Showing posts with label Side Dishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Side Dishes. Show all posts
Baked Corn & Pimento Casserole Recipe
I got this recipe from a lovely woman I work with. Every year she and her hubby host a picnic at her house and the food is always off the hook. She actually takes the day of the party off in order to prep the 10+ homemade dishes she serves up. It is really a treat. Not to mention her house is amazing with fresh herbs growing in the wooded backyard along with fountains, comfortable seating, great music piped in, a fire pit, grill and probably one of every species of bird that's in the area because she even has an awesome variety of bird food readily available. Anyway, lucky for me and you, she's very willing to share her recipes. Two of my favorite dishes of hers are this hominy casserole bake and her orzo salad with honey vinaigrette dressing. I promise neither will disappoint.
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| All ingredients that store well so it's an easy last-minute dish |
Ingredients
1 package Jiffy cornbread mix
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
8 oz. sour cream
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can chopped green chilies
1 jar pimentos, drained
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
1. Melt butter and sauté onion until soft.
2. Combine all ingredients. Mix well and pour into greased casserole pan.
3. Bake at 350 F for 55 to 60 minutes or until crusty and golden brown on top and not wobbly when shaken. Serve warm.
Serves: 6-8
If you love hominy, check out my Hominy Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Orzo Salad w/ Honey Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
Holy wow! This is the most delicious take on pasta salad that has ever touched my lips. The recipe came from a coworker who put her own spin on Giadia's Orzo salad recipe from Foodnetwork. The only change I made to her version is in the measurements since I wanted a little less oil and I substituted grape seed oil for the olive oil since my hubby can't have olive oil (poor guy). I often use grape seed oil as an olive oil substitute since the flavor is nicer than regular cooking oil.
Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth*
3 cups orzo
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 cucumbers, quartered and sliced
1 tbsp cooking oil
Dressing
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
An adaptation of Giadia's Orzo salad recipe.
* Vegetarians use vegetable broth
Directions
1. In a large, covered, non-stick pot, bring chicken broth and cooking oil to a boil. Add orzo and reduce to a low boil; partially cover. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes. Move orzo to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the dressing by placing all of the ingredients in a mason jar, tighten the lid, then shake.
3. When orzo has fully cooled, add tomatoes, onions, basil, mint, cucumbers and 3/4 of the dressing. Toss. Chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Toss in remaining dressing about 1 hour prior to serving.
Serves: 10-12
Herbed Cucumber & Tomato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
2 cucumbers, diced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh mint
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tbsp grape seed oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Mix together oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make dressing.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing.
Serves: 4-6
Three Cheese Mac 'n Cheese - Easy Homemade Recipe
This mac 'n cheese is the Mac Daddy. It's so easy to make and so much better, homemade, you will never want to buy — or eat — boxed mac 'n cheese again. The secret to easy homemade mac 'n cheese is using a dutch oven. With the dutch oven there's no need to transfer the cheesy macaroni into an oven-safe pan before baking, you just take it from the stove top straight to the oven. I own the Foodnetwork dutch oven and I love it. I didn't know if I was going to use it that much but it's very versatile, you can fry in it, make casseroles, popcorn and even bake bread in it! It's pretty awesome so if you don't own one, I highly recommend making the investment. Actually the Foodnetwork brand is very affordable compared to other brands like Le Creuset. Alright then, here's the recipe for some good ol' country style homemade mac 'n cheese:
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. white american or Velveeta cheese, cut into strips
4 oz. monterey jack cheese, cubed
1 lb cavatappi (spiral macaroni), cooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. In a dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; continually stir and cook for 3 mins. Gradually stir in milk and bring to boil; cook and stir until thick. Add american cheese and pepper jack cheese; stir and cook until thoroughly melted. Remove from heat and fold in cooked macaroni.
3. Top with cheddar cheese then move into the oven. Bake for 20 mins, uncovered.
Things you'll need to make this:
Simple Homemade Coleslaw Dressing Recipe
Get ready to ditch jarred dressing because you can actually make your own homemade coleslaw dressing with just mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. It's so much better than jarred dressings! This simple recipe is really all you need to bring out the natural flavors of the vegetables. In fact the vegetables bring out the flavor in the dressing and vice versa, so make sure to include the green peppers. In my opinion, that's what really makes this coleslaw awesome — the combination of these specific vegetables and the homemade dressing. So if you're using prepackaged coleslaw mix, make sure to add diced green peppers and onions.
My favorite way to eat coleslaw is with seasoned or waffle fries. I take my fries and dip them in the coleslaw and oh my goodness... my mouth is seriously watering right now just typing this. You just gotta try it. It's kinda like the fries dipped in a chocolate milkshake thing but ever so slightly more healthy.
Ingredients
1 bag baby carrots, finely shredded
3 green peppers, finely chopped
1 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Finely chop or shred carrots, peppers and cabbage in a food processor (the ninja master prep works the best for this recipe).
2. Stir in mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour. Toss and serve.
Serves: 10-12
Dinner idea: Bacon-barbecued chicken, coleslaw (with homemade dressing) and baked beans... mmmm mmm!!
Better-than-Boston-Market's Creamed Spinach Recipe
This is a great alternative to green bean casserole for holiday get-togethers. The water chestnuts and nutmeg are my secret ingredients in this side dish that give it a subtle crunch and rich flavor. Even if you don't like spinach, you'll like this!
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 pint half-and-half
4oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 tbsp butter, divided
1 white onion, minced
4 tbsp minced garlic
4 (10 ounce) bags of fresh spinach leaves
8 tbsp of water, divided
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
1 (4oz) can water chestnuts, minced
1. In a small sauce pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat then whisk in flour and salt until thick. Slowly beat in the half and half and then the cream cheese. Turn up to medium heat until cream cheese melts completely into the mixture (no lumps). Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter and saute onions and garlic on low heat until translucent. Once cooked, transfer onions and garlic into a greased 9x12 baking pan (or heated Crock-Pot) leaving juices in skillet.
3. Turn skillet up to medium-low heat. Add 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp water and 1 bag of spinach. Cover and cook each of the 4 bags of spinach this way for 5-7 minutes each, stirring occasionally to evenly wilt. After each batch of spinach is cooked, transfer to the 9x12 baking pan. Spinach leaves should be bright green.
4. When spinach is all cooked and in the baking pan, warm up the cream mixture until it loosens, then add it to the spinach. Add minced water chestnuts and stir until throughly mixed.
5. To serve hot, cover and bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes stirring occasionally or place mixture into a greased and heated crock pot as you go along.
Serves: 8-10
Things you'll need:
Orange Candied Carrots Recipe
Ahhhh... These are amazing! And so easy to make. I make these a lot and my kids think they are eating "candy carrots."
Ingredients
2 cups crinkle cut or baby carrots
1 tbsp orange marmalade
4 tbsp salted butter
Directions
Melt butter over medium heat in a pan; stir in marmalade then carrots. Cook uncovered for about 8-10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
Serves: 4
Things you may like:
Fruit and Cheese Kebabs
Here's a fun alternative to fruit salad — fruit kebabs! They are very festive and are great for kids' parties. I cut skewers in half with wire cutters and that seems to make the perfect sized portion of fruit and cheese. As a time-saver, you can get the cheese that comes in cubes. All you need is:
1 package cheese, cubed
3 apples
1 small package of grapes
Slice the apple and cheese. Skewer the ingredients, alternating fruits with cheese. Serve in a festive bowl. No utensils required!
Love this dish? I got it at Marshalls. Here's one similar on Amazon and if you buy it using the link below, you are helping support our site. =)
Heavenly Sour Cream & Chives Whipped Potatoes Recipe
Sour cream is the secret ingredient that makes these whipped potatoes taste oh, so delicious.
2 1/2lbs red skin potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh or dried chopped chives
Peel (optional) and cut potatoes into chunks for faster cook time. Boil in a large pot until soft all the way through, about 25-35 mins. Drain and return to pot. Add butter, milk then sour cream. Whip until smooth adding more milk if needed. Add salt, pepper and chives.
Servings: 4
I love my potatoes whipped so they are light and fluffy. I use a hand mixer and blast them on high! My kids love to lick the beaters just like I did when I was a kid =) Love this little stylin' mixer:
Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks Recipe
8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp chicken bullion
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Mix together heavy cream and chicken bullion. Add flour, leeks, salt & pepper. Pour mixture evently over potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake on 350˚ for 2 hours or until tender. Remove cover for last 10-15 mins to brown top.
Serves: 8-10
Catalina Pink Pasta Salad Recipe
This is one of my family's recipes that takes me back to summer barbecues we had when I was a kid. Now, I often make it at my own barbecues and everyone is always surprised to see a pink pasta salad! It's not just the lighting in the photo above, it's actually pink! Bet you haven't seen or had a pasta salad like this one before and if you have, then you know how good this is.
Ingredients
1 (20oz) large box of elbow macaroni
1 (16oz) bottle Catalina dressing
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
10 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2/3 cup mayo
1 (7oz) jar sliced green olives (optional)
Directions
1. Slice onion and eggs into rounds & then cut rounds into quarters.
2. Cook pasta al dente; drain & rinse w/ cold water.
3. Mix dressing, mayo, olives and onions. Add pasta then lightly fold in eggs.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, preferably overnight.
Serves: 10-12
Carrot & Cranberry Salad with Ginger Dressing Recipe
This is a recipe submission from my lovely sister, Priya. She lives the big-city life in Chicago where she has the luxury of sampling a variety of different types of foods. Don't let her humble preamble fool you, she is actually quite the inspired cook and works her way through the spice cabinet with confidence. Her favorite foods not only look beautiful but they also taste really good and are generally pretty good for you too. Here are a few words from my sister herself:
"I had a State of the Union party with some friends and thought the quasi-intellectual occasion a good one to make some delicious food. I don’t cook much, so don’t really have my own recipes, but nabbed some easy and reasonably inexpensive ones off epicurious.com. I did a little reinterpretation of the carrot and cranberry salad with ginger dressing by adding some protein and substance (tofu!) to it, to make it more 'meal-like.' As you can see in the photo below, I complimented my meal with a cool, refreshing whiskey ginger."
Spoken like a true city girl! OK, here's her recipe:
5 large green onions, sliced
Bottle of ginger dressing (I cheated! See epicurious.com for dressing recipe)
4 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups bean sprouts
Place tofu in bowl and mash up into a puree. Mix in carrots, bean sprouts, cranberries and green onions. Top with enough dressing to coat. Pair with epicurious.com's Couscous with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon Juice recipe and enjoy!
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
2 bunches of asparagus
4 tbsps oil
3 tbsps garlic, minced
1/2 onion, pureed
Coarse salt
1/4lb prosciutto (optional for vegetarians)
Chop or snap off tough ends of asparagus. Mix together garlic, oil and onions and brush over asparagus. Wrap 1 slice prosciutto per each piece of asparagus. Bake for 10-15 mins at 400˚ or grill.
Serves: 4-6
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