Fruit Side Dish Recipes

The Best Fruit Side Dish Recipes From LoveToKnow

Here are 44 great time-tested recipes you can cook today!

Fun with Fruit

Every child is familiar with the refrain “eat your vegetables,” but serving a fruit side dish can eliminate dinnertime struggles by offering a sweet, nutritious, unique alternative to traditional meal accompaniments. Many types of fruit can be combined with meat and vegetables to create fun dishes, or fruit can be its own side dish. Some of the most popular fruits to include with meals are:

• Apples
• Oranges
• Berries
• Grapes
• Bananas
• Melons

From fruit salads and sauces to fritters and tasty ingredients, fruit can be a delicious part of a full meal in many ways.

Fruit Side Dish Tips

While fruit may be readily available and easy to prepare, cooks need to remember basic handling tips to be sure the fruit has the greatest impact on the side dish. When using different types of fruit in a side dish:

• Use fresh fruit whenever possible, unless frozen or canned fruit is specifically called for in the recipe.
• Choose seasonal fruits for the best flavor and lowest prices.
• Prepare fruit just before use – slicing, mashing, or otherwise manipulating the fruit too soon could result in discoloration or early fermentation.
• Use fruit as a natural sweetener to avoid adding excess sugar to recipes.
• Reserve whole pieces of fruit to garnish finished dishes.
• Use older fruits as a puree or coulis to garnish plates and serving dishes to avoid waste.

Different fruits can create sweet, attractive side dishes to make tasty alternatives to traditional vegetable servings. With careful preparation and presentation, even the most finicky eaters will be impressed with these unique dishes, making mealtime an opportunity for healthy eating and delicious new treats.