You’re putting together a meal of mouthwatering hamburgers, but that’s not all you want to serve. Burgers and fries go together well, but as side dishes go, fries are a fairly plain option. You need inspiration with the best side dishes for burgers.
Burgers are a relatively simple meal to put together, so it’s easy to add to your lunch or dinner with delicious hamburger sides. Sides for burgers create a filling meal with something everyone loves, and you have plenty of options. Discover your family’s new favorite side dish with help from the guide below.
Best Side Dishes to Serve With Burgers
To create a meal that everyone in your family will enjoy, offer different sides for burgers. Make unique, mouthwatering dishes your family is sure to enjoy with recipes from Premio Foods and our selection of delicious sausage products. Remember to cook sausage to a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for pork and 165 degrees Fahrenheit for chicken, no matter what you’re cooking. With that in mind, check out these side dishes for hamburgers and get ready to make your favorites:
Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort dish, and it makes a filling option for hamburger sides. For a twist on this classic favorite, make Premio Sausage Mac n’ Cheese. Use grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese — 1 cup of each for 4 cups of cooked pasta — and get ready to enjoy a flavorful dish.
To start this recipe, prepare a roux with 3 tablespoons each of butter and all-purpose flour by melting the butter in a saucepan and whisking in the flour. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes together and resembles wet sand. Then slowly whisk in 2 and a half cups of warmed milk, making sure to break down any lumps as you stir. Bring that to a low boil and stir occasionally, season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the Parmesan and cheddar to the thickened mixture. Remove one package of Premio Sweet Italian Sausage from the casings or use Premio Sweet Italian Sausage Meat. Break up the meat and mix it in a baking dish with the cooked pasta of your choice — something like elbows will work well. For added flavor, brown the sausage before mixing it into the pasta. Add in the cheese sauce, bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until it’s golden brown and bubbly, ready to be served alongside your favorite burgers.
Chips and Salsa
Want something light and simple to serve as side dishes for burgers? Try our Avocado, Sausage, Tomato and Mango Salsa, served with small slices of bruschetta toast or your favorite tortilla chips. This salsa can even top a burger for added flavor. To make it, get one 16-ounce package of Premio Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage. Remove the meat from the casings and cook as desired. You can either form the meat into patties, grill and crumble them, or cook and crumble the meat in a pan over medium-high heat.
Set the meat aside and mix together diced mangos, tomatoes, jalapeños, onions and avocados. Enhance the flavor with salt, pepper, minced garlic, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Stir in the cooked sausage and mix it until everything comes together. If you have time, refrigerate the salsa for at least 45 minutes to let the flavors meld.
This recipe is flexible, too, perfect to make adjustments to if you have a picky family. Leave out the jalapeños if you aren’t into spice or swap chopped cilantro for parsley if your family isn’t a fan.
Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is a classic cookout side dish that’s perfect for hamburgers. For an Italian twist on this staple side, try Premio Fresh Sausage Pasta Salad. Cut a pound of your favorite Premio Sausage into bite-size pieces and sauté until fully cooked with chopped onions and minced garlic.
While that’s cooking, boil a pound of penne pasta or the pasta of your choice. Cut a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes in half and add them into the sausage to warm through. Mix everything in with the drained pasta, then add chopped fresh basil, cubed mozzarella cheese and a cup of your favorite Italian dressing. Toss these delicious ingredients together for an amazing pasta salad, which you can serve warm or chill in the fridge before enjoying.
Want to kick up the heat? Make Buffalo Chicken Sausage Pasta Salad with Premio Hot and Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage. Cut the sausage into medallions and sauté, or grill the links before cutting. Combine that with a pound of pasta, 4 cups of chopped kale, a chopped stalk of celery and 1 cup of chopped carrots. For the Buffalo wing flavor, add a quarter-cup of your favorite wing sauce, a quarter-cup of blue cheese dressing and 3 ounces of crumbled blue cheese.
Salad
Sometimes, the best sides for hamburgers are lighter alternatives. If you want to serve a salad that’s light and refreshing yet filling alongside your hamburgers, try our Premio Sausage and Chickpea Salad. Start by cutting Premio Hot Italian Sausage into quarter-inch pieces and cooking, or cook the sausage links, then cut into medallions. Set them aside to cool and prep the rest of the salad.
Create the base of this flavorful salad with your favorite salad greens, like mixed salad greens, kale or spinach. Add drained and rinsed chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, grated carrot and diced onions to the greens. For unique flavors and textures, add chopped pecans and shredded Parmesan cheese. This is another recipe that’s easy to alter based on your family’s favorites, and you can add or swap ingredients as you like. Add the cooled sausage and top with dressing, and your simple side dish is ready to serve.
Potato Salad
For another cookout classic, try our Sausage and Potato Salad. This creamy recipe is among the best sides for hamburgers, thanks to the flavorful addition of Premio Sweet Italian Sausage. Cut the links from one package and cook them fully to start prep for this recipe. In the meantime, boil 2 pounds of quartered red potatoes in salted water until fully cooked and drain them.
Set aside the cooked sausage and potatoes, then mix together a cup of mayo, a diced onion, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the potatoes and sausage, and your side dish is ready to serve. For added flavor and a crunchier texture, roast the quartered potatoes before mixing everything together.
Burger Recipes to Try With Your Sides
If your family is craving a burger night but you aren’t sure what to serve with these hamburger sides, we have a few more recipes that can help. Make a burger that’s the star of the meal with these options:
- Chef Capon’s Premio Sausage and Pepper “Burger”: This burger recipe starts with grilled Premio Hot Italian Sausage Patties. Top with grilled peppers and onions and homemade tomato jam. Complement the flavorful Italian sausage patties with balsamic vinegar, basil and mozzarella cheese. Put all that on a sesame seed bun, and you have a new, delicious take on the classic burger.
- Premio Sausage and Cheesy Salsa Burger: Start with Premio Sweet Italian Sausage for this mouthwatering burger recipe. Remove the meat from the casings and combine with shredded pepper jack cheese and salsa. Season with half a teaspoon each of cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt and black pepper. If your family likes cilantro, add a quarter-cup chopped, and add a quarter-teaspoon of chili powder for some heat. Cook the patties and top with sliced avocado, more salsa and sharp cheddar cheese slices.
- Blue Cheese, Bacon and Balsamic Onion Burgers: Serve another unique meal with this burger recipe. Season Premio Sweet Italian Sausage Patties with salt and pepper before cooking. When you cook the patties, wait until they’re almost done to top them with blue cheese, cover and let the cheese melt. Marinate sliced onions in balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to infuse them with flavor. Top the cheesy patties with the onions, lettuce, tomato and your favorite variety of cooked bacon.
Purchase Delicious Premio Sausage for Your Recipes
Ready to make the best side dishes with burgers that your family is sure to love? Get cooking with Premio Foods! For over 40 years, we’ve been making fine sausage, from traditional Italian favorites to worldwide varieties, like chorizo, kielbasa and bratwurst. You’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy from our line of mouthwatering products. Get a kick of spice, something savory and sweet or the classic flavors you’ve come to love over the years with Premio Foods.
Find delicious Premio Sausage in a store near you today. Try these recipes, or get creative and make your own mouthwatering sides for burgers with Premio products!
