Beat menu boredom with updated sides

Because noncommercial settings have to appeal to the masses, there’s a little bit less freedom when revamping the menu—but that doesn’t mean that operators are stuck serving the same old, same old day in and day out. Beating menu boredom can be as simple as switching up the side dishes.

With updated sides, diners can still enjoy the entrees they know and love while getting to try out something new, and operators get the benefit of spreading their culinary wings a bit without taking big risks. And since 49% of consumers order a side every time or most times they dine out, according to Technomic’s 2017 Starters, Small Plates & Sides report, sides are a great place to turn to when trying to incorporate new and interesting ideas onto the menu. Here are four ways to incorporate variety to the side dish menu.

With traditional sides such as French fries, mashed potatoes or even steamed veggies, the experience can be taken to the next level if diners have the option to add their own toppings to customize the side. For instance, setting up a toppings bar with cheeses (or cheese sauces), bacon bits, green onions, beans, nuts and more can make a standard side dish feel special. Operators can add a small upcharge for up to three toppings as well. This helps tap into consumers’ desire for variety, too—Technomic’s Starters, Small Plates & Sides report finds that 31% of consumers say that better variety would encourage them to order sides at foodservice locations.

Higher quality sides, along with more healthful sides, are two things that would encourage customers to order sides more often, according to Technomic’s report. For pasta salad or noodle side dishes, switching from 100% wheat flour pastas to a legume-based pasta such as lentil penne offers not only a gluten free option, but also packs in significantly more protein than traditional pasta.

For consumers who are looking for better-for-you items, lentil pasta and other alternative-grain pastas (such as quinoa pasta) fit the bill, and work perfectly for any dish where pasta is called for, from spaghetti to mac and cheese and beyond. 

About a third (33%) of consumers say that craveable sides are what would encourage them to buy more sides at foodservice locations, according to Technomic’s Starters, Small Plates & Sides report. For operators that already offer comfort-food classics, that’s good to know. But craveable sides don’t have to be the same ones that people have been eating since childhood. Instead, operators can look to trending flavors and ingredients to draw inspiration and create modern craveable options.

They can also look to seasonal ideas—for instance, during the fall, operators can jazz up mashed sweet potatoes with orange zest, dried cranberries and candied pecans in place of traditional toasted marshmallows. And for sides such as scalloped potatoes, artisan cheeses and unique toppings, such as chopped pancetta can help elevate the dish.

As more consumers are becoming carb-conscious, the desire for plant-based sides has grown. For instance, many diners are probably familiar with options such as cauliflower rice, and for operators who want to tap into that market, offering mashed cauliflower—or mashed potatoes with cauliflower—can be a perfect way to do it. Mashed potatoes with cauliflower provide the tasty, creamy flavor that diners love in mashed potatoes, but in a lighter format thanks to the vegetable blend. 

At Basic American Foods, we believe there’s nothing better than a really great meal. And we know that what makes these meals so great are people like you who create them—in foodservice kitchens and dining rooms everywhere. That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping the heroes behind the food cook up more amazing meals in less time—every time. Tell us how we can your job even easier and your food even better. Contact us anytime to find recipes, request samples or share your recipes and ideas.  baffoodservice.com

NEW! Try a free sample of BAF’s new Lentil Penne, a delicious, versatile way to bring plant-based protein to the menu. With more consumers opting for plant -forward menu choices, Lentil Penne is a gluten free complete protein, letting you serve up more dishes packed with the nutrition bodies need, without any of the stuff they don’t. Baffoodservice.com/freesample