17 Vegetable Sides for Roast Beef
If you’re looking for some new vegetable sides to serve with your roast beef, look no further.
Here are 17 easy vegetable side dishes that are sure to please.
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- 10 Best Roast Beef Seasoning Recipes
Whether you’re serving roast beef at a holiday dinner or just want to make something special for yourself, these vegetable sides will be sure to hit the spot!
17 Vegetable Sides for Roast Beef
It’s time to get your veggies on!
Because whether you’re having a roast beef dinner for two or 20, you’ll want to serve up some delicious sides to accompany your meal.
From broccoli salad to candied yams, these 17 vegetable sides are the perfect compliment to your roast beef.
1. Broccoli Salad
I love broccoli salad.
It’s so easy to make, and it’s a great side dish for any kind of roast beef or chicken.
I usually just serve it as a side dish, but you can also add some chicken to turn it into a more complete meal.
Here are some ideas for what else you could do with this recipe:
- Add some tomato slices to make it more like a pasta salad.
- Make it into a slaw by adding some shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. You’ll want to cut the broccoli into smaller pieces and toss them in with all the other ingredients. You can also add in some dried cranberries or almonds if you want!
- Toss everything together in a large bowl with some mayonnaise instead of dressing, then put it in the fridge for an hour or two before serving so that the flavors have time to meld together.
2. Tangy Carrot Slaw
I’m a huge fan of carrot slaw.
It’s a great side dish that goes well with roast beef, and it’s easy to make!
I like to turn this into a complete meal by adding some quinoa or brown rice and some avocado on top.
The crunch from the avocado and the creaminess from the quinoa are great complements to this tangy slaw.
If you don’t want to add those extra carbs, you could also just serve this slaw as a side dish with some grilled chicken or an egg.
3. Green Bean Casserole (with Cream of Mushroom Soup)
In my house, green bean casserole is a staple.
My kids love it, and I love that it’s easy to make.
But you know what’s even better than green bean casserole?
Green bean casserole with roast beef!
We usually pair this with mashed potatoes and some kind of vegetable, like broccoli or carrots.
If we’re feeling really fancy, we’ll add a salad on the side.
4. Creamed Spinach
I always try to come up with a vegetable side dish that’s hearty and filling.
This can be hard, because most vegetables are light and fresh—but if you’re looking for something that will give you the feeling of eating dinner without being too heavy, try creamed spinach.
It’s easy to make creamed spinach: just steam some fresh spinach until it wilts down; then add some cream or milk and stir until it thickens into a creamy sauce.
You can also make this dish even richer by using whole milk instead of cream or half-and-half.
Creamed spinach is delicious on its own as a side dish, but it’s also great with roast beef because… well, who doesn’t love creamed spinach? Seriously.
If you’re not convinced yet, try adding some bacon bits or crumbled saltine crackers to your creamed spinach—it’ll add flavor and texture in one fell swoop!
5. Cauliflower Au Gratin
Cauliflower au gratin is an easy side dish to make when you’re cooking roast beef.
It’s great because it’s a vegetable, but it also has all the cheese and creaminess you’ve come to expect from a good au gratin.
You can turn this into a complete meal by adding chicken or ham to it.
Just sauté some chicken breast or ham slices in olive oil until they’re cooked all the way through, then add them to the cauliflower mixture on top of the cheese before baking.
6. Buttery Baked Corn on The Cob
I love this recipe for buttery-baked corn on the cob.
It’s so easy to make and it tastes amazing! I usually serve it with roast beef, but it also goes great with chicken or pork.
Here are some ideas for how you can turn it into a complete meal:
- Add bacon to the cob before baking—it will cook at the same time as the corn, so you don’t have to do anything but put it in the oven.
- Add cheese (or any other kind of topping) after baking—just sprinkle a little bit over each ear of corn and stick it back in the oven for 5 minutes or so until melted.
7. Candied Yams
I also recommend candied yams.
I usually make them by roasting the yams in the oven (with some butter, salt and pepper) until they’re soft.
Then I add brown sugar and a little bit of cinnamon to the top and bake them for another 20 minutes or so until they’re really caramelized.
You could also add chopped pecans if you want!
If you want to get fancy, you could even make these into individual servings by scooping out the middle of each yam, filling it with some of your favorite leftovers (like leftover meatloaf or pasta), and then baking it again until warmed through.
8. Oven-Roasted Asparagus
I usually turn this into a complete meal by adding a little bit of garlic and some lemon juice to the asparagus when I roast it.
Then I’ll serve it alongside the roast beef, and it makes the perfect complement.
If you want to take it even further, though, why not try making a compound butter?
You can do this by mixing together softened butter with chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Spread that on top of your roast beef and you’ll have yourself a delectable flavor explosion!
9. Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic
I often like to pair roast beef with roasted broccoli with smashed garlic, because the flavor of garlic goes great with the flavor of roast beef, and the broccoli is just plump enough to fill up your stomach without adding too many calories or carbs.
But here are some extra tips for making this pairing even better:
- Make sure that your broccoli florets aren’t too big—they should be bite-size or smaller so that they’re easy to pick up with chopsticks or a fork. That way, you don’t have to use as much energy chewing, which helps keep you full longer!
- If you don’t want to smash your garlic cloves yourself (and who does?), buy pre-smashed garlic at the grocery store—you’ll save yourself some time and effort!
10. Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage
Vegetable side dishes are great for adding variety to your meals, but they can be tricky to make.
Butternut squash is no exception—it’s delicious, but takes some time to cook. If you’re looking for a new way to prepare butternut squash, try roasting it with sage!
If you’re not a fan of sage, don’t worry: you can also use thyme or rosemary as a substitute.
Just be sure to remove the leaves from the stem before cooking so that you don’t accidentally bite into one.
Your roasted butternut squash will be ready in about an hour and fifteen minutes, depending on how large the pieces are.
11. Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Don’t get me wrong… I love roast beef, but sometimes it can be a little dry and bland.
To combat this, I like to pair roast beef with crispy baked sweet potato fries.
The sweet potatoes add a really nice taste and texture to the dish, while still complementing the meat.
These two foods can be cooked at the same time in the oven if you have enough room—just line them up on separate baking sheets and make sure they’re not touching each other.
If your oven isn’t big enough for all of them, just cook them separately until they’re done and then put them on top of each other when they’re done!
That way they’ll stay warm while you finish up your meal.
One tip that I’ve found really helps is using parchment paper instead of foil when baking sweet potatoes; it keeps them from sticking to your foil or pan, which makes cleanup much easier!
12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted brussels sprouts are one of my favorite veggie sides because they’re so easy to make and they add such a great crunchy texture to the meal.
I usually just toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting them in the oven.
But if you want something a little different, try adding some garlic powder or cayenne pepper for some extra flavor!
13. Braised Red Cabbage
This is one of those side dishes that’s good for just about any occasion—it’s hearty and filling, but also sweet and flavorful.
It goes perfectly with roast beef because it gives you the option to pair your meal with something savory or something sweet.
And if you’re looking for an easy way to change up your game, this recipe is perfect for you.
14. Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Roast beef and cauliflower steak are a match made in heaven.
The rich, savory flavor of roast beef is perfectly complemented by the roasted cauliflower steaks’ nutty, toasty undertones.
And the tenderness of roast beef and the firmness of cauliflower steak make for a great contrast on your plate.
- To make cauliflower steaks, first slice off both ends of the cauliflower.
- Then cut out the core with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
- Cut the remaining head into thick slices (about 1/2 inch thick) so that they resemble steaks.
- Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking time so both sides get golden brown and crispy!
15. Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Bacon-wrapped asparagus is one of my favorite side dishes.
It’s such a fun, unexpected flavor combination that really makes the meal feel special.
The best part is that it’s really easy to make!
Here’s how I usually pair these foods together:
- I’ll roast a small piece of beef, then slice it up into thin strips and divide them evenly among four plates.
- I’ll then arrange some bacon-wrapped asparagus on each plate, and place a dollop of sour cream on top.
Tip: if you’re not sure how much bacon to use for each spear of asparagus, just wrap an extra piece around the end of each one before baking!
16. Cabbage Salad
I used to just make some mashed potatoes, but one day I took a chance and tried cabbage salad—and it was the most delicious thing ever!
Here’s how I usually pair these foods together:
- Roast beef is best with something crunchy, so I’ll cook up some cabbage and then toss it in some oil and salt.
- I’ll roast the cabbage for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until it’s nice and soft.
- Then I’ll add some vinegar and sugar to enhance the flavor of the cabbage even more.
- When my roast has been cooked for about an hour or so, I’ll take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing into thin slices across the grain (this helps keep tenderness).
- Then all that’s left is assembling everything onto plates for serving!
17. Roasted Mixed Vegetables
Roasted mixed vegetables is one of my go-to recipes when I want something healthy, filling, and flavorful.
The combination of different colors and textures really makes this dish stand out on the plate.
I usually pair this dish with roast beef because both are hearty and full of flavor—the vegetables add an earthy note that complements the meat’s richness, while the meat adds a savory element to balance out all those veggies.
17 Vegetable Sides for Roast Beef
Ingredients
- Broccoli Salad
- Tangy Carrot Slaw
- Green Bean Casserole (with Cream of Mushroom Soup)
- Creamed Spinach
- Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Buttery Baked Corn on The Cob
- Candied Yams
- Oven-Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Braised Red Cabbage
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
- Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
- Cabbage Salad
- Roasted Mixed Vegetables
Instructions
- Pick any of the recipes from this list to serve alongside your delicious meal.
- Prepare the ingredients according to the recipe.
- Be ready to munch in no time!
Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.