Any ideas for a comforting side dish for a heavy braise that I can make several hours ahead of serving?

Any ideas for a comforting side dish for a heavy braise that I can make several hours ahead of serving?

I usually do mashed potato as in pic but I'm cooking for a party and I was hoping to do the entire meal ahead of time so I can serve everything with the braise straight out of the pot when it's ready

This looks like a good dish to pair with steamed peas.

you're probably right. I was just going to do a simple green salad before everyone arrived, throw it in the fridge and dress it at the table when the braise comes out. But maybe I'll do peas instead.

But I still need something carby and I really don't want to do plain rice with this

Baked beans

>But I still need something carby

Oh, I misread your post, I thought you were already pairing it with mashed potatoes. So why not make mashed potatoes? It is for a party, after all, and most people like mashed potatoes. Can't you make it ahead of time and reheat?

If you're using a slow cooker or crock pot, throw in potatoes and carrots.

>Can't you make it ahead of time and reheat?

I've tired it before, it's not the easiest dish to reheat, it actually takes a very long time and a lot of stirring to heat it through evenly without burning. I'd rather make the mash fresh than reheat it, which is my current plan, but it would be better to make something ahead if possible

I'm using the oven with a cast iron casserole dish

Fantastic idea for grilled meat but I think it would clash with the flavour of the braise

The way you wrote your original post, it seemed to imply that the meat would be fresh out of the oven when you serve it. So why not boil potatoes ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, then do the mashing and adding ingredients while the meat is still cooking? I'm confused.

>the meat would be fresh out of the oven when you serve it

yes

>why not boil potatoes ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, then do the mashing and adding ingredients while the meat is still cooking?

That is my current plan, but I would prefer something that can be completely finished ahead of time and just kept warm for a few hours, that way I wouldn't need to spend any time cooking and could spend the entire party with my guests. The braise will be in the oven for several hours so this way all the cooking could be finished before the first guests arrive.

Hence I thought I would ask if anyone could think of such a dish

Would gratin dauphinois be too rich?

Great idea, thanks

If the temp of the oven for the braise is too low for the gratin do you think I could bake it in the morning, keep it in the baking dish in the fridge and just slide it in with the braise say 30 mins before serving to reheat?

>clash with the flavour
How about grits/polenta then?

I've never tried grits but I'll look in to it

Polenta would definitely work, as would quinoa. They're not my favourite but I'll consider them, thanks.

Trust us germans when it comes to heavy meat based dishes.

So I can make the dumplings, leave them raw in the fridge for several hours and just throw them in to some simmering water 15 mins before the meat comes out?

Make chicken and Dumplings and then upload photos!!

I think I'm going to do this, thanks Veeky Forums I never would have thought of this on my own

Thanks all contributors

should have known when you guys literally has a SALAD dish that consists of at least 90% MEAT.

Your American

Gouda Polenta.

some potato salad could work
oven grilled veggies are my usual go-to, but I'm not sure how it will work with the braise you already planned

Im a fan of slaw with heavy meat dishes. Plus its cheap and easy and letting it sit improves it

you can add "russian korean carrot salad", fits very well with dumplings+braise and improves in the fridge