’t matter the order,” he responded.

With back to school, come back to routine (yay!) and for many, after a summer of easier meals, that means it’s time for complete dinners again. You may have thought of what those dinners will be…but what about the sides?

Here are some of the side dishes that I prepare when I’m in a rush.

Out of the Box

While I don’t buy many ready-made boxed items, these are my favorites that the kids really love.

Goodmans Rice and Vermicelli

My kids are in love, love with this. There isn’t a single child that doesn’t like it. It makes the perfect side dish. To make it a little more wholesome, I use oil in place of the margarine (the instructions on the box call for butter) and I only use ½- ¾ of the seasoning packet. There’s still plenty of flavor with less sodium. (Amazon pricing seems off for this product, you should be able to find it in a local supermarket for half that price)

Near East

There’s lots of varieties and they’re perfect if you want rice or couscous with flavor and no work.

Ramen Noodles

Toss the seasoning packet (yuk) and make noodles for dinner in minutes. This is perfect on Sunday with leftover chicken soup and when you want a fresh side dish to add to your leftovers.  (Photo for illustrative purpose, so we are clear on the item, but any brand is fine).

Frozen Products

Frozen French fries as featured here.

Frozen Cauliflower

Spread frozen cauliflower on a sheet pan. Dice up 1-2 tomatoes and spread over cauliflower. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425⁰F until golden. You can also sprinkle on cumin and turmeric.

Edamame

The perfect, healthful side. All they need is a few minutes in the microwave and some sea salt. And kids love to pop the beans out of the pod.

Bake ‘Em

Farfel and Rice can both be baked in the oven. While either dish isn’t ready quickly, they’re pretty hands off and bonus: if you bake them in a disposable pan there is nothing to wash.

Rice

For every 1 cup rice, pour over 2 ½ cups of water. Add some seasoning (salt, pepper and whatever else you like) and 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Cover very very well, bake at 350⁰F for an hour for 1 cup rice, longer for more rice. For an additional flavor boost, you can also “toast”  the rice and oil in the oven for a few minutes before adding the water and baking it.

Farfel

you can find a recipe for it here.

You can also check out Esti Waldman’s easy 2 ingredient side dishes here.

In the Microwave

I’m not a huge microwave fan but in a pinch, it can really help you out.

Baked Potatoes

Running late? Place washed and scrubbed potatoes in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Then wrap in foil and place in oven until you are ready to serve. The precooking in the microwave cuts the baking time by 75 percent, and you’ll still get the crisp skin.

Rice

Yes, you can make rice in the microwave! Rinse your rice and place it in a microwave-safe container with a lid. Cover rice with 1-inch water. Cover loosely and microwave for 9-10 minutes. Let rice sit for 3 minutes before removing from microwave. (Instructions from Starters and Sides Made Easy)