Can you suggest some side dishes for my slow cooker meals?
One of the joys of slow cookery is that there's less washing up. Why would I spoil that by serving a complicated side dish!
Here I'm keeping a record of simple side dishes for main courses which work well if you don't want to create any extra washing up!
Here's my list of ideas. I've divided it into four groups: food you can eat straight from the fridge or store cupboard, food cooked in the toaster, food heated in the microwave with no dish needed, and food heated in the microwave on one plate or dish.
I deliberately haven't included sauces, dressings, yogurt or sour cream in this list, as the options are so many and varied, and don't really count as dishes.
- Bread - soft or crusty, french bread, rolls, ciabatta, baps or bagels
- Side salads and crudités, whole, chopped, grated, or spiralised
- Coleslaw
- Olives and other antipasti
- Crisps and similar nibbles
- Nuts
- Falafels
- Cheese
- Salsa
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Whole pickles, including pickled onions and gherkins
- Canned or packaged ready-to-eat fish, such as pilchards, cockles, cooked prawns, smoked mackerel, or smoked salmon
In the toaster
- Toast
- Bagels toasted in the toaster
Heated in the microwave
- Cheat packs of rice, quinoa, or grains
Just one plate or dish in the microwave
- Jacket potatoes
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Baked beans or other canned vegetables
- Frozen vegetables
Things to think about
When selecting dishes, you may want to consider the environmental and health implications of your choices, especially:
- avoiding processed foods
- avoiding excess sugar and salt
- avoiding single use packaging, especially that which cannot be recycled.
Any other ideas?