Preparing The Best Side Of Smoked Vegetables

How to make the perfect smoked vegetables side for your next cookout

It goes without saying that a cookout is not quite complete without a few banging side dishes—the perfect side dish is well worth the extra time it takes to prepare.

While most of us are used to pairing meat with some potato salad or coleslaw, there are many other side dishes that can add some variation and flavour to your table.

The right side dishes are the ones that are tasty but don’t take anything away from the main menu—smoked meat. Instead, they pair perfectly with the meat and give you and your guests a complete meal with some protein and veggies.

With all the meat that’s usually spread out on the table at any cookout, there are some smoked vegetable recipes that can perfectly complement dishes like pulled pork, briskets, ribs, or other types of meats.

A side dish prepared with smoked vegetables is ideal to add flavour and some colour to your cookout. It’ll also make you feel better knowing that you’ve added some vegetables to your meat extravaganza!

Here are some simple side dishes prepared with smoked vegetables that you can try at your next cookout.

Smoked baby carrots

This is a simple smoked side dish and involves very few ingredients to create a quick and easy accompaniment for smoked meat.

Start by preheating the smoker to 300 degrees. Once the carrots are cleaned, you can add some olive oil and some seasoning to match your taste. Once this is done, throw the carrots in the smoker and let them smoke for 90 minutes.

After 90 minutes, take it out—and it’s ready to serve. It’s that simple!

You can pair these scrumptious baby carrots with some succulent steak smoked with some spicy seasonings, rubs, or sauces.

Smoked baked beans

When it comes to a good old-fashioned cookout, there are some perfect side dishes that you simply can’t go wrong with—baked beans are on the top of that list.

They go perfectly with smoked meat and one of the best things about them is their ability to soak up all that smoky flavour and really add depth to your meal.

To make the perfect smoked beans, start by caramelising some onions with two chopped garlic cloves in a cast-iron skillet. Once the onions become tender and start to caramelise, you can add beans, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, place the skillet in the smoker and let it cook until it becomes bubbly and achieves a syrupy consistency. You can remove it from the smoker once it reaches the consistency you want, let it rest for 10 minutes, and then serve.

These smoked baked beans really are a standout when plated up with chicken breasts, pork chops, or bratwursts. Get a real pop of flavour when you smoke the meat with some spicy seasoning, or even some smoky rubs and sauces.

Smoked chantilly potatoes

Nothing goes with smoked meat like some good, hardy potatoes.

These smoked chantilly potatoes are the perfect creamy, buttery, cheesy, and carby goodness you need to complement your meat dishes.

Start by lining the pan—preferably a deep pan or dish—with heavy-duty aluminium foil. Then add a layer of potato slices at the bottom, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and some shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat this for two more layers until you end up with 3 layers of potatoes, seasoning, and cheese.

Once the layers are done, top it off with some cream and butter. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Let it smoke for 1 hour without an aluminium foil lid. After 1 hour, add the aluminium foil lid, seal it completely, and smoke for 2-3 hours.

These chantilly potatoes can be served with just about any meat—including fish! But, it’s best to pair it with a beef or pork dish with a light seasoning to get that awesome flavour combo.