Cold cuts, also called lunch meats, sliced meats, or sandwich meats, are precooked or cured meats.
They're usually served hot or cold on their own or added to sandwiches.
They're popular food items frequently served at various parties.
Cold cuts are also versatile and pair nicely with different types of foods.
Pickled veggies, candied fruits, multigrain bread, and cheese are some items to serve with cold cuts.
If you're looking for ideas on what to serve with cold cuts, don't search anywhere else because we'll list the best items to go with cold cuts.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Cold Cuts?
You can consume cold cuts on their own, but there are several reasons why you need to add side dishes.
Firstly, eating enormous amounts of meat on their own is unhealthy.
Secondly, one dish doesn't make your meal complete.
You need side dishes for that.
Thirdly, why shouldn't you enjoy more items when cold cuts are so versatile?
Last but not least, side dishes are necessary when you serve cold cuts at any event.
Else, the party will be boring.
What to Serve with Cold Cuts? 10 Best Side Dishes
Here are some items you can serve with cold cuts.
1 - Grilled Seasonal Veggies
Vegetables match perfectly with meat, so it's only fair if we start the list with a veggie dish.
Seasonal vegetables grilled to perfection can make a lovely and complete meal with cold cuts.
It's also a convenient dish because you can choose from many ingredients.
You can use asparagus, eggplant, yellow squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini veggies to make the dish.
A bit of salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil with herbs is sufficient to make yummy grilled veggies.
But make sure to use the best fresh veggies for the dish, or it won't be as flavorful as described.
Avoid veggies with blemishes and soft spots as they indicate aging and rot.
2 - Candied Fruits
If you serve cold cuts as a snack at lunch or on a light occasion, candied fruits can be perfect partners to serve alongside the meat.
They have contrasting flavors, so one will tone down the sweetness and the other the saltiness.
Candied fruits are also called glacé fruit, and it's made of whole or pieces of fruits.
It can also be made of fruit skin and undergoes a preservation process.
You can eat them on their own or pair them with other foods such as cold cuts.
You'll find candied fruits made of various fruits such as cherry, plum, orange, apricot, peach, pear, and apple, among others.
Hence, you can serve a variety of fruits since everyone likes something different.
3 - Various Kinds of cheese
Cheese is one of the best pairings with cold cuts, so we must add it to the list.
But what's more exciting is that you can add multiple cheese types and they'll all taste good.
You can add hard, firm, semi-soft, soft, and blue cheese types to your menu.
They include aged Gouda, Parmesan, Gruyere, Cheddar, Havarti, Mascarpone, and Gorgonzola.
Manchego, Brie, goat cheese, Asiago, Burrata and Comte are also suitable types of cheese to serve with cold cuts.
Since everyone likes different things, you can include as many as possible.
4 - Multigrain Bread
Bread is also a popular food served with cold cuts.
There are also plenty of bread types you can choose from.
However, add something different like multigrain bread.
It's healthier and unique, and everyone will enjoy its taste.
Multigrain bread is any bread that uses more than one type of grain.
Wheat, millet, spelt, barley, rye, flax and oats are some grains used in multigrain bread.
They're used as flour or as whole grains.
While making multigrain bread is easy, you may not have all the ingredients.
But that's not a problem because you can find bakery-made fresh bread too.
So, if it's impossible to make at home, you can buy readymade bread.
5 - Pickled Veggies
Cold cuts are versatile and go well with different items as stated earlier.
Pickled veggies taste lovely with cold cuts, so we couldn't leave them off the list.
Though most veggies are suitable for pickling, cucumber pickles are the most common.
However, you can make pickles with other veggies like green beans, beets, carrots, tomatoes, turnips, onions, cabbage, fennel, and radishes.
Hence, you can choose whichever veggies you like and make the pickles accordingly.
But make sure to use the best vegetables for the best results.
6 - Nuts and Dried Fruits
It will also be a good idea to serve nuts and dried fruits with cold cuts.
Since there will be plenty of items, you'll have more variety on your menu.
There are many nuts and dried fruits, so you can add as many as possible.
Almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, and walnuts will all be perfect.
Dates, apricots, berries, prunes, and figs are some dried fruits you can use in your bowl of dried fruits and nuts.
However, you have to use the best quality ingredients.
For example, almonds turn rancid when they're old.
So, you must check the expiry date if you buy packaged products of any dried fruit or nut.
7 - Fruit Platter
You have another fruity item on the list, but this is a fresh fruit platter.
Since fruits taste great with cold cuts, we decided to add them to the list.
A fruit platter is a convenient dish to have because you can work with numerous items.
You can add as many fruits as possible depending on what's available.
Apple, pear, peach, mango, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit, blueberries, blackberries, and orange are all suitable for a fruit platter.
But you must use perfectly ripe fresh fruits, or the platter can get mushy, and the dish will be ruined.
Choose each item carefully when making purchases.
For instance, pick firm and plump grapes on all sides and avoid shriveled or broken fruits at all costs.
7 - Dips and Sauces
Your menu will be incomplete without adding dips and sauces because they pair well with cold cuts, dried fruits, nuts, and bread.
Hence, think of adding more than one dip for variety when making a menu.
Some popular dips include peanut dipping sauce, chipotle mayo, pesto, and soy-ginger dipping sauce are some varieties you can serve with cold cuts.
However, there is no strict rule or limits, so you can add others.
Most dipping sauces are easy to make if you have the ingredients.
However, if you have trouble finding the right items, you can buy ready-made dips.
But check the product label carefully and see that it's not out of date no matter what you buy.
9 - Sandwiches
When serving cold cuts, it will be a great idea to ass sandwiches as well.
Firstly, they pair nicely and secondly sandwiches are popular and everyone loves them.
Of course, it's easy to make sandwiches too.
You can make veggie sandwiches and add cold cuts of your choice.
You can cook them up a little before adding them to the sandwich or include them as they are.
Either way will taste delightful.
Sandwiches are available with variety of ingredients.
So, you can make different types so that everyone can eat their preferred kind of sandwich.
10 - Cucumber Salad
We're at the end of the list but with a dish that's equal in taste with all the other items.
Cucumber salad can also be an ideal side dish for cold cuts.
Cucumbers are mild with a distinctly crisp and refreshing flavor, so they will make an ideal pairing with the meat.
Cucumber salad contains multiple items but all are readily available.
Adding onions can add more crunch and taste so include them too.
Look for fresh and good cucumbers because they can be watery when overripe.
The salad will not be as good as you wish if the veggie contains plenty of water.
Cucumbers should be crunchy and juicy but not mushy.
