Haluski, that glorious dish where cabbage meets noodles in a dance of buttery goodness. This combo has roots deep in Eastern European cuisine.
It’s a staple that fills the table and the stomach, all while being easy on the wallet. What to pair with it, though, is the question on every cook’s mind.
We’ve all faced that dinner dilemma. You know, the one where you’ve mastered a dish and then thought, “Okay, what now?”
We’re here to toss you a lifeline. Not just any lifeline, but a delicious guide to what serves best with this comfort classic.
Prepare for a rollercoaster of flavors that’ll make your haluski night legendary.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Haluski?
Haluski is a delicious and slightly filling dish, but it won’t keep you full for a long time.
Hence, it would help if you had extra dishes to keep you full a little longer.
If you have plans to serve Haluski for dinner or during an occasion, one dish certainly won’t do.
You will have to serve at least 3-4 dishes alongside, or your guests will not have enough food.
Besides, it’s boring to eat a dish on its own even though it’s spectacular.
Meal time becomes more fun when you have few options.
What to Serve with Haluski? 10 BEST Side Dishes
Let’s find out what you can serve with Haluski.
1. Pan-Fried Lemony Cod
In most cases, fish and noodles go hand in hand, so how about we start the list with pan-fried cod with lemon sauce?
The dish complements Haluski nicely, and you will have a balanced meal when you have them together.
Cod has a mild flavor and a dense, flaky white flesh.
So, you can experiment with different ingredients and seasonings.
The pan-fried cod with lemon-garlic sauce is one of them, and it’s one of the best.
Cod, like most seafood, cooks relatively fast, so it’s necessary to keep a watch until you remove it from the flame.
Else, it will overcook, and your dish will not taste as expected.
2. Baked Chicken Thighs
Noodles and chicken make a great pairing too.
There are many recipes, but we chose baked chicken thighs for this list.
They complement Haluski, and yes, they’re delicious.
What makes this dish even more appealing is that you don’t need a lot of spices to enhance its flavor.
You can cook a yummy dish with only chicken thighs, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
However, for heat and smokiness, you can add other items such as cayenne, paprika, or chili powder/ flakes.
The chicken will taste fantastic with or without them, so they’re optional.
3. Beef Stroganoff
Though this dish originated in Russia, it’s one of the most popular dishes worldwide, and several variants have also come up.
Hence, you may find a different dish in a specific place when you ask for beef stroganoff.
Whichever variant it may be, beef stroganoff is a suitable side dish with Haluski.
Serve these two together, and you’ll see how fast the food disappears from the table.
The main ingredients for the dish are beef and sour cream.
But you can also add beef broth, mushrooms, and veggies.
It’s, however, essential to choose the best cuts like ribeye, sirloin, and tenderloin.
4. Creamy Potato Salad
Potatoes are often called the star of all vegetables because the spuds pair well with almost everything.
Hence, we can’t avoid listing a potato dish.
A creamy potato salad can be a suitable side dish with Haluski.
Potatoes are available everywhere and anytime, and they come in wide varieties.
However, not all are suitable for making salads.
If the recipe asks for a creamy potato salad like this one, russet or Idaho are best as they’re high in starch and low in moisture.
If you’re short of time or want more texture, a waxy variety works best.
5. Romanian Meatballs
If you’re fond of meatballs, you have to taste Romanian meatballs.
Called “chiftele,” many consider them to be the best meatballs in the world; and yes, they complement Haluski.
Unlike other meatballs, chiftele contains potatoes along with meat, onion, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Eggs are the binder, oil is for frying, and breadcrumbs are for coating.
To keep your meatballs juicy, shred the onion instead of chopping it, and you’ll see the difference.
6. Green Bean Almondine
Have you ever made green bean almondine? If yes, then it’s a great dish to have with Haluski.
If not, you should make and serve it alongside the noodles dish.
It’s an easy dish to make though the name sounds quite elegant.
Besides, you don’t need too many ingredients for this dish.
It’s sauteed green beans but with toasted almonds as garnish.
While the dish is easy to make, it’s necessary to have fresh green beans.
Else, you may not have the results as wanted.
Choose beans that are firm and crisp enough to snap when bent; they should be bright green with smooth pods.
7. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
You might also like to serve stuffed cabbage rolls with Haluski because they taste so good.
The dish is also easy to make; you can cook it in a skillet or slow cooker.
The cabbage rolls will be an ideal side dish if you have only an average number of guests.
But it may not be a good idea to serve when you have many guests.
It’s a simple dish, but it takes a lot of time to prep, so you may not have enough time to make a higher quantity.
For the stuffing, you need ground beef, cooked rice, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, onion, and eggs.
Make sure to boil the cabbage leaves for two-four minutes to soften them before stuffing the ingredients.
8. Garlic Bread
Bread and noodles also make a lovely combo.
So, how about garlic bread to serve with Haluski? You will have a complete meal and feel quite full by the end of the occasion.
You can use a variety of bread types to make garlic bread.
But most often, French bread or baguette is the preferred choice.
It’s crusty and can hold shape when you pour the garlic butter sauce.
Garlic bread is aromatic, crunchy, buttery, and creamy at the same time.
You can add some parmesan cheese for that cheesy effect if you like.
Add some herbs for freshness and color, and your bread will be perfect.
9. Parsnip Fries
If you’re thinking of adding fries to your menu, try parsnip fries instead of the usual potato fries.
They complement Haluski very well, and you will also experience a new flavor.
Parsnips are similar to carrots but are paler and have a stronger flavor.
People often boil, bake, steam, or add them to soups and casseroles.
But they taste good when fried as chips too.
It’s vital to buy fresh parsnips, though, or your fries may not come out as expected.
Choose firm veggies and avoid those with “hairy secondary roots”.
10. Roast Leg of Lamb
Let’s wind up the list with a meat dish, namely, roast leg of lamb.
Meat and noodles taste good together, no matter how you cook them.
So, it can be a good side dish for Haluski.
Roast leg of lamb takes more time to cook, but it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients and prep.
The oven will do the cooking, so you don’t need to hover over a stove for two hours.
For seasoning, you require an excellent leg of lamb, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh rosemary.
See that the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit or 57 degrees Celsius before you take it out of the oven for perfectly cooked meat.
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