15+ Side Dishes for Chicken and Rice Casserole

July 23, 2020
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
Fill out your dinner menu with ease by pairing a classic chicken and rice casserole with one of these simple sides. From sauteed veggies and fruit salad to muffins and rolls, each of these side dish recipes would pair well with the casserole. Try a new one each time and you'll be sure to discover new favorite recipes that the whole family will love.
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Jeweled Green Beans

Photo: Laurie Black; Styling: Chelsea Fuss
Jeweled Green Beans Recipe
This brightly colored side is the perfect complement to any chicken and rice casserole. Top boiled green beans with a mix of bell peppers and red onions sauteed in bacon grease, plus the crumbled, cooked bacon.
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Sesame Broccoli

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Sesame Broccoli Recipe
It's amazing what a little seasoning can do for the simplest and of sides—our Sesame Broccoli.

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Sautéed Baby Squash with Scallions

Ken Kochey
Sautéed Baby Squash with Scallions Recipe
This fast and easy side combines sautéed baby squash with scallions, shallots and parsley. It's a great way to showcase the vegetable's summer-fresh flavor.
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Simple Salad with Parmesan

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Simple Salad with Parmesan Recipe
Mixed baby greens, shaved parmesan, halved cherry tomatoes, and a homemade vinaigrette dressing are all you need for this easy and satisfying side salad.

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Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Lynn Miller
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Recipe
Highlight the natural flavors of fresh asparagus by tossing with a lemon-salt mixture and roasting in the oven until tender and lightly browned.

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Blackberry Muffins

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee
Blackberry Muffins Recipe
Muffins make for a delicious and homey side dish for chicken and rice casserole. These Blackberry Muffins have a nice light crumb and a perfect crunchy sugary topping. Buttermilk gives the muffins a tender, yet light, consistency and teams up with acidic lemon zest to counteract the sweetness from the berries’ natural sugar.
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Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms

Photo: Levi Brown; Styling: Thom Driver
Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms Recipe
In less than 20 minutes, Sauteed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms can be your new favorite accompaniment to your favorite main dish. We used presliced cremini mushrooms to give us a headstart to meal prep and added some fresh thyme and a few splashes of white wine to amp up the flavor.

 

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Wilted Spinach

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Wilted Spinach Recipe
Cook baby spinach, red onion, and garlic in a homemade Dijon mustard vinaigrette in a skillet over medium-high heat for a quick, easy, and nutrient-rich side.

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Easy Parmesan-Herb Rolls

Photo: Helen Norman; Styling: Carrie Purcell 
Easy Parmesan-Herb Rolls Recipe
No time to bake bread from scratch? Here's a recipe to jazz up store-bought canned dough. For the dried herbs, mix together your favorites to make 1 Tbsp.
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Steamed Broccoli with Garlic and Red Onion

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Claire Spollen
Steamed Broccoli with Garlic and Red Onion Recipe
Dress up steamed broccoli with a little red onion and garlic for a filling side that packs a flavor punch.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe
Toss mixed fresh fruit with a sweetened citrus dressing for a colorful and refreshing complement to chicken and rice casserole.

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Oven-roasted Fall Vegetables

James Carrier
Oven-roasted Fall Vegetables Recipe
This medley of roasted root vegetables features yellow onions, potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Root veggies not in season? Simply swap for fresh, seasonal produce like asparagus or summer squash.
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Braised Kale

Photo: José Picayo; Styling: Jocelyne Beaudoin
Braised Kale Recipe
To streamline prep, look for bags of prewashed, prechopped kale.

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Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprout Salad

Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart
Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe
We love Brussels sprout salads but wanted a quicker approach than the tedium of pulling apart the leaves. The food processor slices each sprout nice and thin with lightning-fast speed.

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Steamed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Steamed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce Recipe

If using a crown of broccoli, trim into florets and place in a steamer basket over a saucepan filled about halfway with boiling water. Cover and steam 4 minutes or until the florets are crisp-tender.

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Roasted Carrots with Pecans and Sorghum

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
Roasted Carrots with Pecans and Sorghum Recipe

A sweet and tangy vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar and sorghum syrup makes these carrots incredibly flavorful. If you can’t find sorghum syrup, use an equal amount of honey or maple syrup. And be sure to choose small carrots. They will roast and caramelize more evenly and have more natural sweetness than larger ones.

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