Sliced potatoes dotted with butter wrapped in foil cooked on the grill. I cook them on medium and turn every ten minutes takes about 30 minutes. DH turns the heat up...he likes them a little crunchy. I spray the foil with spray oil. Try carrots this way too, you can add some dill.

This is a timely post. I've been thinking that I'm tired of eating the same old things.

She's at work thinking about food again....
so we gotta keep it easy.

Similar to Msmarion, Sliced Zucchini and Squash with onions and butter, wrapped in foil and baked in the oven.

Frozen English Pea Salad with diced onion, HB egg, shredded cheese, mayo.

Sliced cucumbers, onions, tomato, in Vinaigrette.

cottage cheese/peaches

Use Canned Soups for a side dish.

I'll think of more.

Have you tried Quinoa it is higher in protein than rice.

Quinoa
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 dash fresh lemon juice (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa, and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
In a bowl, toss quinoa together with garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and onion. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.

One of my favorites is roasted root veggies. Just get an assortment of favorite root vegetables, peel and cut them into uniform chunks (1"-1.5"), toss in enough olive oil to coat, add salt & pepper and roast on a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan) at 425 until brown. Time will depend on what veggies you use, but typically I like to mix white potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, rutebega and parsnips, but you can use any combo you want.

Sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomato in Vinaigrette

Asparagus, either canned or fresh, coated with olive oil and roasted

Oven fries ~ sliced thin then roasted the same way as asparagus

mashed potatoes topped with butter and chives

Gayle, I went to allrecipes.com and came up with quite a few recipes for Quinoa. This one looked really good...260 people can't all be wrong..lol

Where in the store do you find Quinoa?

Here is a link that might be useful: Quinoa and Black Beans

I love to hollow out a nice big tomato per person and salt & pepper it, turn upside down on paper toweling for 5 min, then place on a cookie sheet, spray each tomato w/Pam or brush w/olive oil & bake for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile I cook frozen green peas until just done, drain & add butter & sauteed mushroom slices, then place each tomato in a vegetable dish & fill with the peas & mushrooms. YUM!

Never heard of Quinoa...will have to look for that.
I'm jotting stuff down on my grocery list.

We are trying to stay away from starchy sides. We eat alot of yams and sweet potatoes. Just cook them in the microwave....so yummy and good for you!

I like to toss root veggies with olive oil and a packet of onion soup mix before roasting. Good with mixed veggies - but DH prefers just potatoes (white or sweet).

Steamed broccoli or asparagus tastes better with slivers of parmesan cheese.

Stouffers mac and cheese never fails on a lazy day.

Sliced mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar added to frozen peas makes them less boring.

I try to eat a green salad with ever dinner. I hear it's supposed to help you lose weight (as long as you don't douse it with too much dressing).

--I use fresh fruit a lot for sides

--Oven roasted veggies like a lot of the others suggested...I add some oil and some powdered onion soup mix (or any flavor) for seasoning; red peppers are awesome

--marinated beets (if you like that kind of stuff)

--garlic cheese bread

--sauteed mushrooms and onions sprinkled with parm. cheese

--Stewed tomatoes

-- Homemade applesauce

-- cold pasta salads

-- canned Chili

Faux mashed potatoes.
Steam 1 head of cauliflower,drain,add butter,salt,pepper and garlic powder to taste,one 4 0z. block of cream cheese.Cream together with a hand mixer or in a food processor.I add a little grated parmesan or cheddar cheese to mine.My family(except DH)would rather have this than mashed potatoes.
DD makes green beans this way.I don't know the exact measurements.You will need to use either fresh green beans that have been blanched or frozen.I used frozen,whole green beans.Bundle the green beans in bundles of about 6 each.Wrap each bundle with a half slice of bacon and lay them about an inch apart on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.Melt 1 stick of butter.Add about 3/4 cup of brown sugar to the melted butter and mix it up.Drizzle the mixture over the green bean bundles and bake for about 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until the bacon is done to the crispness you like.Make a lot because everyone will love them!
I sometimes slice tomatoes and avacados and serve as a side dish.Sprinkle with salt,pepper and lemon juice.

lilliepad ~ I had forgotten about faux mashed potatoes. I like them, but haven't thought to make them in a long, long time. Thanks for the reminder.
Linda

Hominy and steamed spinach----separate :o)

I like fresh green beans, snapped and cooked with bacon and add some new potatoes or fresh corn cut off the cob.

Never met a potato I didn't like.

Not a vegetable, but we eat a lot of fruit salad. I make mine by opening a can of pineapple chunks in juice, add a couple of oranges, a couple of bananas, an apple, a handful of mini marshmallows, some marashino cherries, and a big handful of honey roasted pecans and some coconut.

Love grilled onions and mushrooms and/or zuchinni sauteed in with them.

Potato salad...my husband's favorite.

I also make pico de gallo but leave out the jalapenos and add avacado...chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and avacado.

We also like pea salad, made with frozen but not cooked petite green peas. Mix with chopped purple onion, chopped celery, crisp bacon and dress with mayo thinned with Italian dressing. Add a handful of peanuts...I usually add cashews since I don't like peanuts.

Cole slaw that isn't sweet...cabbage, onions, carrots and dressed with mayo thinned with Italian dressing, but I add shrimp to mine.
Cauliflower...usually without cheese, just butter.

Or a mix of cauliflower and broccoli cooked together.

A friend of mine gave me this recipe: I've only made it once, but it was awesome.

Saute Drained Corn & Chopped Onions in butter,
and Chopped Green Peppers.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 pkg. of Creme Cheese......

OMG!

I love many of the sides mentioned. Another one I love that can also be an appetizer is roasted Garlic. Just slice off the bottom end of a head of garlic so it will stand. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast. Just squeeze out the soft yummy stuff and spread on crackers or crusty bread. To die for and actually quite mild. Great with steak and salad.

Marilyn C, I'm gonna try thinning my mayo with the Ital dressing, sounds like a new way to try it - I always add 1 tsp sugar and celery seed, then thin with vinegar for our coleslaw or salad dressing.

I saute 1 chopped red pepper (and some green if I've got it) for 5 minutes, then add frozen corn and continue to saute until done and hot, then however much chili powder I feel like that day. Just before serving I throw in some chopped green onion, and call in Mexicorn.

Sweet potatoes are so simple and one of my favorites. I nuke one in the microwave and then just add a little butter and cinnamon.

And I never met a veggie I didn't like. Love them steamed, roasted or raw.

~Betsy

We eat lots of green stuff here....cabbage, kale, spinach, turnip greens, mustard, turnips, squash, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus...sweet potatoes, green beans and beans and any kind of pea you want to mention...yum...how could I forget...Collard greens...my garden is still producing and I have lots of goodies in the freezer...

For just about any kind of roasted veggie, I use Italian dressing instead of olive oil. I've just never liked the taste of olive oil, but I DO like the bit of zing you get with the Italian dressing. That alone might make something different enough now and then. Just be aware that it burns quicker.

One of my favorites is to slice squash or zucchini about 1/2" thick, dip both sides in Italian dressing, and grill. You can spear several slices like a shishkabob for easier handling.

I also love to sautee fresh green beans in Italian dressing, a bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic salt. Yum! It has a nice tang.

Another one I thought of.Cook yellow crookneck squash until tender,mash and add cream cheese salt and pepper.Yummy!
Grilled zuchini cut in 1/4 in thick strips and grill indoors or out.I have one of the George Forman type grills that I use for everything.I grill my meats and veggies at the same time.

Wild rice
Spanish rice
Scalloped potatoes
Almost any pasta with garlic and olive oil
Ravioli with marinara or meat sauce
Ditto for spaghetti or rigatoni
Corn fritters
Corn on the cob
Country fried potatoes with onion and peppers
Garlic mashed potatoes
Refried beans

I stuck to sides in the area the OP listed since veggies and salads are a different category to me although we do just veggies a lot also.

Now favorite salads and veggies would bring to mind another list.

DH loves homemade mashed potatoes. They all love homemade potatoes au gratin. Twice baked potatoes are great too. I do hope that you include vegetables in the category. Lots of tasty veggies out there.

I, and the rest of my family, like okra. It's best coated with flour and corn meal and fried but that has lots of calories so I usually microwave about half a one pound bag of sliced frozen okra with about half a large onion. When they are almost done I add a 15oz. can of tomatoes and a can of whole kernal corn. My MIL used to make something like this but they raised all the ingredients. We have tried raising okra here in WA. but never had much luck with it
Pat