11 sides people are still thinking about on the drive to work Monday morning

Sunday dinner ends and the plates get cleared, and still the cornbread and the mashed potatoes stay with people into the next day. These 11 are those kinds of sides: roasted carrots, skillet cornbread, Boursin mashed potatoes, creamy skillet dishes, and two very different takes on cauliflower.

Creamy broccoli with sun-dried tomatoes

Grated Parmesan melts into heavy cream and chicken stock in the same skillet where the broccoli cooks, pulling together into a cream sauce that coats every floret. Sun-dried tomatoes go in along with Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes before the stock is added. Freshly-cracked black pepper finishes the dish, which takes 25 minutes total and serves four.

Get the recipe: Creamy broccoli with sun-dried tomatoes

Honey butter skillet cornbread

Honey and unsalted butter go into the batter together, and as it bakes in the skillet the bottom browns against the pan while the buttermilk keeps the crumb tender. Yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, eggs, and granulated sugar round out the batter, with baking powder and baking soda handling the rise. Ten minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven, and it comes out as a single round that serves 8.

Get the recipe: Honey butter skillet cornbread

Parmesan crusted potatoes

The crust that forms on these potato slices comes from grated Parmesan and panko bread crumbs coating large russet potatoes before they go into the oven, and 35 minutes later it has browned and crackled at the edges. Garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried oregano season the coating before it goes in, and avocado oil helps the whole thing color evenly. After 15 minutes of prep, the potatoes roast until the crust holds its crunch, and the recipe serves six.

Get the recipe: Parmesan crusted potatoes

Lemon garlic spinach

Garlic heats in avocado oil just long enough to soften before about 336 grams of fresh spinach goes into the pot, wilting down with salt and pepper into a fraction of its original volume. Lemon juice goes in for the last half minute of cooking, cutting through the oil and brightening the garlic. Red pepper flakes and cracked pepper go on once it’s in the bowl. Prep is 5 minutes and cooking is 3, and the finished side serves four.

Get the recipe: Lemon garlic spinach

Roasted maple parmesan carrots

As the carrots roast for 25 minutes, maple-flavored syrup reduces into a caramelized glaze while grated Parmesan crisps at the edges of each piece. Cinnamon, salt, and pepper season the carrots before the pan goes in, and avocado oil cooking spray keeps everything from sticking. Fresh parsley goes over the top once the carrots come out of the oven. Prep takes 10 minutes and the recipe serves six.

Get the recipe: Roasted maple parmesan carrots

German potato salad

Bacon crisps in a skillet, and while it’s still warm the rendered fat goes into a dressing of apple cider vinegar, white sugar, and Dijon mustard that gets poured over just-boiled Yukon Gold potatoes. The potatoes boil in a pot while the bacon and dressing come together in a skillet, and the whole thing is ready in 55 minutes for 6 people. Fresh parsley and chives finish it, and the potatoes absorb the sharp, sweet dressing as it sits.

Get the recipe: German potato salad

Bang bang cauliflower

At 500 degrees, cauliflower florets coated in Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, and garlic powder come out of the oven golden and browned at the edges. Grated Parmesan goes on before roasting so it sets into the surface rather than sitting on top. The whole recipe takes about 30 minutes and serves 4, finished with fresh parsley and a scatter of sesame seeds.

Get the recipe: Bang bang cauliflower

Baked sliced zucchini

Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder crisp under the broiler to form a thin, golden crust on each zucchini round after an initial bake that softens the center of each slice. Olive oil or avocado oil goes on first to hold the seasonings in place and keep the rounds from drying out under direct heat. The whole recipe is ready in 20 minutes and makes 4 servings.

Get the recipe: Baked sliced zucchini

Boursin mashed potatoes

Boursin cheese melts into hot boiled Yukon Gold potatoes alongside unsalted butter and heavy whipping cream, the three together making a mash with a noticeably rich, creamy texture. Salt, black pepper, and chives or finely-chopped green onions finish it, and the whole pot is ready in 40 minutes. This version makes 8 servings, which puts it in range for both a holiday table and a larger weeknight gathering.

Get the recipe: Boursin mashed potatoes

Creamy mushrooms and bacon skillet

Mushrooms cook down in bacon fat and butter until they’ve given up their moisture and taken on the color of the fat they’re sitting in, and then a splash of chicken stock reduces in the pan before heavy whipping cream goes in to build a sauce that thickens around them. Italian seasoning, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder are already in the pan, and grated Parmesan finishes the sauce before fresh parsley goes over the top. The whole thing happens in one skillet, start to finish in 30 minutes, and serves 4.

Get the recipe: Creamy mushrooms and bacon skillet

Buttery whole roasted cauliflower

Butter and grated Parmesan build a golden crust on the outside of this whole roasted cauliflower while the inside goes tender after simmering in unsalted chicken stock and then roasting in the oven. The broiler finishes the crust in the final minutes, and dried thyme, salt, and pepper carry through every layer. The recipe takes 5 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook, serving 4.

Get the recipe: Buttery whole roasted cauliflower