A good steak can be the centerpiece of an easy, satisfying meal: whether you prefer a ribeye, a New York strip, a filet mignon, or a T-bone. While classic steak accompaniments include baked potatoes, creamed spinach, and fries, our list of favorites ranges more widely to include hearty roasted vegetables, cubed steak salads, fluffy rice pilaf, elotes, and lots of variations on sweet potatoes.
Read on for our recipe list of 50 excellent steak sides — and be sure to bookmark it for the next time you plan to light up the grill. For this simple side dish, cubed sweet potatoes are tossed with cooking spray, roasted in a hot oven, and then heated under the broiler for a few minutes for additional crispiness. If you’ve never grilled watermelon, you’re going to want to light some coals immediately, because searing this quintessential summertime fruit enhances its natural sweetness and adds a pleasing depth of flavor. In this colorful salad, the grilled melon is nestled atop a bed of baby spinach, drizzled with balsamic reduction, and topped with mild, salty cotija cheese. Have you ever sunk a spoon into a cool, creamy bowl of vichyssoise? A pureéd leek and potato soup that’s served cold, vichyssoise can be an excellent cooler when it’s hot and humid out — the type of day when many of us are likely to fire up the grill and cook some steak, for example. This pale green variation on a classic incorporates springy asparagus, and, when served, is drizzled with heavy cream and topped with minced chives.