Archive for the ‘SIDES’ Category
Cheesy Potato Casserole
This is an excellent potato side dish, easy to prepare, common ingredients, and delicious! I made this on 8 Nov 2023 and this well liked by the family.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 6 large potatoes, peeled, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250-450 grams Cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded, (8-16 oz)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup half and half cream, or milk
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus water to make a smooth and creamy mixture
- 1-2 sleeves butter crackers, crushed
- butter, cut into small pieces, as needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the potatoes, onion, and salt. Add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft but firm. Drain.
- Add drained potatoes to a 9x13 baking dish, spread out evenly. Now preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the half and half, cheese, and black pepper. Place on low heat, stir often. I used 450 grams (1 lb) of cheese.
- In a measuring cup, add the flour and just enough water to make a smooth and creamy mixture. Stir this into the cheese mixture and stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce thickens.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
- Top the potatoes with crushed butter crackers. Add pieces of butter over the top of the crackers. I skipped adding the butter, potatoes still turned out excellent.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve as a side dish with your favorite meal, enjoy.
Carrot Salad
This recipe comes from a friend and not only is this easy, it is an excellent salad! I did not have the apple available so I just omitted that, not a show stopper, still an excellent salad!
Equipment
- Mandoline
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 285 grams fresh carrots, julienned or shredded, (10 oz)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped, soaked for a few minutes in orange juice or 1 cup water + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then drained
- ½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water for a few minutes then drained.
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- I used a mandoline to julienne the carrots.
- Add the Dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the prepared Salad ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- Mix gently with the dressing. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill before serving.
- Serve as a side dish, enjoy.
Ranch Corn Salad
I made this on 25 Jun 2023, exactly as written, but did use canned corn and ranch dressing made from a packet. My first time making corn salad and my first time tasting this, and this one is a keeper! The flavors are a perfect blend. This was well liked by my family and visiting houseguests who also enjoyed this.
Ingredients
- 2 cans corn, drained well, (425 g / 15 oz), or 12 oz / 340 g frozen, thawed and drained well
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh spring onion greens, sliced, and slice 1-2 white parts and add them as well
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Drain the canned corn in a colander. If using frozen corn, thaw at room temperature in a colander for about 30 minutes. Add the corn to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the bell peppers, spring onion greens, and cilantro. Mix together.
- In a bowl, add the ranch dressing, salt, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir to mix together.
- Pour dressing over the corn mixture and mix together.
- This can be served immediately or covered and placed in the fridge to chill for up to 2 hours before serving (giving it another stir when served to mix in any liquid that collects at the bottom. Enjoy.
Buttered Noodles
I remember this easy side dish from when I was little, this is an easy and tasty side dish.
Ingredients
- 250 grams dry egg noodles, (8 oz)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the egg noodles, reduce heat, and cook until the noodles are just tender. When the noodles are tender, scoop out ¼ cup pasta water then drain the noodles but do not rinse. The reserved water is to adjust consistency.
- Return the noodles to the pot on low heat, add remaining ingredients and toss to mix together. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Remove from heat.
- Pour into a serving bowl, serve as a side dish with any main dish, enjoy.
Slow Cooker Whole Cauliflower
This recipe is from a social media friend who specializes in slow cooker dishes. I made this on 12 Apr 2023, excellent flavor, and very well liked by the family.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (4+ quart)
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Trim the stem of the cauliflower so the head will sit flat, remove any leaves, and give it a quick rinse and shake off the excess water. Place in the slow cooker. No need to remove the stem, it is just as good as the rest of the cauliflower.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oil, mustard, cheese, and garlic to make the sauce.
- Spoon the sauce on top of the cauliflower, right in the center. Let gravity pull the sauce down on the sides, and just even it out with the back of the spoon, until the head is covered evenly with the sauce.
- Cover and set to Low, let cook for 6 to 8 hours, checking for doneness at 6 hours. If a fork can be easily inserted from the top to the bottom of the stem, it is done. I took the photo after I had cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges and started to serve.
- Serve as a side dish, and enjoy.
Peg's Biscuits
This recipe was recommended by a friend, Peg, on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club site and she has this recipe perfected as to how to make biscuits! Very easy, and excellent biscuits! Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Pastry Cutter
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk, plus a little extra for proper consistency
- 1 pinch baking soda
Instructions
- First thing, make sure you have room in your freezer for whatever mixing bowl you are going to use.
- To the mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter to blend, leaving pieces of the butter about the size of peas. Now place the mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- While the flour butter mixture is in the freezer, measure out your buttermilk and add a large pinch of baking soda and stir that in.Now get the baking sheet ready by adding a sheet of parchment.
- When 15 minutes have passed, remove the mixing bowl from the freezer, add the buttermilk, stir until just mixed, add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until a sticky ball forms, do not over mix.
- Flour your hands and counter, place dough on counter, gently push dough down to sort of flatten, then fold dough in half, do this 6 to 8 times at most, while being very gentle with the dough. The dough will be rough looking, perfect for biscuits.
- Still using your hands, gently flatten dough between 1 and 1½ inches thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, about 2½ inches in diameter, and push straight down to cut biscuits. Do not twist or turn the cutter or you will seal the edge and they will not rise. Shape scrap dough into a ball, flatten, and cut more biscuits, goal is 9 biscuits.
- Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet starting in the center. You want 3 rows with 3 biscuits in each row, sides gently touching. Brush tops with milk and place on top of the stove while heating the oven. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425° F).
- When heated, bake for 11 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.
- I enjoyed these biscuits with sausage gravy on them.
Notes
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Bonnie's Potato & Onion Pie
This is from a friend on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club website. Easy to put together and it is delicious!
Equipment
- Mandoline
- Pie Dish (9 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 kilo potatoes, peeled, sliced thin, (2 lb), a mandoline would be perfect for this.
- 1 onion, peeled, cut in half, sliced thin
- salt and pepper, as desired
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cheese, your choice, shredded
- ⅔ cup sour cream, or whipping cream, or milk, or a combination of any listed
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes and onion. I used 5 medium potatoes for the 1 kilo and used a mandoline to slice the potatoes and onion.
- Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F), grease a large pie dish with butter. Sprinkle ½ the garlic in the pie dish. I used a 9 inch pie dish.
- Add ½ the potatoes overlapping the slices.
- Add ½ the onion slices on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and lightly with pepper, as desired.
- Sprinkle ½ of the shredded cheese over the onion.
- Repeat the layers starting with the remaining garlic, then potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Add the sour cream, whipping, or milk, or any combination of these evenly over the top. I used ½ cup sour cream then added milk to bring it to ⅔ cup.
- Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over the top, then sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 30 minutes more.
- Slice into wedges, serve as a side dish, enjoy.
Linda's Biscuits
I found this recipe on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club site and not only did it sound easy, it is, and make excellent biscuits as well! Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x9 inch)
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 230° C (450° F), pour the melted butter in the baking pan.
- To a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk together.
- Add the buttermilk and stir to mix together well.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cut into 9 squares, remove from pan and split in half, enjoy with butter, jam, or a gravy of your choice.
Notes
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Elegant Eggs
This recipe comes from a recipe club and sounds delicious. On my to make and taste list soon. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 8 hard boiled eggs, chicken or duck, peeled, Shortcut
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup Ranch dressing, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
Instructions
- Slice eggs in half lengthwise, put yolks in a mixing bowl and the whites on a plate or egg serving tray.
- Mash the yolks with a fork, then add all ingredients except the shrimp and Old Bay seasoning. Mix together.
- Fill whites with yolk mixture using two spoons or pipe in.
- Place the shrimp in a bowl, sprinkle with a little Old Bay seasoning and mix them to coat the shrimp.
- Place 1 shrimp on 1 egg, sprinkle with remaining OId Bay seasoning. Cover and place in the fridge until serving.
- Serve and enjoy as a an appetizer or side dish, enjoy.
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
My wife made this for a side dish and it is excellent. This was my first experience with this vegetable, and it has a great flavor. The measurements are approximate as this is a make as much as you want, and to taste.
Ingredients
- 2-3 bunches Chinese broccoli
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- cooking oil
- salt
- fish sauce
- oyster sauce
Instructions
- Prep the Chinese broccoli bey using a vegetable peeler and peel the stem ends as the outer part can be hard.
- Heat a pot of water to boiling and add the broccoli, cook until tender, about 10 minutes or so. Drain.
- In a non stick pan heat about 1 tablespoon of oil, when hot, add half the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the pan to a bowl, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Add the remaining garlic to the pan, cook for 1 minute then add a pinch of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, about 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and about 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and stir together and heat. Taste and adjust the sauces as needed.
- Place the broccoli on a serving plate and pour sauce over, then sprinkle the garlic you cooked earlier. Serve as a side dish, enjoy.
