Confetti Corn Casserole

November 17, 2016 by

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I make this side dish for most holidays.  I usually make it a day or 2 ahead of time and pop it in the oven about 20 minutes before we eat.  One thing I have learned over the years is that having some dishes you can make a day or 2 before a holiday meal really helps everything go so much smoother.  Plus, maybe the cook wants to enjoy the holidays a little too! 🙂 Of course, there is a reason the kitchen is the center of the home.
Don’t forget to plan out your menu and make a schedule to take some stress off of the holiday. I think all of America could use a break from politics right now and a good family holiday is just what I’m looking forward to!

CONFETTI CORN CASSEROLE

8 oz bacon
32 oz frozen corn (approx 6 cups)
1 onion, diced (approx 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
8 oz cream cheese
2 T milk
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Chop bacon and discard all but a couple teaspoons of bacon grease.
Add the corn, onion, and pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked through and veggies are softened.
Add the cream cheese, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Stir in the green onions and bacon (or you can sprinkle the bacon just on the top if you’d rather).
Place mixture into a greased casserole pan.
If making ahead of time,, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before warming in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and Southern Living

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes

Greek Quinoa Salad

August 24, 2016 by

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It’s been one crazy summer here.  I’ve been determined to finish up all of my lists of projects and ideas before September, and since I lead a 4-H group, we HAVE to participate with the county fair!  Enter: easy meals that store well.  This is one of those.  I can make it ahead of time and grab a bowl for a quick lunch, or add some chicken for a dinner.  If you have adventurous eaters this would be great for a lunchbox salad as well.  If you haven’t tried my Asian Quinoa Salad yet add that one to the list too!
You can change up the add ins of course too to your liking.  Sometimes I leave the garbanzo beans out, especially if I’ll be serving hummus as well.

GREEK QUINOA SALAD
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half, or diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup olives, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 can, drained)
3 T fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
3 T fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

For dressing:
1 T lemon juice
1 T red wine vinegar
2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the cup of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Add quinoa and return to a boil.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Fluff quinoa and let sit 5 minutes, covered, and off the heat.   This will make 2 cups cooked quinoa.  You will know it’s cooked because the outer hulls are popped off.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Pour over quinoa and chill.  Add remaining salad ingredients.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Serve with additional dressing if desired.

Filed Under: Meatless Main Dishes, Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

December 10, 2015 by

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I know what you’re thinking.  It’s almost Christmas and you were expecting a decadent dessert or rich holiday dish.  Well, I have a few of those too.  While this may not seem “special occasion” side dish kind of recipe, trust me, it is.  It’s also “monday” kind of special too.  Just before Thanksgiving our 90 pound baby dog was injured and knew I needed to simplify.  It was more important to me that we still have time together as a family than make time intensive dishes.  Instead a sweet potato casserole I opted for roasting them, and tossed in some smoky spices I know we all love.  Everyone loved them and while we usually have some sweet potato casserole left, these were gobbled up until the dish was clean.  I found it so refreshing to have a lighter side dish and the spices cut through all the richness of a holiday meal.  So these are definitely going to be repeated again!
Oh, and the baby dog is done with surgery and doing great!
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SMOKY ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

2-3 sweet potatoes
2 T olive oil
1 T smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into about 3/4 inch cubes.
Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and spread out potatoes.  Make sure to not crowd the pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with spices and toss to coat again.
Roast at 450 degrees for about 20  minutes or until cooked through and browned.

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes

Oven Fried Cauliflower

July 7, 2015 by

Oven Fried Cauliflower
I love these cauliflower poppers I made awhile back but since I don’t fry food that often I had to try this baked cauliflower I found on pinterest.  Of course, I had to change it up since we don’t like super spicy food, and I wanted it to be something the kids would eat too.  Oh, yum.  I could eat a plate of these for dinner and nothing else.  Even my hubby, who despises cauliflower ate seconds.  Super quick and easy and yum!  Next time I’ll be making my roasted kale chipotle dip to serve with them.

OVEN FRIED CAULIFLOWER

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

Batter:
1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
dash Frank’s hot sauce (or your favorite)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried onion powder (I only use Penzey’s toasted onion powder!)

Coating:
2 T melted unsalted butter
dash hot sauce (more for spicier)
pinch smoked paprika
salt to taste

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick coating.
Whisk together batter ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.
Add all the florets and toss with a spoon or spatula until they are all coated.  (You should have the batter coating the florets without a lot of excess.)
Pour out onto baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. (If you had excess batter, remove the florets by hand so you don’t have a lot of extra batter on the baking sheet.)
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix together the coating ingredients.
Brush the cauliflower with coating and return to the oven for 5-8 minutes.  Cauliflower should be crispy.
Serve immediately with dipping sauce, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Persnickety Plates

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, Side Dishes

Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta

June 26, 2015 by

Beets and feta.   I’m kind of addicted to the combination.  I think it’s the sweetness of beets with the salty briny flavor of feta that makes it so good.  If you haven’t tried it before you have to.
Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta


The greens will wilt up to much less than you thought, so if you want more greens in the salad I would add in some kale or other sturdy green and saute with the beet greens.
And if you don’t like/have feta, it’s still delicious without it. 🙂   You could totally do a citrus vinaigrette on this as well, but beet and beet greens are really flavorful and I think a simple olive oil and balsamic dressing is perfect for them.
Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta
ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH BEET GREENS AND FETA

2 bunches beets with greens attached
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper
Feta cheese, crumbled
Balsamic vinegar (blackberry balsamic is my favorite!)
Sunflower seeds

Trim and peel beets.  Cut into quarters, then each quarter in half, so you have 8 skinny wedges per beet.
Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
About 5 minutes before they are done start on the greens.  Trim out the stem from the greens and cut into 1/2 inch strips.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet.  Add garlic and cook until just starting to become fragrant.  Add greens and toss in skillet, cooking for just a couple minutes until wilted.
Put the greens in the serving dish and top with roasted beets, feta, and sunflower seeds.  Serve with balsamic vinegar.

Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes

Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

November 20, 2014 by

Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

 

I’m all about tradition on holidays.  I tend to use my stand-by recipes, many are the same my Mom made with a few updates from me.  But this one might just make the cut!  Smoked gouda is such a good pairing with roasted garlic, and if you’re like me you keep some in the freezer for flavor emergencies. 🙂  Feel free to use russets instead of gold potatoes if that’s what you have as well.   This one is worth having for Thanksgiving or any day!

SMOKED GOUDA MASHED POTATOES

5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 stick unsalted butter (8 T), at room temperature
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese
1/4 cup mashed roasted garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Drain and put through a food mill (or mash or put through a ricer, or whip).
Put back in pot along with remaining ingredients and cook on low until everything is combines and hot.  Add more cream or milk if needed to desired consistency.

Filed Under: Side Dishes

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Corn on the Cob

August 8, 2014 by

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August seems like it is going to slip away a little too quickly.  I love fall, but I love the flavor of summer too.  And nothing tastes like summer like fresh corn on the cob.  I wanted to try a new take on it but didn’t want to overpower the corn either.  This was just the right amount of toppings.  While grilling corn is my favorite, I think roasting it in the oven is just as good.  Boiling corn just doesn’t give the same flavor.
I always keep roasted garlic paste in the freezer, and after trying this I think you will too!

ROASTED GARLIC PARMESAN CORN ON THE COB

2 T roasted garlic paste
2 T olive oil
2 tsp Italian seasoning (or chopped fresh oregano)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ears corn on the cob
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the garlic, olive oil, and herbs together until smooth.
Brush mixture on the corn.
Place the corn on a small baking sheet.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the corn.
Roast at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Filed Under: Grilling / Smoking, Side Dishes

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

April 8, 2014 by

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I know it’s spring when these guys are going nuts in my herb garden.
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Did you know chives are perennial?  I have a couple plants that were quite small when I purchased them and they have gone nuts for quite a few years.  One was in a pot actually and I thought it had died.  Dumped the dirt somewhere else and what do you know? It popped back up in the spring!   I use them to make champ often, one of my hubby’s favorite things.  But the other day I had the idea to add sour cream for that classic sour cream and onion flavor.  And I think we have a new favorite dish to use chives in!  These would make a great side for Easter too.  I have made them with both russets and gold potatoes and we liked them equally.  If you want creamier, richer potatoes, use double the butter and cream cheese and maybe a little cream too.  This was just right for us.

SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES
3 quarts peeled and chopped potatoes (about 5 lbs)
1 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup sour cream
4 T softened butter
4 oz cream cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
Drain, then mash with butter, sour cream, and cream cheese.  Add milk if needed to make the right consistency.
Add chives, mixing thoroughly.    Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Filed Under: Side Dishes

Asian Quinoa Salad

March 27, 2014 by

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This is the quinoa salad to end all quinoa salads.  I can’t even tell you how many times I have made this in the last couple months.  First time I made it I half expected my hubby to grimace and say “bird seed?”… but he didn’t.  Not even after his third helping. 🙂  The dressing I used on it is my all purpose asian dressing I use for lots of things and it adds alot of flavor to the quinoa.  Since quinoa doesn’t really have much flavor of all on its own it is great for soaking up whatever you’re layin’ down.
You could adjust the salad veg to whatever you have or like, but this is most definitely our favorite way.   I even keep a container of finely chopped cooked bacon in the freezer for this salad alone.  If you are local I highly suggest you make a stop at the most amazing Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and you can buy quinoa in bulk for a fraction of the cost too.  Now go forth and eat quinoa my friends.

ASIAN QUINOA SALAD

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped cooked bacon
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup or more chopped cilantro leaves

Asian Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T sesame oil
1 cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar or half of each)
2 T soy sauce
2 T sugar or honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 T sesame seeds
2 tsp dried ginger (or 1 T grated fresh ginger)
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tsp dried onion

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Add quinoa and return to a boil.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Fluff quinoa and let sit 5 minutes, covered, and off the heat.   This will make 4 cups cooked quinoa.  You will know it’s cooked because the outer hulls are popped off.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Pour about half over quinoa and chill.  Add remaining salad ingredients.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Serve with additional dressing if desired.

Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes

Mashed Acorn Squash

September 24, 2013 by

I heart fall.  Pumpkins, squash, leaves, even the rain.  Here in the Pacific Northwest that is just part of life, and if you don’t like it… well, maybe you should move.  Because you’ll be miserable all the time. 🙂
Me and my girls actually enjoy the rain more than the sunshine so it works out well for us. 🙂
I love finding new ways to cook and serve squash.  It’s such an inexpensive food, and I love it, but a little variety always helps.  We really enjoyed this, and I am looking forward to trying other flavor variations, all though I’m sure this one will remain a favorite.  Brown sugar and squash just go so well together.
I served it with these fantastic brussel sprouts and they were perfect.
Happy rain season! Fall!

MASHED ACORN SQUASH
2 acorn squash
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T brown sugar, plus extra for serving if desired

Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
Spray or oil a 9 by 13 inch pyrex pan and place cut side down in pan.
Roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a paring knife.  (If you are baking something else at a lower temperature, it will be fine, but will take longer).
Scrape out the flesh, then add sour cream and brown sugar.  Mash to desired consistency, sprinkle with additional brown sugar if desired.

Recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Food

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Filed Under: Side Dishes