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Showing posts with the label Side Dish

A Southern Classic! His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole

His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole  brings two Thanksgiving traditions together. Creamy, smooth sweet potatoes are crisis-crossed with toasted marshmallows and a crunchy pecan topping. Scrumptious!! SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE Southern Sweet Potato Casserole starts with baked sweet potatoes peeled and creamed in a food processor with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon to get that velvety smooth texture. It is  indeed simple to make with few ingredients, perfect for the holidays.   His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect sweet potato dish. Half of our family likes the marshmallow topping, and half likes the crumble topping, so last year, I came up with the idea of serving one dish with two variations. It was such a hit that I decided to make it again this year. The miniature marshmallows toast beautifully alongside the crumble topping, and the smooth texture of the sweet potatoes just melts in your mouth. Two Thanksgiving traditions in one fabulous d...

Chopped Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

My Easy Chopped Cherry Caprese Salad is loaded with ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella pearls and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. EASY CHERRY TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD Caprese salad is one of the easiest salads to make throughout the year, but the simplicity of the recipe doesn't mean it lacks zesty flavors.   The classic combination of all the ingredients topped with a tangy glaze is irresistible. Caprese salad is perfect year-round, but my favorite time to enjoy this irresistible salad is when spring rolls around, and summer is just behind.   It is ideal for summer because it is light, refreshing, and so easy to prepare.   I love bringing it to potlucks, picnics, or family barbecues because it is so easy to travel with. It can be served at room temperature or right out of the refrigerator.

Southern Spoonbread

Southern Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a century-old Southern comfort food that has graced the tables across the South.     SOUTHERN SWEET CORN SPOONBREAD The Southern Spoonbread recipe is a classic Southern side dish.  It is creamy, moist cornbread that is more like a cornmeal-based souffle or delicate cornbread pudding.   This Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a quick and easy side dish. To make it, combine everything in a bowl, stir, and bake. It is a favorite around my house. We look forward to having it every year on our Easter menu. The recipe also works well for weeknight menus. It starts off with a box of Jiffy cornbread mix, then two kinds of corn, butter, eggs, and sour cream, simply delicious.

Carrot Souffle

This velvety, creamy souffle perfectly complements a holiday meal, providing a grand presentation. CARROT CASSEROLE Like sweet potato casseroles are to Thanksgiving, this carrot casserole is an essential Easter side dish that will surely delight all your guests!  It is rich, fluffy, and literally melts in your mouth.  Oh, so yummy! This recipe came to me from a good friend who has shared many of her recipes through the years.   I cherish recipes I have received from friends over the years.   They bring back so many memories to me when I make them.

Mama's Southern Baked Beans

Thick and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, these baked beans are a perfect side dish for whatever you cook up for your next gathering.   CLASSIC SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS Mother's easy to make baked beans are just that,  EASY.  This classic dish has canned pork n' beans, onions, bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and the star, Bacon.   I could not post my mother's Potato Salad recipe (previous post) without posting her Southern Baked Beans recipe, also.  Like the potato salad recipe, I have had this one in my head for years too. I watched my mother make her potato salad and baked beans a gazillion times, and I don't remember her making one without the other, but I suspect that there were times when she did. I know what the ingredients are in her baked beans, but I am not sure about the exact amount of the ingredients each time. 

Waldorf Salad

The Waldorf Salad recipe is straightforward and delicious and can be made with ingredients from your pantry.  It is ready in 15 minutes and easy for family gatherings or potlucks.    Granny's Classic Waldorf Salad I have been making this classic Waldorf Salad recipe for the holidays and special occasions for years. The recipe comes from my Mother.  It is one of my favorite recipes growing up. The original Waldorf Salad was introduced on March 14, 1893, at the Waldorf Istoria Hotel in New York by the first executive chef for a charity ball and became an instant success.  In years since, the original recipe, which consisted of apples, celery, and mayonnaise, has taken on more additions.

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad will elevate a meal for Kings or refresh a family potluck dinner.  The perfect salad with only six ingredients, including the creamy, tangy dressing. BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CREAMY DRESSING My recipe for delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is simple and quick to make, full of fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets, julienne red onions, and tossed in a dressing you want to drink.   Growing up, anytime we had a big gathering, Mother would cook the biggest meal, and the whole family would come.   Recipes like this classic Broccoli Cauliflower Salad totally remind me of those days of the love and care my Mother took in hosting all the family and celebrating us. Just like Mother, I keep this salad as simple as possible.  My family loves this salad year-round, especially around the holidays.   This brings up Thanksgiving around the corner, always a favorite.   I know this salad will become one of your...

Bite Size Milk Butter Bath, Mexican Street Corn

Bite Size Milk Butter Bath, Mexican Street Corn, is a brilliant way to prepare corn on the cob.   MEXICAN STREET CORN If the name itself doesn't convince you, the clever method of crafting the recipe will.  Milk, Butter, Mexican flavors, Sweet Corn, who can resist? There are plenty of ways to cook corn on the cob, but not one of them will hold a memory the way these Milk Butter Bath Mexican Street Corn will. The popular Mexican street corn has become a favorite around my house, especially with the grandchildren.  I was introduced to it by four of my grandsons, who worked for a vendor at our county fair for the last several years.   

Crisp Blistered Okra Recipe

Crisp Blistered Okra Recipe is a simple and fast okra dish that is crunchy, flavorful, and not at all slimy.  Some like it better than fried. There is nothing like fresh okra in the summertime.  I love okra any way you can cook it, but blistered okra could become my favorite way to eat it. This okra is super easy to make and takes very little prep work.  What keeps the okra crisp and does not release its juices which can be gummy, is to not add any water (liquid) when cooking the okra.   Another tip is to heat the avocado oil, firing hot but not burning, and then add the okra.  This renders the crisp outside to the okra and a tender inside.  This is also how I cook mushrooms, which makes a great compliment to the okra.   Once the okra is cooked, stop stirring it.  Continuing to stir the okra will change the texture of the okra, which is why it is best to cook the okra just before serving. The seasoning is straightforward, salt and pepper...

Roasted Whole Caramelized Carrots

Fun and Easy Roasted Whole Caramelized Carrots are a classic, super simple side dish for holiday meals and family dinner tables.  Fun and Easy Caramelized Whole Carrots  The dish calls for a few straightforward ingredients that enhance the purest flavor of the carrots. I love everything about roasted root vegetables, especially how easy and quick they take to roast. While they are hanging out roasting in the oven, I can prepare other dishes to go with them. These roasted whole carrots are fun to make. Peel them and toss them in a mixture of seasonings, brown sugar, and avocado oil.   The carrots' natural sweetness and the deep seasoning flavor are excellent.   The small amount of brown sugar complements the mild sweetness of the carrots. Honey is also an option.

Spring Asparagus Salad

Spring Asparagus Salad is a salad that comes together quickly with a fresh taste,  fresh vegetables, and zing in the vinaigrette, which makes someone think it is perfect for a side dish.    Tangy Asparagus Salad Fresh asparagus salad is one of my favorite spring salads. It has a light and flavorful crunch and is drizzled with a tangy lemon avocado vinaigrette dressing. Spring is on its way! I am getting ready with my Asparagus Salad with Tangy Avocado Lemon Vinaigrette.  It is beautiful, fresh, healthy, and vibrant. My spring salad has simple, fresh ingredients, asparagus, cucumbers, and chili peppers.   The salad is drizzled with a fantastic avocado lemon vinaigrette.  The dressing only takes minutes to make and adds so much freshness. The salad can be made a day before serving, and leftovers are welcome.  The ingredients marry together and are heightened to a new level of flavor.   Asparagus is blanched for the best texture and holds u...

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal, but they are superb in every way for a holiday meal. They can be made ahead and then refrigerated until the time for your holiday meal. BAKED CREAMY WHIPPED MASHED POTATOES These Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are rich, velvety smooth, and decadent. Let me just say that my family loves my mashed potatoes, but when I make these, I raise the bar. Honestly, they are so decadent, rich, and buttery that I reserve them for special occasions and holidays. For our Christmas dinner, while the  Prime Rib Roast   rests under a foil tent, the ideal time to put the  Magic Green Beans  and  Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes in the oven is now.  This will benefit everyone and help everything come together at the right time. 

How To Make Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes, sweet little potatoes crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside with a generous sprinkle of coarse salt.  There is nothing complicated or fussy about them–– just easy.   My household agrees that potatoes are one of the most delicious, adaptable, and affordable foods on the planet.  Mashed, fried, roasted, and baked––they take them any way they can get them.   I must say, though, these Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes hit the high marks for richness.

Garden Green Beans and New Potatoes

Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes are a simple side dish full of flavors from the garden: homegrown green beans  and the first crop of new potatoes.   GRANNY'S GREEN BEANS AND NEW POTATOES Growing up, we could not wait for the first crop of green beans and potatoes to come out of the garden. Fresh vegetables are the best if they are fresh out of the garden, and you cannot beat them.  I love Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes cooked with ham or bacon. This is another side dish that Mother would make by cooking a pan of cornbread, slicing onions and tomatoes, and calling it a meal.

Pork Belly Baked Beans

 Pork Belly Baked Beans, pork and beans enhanced with a glorious slab of pork belly chunks, rich molasses, chopped onions, bell pepper, and ever so slight sprinkle of red pepper flakes deliver these traditional baked beans to an umami adventure.  These Pork Belly Baked Beans are one of the most delicious ways to enjoy pork belly and baked beans, simply delicious. I made a spin on my traditional  Southern Baked Beans for the recipe for the bacon; I switched for a slab of pork belly that I cut up into 1/2-inch chunks.  The pork and beans need to be drained really well to start off with. And the pork belly needs to cook low and slow until done and golden brown, stirring and watching closely not to burn.  If you try to cook it faster, it will present chewy and dry results.

Marinated Carrots

Marinated Carrots, a vintage salad recipe, are mainly known as Copper Pennies, Sweet and Sour Carrots, but we know them as Magic Carrots.  Perfect for the holidays, potlucks, and even an elegant dinner. Magic Carrot Salad All the magic happens in these carrots when they are marinated in a sweet and sour mixture overnight yielding a delightful taste of my childhood. Magic Carrots are a unique side dish that brings memories of my childhood.   Back in the day when I was growing up, it seemed mother would bring these carrots out around the time spring came; to me, they screamed Easter.  

Turnip Hash Browns

Turnip Hash Browns are an excellent low carb side dish and the perfect substitute for potatoes.  Make them in an air fryer or roast them in the oven, seriously delicious, not to mention keto friendly. Turnip Hash Browns are a yummy addition to any meal, not just breakfast.  I have always enjoyed turnips cooked with turnip greens, but I have played around with roasting them in the oven and cooking them in the air fryer for an alternative to potatoes in recent years.   I like to peel them and cut them up in small cubes versus shredding them.  I keep it simple and toss them in a little drizzle of olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkle your favorite seasonings on them.  If you would like to cook them in the air fryer, just spray a little avocado oil on them with your favorite seasonings.  

Caprese Salad Skewers

Caprese Salad Skewers, a simple Caprese salad on a stick, easy to make and, fancy to look at.  The perfect little appetizer to wow your guest any time of the year. With warm weather and the peak of the tomato season coming, I wanted to share one of my favorite appetizers and an afternoon snack, Mini Caprese Salad Skewers.  The best part about this recipe is it only calls for four ingredients, fresh, light, and delightful. Fresh grape tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, fresh basil, stacked on mini skewers, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze makes for the perfect bite, heaven on a stick.

Pineapple Casserole

Pineapple Casserole, a sweet Southern casserole that can be served as a side dish or dessert at Easter on many Southern tables without a doubt.   It is made with canned pineapple, flour and sugar, sharp cheddar cheese, and topped with crushed Ritz crackers.   Who would have thought pineapple, cheddar cheese, and Ritz crackers combined would make a remarkable, delicious dish only in the South?

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Whole Roasted Cauliflower,  a delicious side dish that is meaty and filling enough it could hold center stage as a meatless main dish. Cauliflower has become one of our favorite vegetables.  I have always broken the cauliflower into flowerets and roasted them with a little olive oil and seasonings.  After seeing several recipes come across Instagram, I was so intrigued by roasting a whole cauliflower I had to give it try. The key to getting a tender succulent return on roasting a whole cauliflower is to cook it in butter with fragrant spices and herbs before roasting.  This will cut down on the roasting time and lends a beautiful sauce to serve over the cauliflower cut into glorious steaks.