30 Best Side Dishes for Meatloaf

Wondering What to serve with Meatloaf? Check out our 30 BEST side dishes to serve with meatloaf that are delicious and easy to prepare! From simple mashed potatoes to savory green beans, these side dish recipes make dinnertime easy!

Homemade meatloaf is a classic dinner recipe that screams comfort food. It’s one of our favorite ground beef recipes, and I serve meatloaf for dinner frequently because my whole family loves it! With a site name like Meatloaf and Melodrama, that makes sense, right?!

I make my mom’s meatloaf recipe — Mom’s Best Meatloaf with onion soup mix the most. This is truly the best classic meatloaf recipe with great flavor and simply melts in your mouth!

Still, everyone loves meatloaf with tomato sauce and brown sugar (without onion soup mix) and cheesy barbecue meatloaf, too.

Did you know you can make meatloaf in the Instant Pot? This is the ideal option when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. You can also make cheddar cheese BBQ meatloaf muffins and Italian meatloaf muffins with Parmesan cheese. Kids love these!

But, we’re talking about simple side dishes that go with your best meatloaf recipes. You can’t go wrong with fluffy mashed potatoes and savory green beans or green peas. Or, maybe you’re craving something lighter? Never fear — I have the ultimate guide here — 30 of the best side dishes to serve with meatloaf!

What to Serve with Meatloaf — Easy Side Dishes

We love these creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, and they pair perfectly with hearty meatloaf. Use baby potatoes, and you don’t even have to peal them. We sometimes add a dash of garlic powder to jazz up this classic comfort food

If you want something simpler, cook baked potatoes in your microwave. These microwave baked potatoes are one of our favorite potato recipes and take just minutes to make.

If you cook meatloaf in your pressure cooker or air fryer, try this recipe for Instant Pot potato salad. This potato dish has a creamy texture with a little crunch, and it’s the best way to make potato salad!

Here’s another easy meatloaf side dish to make in your Instant Pot — baby potatoes. These creamer potatoes take 10 minutes to cook, and you don’t even have to cut them!

If you don’t want to microwave potatoes, you can cook baked potatoes in the Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker. Top the spuds with butter, sour cream and cheddar cheese for a delicious addition to your meatloaf meal!

Have an air fryer? You can make crispy, seasoned air fryer roasted potatoes to go with the main course. This easy side dish recipe is a family favorite and super easy to make!

If you have an air fryer oven like the Instant Omni or Vortex or the Nina Foodi grill, you can make these cheesy potatoes au gratin. It’s the perfect side dish for special occasions or Sunday dinner!

For a healthier side dish, try mashed sweet potatoes. My kids are definitely in the sweet potato fan club and they love making sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker. For something different, add maple syrup for extra flavor!

You definitely need green veggies with your meatloaf dinner! Steam green beans in your microwave with salt, black pepper and garlic powder, and they’re cooked to tender crisp perfection in a few minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!

Steamed broccoli is another quick and easy, delicious option that you can make in your microwave. Add a little water, and the broccoli is ready in minutes! Top it with cheese sauce if you like!

You can whip up crispy Brussels sprouts in your air fryer while your meatloaf is cooking. Air fryer sprouts have the best texture! Add some Parmesan cheese and bacon for extra flavor.

Don’t want to use the microwave? Cook fresh green beans in a small skillet, and add some cooked bacon for flavor. So good!

Steam some asparagus in the microwave when you want a delicious healthy vegetable to go with dinner. This is one of our favorite recipes, and we like to flavor it with lemon juice and Parm for added deliciousness!

Another one of our favorite side dishes is steamed carrots cooked in the microwave. This method is quick and super easy! Add butter and brown sugar, and these baby carrots taste simply amazing!

Baby carrots with a tangy orange ginger glaze is another great idea. You’ll love the different flavor combo here! Cook the carrots in the Instant Pot or on the stove.

Roast a mix of Brussel sprouts and other vegetables on a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Roasted vegetables is a great side dish that is keto friendly and low carb! You can mix up the perfect combination of veggies and use your favorites here.

Got apples? Make homemade applesauce in your Instant Pot. This simple recipe is incredibly easy and goes well with just about any main dish! It makes a lot, so you will have plenty of leftovers!

Rice is a classic side dish for a meatloaf dinner, and it’s very budget friendly. Our favorite way to make rice is in the Instant Pot with fragrant jasmine rice — perfect every time!

If you’re not a fan of white rice, brown rice is a healthier version. It’s super easy to make in your electric pressure cooker and has a rich, nutty flavor that goes well with ground beef.

Steam cauliflower in the microwave for a healthy, low carb side dish. It’s a tasty alternative to mashed potatoes and done in minutes! And, you can take this basic recipe and turn it into a tasty cauliflower mash!

Baked acorn squash with maple syrup and brown sugar is the perfect side dish for fall. You can also cook acorn squash in your air fryer if you don’t have room in the oven!

Instant Pot corn on the cob is another family favorite! And, it takes just minutes to make in the pressure cooker!

Corn on the cob grilled in foil is another simple side dish that goes very well with meatloaf. It’s made with ground meat, so it is kind of like a big hamburger, right?

Old fashioned cucumber salad with sour cream is the perfect choice when you want something nice and light. This simple salad is cool, creamy and so good!

This easy coleslaw recipe is crunchy, creamy and a nice light side salad. If you have leftover meatloaf, you can make a meatloaf sandwich with coleslaw the next day!

Three bean salad with a tangy dressing is a lighter, vintage recipe that goes well with old fashioned meatloaf. Bean salad is a good side dish to make ahead of time, and it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator!

Here’s another classic side dish — Ambrosia salad. This retro recipe is more like a dessert, but it’s a great accompaniment for vintage meat loaf!

Pistachio salad, or Watergate salad is another vintage side salad that doubles as dessert and pairs perfectly with old fashioned meatloaf. This is one of the kids’ favorite recipes!

Corn casserole isn’t just for holiday dinners. Jiffy corn pudding is easy to make in the Instant Pot, and perfect when you’re craving comfort food! You can also make it in the oven or air fryer oven.

Talk about comfort food — this creamy Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is one of the best sides for meatloaf! With 3 different kinds of cheese, creamy mac is cheesy goodness at it’s finest!

Here’s a bonus recipe for you! You can make Kraft mac and cheese in your Instant Pot. Yes, you can make it on the stove, but this is a good idea when you want to make 2 or more boxes at once!

Don’t forget to pin these delicious recipes to your favorite Pinterest boards to save them. And, If you try these easy sides, be sure to rate them and leave a review!

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