35 Recipes To Serve With Pork Chops, From Veggies To Comfort Food

The great Anthony Bourdain once wisely shared, "You can always tell when a person has worked in a restaurant. There's an empathy that can only be cultivated by those who've stood between a hungry mouth and a $28 pork chop" (via the Champagne Club). Indeed, while this speaks to the often gnarly nature of the hospitality industry, it also speaks to the understated prowess of the humble pork chop: Foodies are ravenous for 'em, even at a high markup price. That's how good they are — or, rather, how good they can be when properly prepared.

Pork chops come from the upper back of the pig, from shoulder to hip — aka the loin. It's the meatiest, most tender section of the pig, and a great source of iron, potassium, and magnesium. But, logical reasons aside, there's no shortage of culinary appeals to love about the unpretentious cut. Pork chops are filling and versatile. They can be pan-seared, grilled, fried, baked, shredded, sautéed, stir-fried, and broiled — preparations to fit all home cook skill levels — and they hold up well for leftovers, to boot.

If you've been overlooking pork chops for chicken breast or sirloin steaks, it's time to give this workhorse of an entrée a second look. That's why we've rounded up 35 of our favorite side dishes for pork chops to help make this utilitarian cut a good fit for dinner tonight.

This salad adds brightness to hearty pork chops and makes Brussels sprouts accessible in one fell swoop. If you thought Brussels sprouts were bitter (or worse, boring), think again. Manchego cheese, sunflower seeds, and fresh dates bring a touch of fancy sophistication to this side dish, which is tied together with an easy yet super-impressive homemade dressing — made from whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, agave nectar, and olive oil. The sweet, slightly spiced acidity makes for a great complement to savory pork chops. 

As an added perk on hot summer days, you don't need to turn on the stove or oven to enjoy these Brussels sprouts. Simply wash, de-stem, and halve them, and they're ready to use. Plus, this salad is super easy to transport if you need to bring a shareable dish to a backyard barbecue.

Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Never subject yourself to store-bought applesauce again. Sure, it's fine, and an easy, healthy snack to grab and go or pack for school lunches. But, with this recipe, you can whip up a batch of homemade applesauce to please a crowd (even a crowd full of kiddos and picky eaters) in around a half-hour from start to finish. 

Just grab a bundle of fresh Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples and a blender. Or mash by hand to keep it chunky, whatever you prefer. This warming spiced applesauce would pair especially well with a rack of glazed slow-cooker pork chops and a mug of mulled wine during the fall season.

Recipe: Sweet and Spiced Applesauce

These garlic herb skillet potatoes come out golden, crispy, and buttery — no parboiling necessary. Simply fry slices of the spuds in butter and season them. That's it. Not only is this a low-effort side dish, but it's super affordable too. All it takes are potatoes, butter, and some spices. For an impressive presentation, you could even use fresh thyme or sage instead of dried.

To complete the meal, pair these potatoes with baked acorn squash and juicy, pan-seared pork chops. (Bonus points if you use the same skillet for the chops and the potatoes.)

Recipe: Garlic Herb Skillet Potatoes

In recent years, cauliflower has emerged as the ultimate culinary chameleon. It can be pizza crust, buffalo wings, and, as we're talking about today, mashed potatoes. For starters, cauliflower is way more nutrient-dense than potatoes. (Vitamin C, anyone?)

Also, perhaps even better for home cooks, cauliflower softens faster than potatoes, which majorly cuts down on cooking time — meaning you're liberated from the kitchen and free to get on with your day. Use a masher or even a food processor, and this dish will be ready in just 15 minutes. To serve, pair with pork chops and a roasted vegetable like asparagus or broccolini.

Recipe: Simple Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

If aesthetic appeal is your thing, then do we have the dish for you. This spiced baked butternut squash will add a pop of vivid orange color to your dinner table. The most labor-intensive part of the recipe is peeling the squash. But the roasting naturally brings out its flavors and caramelizes the sugars for a simple yet flavorful bite. Fresh rosemary, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, and chili flakes take it up another notch.

Serve the side with pork chops, steamed kale, and zucchini bread. The leftovers will last in the fridge for up to four days, and this squash is also sturdy enough to hold up in the freezer for make-ahead meal prep.

Recipe: Spiced Baked Butternut Squash

To achieve the signature airy texture of savory red Spanish rice, the grains are toasted in butter, then simmered in chunky salsa, cumin, and water. This side dish is easily customizable: You can use spicy or mild salsa to adjust the level of spiciness.

Serve it with optional toppings — sliced jalapeños, diced red onion, and fresh cilantro — alongside barbecued pork chops, a fresh avocado salad, and a pitcher of blood orange margaritas or a michelada.

Recipe: Shortcut Spanish Rice

When you're grilling up some pork chops at your next backyard barbecue, chances are, you're whipping up a bowl of tried-and-true potato salad. But to keep your go-to side from getting a little tired, this Southern version adds a refreshing flair to the familiar favorite.

It's savory and seasoned with sweet relish, and it can be made ahead of time. Whip up a bowl and keep it in the fridge so whenever you're ready to head out to that picnic, your covered dish will be ready too.

Recipe: Classic Southern Potato Salad

Be warned — once you try this pineapple salsa, there's a good chance you may never go back to tomatoes. It's refreshing, light, and sweet, which brings a welcome brightness to grilled pork chops.

Scoop up this salsa with tortilla chips and wash it down with a mojito or a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Or, for a knockout leftover game, turn those pork chops into pulled pork soft tacos topped with pineapple salsa and fresh cilantro.

Recipe: Pineapple Salsa

These Parmesan sweet potato stacks are the perfect hors d'oeuvres to keep dinner party guests occupied while those slow-roasted pork chops finish cooking. Thinly sliced sweet potatoes are loaded with freshly grated Parmesan and thyme, then baked in a muffin tin to create tidy individual stacks, which can be neatly arranged on a tray for guests to grab as they socialize. (Use a mandolin or spiralizer to achieve ultra-thin slices here.) 

If you've been searching for a savory sweet potato recipe that isn't loaded down with maple syrup or brown sugar, look no further. This side dish could also be a great time-saver if you're baking your pork chops. Just toss these stacks in the oven with the pork chops at the same time.

Recipe: Parmesan Sweet Potato Stacks

This Brussels sprouts slaw would make for a delicious topping for a pulled pork sandwich on a sesame roll or a side dish with pork chops and an ear of corn hot off the grill. Chopped pecans, honey, Dijon mustard, dried cranberries, apple cider vinegar, and shallots add sweetness and acidity to the hearty, succulent cut.

For party-planning ease, make it ahead of time and pop it in the fridge. The flavors will combine together that way too, with no cooking required. It's ready in less than 10 minutes, and you don't even need to turn on the stove.

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Cranberry sauce is not just for Thanksgiving. The tart side you know and love is getting a savory makeover with this recipe. The star of the show is the chicken stock (you heard us right). Fresh or frozen cranberries are cooked in the liquid with a cinnamon stick, brown sugar, and a mix of herbs — sage, rosemary, and thyme. (Simon & Garfunkel fans, rise up.) 

The key here is to use fresh herbs. For a simple, understated dish like this sauce, there's nothing to hide behind — quality ingredients make all the difference. Serve it with pork chops, homemade mashed potato rolls, and collard greens for a warming comfort meal.

Recipe: Savory Cranberry Sauce

These simple candied yams are filling enough to stand on their own as a vegetarian entrée, but they would also function well as a pork chop side dish with butter beans or jasmine rice. Instead of maple syrup and lots of butter, as in many other candied yams recipes, this version creates dimensionality and complex flavor with the use of molasses, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and orange zest. Just be aware that you'll need to use the oven — which rocks on a cold winter day but is maybe not the best move on a dog day in August.

Serve the yams with pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans for a cozy family dinner. A full-bodied red wine would finish the picture beautifully, like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir.

Recipe: Simple Candied Yams

This traditional Irish dish is essentially mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage, but if cabbage isn't your thing, you could use spinach instead. Either way, colcannon is a good way to get picky eaters to eat some greens. 

It'll hold up in the freezer for up to four months, and when you are ready to dig in, it can be warmed up in the microwave. (Hello, make-ahead comfort meal of our dreams.) Enjoy the mash with some pan-roasted pork chops and — to keep the Irish culinary theme going – buttered egg noodles and a pint of Guinness.

Recipe: Traditional Irish Colcannon

In this easy recipe for tostones and garlic sauce, we're using green plantains — which, despite their seemingly unripe appearance, are starchy and savory like a potato. This fun elevated snack is ready in less than 20 minutes. Simply fry the plantains in a saucepan, lightly smash them to flatten, then fry again.

Our favorite part, though, is the sauce — a creamy combination of garlic, lime, lemon, mayonnaise, olive oil, and salt. (It's easy to make vegan by subbing in a vegan mayo.) This sauce isn't just for tostones, by the way. It'd make a delicious dipper for celery, wings, chicken nuggets, carrots, or whatever other savory little snacks you like to munch on. Pair these buttery tostones with crispy fried pork chops, a quinoa salad, and an ice-cold Paloma.

Recipe: Easy Tostones and Garlic Sauce

This casserole transforms mac and cheese into a more mature version with fresh thyme and garlic. Thought we were done there? Wrong. In addition to the spices, this baked mac features a three-cheese blend — mozzarella, fontina, and white cheddar — and crispy golden roasted panko bread crumbs to top it all off. Serve the dish with pork chops, or you could even shred the pork and stir it into the casserole before baking in the oven.

Thrifty pro tip: This recipe is a great opportunity to use up whatever leftover remnants of dry pasta you have hanging out in your pantry. A few cups of fusilli? A handful of penne? Throw it in. Who cares? This baked mac and cheese is going to turn out amazing either way.

Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole

You heard us right. We're combining the best of both worlds — garlic mashed potatoes meets sweet potatoes. The stunning electric orange hue will liven up your table, while the natural sweetness of the tubers with the umami of the garlic excites your palate.

Does the unlikely fusion feel a little too powerful for your taste? Or perhaps even a little wrong? We invite you to take this mash for a spin and change your own mind. It would go great with oven-roasted pork chops, stuffed portobello mushrooms, and a strong yet not overpowering wine like Zinfandel or Chardonnay.

Recipe: Garlic-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This dish is all about technique. If you've ever bitten into a mushy, overcooked asparagus stalk (or, on the flip side, a slightly crunchy, underdone stalk), then you know the unfortunate truth: Improperly cooked asparagus is, at best, a major bummer. That's why this recipe offers a surefire method for nailing the perfect texture every time.

For a quick, easy, and hearty dinner on a busy weeknight, quarter some Yukon gold potatoes and toss them on a baking sheet with the pork chops for a one-pan dinner. This roasted asparagus will tie the meal together.

Recipe: Simple Roasted Asparagus

Broccoli might just be the veggie superstar your fresh salads have been missing. Doubtful? Broccoli salad is anything but boring with this recipe and its engaging mouthfeel. Sunflower seeds, diced red onion, and dried cranberries make for interesting textural components, while Greek yogurt, turkey bacon, rice vinegar, and honey add unexpected zestiness.

This is a great fresh side dish for summer cookouts and picnics — and a simple yet impressive recipe for novice home cooks. Pair as-is with smoky pork chops and a hoppy American pale ale. To bulk it up or stretch it to satisfy a crowd, serve this broccoli salad over barley or brown rice.

Recipe: Best Broccoli Salad

These twice-baked potatoes are loaded with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon — which means all the fixins' and all the aromas. "Ooh, what are you making?" all your roommates will ask. "It smells so good." You smile without thanking them. You already know these potatoes smell so good. Wordlessly, you open the oven door. There's a rack of pork chops roasting inside, too. They're so impressed that they offer to pay your rent this month.

The "twice-baked" part comes from baking the potatoes, then scooping out the insides, loading them with all the toppings of your decadent dreams, then refilling the crispy potato skins and baking again. It's a little more involved than many of the other recipes in this roundup, but we think you'll find that the extra step is very worth the effort.

Recipe: Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes

The words "creamed spinach" evoke an image of a fancy dinner party from the 1800s. The hostess rings a dainty tinkle bell, summoning an armada of servers wearing Swedish maid aprons and pouring impossibly bubbly chalices of champagne. The creamed spinach is spoon-fed to you by a waistcoated butler named "Beauregard."

In reality, this creamed spinach recipe is just really impressive and surprisingly healthy. Cream cheese makes it thick and rich for a vegetarian dish, and sauteed shallots add a savory kick. Opt for fresh baby spinach here for the most tender results. As an added bonus, the veggies all get sauteed together in a single pan, plus one bowl for the cream sauce. Minimal dishes to wash is always a relief — especially since that Beauregard guy was likely more a figment of our imagination than somebody you can actually count on to help you clean up.

Recipe: Classic Creamed Spinach

Dare we say, the ultimate comfort food? Pork chops and mac and cheese go together like a long day and a hot shower. It's comforting and warming with a sprinkle of "you're home now" and a proverbial forehead kiss.

Evoke all the warm and fuzzies with this simple mac and cheese, topped with crunchy buttery Ritz crackers and melded together with gooey sharp cheddar cheese. Opt for a smaller pasta shape here so as not to overwhelm the simplicity of the dish, like elbow macaroni, mini shells, or short rigatoni.

Recipe: Simple Mac and Cheese (With Crunchy Topping)

Let us be clear — this is not your average potato salad. This potato salad (aka gamja saelleodeu) is a popular Korean barbecue banchan. In this version, the potatoes are pureed until totally smooth rather than remaining in chunks. Other than that, however, the ingredients are largely the same as a classic "American" style potato salad. 

The star of the show here is the grated egg yolk, which gets sprinkled across the top of the salad for a cheerful pop of bright yellow and an interesting texture in every bite. Serve with lemon-Dijon glazed pork chops and a pilsner beer.

Recipe: Korean Potato Salad

If you've only enjoyed fennel as a cooking spice, this recipe will likely be a game changer for you. Welcome to a whole new fennel-y world. This ultra-accessible braised fennel is a perfect fit for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free foodies alike. Plus, for all its simplicity, it makes for an excitingly unexpected side dish to spice up the backyard barbecue with a little variety. "Potato salad again? Yawn," says this lightly roasted fennel, that only takes five ingredients and about 25 minutes.

Braise up some fennel to add an element of lightness and maturity to your pork chops. As such, fit the vibe and serve with a light yet sophisticated cocktail like a Whiskey Sour or a glass of Grenache Blanc.

Recipe: Braised Fennel

Mustard greens are in the same vegetable family as broccoli and cauliflower, which might seem a little odd to toss in a raw, leafy salad. But, in this recipe, the mustard greens' earthy, bitter flavor is balanced out by a lineup of toppings that feels oh-so-right. We're talking about a sweet-tart-herbaceous combination of green apple, fresh dill, and lemon.

For best results, assemble this salad right before you're ready to eat so the greens will maintain their crispness. Luckily, this bad boy only takes 10 minutes to throw together, so no need to worry about setting aside prep time. Serve with maple-glazed pork chops and some crispy lemony roasted potatoes. (Pro tip: Mustard greens are available year-round, but they're in season in the fall and spring.)

Recipe: Mustard Green Salad

The Instant Pot is one of our favorite fix-it and forget-it tools in the modern kitchen arsenal. Just slam these potatoes in the Instant Pot and step away, freeing you up to mingle with dinner party guests or family visiting from out of town on a holiday. If you're serving these mashed potatoes on a warmer day, using the Instant Pot will also save you from having to turn on the stove, keeping your kitchen nice and cool.

Keep in mind that you'll have to allot enough time for the appliance to heat up, so in total, this recipe will take just shy of a half hour from start to finish. Still, if you're looking for a hands-off recipe hearty enough to fill a crowd (and accessible enough to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters), these mashed potatoes are the right man for the job. Let them cook themselves while you tend to the pork chops.

Recipe: Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These little guys are so impressive and flavorful that omnivores won't even realize they're vegetarian. (Gasp.) Crimini mushrooms are stuffed with a sort of reimagined spinach-artichoke dip with parmesan and mayo. Then, with the finishing move, smoked paprika flies in off the top rope with the People's Elbow, dropping an umami bomb that'll stoke everyone's appetite for the savory pork chops to come. For flavor-palate bonus points, prepare your pork chops with an umami-forward seasoning to match: It's time to break out the MSG.

Recipe: Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

While grits can be prepared with brown sugar and butter, these savory grits would pair well with a savory-sweet entree, like these apple chutney-stuffed pork chops. They're ready in 15 minutes, and they're economical, too. Aside from a few cooking spices that you probably already have on hand, all this recipe requires is water, milk, grits, butter, and cream cheese.

Word to the wise: No one wants to eat tepid grits, so be sure to serve this one hot. If you're at an outdoor potluck, bring these grits over in a crock pot and plug it in to keep them warm.

Recipe: Classic Creamy Grits

When the days get colder and the nights grow longer, it can be tough to get a fresh vegetable on the table. Luckily, these herbed roasted root vegetables are a great side dish to whip up during the fall and winter months, when root veggies finally have their time to shine.

This recipe uses cubed beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots, but feel free to employ a little creative license here and incorporate whatever winter veggies you prefer, like onions, whole fennel, turnips, or any winter squash. The best part? These veggies simply get chopped, seasoned, and tossed on a baking sheet to roast — that's it. That means you only have one dirty dish to wash (three, if you include the cutting board and knife) and more time to enjoy the fruits (or, the vegetables) of your labor.

Recipe: Herbed Roasted Root Vegetables

This green chili mac and cheese is one of the more avant-garde recipes in our ultimate pork-chop-sides lineup, but don't let its innovativeness scare you off. Foodies in the Southwest are already enjoying it, and if you're late to the party, consider this a formal, long-awaited invitation. Canned green chiles are available year-round, making this an all-season dish. We recommend using Tillamook triple cheddar, which combines white cheddar, sharp cheddar, and medium cheddar. But, whatever cheese blend you decide to use, make sure pepper jack makes it into the mix to achieve the spicy flavor that'll make this mac pop.

This recipe yields four servings but is easy to adjust to satisfy a crowd. Although, if you ask us, "more is more" when it comes to mac and cheese — and any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Pair with braised pork chops and a slab of buttered cornbread.

Recipe: Green Chili Mac and Cheese

These Greek lemon potatoes give classic, reliable, functional roasted potatoes a dimensional facelift. They're roasted in olive oil, oregano, and a splash of chicken broth, which adds moisture and major sensory appeal. You'll be filling the house with intoxicating aromas as you cook.

Serve with grilled pork chops and, for an extra impressive presentation, a sprig of fresh oregano and a few lemon wheels. If you're hosting a last-minute diner guest, you could even transition the meal into digestif cocktail hour with an herbaceous, lemony Tom Collins garnished with an oregano sprig.

Recipe: Greek Lemon Potatoes

Copper penny carrots used to be popular with home cooks of the 1970s, but we think it's time for a comeback. Snappy carrots are cooked in a marinade of tomato soup, diced green bell pepper, vinegar, and sugar. For a filling, healthy meal, serve these saucy copper penny carrots over a mound of quinoa and pair them with crispy breaded pork chops. 

This recipe does require some pre-planning, as the carrots need to marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours for all the flavors to come together. So, it's perhaps not a great dish if you're in a hurry. Although, for an energy-saving hack, you can always whip these up the day before and pop them in the fridge to marinate overnight.

Recipe: Copper Penny Carrots

Working with fresh artichokes is visually impressive, but it's also wicked labor-intensive. Those bad boys need to be de-stemmed, de-spiked, quartered, and cored. But, once your artichokes are prepped, the grilling part is quick and straightforward, and this recipe is all about simplicity. It only requires four ingredients: fresh artichokes, lemon, olive oil spray, and sea salt.

Serve these grilled artichokes at your next garden party with pear-roasted pork chops. For a tart, smoky garnish, char a fresh lemon wheel on the grill and place it on top. To complete the meal, opt for a similarly fruity, tart wine like a dry orange or rosé.

Recipe: Grilled Artichokes

These cheesy potatoes aren't as morbid as they sound. The dish is actually named after charity and thrift meal-sharing, and today, it's one of the most awe-inspiring heavyweight champions of comfort food stardom.

Funeral potatoes are traditionally brought to large gatherings like weddings, baptisms, potlucks, birthdays, and (you guessed it) funerals. The point is, these loaded potatoes are filling enough to satisfy a crowd, please picky eaters, and not set you back a ton of money. Cubed potatoes are transformed into a thick, rich, warming casserole with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, shredded cheese, garlic, onion powder, and a sprinkle of crunchy cornflakes on top — all for a record-low grocery bill.

Recipe: Cheesy Funeral Potatoes

In case you've never worked with it before, farro is an ancient grain similar to rice, flaxseed, and buckwheat. Unlike its contemporaries, however, farro lends an earthy, nutty flavor to any dish it touches — which works particularly well in a fresh salad like this one. It's loaded with arugula, feta, mint, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, parsley, and pan-grilled asparagus, married by a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.

To tie the zesty, herbaceous, earthy flavor profile together, serve this salad with onion-Dijon pork chops and a Moscow Mule – made with lime, mint, and ginger beer.

Recipe: Spring Harvest Farro Salad

In this elevated yet uncomplicated side dish, cubed sweet potatoes are simply oven-roasted and garnished with spicy jalapeño, garlic, lime, and cumin. While the typical pesto recipe uses pine nuts, this one switches things up and uses pistachios for a more buttery flavor — and it all comes together effortlessly in a food processor

To keep the pesto theme rolling, serve your roasted sweet potatoes with these juicy pesto pork chops. You could even make a triple batch of the pesto and use it for both the entrée and the side dish.

Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto