This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Alexia.
Growing up, we had some sort of starchy carb with almost every dinner. Garlic bread, mashed potatoes, white rice, pasta — you know, classic satisfying comfort foods. I still love carbs and don’t limit myself most of the time, but often if I’ve had oatmeal for breakfast and rice with lunch, loading up on carbs for dinner seems a bit like overkill. That’s where low carb side dishes come in.
So when I’m feeling like a lighter dinner, sometimes I incorporate starch alternatives like spaghetti squash or mashed cauliflower because they fill me up (hello fiber!) and make my dinner feel hearty in a way that a sad ol’ salad couldn’t. I’m just not a salad person — believe me, I’ve tried.
I got to sample two premium vegetable side dishes by Alexia that fall right into that hearty-yet-lower-carb category: Cauliflower Risotto with Parmesan and Sea Salt, and Mashed Butternut Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar. Alexia sides come frozen and cook in less than 10 minutes, which is awesome for people who often skip side dishes altogether because they forgot to think about them until the main course was almost ready. But I don’t know anyone like that…
Alexia sides are also gluten-free and made with wholesome non-GMO ingredients, and the flavors with butter or cream are made with organic dairy.
When I tried the Cauliflower Risotto and Mashed Butternut Squash, I decided to serve them as-is and let them speak for themselves.
Both sides are delicious! My favorite of the two was the Mashed Butternut Squash because it completely surprised me. I was expecting a plain or maybe even a little sweet squash flavor, but it turned out to be creamy and savory with a hint of sweetness that was complemented by the cinnamon I sprinkled on top.
The Cauliflower Risotto was tasty, well-seasoned, and looked EXACTLY like real rice!
I paired them with a fresh skin-on salmon filet, which I seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, salt, & pepper, baked at 400 degrees until medium. I didn’t want to dirty another pan, so I didn’t do this, but you could also pan sear the salmon to get it crispy, then bake to finish.
The way I served my Alexia low carb side dishes was super simple (just the way I like things) but for more inspiration there are tons of other recipes on the Alexia Foods website! Find Alexia Premium Vegetable Sides at Giant Eagle, Kroger, Meijer and other fine grocers.
What are your fave low carb side dishes? I’m partial to spaghetti squash.
