Looking for something different to go with a roast beef

[Traab]

Normally we do mashed potatoes and gravy, but lately we have been wondering, is there something else besides potatoes we could use with a roast and gravy? Just looking for ideas here, no need to go too deep into recipe posting, with a few basic suggestions I can look up my own, im just drawing a blank on what else you could do here.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Any variety of whole grain pasta would work, as would wild rice. Depending on what you're doing for your vegetable portion you could get creative with something like a California blend where you'd have cauliflower for your starch.

[Tvtyrant]

Squash works well, as do most kinds of bread (biscuits for instance, but also hard breads.) A vegetable soup and dumplings is pretty traditional Scottish to get with it (which is really a porridge), or anything that dips in gravy.

[Imbalance]

I'll second squash and also suggest asparagus as a partner. Broccoli is my go to. I love potatoes, but I try to keep green in the diet, too.

More importantly, what beer are you having?

[Khedrac]

Well you could go full traditional british roast beef:

roast beef
yorkshire pudding
roast potatoes
and a selection of other vegetables, cooked however you prefer
e.g.: roast carrots, roast parsnips, and cauliflower
gravy
and some bread sauce to compliment.
(and reddcurrent jelly if you have any).

If you boil any of the vegetables, make the gravy using the water from the vegetables - it has a lot of the vitamins in it.

[Rynjin]

Assuming you're using a slow cooker or some other kind of pot with a lid (like a Dutch Oven), I like to drop some fresh broccoli into the pot about...30-ish minutes usually before the end of cooking. They'll steam nicely and soak up some of that beef juice for a great flavor. You could do cauliflower the same way if you prefer or just happen to have some on hand.

Roasting carrots along with (putting them in about an hour or two before the end of roasting) is also great, and a classic accompaniment.

Rice and pasta, as mentioned, both work. Pasta particularly for the leftovers; if you make a big roast and there's a lot left, you end up with the makings for a very nice beef stroganoff with some egg noodles.

Roasting some brussel sprouts is great; bit of oil, garlic (fresh or powdered), onion powder, and some paprika is great. Roast separately so they get a bit crispy around the edges and serve on the side. Make sure you cut them in half lengthwise so they don't take a million years to cook and get soggy.

All of these work equally well with pork roast (though replace stroganoff with paprikash for the leftovers idea), which I cook a bit more often.

[Traab]

Yeah its a roast baked in the oven. The main reason for avoiding mashed potatoes is we have gotten tired of peeling a big pot of potatoes lol. We actually just ate a veggie medley that marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, basil and mustard then got sautéed till it was all at the perfect tenderness. Will look into some of the other ideas. thanks all.

[sktarq]

Mashed Parsnip (has a slight bite so some people like to mash in other things like pureed cauliflower or white carrot)
Roast Beets
Squash (for Roast beef I'd pair with a spaghetti or butternut)
Yorkshire Pudding (I will always second a yorkshire pud)

Though I'd also toss out just doing your potatoes a different way too.
Perhaps small reds lightly roasted with a regular basting of mirin, apple cider vin, and a sprinkle of mustard can work very nicely as a kind of play on a German potato salad.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Well you could go full traditional british roast beef:

roast beef
yorkshire pudding
roast potatoes
and a selection of other vegetables, cooked however you prefer
e.g.: roast carrots, roast parsnips, and cauliflower
gravy
and some bread sauce to compliment.
(and reddcurrent jelly if you have any).

If you boil any of the vegetables, make the gravy using the water from the vegetables - it has a lot of the vitamins in it.

I have to second this, although being of Yorkshire descent I should note that you should make the Yorkshire pud in a large tray, and serve it with gravy before starting the main course.

I went to University in Bradford, and a local family served it to me like this, and were amazed that the Southener knew what they were doing. I pointed out that my Mother actually came from Bradford.

[Khedrac]

I have to second this, although being of Yorkshire descent I should note that you should make the Yorkshire pud in a large tray, and serve it with gravy before starting the main course.

I went to University in Bradford, and a local family served it to me like this, and were amazed that the Southener knew what they were doing. I pointed out that my Mother actually came from Bradford.

Being a Southerner I disagree about the serving it in advance, but I really do not understand where the modern individual so-called yorkshire puddings came from - my father always made it in a large tray and whilst it was nowhere near as light and fluffy (and dry) as the modern things, it had far more flavour.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Being a Southerner I disagree about the serving it in advance, but I really do not understand where the modern individual so-called yorkshire puddings came from - my father always made it in a large tray and whilst it was nowhere near as light and fluffy (and dry) as the modern things, it had far more flavour.

Yes - Mum used to serve it in the Southern style as well - most of the time, at least - and they were never dry.

Co-incidentally, I have have just come back from a rather fine roast beed and Yorkshire pud from a pub near Billericay.

[Rogar Demonblud]

If you're baking the roast in the oven anyway, you could just bake the potatoes as well. Then you'd still be keeping the skins where the nutrients are. When served, try a dash of ranch powder and some grated parmesan.

[Aedilred]

Normally we do mashed potatoes and gravy, but lately we have been wondering, is there something else besides potatoes we could use with a roast and gravy? Just looking for ideas here, no need to go too deep into recipe posting, with a few basic suggestions I can look up my own, im just drawing a blank on what else you could do here.

Roast potatoes and/or parsnips and yorkshire puddings are a must for me with roast beef. As for that matter is horseradish sauce. Some also swear by English mustard.

Vegetable-wise, carrots and cabbage are reliable staples. I'm partial to leeks and spinach. Others might favour green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. though I'm not such a fan.

[The Fury]

You could also try preparing potatoes in ways that don't require peeling them. Roasting them in the oven works well, especially gold and red potatoes. If you have russets, twice-baked potatoes can be pretty nice.

[Gryffindor]

I usually serve the roast beef with carrots (little ones) and green beans

[Peelee]

If the issue is peeling the potatoes, then don't. It's not a requirement for mashed potatoes. Heck, whoever started the whole "peel potatoes" thing really just invented a time waste for so many future people.

[Gallowglass]

There is a whole host of delicious and underused Root vegetables sitting the supermarket that are usually cheap because they are left to rot by potato infatuated Americans.

Parsnips
Rutabaga
Turnips

are the three most common in midwest american cuisine. All three can be prepared the same as mashed potatoes and will reward you with superior flavor.

Better than mashing them though is roasting them. Just oil, salt and pepper and into the oven for 45 minutes at 400 and they will be delicious as a side dish.

[Gnoman]

Cauliflower is an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes. The texture is fairly similar once mashed, and the difference in flavor can be a nice change.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Traab
Normally we do mashed potatoes and gravy, but lately we have been wondering, is there something else besides potatoes we could use with a roast and gravy?

My aunt has a recipe for mushrooms baked with bread and wine. Simple but glorious, and should go well with roast.

Originally Posted by sktarq
Yorkshire Pudding (I will always second a yorkshire pud)

This is one of those things I’ve heard about but never really knew what it was. After reading this thread and looking it up, now I really want one.

[farothel]

Dauphinoise potatoes can also work very nicely.

[WinterKnight404]

If the issue is peeling the potatoes, then don't. It's not a requirement for mashed potatoes. Heck, whoever started the whole "peel potatoes" thing really just invented a time waste for so many future people.

It's funny I should read this post today as last night I saw some characters on the Netflix show The Haunting of Bly Manor preparing shepherd's pie and peeling potatoes. I was just thinking how I don't even own a potato peeler because I actually LOVE eating potato skins. First of all I rarely make mashed potatoes where I would hand-mash them but if I did I'd probably just leave the skins on. Instant mash is good enough for me. Usually if I want a potato I just bake it on the grill or in the microwave then cut it up with some butter, garlic salt, and sour cream.

[Rynjin]

It depends on the kind of potato. Russets for example are extremely thick skinned, so it really ruins the texture of mashed potatoes. Fine roasted with the skin on though, to be sure.

Red, gold, etc. other thin skinned potatoes? Yeah, they're good to go with just a quick wash.

[Darth Credence]

I have a recipe that is basically mushrooms in a balsamic vinegar, garlic, oil, and wine sauce. Works really well as a side dish or on top of the roast beef. Roasted Brussels sprouts with a honey dijon glaze works well. If you like the idea of mashed potatoes but want something different, you can always go with mashed sweet potatoes. Or fondant potatoes - they look cool and are great, but they require some substantial work to get done.

For the conversation about peeling potatoes - I use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes, and the skin stays behind in the ricer while the potato goes through. I can add the skins in if we want them, or just leave them out. If you aren't using a ricer, still don't peel before cooking. If they are cooked enough to mash, you can generally just use your hands to slip the skins off before mashing.

[wheelmaker]

Perogies are still potatoes but they cook faster!
Mac n cheese is good too

[veti]

Two words: Yorkshire pudding. It's an excellent carb-based side to roast beef, and it's quick, easy and cheap to make.

[VoxRationis]

Two words: Yorkshire pudding. It's an excellent carb-based side to roast beef, and it's quick, easy and cheap to make.

Yorkshire pudding is my mother's favorite pairing in that regard.

Experimentally, might I suggest lentils? Based on the soups I have had them in, they go well with a sort of hearty beef flavor, so a bed of them might work well as a side to a roast.*

*Caveat: I have not actually tried this; the suggestion is purely speculative. VoxRationis is not responsible for financial losses stemming from ruining an expensive roast dinner with an inappropriate side.