Thanksgiving is approaching, and most of us who celebrate reach as much for the sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cornbread as the turkey.
This isn’t unique to Thanksgiving. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, even with continued inflation, sides are holding strong. Technomic found that 71% of consumers order sides at least once a month. And haven’t we all ordered sides as appetizers or even entrees at some point?
With demand so strong, a great sides menu is a big opportunity to run up final check totals. Make sides craveable and exciting to keep diners ordering more!
All Things Potato
The spud has been the ultimate stud of the side menu. Of all the beloved Thanksgiving side dishes, mashed potatoes are the favorite across nearly half of the states. And the potato possibilities are endless.
With fries especially, anything goes. Already a favorite, loaded fries’ popularity continues to grow, increasing 41% on menus over four years, according to Datassential. Any culture can get in on the action—from Korean fries with a gochujang sauce and kimchi seasoning to Italian fries with pesto and mozzarella.
But restaurants aren’t moving as fast to expand that anything-goes mindset to other potato sides. Go big and bold with toppings for potato casseroles, baked potatoes, potato salad, potato wedges, and more.
Mac to the Max
Mac and cheese is the star of nostalgic indulgence. Like fries, there are few limits to mac and cheese toppings. Draw from cacio e pepe, one of the most enduring TikTok food trends, by using a black pepper and Pecorino Romano sauce. Embrace chaos cooking with mac and cheese nachos, combining elbow-shaped pasta with tortilla chips and nacho toppings.
Mac and cheese isn’t just for bowls. Mac and cheese bites are growing on menus as a playful way to enjoy this childhood favorite. Make sure the bites are bursting with cheese along with a little something extra, like peppers or bacon.
East Meets West
Chinese cuisine loves its side dishes. Stir-fried vegetables and dumplings are passed around the table, and fried accompaniments are frequently sought after in the buffet line. Even outside of Chinese restaurants, there’s ample room for chefs to provide their own interpretations of these classic sides.
Anything encircled by a wrapper or dough is open to crowd-pleasing variations. Crab rangoon, egg rolls, and wontons are popular in the U.S., giving them major menu appeal. American chefs can look in their own backyards to amplify these favorites—think bacon crab rangoon, Tex-Mex egg rolls, or Southern BBQ wontons. Less well-known Chinese sides, like bao or scallion pancake, are also worth experimenting with.
Your Sourcing Solution
We’ve said it over and over again, but it remains true: comfort food with a twist is a menu win. That’s especially true for sides, an area of the menu where people seek comforts like fries and egg rolls as well as surprising ingredients and formats to spice up their meals. Smaller and less expensive than entrees, consumers are more likely to take risks with their side choices, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Discover products and ingredients for sides that refuse to be sidelined.