What to Serve With Baked Potatoes: 22 Sides and Mains That Always Work

Figuring out what to serve with baked potatoes shouldn’t take longer than baking the potatoes themselves. A plain russet potato (Solanum tuberosum) is basically a blank plate: fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and ready to soak up whatever protein, vegetable, or sauce lands next to it. The tricky part isn’t finding something that tastes good with a potato — almost everything does — it’s picking a pairing that fits your night.

Some nights call for a hearty main like meatloaf or bavette steak that makes the potato feel like a supporting player. Other nights, a light salad or steamed vegetable turns the potato into the star of a simple, low-effort dinner. This list covers 22 mains, sides, salads, and vegetable dishes that consistently work with baked potatoes, whether you’re feeding a hungry family or keeping things light for two.

Before diving into the details, here’s a quick-reference table to help you decide what fits tonight’s mood, timeline, and appetite.

Dish	Category	Best For
Meatloaf	Main	Family comfort food
Hamburger Steaks With Gravy	Main	Quick weeknight dinner
Beef Stroganoff	Main	Creamy, cozy meals
Broccoli in Cheese Sauce	Vegetable	Kid-friendly sides
Honey Bourbon Salmon	Main	Sweet-savory seafood night
Blackened Baked Salmon	Main	Spiced seafood night
Side Salad	Salad	Light, fresh contrast
Chili	Main	Cold-weather comfort
Grilled Vegetables	Vegetable	Summer cookouts
Steamed Broccoli	Vegetable	Low-calorie dinners
Caesar Salad	Salad	Steakhouse-style meals
Roasted Brussels Sprouts	Vegetable	Fall and winter meals
Sautéed Mushrooms	Vegetable	Earthy, savory pairings
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus	Vegetable	Special occasions
Garlic Green Beans	Vegetable	Simple weeknight sides
Coleslaw	Salad	BBQ-style dinners
Roasted Tomatoes	Vegetable	Summer produce season
Spinach and Artichoke Dip	Appetizer/Side	Game day or casual gatherings
BBQ Chicken	Main	Backyard cookouts
Buffalo Cauliflower	Vegetable	Meatless main nights
Greek Salad	Salad	Fresh, Mediterranean-style meals
Bavette Steak	Main	Steakhouse dinner at home

1. Meatloaf

Meatloaf and baked potatoes are a pairing that goes back generations, and there’s a reason it hasn’t gone out of style. Classic meatloaf is hearty and nostalgic, and it’s always a hit with ketchup-loving kids, which makes it an easy choice for a weeknight family dinner. The dense, savory texture of meatloaf plays well against a fluffy potato interior, and any extra gravy or ketchup glaze from the loaf has somewhere to go.

If you’re new to building meals around hearty, umami-forward mains, it helps to understand what makes a dish savory in the first place — meatloaf checks nearly every box, from browned meat to rich seasoning.

2. Hamburger Steaks With Gravy

Hamburger steaks with gravy are essentially a faster cousin of Salisbury steak, and they’re one of the quickest ways to turn ground beef into a full dinner. Hamburger steaks with gravy are like Salisbury steak, but easier to pull together on a busy night. Spoon the pan gravy directly over a split-open baked potato, and you’ve solved the sauce problem and the side dish problem at the same time.

This pairing works especially well when you’re short on time, since both the steaks and the potatoes can cook in under 30 minutes with minimal hands-on effort.

3. Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff usually gets served over egg noodles, but a baked potato is a smart swap if you want something a little more filling and gluten-free-friendly. Beef stroganoff brings creamy beef and mushrooms that feel fancy without the fuss, and you can serve it over or beside baked potatoes instead of noodles. The starchy potato soaks up the sour-cream sauce just as well as noodles do, arguably better.

Pro Tip: Split the potato and ladle the stroganoff directly into the middle so the sauce pools in the potato instead of running off the plate.

4. Broccoli in Cheese Sauce

Broccoli in cheese sauce is a classic for a reason: it’s simple, kid-approved, and it doubles as a topping if you want to skip a separate side dish entirely. Steam the broccoli until just tender, then pour a warm cheddar sauce over both the vegetable and the potato for a two-in-one dinner.

This pairing is especially popular in casual American home cooking because it requires almost no extra planning — most households already have cheese, milk, and broccoli on hand for a weeknight meal.

5. Honey Bourbon Salmon

Salmon and baked potatoes might not be the first pairing that comes to mind, but the combination works because the sweetness of the glaze balances the potato’s earthy flavor. Honey bourbon salmon is marinated in an easy bourbon sauce, broiled until tender, and finished with a sweet honey bourbon glaze. Searing the salmon first before glazing gives it a crust that holds up next to a fluffy potato instead of getting lost.

Honey is the ingredient doing most of the work in this glaze, and it’s worth understanding on its own — if you’re curious about other foods that start with H, honey is one of the most versatile pantry staples in that category.

6. Blackened Baked Salmon

If honey bourbon salmon leans sweet, blackened salmon goes the opposite direction with a peppery, smoky crust from a Cajun-style spice rub. The blackening seasoning — usually a mix of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and thyme — forms a dark crust in a hot skillet or under the broiler, which contrasts nicely with the soft interior of a baked potato.

Here’s a quick side-by-side if you’re deciding between the two salmon styles for tonight’s dinner:

Style	Flavor Profile	Cooking Method	Best Potato Topping
Honey Bourbon Salmon	Sweet, smoky-sweet glaze	Sear then broil with glaze	Sour cream and chives
Blackened Baked Salmon	Spicy, smoky, peppery	Skillet-sear or broil with dry rub	Plain butter or Greek yogurt

7. A Simple Side Salad

Sometimes the best answer to what to serve with baked potatoes is the simplest one: a green salad with a light vinaigrette. A baked potato dinner served with a salad or vegetable side dish makes for a very low-calorie meal, which is why this combination shows up so often in home cooking when people want something filling but not heavy.

A basic salad also gives you room to add whatever produce is in season — cucumbers, radishes, shredded carrots, or a handful of nuts for crunch. If you’re building a lighter meal around fresh vegetables generally, the same logic applies to other pairing questions, like what to serve with meat empanadas, where a crisp salad balances a rich main.

8. Chili

Chili and baked potatoes are practically made for each other — the potato acts like an edible bowl, and the chili’s toppings do double duty on both. A good chili con carne brings together ground beef, beans, spices, and tomatoes, with cooks generally aiming for a roughly 2:1 meat-to-bean ratio for the right texture.

• Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Diced onion or green onion
• Sliced jalapeño for extra heat

Jalapeño is worth knowing on its own if you enjoy building heat into your meals — it’s one of the more useful entries among foods that start with J for anyone who cooks a lot of chili, salsa, or Tex-Mex food.

Common Mistake: Adding chili straight from a simmering pot onto a cold potato cools the whole dish down fast. Let both rest a few minutes off heat, or warm the potato back up right before serving.

9. Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables are one of the easiest ways to round out a baked potato dinner without turning on the oven twice. Zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, and eggplant all hold up well on the grill, picking up char and smoke that a plain potato doesn’t have on its own.

Eggplant deserves special mention here since it’s not always the first vegetable people reach for. If you’re expanding your vegetable rotation, eggplant is a solid entry point among foods that start with E, and it grills beautifully with just olive oil, salt, and pepper.

10. Steamed Broccoli

Steamed broccoli is the no-fuss answer when you want a vegetable side without much prep. You can serve baked potatoes with a side of steamed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or green beans, and broccoli tends to be the most popular choice because it cooks quickly and pairs with almost any topping.

Important Note: If you’re managing your diet for heart health, pairing a plain baked potato with steamed vegetables instead of heavy toppings is generally a lighter option, though specific dietary needs vary by individual. For general background, see this overview of foods to eat and avoid with coronary heart disease, and talk with a doctor or registered dietitian about your specific needs.

11. Caesar Salad

Caesar salad brings a completely different texture and temperature to the table than a warm baked potato, which is exactly why the pairing works so well. Caesar salad is one of the side dishes that consistently shows up on lists of the best pairings for baked potatoes, alongside other salads and roasted vegetables.

Romaine lettuce is the traditional base for Caesar salad, and it’s a good example of how foods that start with R can anchor an entire dish. Toss it with shaved parmesan, croutons, and a garlicky dressing for a steakhouse-style side.

12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts, with their crispy edges and tender centers, make a delightful companion to baked potatoes; roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, these mini cabbages turn into a flavor-packed side dish. The slight bitterness of the sprouts balances the mild, starchy flavor of the potato, and both roast at similar oven temperatures, so you can cook them together.

For extra flavor, toss the sprouts with balsamic vinegar or a little bacon fat before roasting — the sweetness plays well against the char.

13. Sautéed Mushrooms

Sautéed mushrooms bring an earthy, savory depth that plain potatoes are missing on their own. Enhance the flavor of your baked potatoes by sautéing mushrooms and onions until they’re caramelized and tender, then spoon them directly over the split potato as a topping or serve them on the side.

Onion is doing a lot of the flavor-building work in this dish alongside the mushrooms. It’s one of the most useful entries among foods that start with O for anyone who cooks savory dinners regularly.

14. Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Bacon-wrapped asparagus feels like a slightly fancier side, but it only takes about 20 minutes in the oven. The bacon renders and crisps while the asparagus cooks through, and both flavors complement a baked potato’s mild, starchy base without competing with it.

This side works especially well when you’re already using the oven for the potatoes, since you can roast the asparagus on a lower rack at the same time and pull everything out together.

15. Garlic Green Beans

Garlic green beans are a quick stovetop side that takes minutes once the beans are trimmed. A hot sauté with garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt is often all they need, and a similar quick-cook approach with seasoned green beans is a reliable way to add color and crunch to a potato-based dinner.

Keep the beans slightly crisp rather than fully soft — overcooked green beans lose the snap that makes this side worth making in the first place.

16. Coleslaw

Coleslaw brings crunch and acidity to a meal that’s otherwise soft and starchy, which is exactly what a baked potato dinner often needs. A creamy coleslaw provides a refreshing contrast to baked potatoes, and the combination of textures and flavors works well together.

Coleslaw is also a natural fit anytime you’re serving something smoky or barbecued, similar to how it pairs with other casual seafood-style spreads — for comparison, see what to serve with a shrimp boil, where coleslaw shows up for the same reason.

17. Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted tomatoes turn sweet and slightly jammy in the oven, which makes them a nice contrast to a plain, savory potato. A drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and 20 to 25 minutes in a hot oven is really all it takes to bring out their natural sugars.

Tomato is a great example of an ingredient that changes character completely depending on how it’s cooked. If you’re curious about other everyday ingredients, tomato is one of the more common entries among foods that start with T.

18. Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spinach and artichoke dip isn’t a traditional side dish, but it works surprisingly well as a topping when you want a loaded, restaurant-style baked potato. It’s built on the same idea as the creamed spinach found at many steakhouses — a classic steakhouse side of bright green spinach in a rich, cheesy cream sauce that makes any baked potato way more exciting.

Spoon a warm scoop directly onto a split potato along with the artichoke hearts and a little extra parmesan, and you’ve got a dinner that feels closer to an appetizer plate than a weeknight meal.

19. BBQ Chicken

BBQ chicken and baked potatoes is one of the most common pairings in American home cooking, and it’s easy to see why — both can go in the same oven or on the same grill. BBQ baked chicken thighs are a simple recipe that makes for juicy, oven-baked barbecue chicken, and the sticky sauce works just as well spooned over a potato.

BBQ chicken drumsticks are sticky, sweet, and popular with kids, which makes this pairing a solid choice for family dinners. On busier nights, a store-bought rotisserie chicken tossed in barbecue sauce is a fair shortcut — a good example of leaning on convenience food without sacrificing much flavor. This pairing logic is similar to other protein-and-potato combinations, like what to serve with chicken piccata, where a starchy side balances a saucy main.

20. Buffalo Cauliflower

Buffalo cauliflower has become a popular meatless main or hearty side, and it holds its own next to a baked potato better than most people expect. Buffalo cauliflower is one of the dishes that regularly appears on lists of the best pairings for baked potatoes, largely because the spicy, tangy sauce contrasts so well with the potato’s mild flavor.

Roast the cauliflower until it’s crisp at the edges before tossing it in buffalo sauce — adding the sauce too early leaves the florets soggy instead of crisp.

21. Greek Salad

Greek salad brings a completely different flavor direction to the table, with briny olives, feta, cucumber, and a lemon-oregano dressing. Greek salad is another dish that consistently shows up among the best side pairings for baked potatoes, especially for lighter, Mediterranean-inspired dinners.

In the summer, a watermelon-and-feta variation is a popular twist on the classic Greek salad formula — watermelon is a fun, seasonal entry among foods that start with W, and its sweetness plays surprisingly well against salty feta and a plain baked potato.

22. Bavette Steak

Bavette steak is the pairing to reach for when you want a baked potato dinner that feels like it came from a steakhouse. Bavette is a large flap muscle from the boneless flank primal, also known as flap meat, though the French name — which translates to “bib” — more accurately describes its broad, flat shape. It’s often called a sirloin flap steak, coming from the bottom flap of the sirloin section, and butchers have long treated it as something of a hidden gem.

Butchers often say bavette sits at the top of the flavor-to-price ratio, since its robust, beefy taste rivals ribeye, and because it’s leaner, that flavor often comes through even stronger. That combination of value and flavor is exactly why it pairs so well with something as simple as a baked potato — the steak brings all the richness, and the potato just needs butter and salt.

1. Bring the steak to room temperature and pat it dry.
2. Season generously with salt and pepper, or use a quick marinade.
3. Sear in a hot cast-iron skillet or grill over high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
5. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

For the juiciest, most tender results, cook bavette to rare or medium-rare, checking that it reaches about 135 degrees Fahrenheit before resting, since it will climb a few more degrees as it rests. Grilling over medium-high heat is generally considered the best way to cook bavette, since the dense meat needs a bit more time than you might expect to reach that crust and temperature.

Key Insight: Bavette has an open grain that releases moisture quickly, so slicing against the grain right after resting is what keeps each bite tender instead of chewy.

If you want the most consistent results, grilling is a fantastic way to cook bavette, especially preheated to high heat for a good sear, cooking about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Choosing well-marbled, grass-fed beef when it’s available tends to produce a more flavorful, moist result, since the fat renders as it cooks.

Whichever dish you land on tonight, the same rule applies across this whole list: baked potatoes are flexible enough to work with almost any main, salad, or vegetable side you already know how to make. Start with what’s already in your fridge, lean on a pairing that matches how much time you have, and let the potato do what it does best — soak up whatever you put next to it.