Accompany Your Pork Roast With These Tasty Starters and Sides

Are you looking for ideas on what to serve with roast pork? Pork roast is a fabulous main dish to serve at any gathering, from holiday celebrations to weekend dinners with family and friends. When paired with side dishes that complement it perfectly, roast pork is transformed from an everyday protein into a special, celebratory meal. Accompany your pork roast with our winning recipes for perfectly paired side dishes, desserts, salads, and drinks.

• Potato Gratin With Cheese and Bacon

  

  Do something different than the usual scalloped potatoes and make this next-level potato gratin with cheese and bacon. Use a waxy potato variety, such as Charlotte or new potatoes, and a strong-flavored cheese, such as Reblochon, Époisses, or aged sharp cheddar.

• Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce

  

  Yes, you could buy applesauce to accompany your pork dinner—but this slow cooker recipe is so easy and yields homemade spiced applesauce with delicious flavor. It couldn’t be simpler or more satisfying to make in your slow cooker, and it freezes well for up to three months.

• Baked Macaroni and Cheese

  

  Baked macaroni and cheese is a classic side dish for roast pork and is always welcome on dinner plates. This winning Southern-style recipe includes a quick from-scratch cheese sauce and a buttery toasted breadcrumb topping that adds welcome crunch to the creaminess of the casserole.

• Easy Beer Braised Cabbage

  

  Braised cabbage and pork are a classic combination hailing from Germany. This recipe takes the flavor up a notch with the addition of crispy bacon and onions, all sautéed in the beer of your choice.

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• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  

  Roasting Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt in a hot oven brings out the natural sweetness in this healthy vegetable, which can otherwise taste bitter when steamed. The cooked sprouts are finished with a little melted butter and lemon juice to balance out the flavors and add a welcome acidic note.

• Fig and Kale Salad

  

  Figs are at their best from June to early fall, and this scrumptious salad makes the most of their signature sweet flavor. Ripe avocado is blended with lemon juice to create the creamy dressing for this healthy fig and kale salad, with carrot, zucchini, and flaxseed that adds extra nutrition and crunch.

• Easy Broccoli Cheese Casserole

  

  Everyone’s favorite broccoli cheese casserole just got easier with this clever recipe that uses Velveeta cheese, frozen broccoli spears, and condensed soups. This homey combination is then cooked under a buttery breadcrumb topping that family members and guests will love.

• Granny Smith Apple Slaw

  

  Apples pair beautifully with roast pork, and this tasty, tangy slaw with tart-sweet Granny Smith apples is a great way to wake up palates. The lively mayonnaise-based dressing includes cilantro, mustard, lemon juice, caraway seeds, and thyme for layered flavor.

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• Roasted Butternut Squash With Sage

  

  Roasted butternut squash takes on a caramelized sweetness that nicely complements the mild flavor of pork. This vegetable side dish recipe is a snap to fix, with olive oil, sage, salt and pepper, and onions (if you like). Toss in a few dried cranberries for extra color and flavor.

• Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

  

  Creamy mashed cauliflower is a lower-carb alternative to the mashed potatoes you might serve with pork. This recipe includes some potatoes in the mix, plus shredded cheddar cheese, for a side dish that packs all the great flavor and luscious texture you crave.

• Spinach Salad With Apple Vinaigrette

  

  Crisp spinach salad with a tangy apple vinaigrette makes a lovely, simple starter at dinner, and is a great way to prepare your palate for roast pork. Feel free to toss in toasted walnut halves or crumbled cooked bacon for a heartier course.

• Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

  

  Fingerling potatoes have an appealing shape, sweet flavor, and creamy texture that makes them a great choice for serving with roasted pork. Use fresh herbs from your garden, plus a little olive oil, to boost their naturally rich flavor.

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• Glazed Fresh Peach Pie

  

  This is the perfect recipe to enjoy sweet, tangy, luscious peaches in season. Fresh peaches and peach nectar are combined with a few pantry ingredients in a prepared pie shell, to make all your peach pie dreams come true. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

• Lemon Squares With Shortbread Crust

  

  Lovely lemon squares make a wonderful ending to your roast pork meal. The sweet, tangy, refreshing lemon filling is nestled in a crumbly shortbread crust and cut into bars for the perfect handheld dessert you can serve at cookouts and summer parties. 

• Old Fashioned Cocktail

  

  The Old Fashioned cocktail is a classic way to enjoy your favorite bourbon or whiskey, and its flavors nicely complement a meal of roast pork. It starts with a sugar cube soaked in bitters and is traditionally garnished with orange peel and a maraschino cherry.

• White Wine Mojito

  

  Mild pork pairs well with white wine, but why stop there? Try this refreshing mojito cocktail recipe that swaps white wine for the usual rum. Mint leaves and limes add plenty of brightness, and a little sparkling lemonade is added for extra vibrancy.