What to Serve with Mexican Meatloaf? 7 BEST Side Dishes

Perfect for feeding a large family or group, Mexican meatloaf is usually served on holidays and special occasions.

Due to its popularity, many families have their own take on the dish.

While some versions are spicy, others tend to be savory or slightly sweet.

Hence, if you’re planning to serve sides with the meatloaf, it’d ultimately depend on the flavor of your main dish.

Below, we’ve compiled a versatile list of what to serve with Mexican meatloaf.

You’ll find as many as 7 great options.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Mexican Meatloaf?

Did you know that in Mexico, meatloaf is known as albondigón? This dish is usually made with ground beef, pork, or both, with a mix of the best Mexican spices and seasonings.

It can be baked, grilled, or even fried.

A Mexican meatloaf is a very hearty and filling dish on its own.

However, it’s always great to have side dishes to accompany the main course.

They help to bring more balance to the meal, as well as provide additional nutrients and flavors.

Not only that, but if you’re making Mexican meatloaf for a large group, serving side dishes will help stretch the meal further.

This is especially useful if you underestimated the quantity of the main dish for the guests or are on a budget.

What to Serve with Mexican Meatloaf? 7 BEST Side Dishes

So what does well with meatloaf? There are many, many dishes.

But we’ll focus on our top 7 picks to help you put out the best combos.

1 – Garlic Parmesan Potatoes

Meatloaf tastes great with garlic parmesan potatoes on the side.

The dish is creamy, soft, and delicate.

And the flavors from the cheese beautiful wrap around the meatloaf’s soft texture.

Baby red potatoes, baby potatoes, Yukon potatoes, and fingerling potatoes work best for this dish.

You’d also want to use fresh garlic and sand parmesan for the crispiest potatoes.

Tips:

• Broil the potatoes for a few minutes after roasting to make them extra crispy.
• Use a metal sheet baking pan. .
• Cut potatoes evenly and place the cut side down for a beautiful brown color.

2 – Green Bean Salad

Try a green bean salad to enjoy soft and delicious beans with your meatloaf.

You might not need any other vegetable sides with a bowl of these greens.

You can eat green beans raw, boiled, steamed, baked, or stir-fried.

However, for this dish, blanching is the preferred method for cooking the beans as you still want them to be crisp.

Before serving, garnish the dish with cilantro or parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

Not only will it add extra flavors to your dish, but also look incredibly appetizing.

3 – Cheesy Cauliflower

If you want a side dish that looks elegant, you cannot go wrong with cheesy cauliflower.

It is a low-ingredient recipe and a must-have for any meal that includes meatloaf.

The creaminess of the cheese and the subtle flavors of the cauliflower make a great combo to be served with Mexican meatloaf.

Cheddar works best for this dish. However, you can use other types of cheeses if you want.

Important Note: Cheesy Cauliflower dishes can sometimes go watery and mushy.

Make sure to drain the water properly after cooking the florets.

Or even better, you can steam them instead.

4 – Garlic Bread

If you want your meatloaf to be the star yet have something on the side to complement it, there’s nothing better than garlic bread.

You can go basic with this side dish.

Pick your favorite bread, slice it into equal sizes, and coat the top with your homemade spread.

Bread goes well with almost any main dish.

They are a staple in every household, so you won’t need to worry about spending a fortune to make a good side dish.

Using some butter and garlic you can make your ordinary bread into something your guests can’t stop eating.

5 – Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes work incredibly well with many meat dishes. They are common too.

But you can take it up a notch by customizing the ingredients to your liking.

To make classic mashed potatoes, you only need a few pantry-friendly ingredients- potatoes, herbs, salt, and black pepper.

Tips:

• Don’t cut the potatoes into small pieces. Boil them with their skins on if possible. This way, you won’t have a watery dish.
• Add aromatics to your fat. Garlic, rosemary, and thyme are the best choices.

6 – Mac and Cheese

If you’re planning to make a Mexican meatloaf, we’ll confidently assume that you know how to make mac and cheese.

After all, it is one of the staples in many households.

Make mac and cheese if you want to round up your dish and fully satisfy your palates.

Its creamy and flavorful texture complements meatloaf very well.

See that you’re not overcooking your pasta as you’ll be putting it in the oven too.

Customize the seasoning by adding your favorite herbs, salt, and pepper.

7 – Mexican Salad

Adding a Mexican salad to your Mexican meatloaf is only fitting.

It can work as an appetizer and a side dish while giving you a healthy load of veggies.

You can use zucchini, sweet peppers, onion, corn, and jicama.

Make sure the veggies are fresh to enjoy a good crunch and crispiness.

We recommend keeping the salad dressing simple and light.

Some cumin powder, olive oil, clove powder, and honey will do.

Toss all the veggies in a bowl, mix them, and add your seasoning.

It’s as simple as that.

If you want to add more textures, top it off with crispy nachos or boiled peas/beans.

Conclusion

You can eat meatloaf as is or add some light sides because it is quite heavy.

However, if you want a hearty meal with your folks, don’t hesitate to step out of the box and pack some more flavors and textures.

Among the several side dishes, you can make for meatloaf, the ones we listed above are some of the best.

So, give them a try the next time you plan a Mexican dinner.