Italian sausage sandwiches are all about the meat, which is fine! But are you looking for what to serve with them?
To round out your meals with a few veggie-based dishes, here are some delicious additions to consider when serving up Italian sausage on rolls or buns.
Any of these sides would pair perfectly with Italian sausage sandwiches, whether served with pasta dishes or as side dishes.
Your palate won’t miss the meat at all! These are what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches.
1. Potato Salad
A potato sale is excellent if you want to serve Italian sausage sandwiches. Add a delicious and classic potato salad to your sandwich, or try it as a side dish.
Cut medium-sized potatoes into cubes. Boil the cubed potatoes for 10 minutes, until fork tender.
Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. After draining the cooked potatoes:
- Toss them with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Mix in an equal amount of sweet pickle relish until evenly coated.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired.
2. Roasted Veggies
Roasted veggies can also be a great side dish for this sandwich. This is what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches.
They’re a fantastic option for vegetarians and those looking to balance the dish’s heavy protein-heavy profile.
Root vegetables work particularly well, like potatoes, parsnips, and carrots.
For that authentic taste of Italy, you can make your marinara sauce or use a prepared sauce from the store.
Roasting them is the best way to cook them because it caramelizes their natural sugars while softening and browning them, lending an intensely sweet flavor. The more olive oil you add, the better they’ll come out.
3. Caesar Salad
A Caesar salad is a perfect side dish to serve alongside an Italian sausage sandwich.
It’s quick, easy, and delicious and pairs perfectly with the savory sauce on the sausage.
In addition, Caesar salad is easy enough for beginners in the kitchen, as it requires only a few ingredients (fewer than most salads).
The best part is that you can do all your cooking right in the same pan!
4. Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is a super tasty yet classic side dish for hearty dishes like this. Mix heavy cream and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat until it thickens; stir in the spinach and reduce the heat.
Feel free to omit the hot pepper flakes if you don’t want heat in your dish. Once finished cooking, add salt and pepper to taste.
Other great sides that work well as complements for these sandwiches are fresh fruit, green beans, or even mashed potatoes. Creamed spinach is an excellent option to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches.
5. Mashed Potato
Potatoes may be the most common side dish for sandwiches, though they are often flavorless and dull.
But you can try swapping them out for a dish that’s light on calories and also light on your wallet.
Here are five substitutes for potatoes that go well with Italian sausage sandwiches: Meanwhile, mashed potato adds some crunchiness and zest at the same time.
Mashed potato is an excellent option for serving with Italian sausage sandwiches. It allows you to enjoy your day with your meal.
6. Baked Sweet Potato
This is what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches. Serve your Italian sausage sandwiches with baked sweet potatoes for the perfect accompaniment.
You can try baking them in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or wrap each in aluminum foil and put it on top of the stove.
When they are done, cut off the top and remove some of the insides before returning them to their skins and filling them with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Wrap these babies up tight in aluminum foil again and place them on the stove at 350 degrees until they are nice and crispy (about 15-20 minutes). The flavors help these sandwiches shine!
7. Creamy Polenta
Creamy polenta is a beautiful side dish for grilled or roasted meats. This recipe requires three ingredients: water, whole milk, and cornmeal.
First, brown the cornmeal in butter, then pour it into boiling water and milk.
However, allow the polenta to simmer for about half an hour before serving.
Stir periodically during cooking so it doesn’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pot.
You’ll have a delectable, flavorful accompaniment that will take your meal from delicious to sublime!
8. Baked Beans
Baked beans are a flavorful and filling side dish that goes well with Italian sausage sandwiches. Consider using this recipe for baked beans:
- Cans of dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed in cold water
- Can diced tomatoes, drained
- Onion chopped or large shallot
- Molasses or sugar
- Honey or brown sugar -pinch of black pepper
9. Cornbread
What should you serve with Italian sausage sandwiches? Cornbread is an answer. Prepare cornbread and serve it with a big pot of collard greens.
Cornbread is best made on the stovetop, so combine all-purpose flour, sugar, melted butter, one beaten egg, and one cup of milk in a saucepan.
Next, cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until it is browned. Serve warm cornbread with a big pot of collard greens!
10. Sweet Potato Wedges
To me, sweet potatoes are the perfect complement to any savory sandwich. They’re filling, super affordable, and come in various colors for various occasions.
Today, I’ll show you how to make wedges that are easy to prepare and hard not to love. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Large sweet potatoes
- Olive oil (for baking)
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- Ground cinnamon
- Garlic powder
- Cinnamon sugar mixture*(optional)
First, bake the sweet potatoes until a fork can easily pierce them. Depending on their size, this may take anywhere from 35 minutes to 1 hour, so don’t get discouraged if yours takes a while before they’re done!
11. Sautéed Summer Vegetables
Sauté onions and garlic in oil until fragrant; add peppers, zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, and a mix of diced tomatoes.
Saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
Also, add tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir together well, then simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add fresh basil and red pepper flakes (optional) before serving alongside your favorite Italian sausage sandwich recipe.
Sauteed summer vegetables are an excellent option for what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches.
This savory side dish is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. It can be served alone or alongside your favorite Italian sausage sandwich recipe as a tasty alternative to fries or chips!
12. Corn on the Cob
Sauté one cup of corn kernels in a skillet over medium-high heat for about four minutes. Sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, and salt.
Add one clove of minced garlic and cook for another minute. Serve the corn on the cob alongside your favorite Italian sausage sandwich.
13. Cucumber Salad
Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, and tomato on a crusty roll. These three ingredients are all that is needed for the perfect sandwich. But there’s more to a sandwich than just those three things! Enter side dishes.
The right sides can transform your sandwich from okay to extraordinary.
There are many great options when deciding what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches.
Still, the best choice for what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches is, by far, a cucumber salad. Here’s why:
Cucumbers taste crisp and refreshing, contrasting nicely with a heavy sandwich like this.
Their earthy flavor blends nicely with the richness of the cheese and flavor-packed meat in this dish. Cucumber salad is a super easy dish that tastes fresh.
Also, adding cucumbers gives the salad more crunch and pairs well with the crispy bread in an Italian sausage sandwich.
This is an excellent dish for summer when you can buy local cucumbers from your farmer’s market. If you don’t have time to make the cucumber salad, store-bought pickles work too!
Always dress the sides before putting them on your sandwich—they will get soggy if they sit in mayonnaise too long.
14. Pasta Salad
This is what to serve with Italian sausage sandwiches. Pasta salad is one of many people’s favorite pasta side dishes.
You can make it in advance, convenient for entertaining guests on a weeknight or when pressed for time.
The pasta stays light, and the vegetables add freshness, vitamins, and crunch. All those extra ingredients work together to make this dish even more robust.
In addition, add salty feta cheese because it gives everything an added pop of flavor! This versatile dish can be adjusted based on your preferences and the ingredients you have on hand.
15. Sweet and Sour Coleslaw
Sweet and Sour Coleslaw is a great side dish for your next Italian sausage sandwich. This coleslaw recipe is more precious than sour, but the name fits so well that we couldn’t resist.
The sweetness comes from the cranberries and apples, while the vinegar balances it out and adds the sour element.
Also, the coleslaw has sugar and salt to balance it and fresh herbs (thyme or parsley).
If you’re using this recipe as a sandwich side dish, chop it up after it’s been chilled in the fridge. You can also mix everything to get that perfect balance of flavors.
