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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!

collage of 30 side dishes to serve with meatloaf

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

instant pot mashed potatoes with butter in a white bowl
5 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are smooth, creamy and perfect every time. Make the easiest, best mashed potatoes ever in your pressure cooker!
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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.

microwave baked potato with broccoli, sour cream, cheese and bacon on a plate
5 from 23 votes

Easy Microwave Baked Potato

This Easy Microwave Baked Potato recipe is the best way to get the perfect baked potato in minutes. A quick side dish on busy nights when you don't have time to oven bake or air fry your spuds!
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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!

instant pot potato salad with red potatoes in a bowl with hard cooked eggs and celery
5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Potato Salad

This Instant Pot Potato Salad recipe lets you cook the potatoes and eggs together in your pressure cooker. It's an easy way to make this classic side dish!
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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!

instant pot baby potatoes steamed until tender in a round white serving dish with parsley
5 from 15 votes

Easy Instant Pot Baby Potatoes

Instant Pot baby potatoes steamed in the pressure cooker until soft and fluffy are a delicious easy side dish that takes minutes to make. This simple potato recipe is one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes you'll ever make!
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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!

instant pot baked potatoes with sour cream cheddar cheese and bacon on a plate
5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes that are fluffy, creamy and perfectly cooked with this easy recipe. No need to turn on the oven for the best baked potatoes!
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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!

crispy air fryer baby potatoes with parmesan cheese and parsley in white serving bowl
5 from 8 votes

Air Fryer Baby Potatoes

Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes are the perfect easy side dish. Made with simple ingredients, these little potatoes are ready in minutes! Your whole family will love this easy air fryer recipe, and it goes with almost any main dish.
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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!

potatoes au gratin on a serving spoon
5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Potatoes au Gratin

Air Fryer Potatoes au Gratin, or cheesy scalloped potatoes, is a creamy easy side dish perfect for holiday dinners. Cooks super fast in the air fryer oven!
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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!

Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes in white bowl for thanksgiving
5 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Easy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes with maple syrup and brown sugar is a simple pressure cooker side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or any dinner!
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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!

microwave green beans in white serving bowl
5 from 7 votes

Microwave Green Beans

Microwave Green Beans with butter, salt, pepper and garlic for a quick and healthy side dish. Learn how to steam fresh green beans the easy way in just a few minutes.
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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!

bowl of microwave broccoli with serving spoon
5 from 6 votes

Steam Broccoli in Microwave

Learn How to Steam Broccoli in the Microwave with this easy microwave broccoli recipe. You only need 2 ingredients for this healthy side dish that takes just minutes to make!
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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.

bowl of Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and bacon cooked in the air fryer
5 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are crispy on the outside and tender inside, perfectly cooked in 12 minutes. Add Parmesan and bacon for an easy side dish for holidays or anytime!
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Don’t want to use the microwave? Cook fresh green beans in a small skillet, and add some cooked bacon for flavor. So good!

sauteed green with bacon and lemon on serving platter
5 from 6 votes

Easy Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon

Easy Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon made with fresh green beans sauteed until tender and topped with bacon is a light, healthy side dish perfect for holiday dinners or every day! 
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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!

microwave asparagus on white platter with lemon slices and parmesan cheese
5 from 8 votes

How to Microwave Asparagus

Learn How to Microwave Asparagus in just 3 minutes with this easy recipe. Steamed asparagus is a quick, healthy side dish perfect for spring. It pairs beautifully with your favorite main dish and tastes absolutely delicious.
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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!

microwave cooked carrots in white bowl
5 from 10 votes

Microwave Carrots

Microwave Carrots with butter and brown sugar for a quick and easy side dish. It takes just 5 minutes to steam carrots in the microwave with this simple recipe.
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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.

instant pot orange ginger carrots on white platter
5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Orange Ginger Carrots

Instant Pot Orange Ginger Carrots are quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker and lighter than the usual recipes for glazed carrots. It’s a delicious side dish for holidays or everyday dinners!
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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.

bowl of roasted vegetables on Thanksgiving table
5 from 1 vote

Easy Roasted Vegetables for Thanksgiving

Easy Roasted Vegetables are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. Root vegetables are easy to prepare and take 30 minutes to bake. This healthy side dish is a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving table and simple enough for a weeknight meal.
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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!

instant pot applesauce in white bowls
5 from 5 votes

Easy Instant Pot Applesauce

Easy Instant Pot Applesauce uses just 4 ingredients and no sugar. Make the BEST homemade applesauce with peeled or unpeeled apples in your pressure cooker!
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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!

bowl of instant pot jasmine rice with parsley
5 from 37 votes

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

This easy Instant Pot Jasmine Rice recipe lets you make perfect jasmine rice in the electric pressure cooker in just a few minutes. Serve it as a quick side dish or as part of your main dish!
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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.

bowl of instant pot brown rice with parsley
5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Brown Rice

Make Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice every time with this easy brown rice recipe for the electric pressure cooker. Perfect for meal prep and a great way to get delicious fluffy brown rice without a rice cooker!
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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!

microwave cauliflower in white serving bowl
5 from 8 votes

Microwave Cauliflower

Microwave cauliflower with butter, salt, pepper and garlic for a healthy low carb side dish. Learn how to steam cauliflower in the microwave in just a few minutes with this easy recipe! It's fork tender and delicious!
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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!

baked acorn squash with brown sugar and maple syrup on plate
5 from 11 votes

Baked Acorn Squash

This easy recipe for Baked Acorn Squash with maple syrup and brown sugar takes ordinary squash to an entirely different level and makes it special enough for a Thanksgiving side dish! 
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Instant Pot corn on the cob is another family favorite! And, it takes just minutes to make in the pressure cooker!

instant pot corn on the cob with butter on white platter.
5 from 19 votes

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob Recipe

Easy Instant Pot Corn on the Cob recipe with butter makes perfect corn every time! The perfect side dish for summer or whenever you are craving delicious sweet corn!
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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?

grilled corn on the cob in foil with parsley on platter
5 from 21 votes

Grilled Corn on the Cob in Foil

Grilled Corn on the Cob in Foil is the best way to grill fresh corn and our favorite way to make it! Grilled corn in foil packets is an easy recipe for a delicious summer side dish that everyone loves and goes well with anything else you cook on the grill. You'll love the easy clean-up, too!
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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!

creamy cucumber salad with sour cream in a white serving bowl
4.91 from 11 votes

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad with sour cream is cool, crisp and takes minutes to make. This quick and easy summer salad recipe is a classic side dish that goes well with just about anything.
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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!

overhead bowl of coleslaw on the table
5 from 8 votes

Mom’s Best Coleslaw Recipe

Mom's Best Coleslaw Recipe uses vinegar and mayonnaise for a classic homemade side dish or sandwich topper that's easy, creamy and delicious — just like Mom used to make! Once you make coleslaw from scratch, you'll never go back to storebought again!
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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!

three bean salad in a white serving bowl with original recipe card.
5 from 6 votes

Easy Three Bean Salad

A classic recipe for old fashioned Three Bean Salad that combines canned green beans, wax beans and kidney beans with a tangy homemade dressing.
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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!

ambrosia fruit salad recipe with sour cream and mandarin oranges in white serving bowl
5 from 2 votes

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Ambrosia Fruit Salad recipe with sour cream, pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows and coconut is a classic dessert salad. This creamy fruit salad is perfect for family dinners and special occasions!
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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!

bowl of pistachio salad with pineapple and maraschino cherry on top
5 from 15 votes

Pistachio Salad

Pistachio Salad is a creamy fruit salad made with Jello pudding mix, Cool Whip, crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows. An easy recipe and a family favorite dessert salad perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
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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.

instant pot corn casserole with cheese on a spoon
4.95 from 19 votes

Instant Pot Corn Casserole

Instant Pot Corn Casserole is the classic Jiffy Corn Pudding Casserole made in the pressure cooker. An easy side dish perfect for the Thanksgiving holidays or any day!
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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!

creamy instant pot mac and cheese in white ramekins
5 from 4 votes

Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese takes is made with a few simple ingredients and no evaporated milk! It takes just a few minutes to make homemade mac and cheese in the pressure cooker, and it’s a quick and easy dinner or side dish that everyone loves. It’s definitely kid approved!
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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!

Instant Pot Kraft Mac and cheese (boxed mac and cheese) in a white bowl
5 from 17 votes

Instant Pot Kraft Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Kraft Mac and Cheese Recipe is an easy way to make Kraft macaroni and cheese or any boxed mac and cheese in your pressure cooker. This easy recipe takes just a few minutes and is quicker than the stove top method.
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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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1 Comment

  1. Matt says:

    Can make something new and tasty everyday for a month. Sounds like a challenge! Yummy!