With more consumers still eating at home, side dishes remain one of the main ways to quickly complete a meal. Fortunately, there are lots of new side dish options and innovations that quickly add global adventure; fun, bold flavors; comfort and a healthy halo.

Strong consumer interest in plant-based products continues to bode well for veggie-forward side dishes across all sections of the grocery store.

CPG giants Conagra Brands and B&G Foods were active in the freezercase. Conagra’s Birds Eye brand introduced four new Fire Roasted Vegetables (Corn, Peppers & Onions; Brussels Sprouts; Carrots), two frozen vegetable dips and two new Birds Eye Fusions, which combine mixtures of vegetables with sauces. Varieties are Spring Mix with Garlic Butter or Asian Mix with Sesame Soy Sauce. Conagra’s Marie Callender’s brand also got into the act with four new comfort foods: Cheesy Potato Casserole, Sweet Corn Casserole, Cheddar Broccoli Casserole, and Green Bean Casserole. Last but not least, the P.F. Chang's Home Menu brand also introduced three 10oz “restaurant-quality” sides: Teriyaki Broccoli, Chili Garlic Edamame, and Sesame Green Beans.

Last September saw B&G extend its Green Giant brand with nine new items in its Restaurant Style Sides and Riced Veggies lines. It also introduced a brand new offering: Dino Veggie Tots. New Restaurant Style Sides include Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic & Thyme and Asparagus; and Roasted Red Potatoes & Onions with Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper. They feature premium vegetable cuts with chef-created sauces and come ready to sauté in the skillet or heat in the microwave. Two new Riced Veggies varieties are Riced Rainbow Cauliflower, and Riced Veggie Blends Creamy Alfredo made with Rainbow Cauliflower. New Dino Veggie Tots feature vegetables as the first ingredient. Three offerings are Sweet Potato & Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheese, and Cauliflower.

Want fries with that? One interesting twist involved Kellanova, which extended its MorningStar Farms brand with a new plant-based Chik’n Fries coated with two different Pringles chip flavors Original and Scorchin’ Cheddar Cheeze.

There also was plenty of activity in the refrigerated case. Here, the nationwide leader is Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore. Reser’s extended its own branded, pre-packaged line with two new Main St. Bistro baked potatoes: Twice Baked Signature Potatoes and Twice Baked Double Cheese Potatoes. The company also showcased a range of new bulk and pre-packed items at last year’s International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association convention. New bulk deli salads included a Roasted Street Corn Macaroni Salad and a Dulce de Leche Apple Salad Kit. New pre-packed offerings included a Zesty BBQ Mac and Creamed Corn.

Elsewhere, Cleveland Kitchen, Cleveland, Ohio, kicked off 2024 with two interesting pre-packaged 16oz offerings: Pickled Red Onions and Pickled Asian Vegetables. One interesting new regional offering debuted in the shelf-stable aisle. McCall Farms Inc., Effingham, S.C., added Southern-inspired Skillet Corn to its Glory Foods line.

Ethnic Adventures, Rice & Grains

Side dishes offer consumers some fun opportunities to explore ethnic cuisines of all types—and from all corners of the globe. Ajinomoto Foods North America, Ontario, Calif., closed last year with news that its authentic Japanese-style Hane Gyoza (Japanese-style dumplings, 60-count for $14.99) would start distribution at Costco locations across the Northwest.

Last fall saw Chakalaka Brands, Hoboken, N.J., introduce three 6oz shelf-stable packages of chakalaka, a traditional South African bean dish featuring beans, spicy curry, peppers and vegetables. Chakalaka varieties are No Mathata (mild), Original (medium) and Mathata (spicy). This year brought news that SOMOS Foods, Austin, Texas, is expanding distribution of its authentic Mexican products to Walmart stores nationwide. The company’s shelf-stable side dish line includes Mexican Street Corn White Rice, Cilantro Lime White Rice, Mexican Black Beans, and Cauliflower Tinga.

Closely aligned with ethnic foods is the broader category of rice- and bean-based items. And there’s been lots of activity here as well. Houston’s Riviana Foods Inc. added new flavors to its Minute Rice Cups and Instant Rice product lines. The latest Minute Rice Cups flavors include Butter & Sea Salt Jasmine Rice, Spanish Rice, and the newly formatted Cilantro & Lime Jasmine Rice, which now comes in an 8.8oz two-pack instead of single 7oz cup. Also new is a Minute Instant Basmati Rice. Speaking of basmati, last fall saw LT Foods Americas, Cypress, Calif., extend its Royal brand ready-to-heat basmati rice line with a White Queso & Jalapeño variety.

Going with the grain was Mars Incorporated, Chicago, which extended Seeds of Change brand with a new three-item, organic Super Grains line. Varieties include Tuscan Herbs (featuring organic quinoa, wheat berries and pearl millet), Indian Style (with sorghum, finger millet and quinoa) and Smoky Southwest (with quinoa, amaranth, pearl millet and sorghum).

Better by the Bowl

Soup is another category that’s still hot according to trend experts. In fact, looking ahead to this year’s trends, the Specialty Food Association’s official “Trendspotter Panel” identified soup as one of eight key trend areas for 2024.

Said SFA: “Soup recipes on TikTok are so popular the segment has been dubbed SoupTok, spurred on by the pandemic-era rise of the soup girlie and viral line, ‘Gorgeous, gorgeous girls love soup.’ Unlike some TikTok food trends, soup has staying power … Expect to see more soups, broths, and soup starters and mixes on shelves and menus.”

For that matter, there are interesting items involving companies large and small. For its part, category giant Campbell Soup extended its line with two new Campbell’s Condensed Gluten Free Soups (Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken). Taking a more interesting twist was Kraft-Heinz, which partnered last November with Top Chef finalist and dumpling specialist Shirley Chung. Together they created KRAFT Singles Souplings, dumplings filled with tomato soup and grilled KRAFT Singles cheese. The product debuted at Chung’s Culver City, Calif., restaurant and was available for national shipping through Goldbelly.com

Another big name, PepsiCo, selected a soup company as part of its Hispanic Greenhouse Accelerator Program (six-month business mentoring). Among those chosen for “Juntos Crecemos” (Together We Grow) was I Eat My Greens, San Diego. The business specializes in chef-crafted, plant-based soups made with fresh, whole-food ingredients. It also emphasizes sustainable agricultural practices that reduce food waste.

Another new name in soups—is actually an old name. Fresh soups specialist Kevin Fortun sold his popular Stockpot brand to Campbell Soup back in 1998. This year finds Fortun Foods back with the Stockpot brand and his Kirkland, Wash., operations. The 14oz line includes New England Clam Chowder, Chili with Meat & Beans, Chicken Vegetable Noodle, Vegetarian Tomato Bisque, Broccoli and Cheese, and Lobster Bisque. Extensions for 2024 were to include Jambalaya and a classic Four Cheese Alfredo. PF