I go back and forth with myself on whether or not to post recipes like the one I’m about to share with you, because this isn’t a multi-step, high ingredient list recipe. It’s a wing it and every time is different recipe. My hope is that by including it, it will spark your appetite and encourage you to roast all the veggies.

• 2 lbs broccoli florets (I always trim the stems off…)
• avocado oil (my new favorite)
• salt
• pepper
• fresh grated Parmesan cheese

First, preheat your oven to 425. If you have a convection setting, use that! Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. In a bowl, combine your broccoli with a generous drizzle of avocado oil. I always drizzle, then shake/stir to make sure everything is coated. If your broccoli is still looking dry, add some more oil. Pour the broccoli onto the baking sheet, and I like to bunch mine all together so that when I shred the cheese on top it almost forms a little crust on top. Before adding the grated Parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste. I grate my cheese right there over the broccoli. Roast for about 20 minutes, checking on it starting around the 15 minute mark, until the cheese is brown and you’ve got lovely roasted brown bits on your broccoli. Serve with your favorite protein.

Rice has long been one of my favorite foods. When I was young and we would go to my grandmother’s house she would always make a side of rice just for me to go with whatever meal we were having. That preference has been transferred to my son so it makes frequent rotations in our meal plans. I love this one because with very few ingredients you get rice that is perfectly seasoned and so easy. Recipe and photo courtesy of aheadofthyme.com

• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Using a bowl and fine mesh strainer, rinse the rice with cold water until clear. (This step is optional if you want stickier rice for something like sushi. I normally skip this step because of time management, but the last time I made it I took the time the rinse the rice and it was definitely fluffier.) After the rice is rinsed, add it to a pot with the water, coconut milk, salt and sugar. Bring to boil, then reduce to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, leave the lid on and let the rice sit for 5 additional minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Growing up I was not much of a pickle fan, but when I met my husband’s Grandma Dale, and tried her bread and butter pickles, I was converted. They are so tasty, and so good with just about anything. It only took me 15 years, but I finally got them here on the site.

• 4 pounds pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
• 2 green (or red) bell peppers, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 cup canning or kosher salt
• Ice cubes

For the Pickling Liquid

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 5 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed

Combine cucumbers, onion, peppers in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and cover with ice cubes. Let stand for 3 hours. Rinse and drain very well. Combine all remaining ingredients for the syrup in a large pan. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Fill each sterile jar with vegetables and fill jar with syrup, leaving 1/4 inch headroom. Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife inserted around the inside of each jar. Wipe the rim with a clean cloth. Put the lids and rings on finger tight. Process the pints in boiling water for 15 minutes. Label when the jars have sealed and cooled.

Growing up my mom’s idea of cooking vegetables was to open a can, put in a pan on the stove and cook with a strip of uncooked bacon. While this wasn’t a terrible way to cook vegetables, it was often rather boring. I have come to realize that I have the same tendency, although instead of opening a can of vegetables, I roast everything with olive oil, salt and pepper. So far it has worked for me to get my kids to eat more vegetables, and with this recipe I was even more daring and added Panko bread crumbs and parmesan. My youngest son said he didn’t know broccoli could taste so good!

• 1 pound fresh broccoli washed and trimmed
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place broccoli in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on garlic powder, salt, cheese and bread crumbs. Toss until fully coated. Roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness.

This recipe comes out of the Magnolia Cookbook and is a true winner. When I told my husband I was going to try it he was like “Why not just make cornbread?” However, after he went back for seconds he told me that he was glad I didn’t just make cornbread. It makes a lot so would be a great potluck dish or I would even consider serving it for Thanksgiving dinner.

• 1 stick of salted butter, melted
• 1 14.75 oz can of creamed corn
• 1 15 oz can of corn, drained
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 8.5 oz box corn muffin mix*

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt the stick of butter and pour it into a large bowl. Add the creamed corn and corn kernels and stir to combine. Stir in the sour cream, eggs, sugar and salt. Add the cornbread mix and stir only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape into the prepared dish. Bake until golden on top and nearly set in the center, mine took about 45 minutes. It will look slightly undercooked in the middle but will set as it cools. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

*If you are like me and don’t have any boxed corn bread mix on hand, check out my homemade version!

I love, love, love rice and this recipe was such a good one. Fast, simple, and flavorful without being overly salty. I was curious when I saw the french onion soup ingredient that it would tasty overly salty but that wasn’t the case at all. I’m going to post the recipe with the original quantities, but be advised that it makes a TON so if you are only feeding a few, be sure and cut it in half. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com

• 1 1/4 cups beef stock
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 cups rice, your choice

Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot. Use the manual setting, on high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release. Serve warm.

Last Christmas I had this succotash at my mother-in-laws and I knew I would have to make it myself. It is incredibly easy to make and can be kept warm in the crockpot for hours. Recipe courtesy of Dale Fillmer.

• 1 bag frozen lima beans
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/4 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• chicken broth

Pour the vegetables into the crockpot. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk together until the flour turns a nice golden color, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the milk, salt and pepper and stir constantly until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour over the vegetables and add chicken broth to desired consistency. Warm on high for at least two hours before serving.

 

I really like to make these green beans for holidays. They come together quickly and are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Recipe and photo courtesy of The Farm Stand on Facebook.

• 5 regular cans of green beans, drained (note: you can substitute a similar amount of frozen green beans, about 4 (12-ounce) bags, thawed, or you can use fresh green beans, too)
• 12 slices of bacon
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 7 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Put the drained beans in a 9×13 pan. Add the cooked bacon pieces. Mix the remaining ingredients ( the crack sauce). Pour over the beans and bake 40 minutes at 350. Toss and serve.

I made this casserole for Thanksgiving and it was so good my dad asked if I would make it for Christmas too. It is practically a dessert, and amazingly delicious. The other thing I really liked about this recipe was that it was dairy-free, which meant that my lactose-intolerant family member could enjoy it also! Recipe and photo courtesy of frugalginger.com.

For the Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
• 1/3 stick butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl for the top crust. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. You can also use a stand mixer. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.) Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving. The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.