
When you go all the way through the process of making yourself a big ol’ dinner from scratch, the last thing you want to do is think about making side dishes as well. Lucky for you, there are some great, pre-prepared frozen side dishes out there, and, extra lucky for you, we have a list of our faves for you right here. So without any further asides (ha), here is our list of the best frozen sides ranging from very healthy to all things fried.
Green Giant Riced Veggies CauliflowerNot everything we eat can be outrageously delicious, fried, buttered, and cheesed, and we here at Sporked get that. So if you are looking for some quick and easy ways to eat more veggies that actually taste pretty delicious, we are here to help you achieve that goal. This riced cauliflower from Green Giant truly is such a tasty, healthy, and fast way to cram some more veggies into your meal. I mean it is literally just lightly seasoned little rice-sized pieces of steamed cauliflower. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart described this stuff as “crunchy and pleasant, fluffy but firm, and it wasn’t oversalted when it was packed.” Honestly, a solid frozen side to accompany any meal.
Related: Best Cauliflower Rice: The Best Frozen Cauliflower Rice for a Low-Carb Dinner
Green Giant Simply Steam Creamed Spinach SaucedHey what’s this? Another veggie? From Sporked?!?! Yeah, dawg, we don’t just eat Oreos all day (most of the time). But this veggie here barely registers as a veggie. Yes, it is spinach and it is good for you or whatever but the main point here is that this stuff tastes decadent. Editor-in-chief Justine Sterling described this frozen side as “creamy” and “savory,” adding that there’s “actual spinach in there—real leaves with real bite to them.” She also noted that it has a “touch of bitter astringency that spinach has, which helps balance out the richness.” I actually use this stuff as a veggie side in my daily life quite often—it is truly that good.
Related: Best Frozen Creamed Spinach: Sidle Up to the 5 Best Frozen Creamed Spinach Brands
Patti’s Good Life Mac & CheeseNow we’re getting into the fun side of frozen sides, the MAC. Would it be a credible list of sides without a mac? It certainly would not. Do not trust a list of sides without a mac. And this frozen mac from singer Patti LaBelle is, much like her, somethin’ special. Gwynedd pointed out that this mac and cheese is not only extremely fatty, creamy, cheesy, and buttery, it is also “really well seasoned and tastes absolutely excellent.” I’m with Gwynedd: I would like an invitation to Patti’s house next Thanksgiving, please n’ thanks.
Related: Best Frozen Mac and Cheese: The 5 Best You Can Buy for the Holidays (or Any Day)
And now we enter the fried side of the best frozen sides with the onion rings, which, and you can quote me on this, are technically a vegetable dish. And while these Ore-Ida onion rings may technically be vegetables, they eat more like a dream. No, seriously, Gwynedd said it best: the potato people do in fact make a great onion ring. She described these as being made with “nice, thick slices of real onion,” and added that they’re like “big, greasy bangle bracelets with a breading that packs a lot of crunch.” Honestly, that’s all I need in an onion ring. I’m sold.
Related: Best Frozen Onion Rings: Set Aside the Fries and Try These 5 Frozen Onion Rings
Lamb Weston Grown in Idaho Hand Cut Style FriesAlas, we’ve come to the final slide in our presentation of frozen sides and it happens to be the fries. Much like with the mac and cheese, I wouldn’t trust a list of frozen side dishes that had no fries on it and you shouldn’t either. But you know what I do trust? These fries. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo wrote that these fries are “golden and delicious, well-seasoned, crispy, and fatty.” He also noted the amazing texture due to the fact that they use, “modified food starch (potato, corn, and tapioca) to achieve an extra layer of crust.” Truly, these are some of the best frozen fries on the market. Seek these bad boys out.
Related: It’s the 7 Best Frozen French Fries
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