Perfect Pairs: 8 BEST Side Dishes for French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches are one of those things that are great because they’re so simple.

You can vary the ingredients however you want or keep them classic, but they never fail to please if there is one thing about French Dip Sandwiches.

Soak an Italian roll in a beefy au jus, stuff it with sliced lunch meat, and top it with provolone.

You’ll make friends for life. French Dip Sandwiches are named for how you wedge them into French bread rolls, which give it its distinctive look.

You can make this sandwich using other types of bread if you like (ciabatta is delicious).

But whatever kind of roll you decide on should be fresh and soft.

You don’t want one that is too bready or tough to bite through.

The sandwich takes its flavor from the beef au jus in which it is served, but you can also add your favorite seasonings or sauces if you like.

Popular ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, horseradish, and mayonnaise (for an au jus-mayo hybrid).

Serve a French Dip sandwich with a side of your favorite chips, potato salad, or fruit to complete the meal.

Some great side dishes include pasta salad, which goes well with just about any sandwich.

In this article, we will list eight side dishes that will be great accompaniments to your French Dip Sandwiches.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for French Dip Sandwiches?

As its name implies, a French dip sandwich consists of thin slices of beef on a ciabatta roll dipped in au jus.

However, you can’t just eat a French dip sandwich and call it a meal. Serve upside dishes to round out the meal.

According to The Spruce, au jus is a beefy broth served hot and made from the cooking liquid of roasts and steaks.

It serves as a dipping sauce for sandwiches and beef dishes such as pot roast and broth for individual servings.

So why serve side dishes to go alongside French dip sandwiches? It’s simple.

The sandwich is just one part of a meal, and you can’t have a full meal without complementing it with other components.

Side dishes are the perfect accompaniment for French dips because they’re easy to serve at room temperature while the meat stays piping hot in its foil pouch.

This isn’t the case with most hot sandwiches, which would only be lukewarm at best if they’re paired with side dishes.

Some examples of side dishes you can consider are pretzel rolls, tortilla chips, and your favorite potato salad recipe.

You can also serve French dip sandwiches without any sides if that’s what everyone prefers, which is a good option if you’re keeping the meal simple.

What to Serve with French Dip Sandwiches – 8 BEST Side Dishes

Below is a list of some of the possible side dishes you can serve with French dip sandwiches:

1 – Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel rolls are a good accompaniment for French dip sandwiches.

They can be bought or made using your favorite recipe, which you can find online if you need some help.

These rolls have a somewhat dark brown exterior and a soft, chewy interior.

They’re slightly salty, but the saltiness is balanced out well by their overall mild flavor.

You can also toast them briefly before serving to give the bread a little bit of crunch.

Then, place a few French dip sandwiches on each plate, and serve them alongside the pretzel rolls.

Or, if you’re a bit more of a health nut, you can opt for whole wheat buns rather than pretzel rolls.

2 – Tortilla Chips

You can serve French dip sandwiches alongside tortilla chips, which is another simple side dish option that’s very easy to put together.

Warm-up a large basket of tortilla chips (dip them in your choice of salsa or nacho cheese sauce), and place it right next to your serving platter of sandwiches.

These chips go great with all kinds of seasoned beef, but they’re especially good with French dips.

If you want a healthier option that still offers a nice crunch, go for baked chips or tortilla triangles.

You can bake your own by cutting corn tortillas into wedges and lightly greasing them before baking on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.

3 – Potato Salad

If you want a side dish that requires a little bit more work, try serving French dip sandwiches with your favorite potato salad recipe.

You can prepare the potatoes for this meal in advance if you like and refrigerate them until it’s time to serve the food.

Then, prepare the dressing and toss it with the potatoes.

Some dressing variations you can try are French onion, garlic mayonnaise, mustard, and dill pickle salad dressings.

You could also go the easy route if you want to save time on meal preparation by buying pre-made potato salad at your grocery store or deli counter.

This is a good option for days when you’re in a rush and want to save time.

4 – Roasted Vegetables

You can go healthy by serving French dip sandwiches with roasted vegetables.

These are traditional favorites for steak and roast dinners, so it’s only natural that they should be served together.

Potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and parsley root are all excellent options if you’re looking to serve roasted vegetables alongside your sandwiches.

To prepare roasted vegetables for this meal, you can take a shortcut by cutting up the veggies in advance and placing them in plastic bags before putting them in the freezer.

Then, when it’s time to serve French dip sandwiches, all you have to do is take out the bag of pre-cut veggies from the freezer and pop them in the oven or microwave to thaw and heat.

5 – Coleslaw

Another side dish you can serve with French dip sandwiches is coleslaw.

This dish is often associated with barbecues, making it an excellent accompaniment for this type of meal.

To prepare coleslaw to go alongside your sandwiches, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to mix well.

Then, place the coleslaw in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.

You can also prepare this dish in advance if you like.

There are many ingredients you can mix into coleslaw, including celery, onion, and bell pepper.

Or you can opt for a simpler recipe that contains shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, and vinegar.

6 – Sweet Potato Fries

To serve French dip sandwiches alongside some healthier fare, try serving them with sweet potato fries.

If you prefer to eat less bread with your meal, these are the perfect option.

You can prepare this side dish by first cutting up two large sweet potatoes into thin strips or wedges and then coating them lightly in olive oil before baking them on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until they’re crispy.

Then, sprinkle them with sea salt and serve.

You can also buy pre-made French fries from the grocery store to save time if you’re in a rush, but these won’t have as much flavor as home-cooked sweet potato fries.

Make sure to offer the sauce on the side to add it if they want to.

7 – Old Fashioned Onion Rings

If you’re looking for an even heartier side dish that goes well with French dip sandwiches, try serving onion rings.

These are easy to make at home, but you can also buy pre-prepared onion rings if you’re short on time.

First, to prepare the onion rings, cut up three white onions into thin slices and separate them into individual rings.

Then, whisk together one egg and half a cup of milk in a large bowl before dipping each ring in the egg mixture and covering it with breadcrumbs.

Then, place the rings on sticks or toothpicks (so that people can quickly grab them) on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Serve with your French dip sandwiches on rolls.

8 – Summer Fruit Salad

To help round out the meal and add a little variety, you can also serve French dip sandwiches with a summer fruit salad.

This dish is simple to make by combining cut-up watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon in a large bowl before adding mint leaves and lime juice to taste.

You can also serve this dish with a bit of sugar on top if you like your fruit salad to be more sweet than sour.

Make sure you buy freshly cut fruit from the store so that it’s as fresh as possible by the time you eat it.

If you have too much leftover, save it in an airtight container or refrigerate it until you’re ready to eat it again.

Toss it with a bit of honey before serving if you like it to be sweeter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, French dip sandwiches are a tasty meal option that is easy to make.

If you have ever wondered what to serve with French dip sandwiches, this article has outlined the eight best side dishes for you.

You can try serving French dip sandwiches alongside coleslaw, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and summer fruit salad for a delicious dinner.

Or, if you prefer a lighter meal, serve them alongside baked or mashed potatoes.

Whatever side dishes you choose to serve with this meal, be a good host and give your guests an option they’ll love.

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