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If you’re wondering what to serve with your hamburger helper, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for hamburger helper.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with hamburger helper are Italian salad, garlic confit toast, buttery French peas, and succotash. You can also go with buttermilk biscuits, bacon-wrapped green beans, and marinated tomatoes. Pair it with Southern instant pot collard greens for the ultimate comfort meal.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Italian salad

This starts like a run-of-the-mill salad but adding pepperoncini and olives gives it a delicious Italian twist.

And skip the store-bought vinaigrette.

You only need six pantry staples to whip up a classic Italian dressing at home and it’ll taste so much better.

Enjoy your hamburger helper with this Italian salad for a delicious AND nourishing meal.

Why we love this recipe: it’s great for summer or when you’re tired of cooking.

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Garlic confit toast

Garlic bread is a must-have for any pasta dish, but this recipe takes things up a notch.

Instead of using minced garlic, this recipe uses garlic confit for the butter spread.

It’s a little bit of extra work, but the confit adds an irresistibly creamy, nutty flavor to your garlic bread.

Pro-tip: use pre-peeled garlic to save time.

Why we love this recipe: these toasts are highly addictive.

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Tater tots

Whether you’re cooking for kids or just feeling nostalgic, these homemade tater tots have your back.

It’s not going to be the healthiest meal, but you can guarantee that the plates will be wiped clean!

The tater tots are perfect for soaking up that luscious tomato sauce.

Yum!

Why we love this recipe: you can make a big batch and freeze the leftovers.

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Buttery French peas

Frozen peas are one of the easiest ways to give your hamburger helper a nutritious boost.

You can toss them right into the pasta, but I like cooking them separately with butter, herbs, chicken stock, and lemon.

The mixture enhances the peas’ natural sweetness and means you get a tasty sauce to go with them.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a foolproof way to jazz up a simple side.

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Bacon-wrapped green bean bundles

Getting bored of plain old green beans? Bundle them up and wrap them in bacon.

Under high heat, the bacon crisps up while the green beans develop a delicious smoky flavor.

Pro tip: this recipe also works great with asparagus if you want something a little more fancy.

Why we love this recipe: everything’s better with bacon.

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Broccoli salad

Tired of leafy greens? Whip up this broccoli salad instead.

The florets and honey-mustard dressing will give you a fresh, crisp bite to contrast the rich and decadent hamburger helper.

Not a fan of raw broccoli? You can blanch it first (but don’t cook it for too long!).

Why we love this recipe: it has a perfect rating from 312 reviews.

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Red cabbage and apple slaw

Traditional coleslaws are great, but there’s so many cool varieties nowadays.

This slaw features tart Granny Smith apples and a refreshing mixture of mint and cilantro to make sure it stands out from the crowd.

Adding jalapenos also brings a hint of heat, but you can always leave it out.

Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 132 calories.

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French fried onions

These fried onions are the perfect topper for hamburger helper.

They’ll add a satisfying crunch to contrast all the tender textures in your pasta dish.

And they’re super easy – you should have most of the ingredients in your cupboards already.

And to save time you can even make these treats in advance and reheat them in the oven to crisp them back up.

Why we love this recipe: you’ll get so much use out of a single batch.

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Southern instant pot collard greens

Go full Southern and serve your hamburger helper with a bowl of collard greens.

The traditional recipe usually takes hours to make because the greens benefit from a long, slow cook

But with the help of the instant pot, the collard greens become tender and flavorful in around 30 minutes.

Why we love this recipe: it’s great for busy weeknight dinners.

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Buttermilk biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are another Southern classic you can pair with hamburger helper.

They’re soft and fluffy, so perfect for mopping up the rich cheesy sauce.

The trick with these is to flatten and fold the dough a few times before cutting it.

This technique will give the biscuits hundreds of layers, making them tall and flaky.

Why we love this recipe: these biscuits will make your kitchen smell heavenly.

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Succotash

Succotash is a veggie medley.

Everyone has their own version, but the best thing about it is that it’s so easy to customize. The only ‘essentials’ are corn and lima beans.

Other recipes add things like tomatoes and green beans, but this recipe keeps it simple with a medley of peppers.

Why we love this recipe: it’s super nourishing.

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Zucchini noodles

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/444237950745180136/

These zucchini noodles will blend into your hamburger helper so well that you’ll easily be able to hide them from fussy eaters.

And you can cut the zucchini into any shape, so it’ll work whatever type of pasta you’re using.

Tip: don’t cook the ribbons too much or they’ll become soggy and mushy.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a great way to sneak more veggies into your meal.

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Caesar salad

Pasta dinners can be pretty heavy, so sometimes you just want a light side.

And salads are an easy fix!

I especially like a simple Caesar salad. The crisp lettuce and croutons covered with a garlicky, lemony dressing is a satisfying combination.

Psst… don’t skip the anchovies in the dressing, they add real depth of flavor.

Why we love this recipe: it’s all homemade, including the croutons.

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Focaccia

This is a classic Italian flatbread with a golden crispy crust and fluffy insides that make it oh-so-irresistible.

A sprinkle of herbs – rosemary’s my favorite – is all you need to enhance this bread’s natural flavors.

But you can also get creative with olives, sun dried tomatoes, and even pesto.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a detailed, easy-to-follow recipe that’s great even for beginners at baking.

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Marinated tomatoes

These marinated tomatoes are a must-try, especially when tomatoes are in season.

Soaking the tomatoes in a lemony dressing infuses them with a bright, citrusy flavor that helps cut through the richness of your hamburger helper.

The hardest part about this side dish is the waiting game – the tomatoes need to soak for at least two hours (overnight if you can).

Why we love this recipe: it’s effortless.

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