What to Serve with Popovers: 13 Tasty Sides

Popovers are versatile, tasty little treats that can make a great side dish or a main meal.

But what do you serve with popovers?

You may be tempted to pair them with a basic egg dish—maybe an omelet or scrambled eggs.

But if you want to get the most out of your popovers, you’ll want to choose a side dish that goes well with the buttery, puffy texture and light taste of the popover itself.

Here are some great options!

What to Serve with Popovers?

Popovers are wonderful all on their own but they also go well with almost any type of meal. They’re especially good with soups, stews, and roasts. However, if you’re serving them as a snack, you may want to go with something more sweet.

Still looking for more?

Then keep reading!

1. A Warm Vegetable Medley

A warm vegetable medley, like roasted carrots and squash with a drizzle of olive oil.

This will complement the popover’s airy quality and add some contrast in terms of color, taste, and texture.

2. Grilled Chicken Breast

This is something different for those who are tired of serving boring salads as sides for their meals (or just don’t have time to make anything more complicated).

If you’re looking to add some spice into your life but still want something easy-to-make then this would work well too!

Placing these two together makes an amazing combination.

3. A Side of Chutney

A side of chutney is perfect to finish with if your popovers have a hint of spice!

You can even get fancy with it and make your own chutney from scratch.

And if you’re not up for that, it might be fun to try a different type of chutney than you’d normally buy, just to see how it tastes next to your popover recipe.

4. A Leafy Green Salad Dressed in Your Favorite Vinaigrette

Don’t be afraid to get creative with this one!

Pick your favorite leafy greens (baby spinach, kale, arugula, the list goes on and on) and throw in some toppings, too.

Here’s a quick list of tasty ideas:

• strawberries
• feta cheese
• avocado chunks
• chopped pecans or walnuts
• dried cranberries
• leftovers from last night’s dinner

The only limit here is your imagination!

Once you’ve added all the toppings you want, drizzle your salad with a sweet vinaigrette.

The sweet, vinegary dressing will complement the savory flavors of your popovers nicely.

If you’re feeling especially fancy, you can even top off the salad with a sprinkling of chives.

5. Ribs

Want to make some tasty ribs to go with your popovers? Follow the instructions below!

1. First, you’ll want to get a rack of ribs. They can be beef or pork—whatever kind you like best.
2. Pick out a few racks and put them in your shopping cart. While you’re at it, pick up some barbecue sauce and some baby carrots.
3. Next, take your ribs home and cut them in half with a sharp knife.
4. You can skip this step if you want, but it will make them easier to cook, and they’ll look better on the plate when they’re done.
5. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit while you prepare the meat by removing any excess fat or membrane from each piece of meat.
6. Then place the ribs on a cookie sheet or a roasting pan and bake them for two hours.
7. Then take them out and brush on some barbecue sauce before putting them back in the oven for another hour (or until they’re as tender as you like).
8. After they’re done, serve them hot with the baby carrots on the side.

Add some popovers if you want!

Just don’t forget the napkins—eating ribs can get messy!

6. Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Preparing baked macaroni and cheese to accompany your popovers is really pretty easy.

1. First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. When the pasta is done, drain it and set it aside.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
5. Stir in the flour until thickened then add milk, stirring constantly until thickened.
6. Add 3/4 of the cheese and stir until melted. Pause briefly to check that you’re on pace with your popovers!
7. Add salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked pasta.
8. Pour mixture into casserole dish(es) and top with remaining cheese.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top!

7. Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are so easy to make!

1. Just start off by boiling a couple of pounds of potatoes in salted water.
2. Once they’re tender, drain them and let them cool slightly, then mash them with butter and milk.
3. You can mix in some of your own favorite herbs and spices for taste.
4. For a little extra texture, use a fork instead of a potato masher—but remember that you don’t want the potatoes to get too smooth.
5. As you mash, taste a little bit until you get the consistency and flavor you like.

For an even creamier mash, add more butter or milk!

8. Steamed Asparagus

To make this side dish, you’ll need a pound of asparagus spears and some salt and pepper.

1. Get out a large saucepan and fill it about halfway up with water.
2. Turn the heat on high and bring the water to a boil.
3. Once the water’s boiling, throw in the asparagus and let it cook for about five minutes or until it’s bright green.
4. Drain the water from the pan and let it sit for about a minute so that all of the excess moisture can evaporate—you still want it to be slightly wet, though!
5. Finally, season with salt and pepper according to your own personal taste and serve immediately.

9. Meringue Pie

Meringue pie is a light and fluffy side dish that goes great with tons of dishes.

1. To make it, start by separating your egg whites from the yolks.
2. Get a metal mixing bowl, and whisk together the egg whites and a pinch of salt.
3. When the mixture is frothy and bubbly, slowly add in 3/4 cups of white sugar.
4. Then, add in some flavoring: if you have any vanilla extract on hand, add 1/2 teaspoon of it; if you don’t have vanilla extract, you can use lemon juice or almond extract if that’s what you’ve got.
5. Once your meringue mixture is thick enough to hold up stiff peaks (as in, if you turn your whisk upside down and take out a spoonful of meringue, the spoonful will be solid enough to stand on its own), spread it over your pie crust evenly.

10. Baked Beans

Baked beans are another great option.

They’re easy to make, and they’ll go perfectly with any savory popover.

All you need is four cups of beans (you can use canned or dry), one onion, four cloves of minced garlic, two tablespoons of butter, and a cup of ketchup.

Here’s the step-by-step:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Drain your beans (if you’re using canned) and put them in a pot with the onion, garlic, and butter.
3. Add water until the beans are covered and bring to a boil on medium heat.
4. Cook for another hour and a half.
5. Once they’ve begun to soften up, add the ketchup and let cook for another 30 minutes.

Now they’re ready!

If you want to add more flavor or texture (or both), throw in some bacon slices or brown sugar (or both!).

11. Pulled Pork with A Side of Coleslaw

You can’t go wrong with this one: pulled pork.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Start with some pork (duh). Go ahead and get a good cut—it’ll be so worth it. You can use the classic shoulder cut or, if you’re feeling adventurous, pick up a tenderloin.
2. Heat up your smoker and get the meat on there. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on the cut of meat, so keep an eye on it! Pro tip: make sure there’s a thermometer on hand so you don’t over-cook your meat.
3. Make your coleslaw while your meat is smoking away. You can use any recipe you like here—but just make sure it’s not mayo-based (it’ll go bad in the heat).
4. After about 8 hours of slow cooking at about 225 degrees, check in on your meat. Try to see if you can pull apart two pieces—if they separate easily, it’s ready to go! Let it rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

While the pork is cooking, you can make your coleslaw:

1. First, mix mayonnaise, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
2. Next add cabbage and carrots and stir until combined.
3. Finally, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

You’re all set!

12. Roasted Eggplant with Pesto Sauce

What if we told you there’s one side dish that is so amazing, you’ll never want to eat another bread again?

It’s easy to prepare and takes only a few minutes of work before throwing it in the oven.

When it’s done, it is smokey and charred on the outside, with a soft and buttery center that gives way to a wonderfully sweet flavor.

Presenting roasted eggplant with pesto sauce:

1. First, wash and dry your eggplant.
2. Then cut it into wedges (1-2 inch slices) and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you like.
3. Place the wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
4. Once they’re done, toss them with a bit of pesto sauce—you can make it homemade or pick it up in the store—and enjoy!

13. Nachos

Have you ever wanted to impress your friends with a tasty meal?

We have just the thing for you.

1. The first thing to do is to preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Take 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, and 2 diced tomatoes and place them in a bowl.
3. Mix together until blended.
4. Lay out your nacho chips on a baking sheet, pour the cheese mixture over top, and put in the oven for 30 minutes or until browned.

Top it off with some sliced jalapeños if you like a little spice!