Category: Side Item

Roasted Green Beans

On By sarafillmerIn Gluten-Free, Side Item

best-ever-oven-roasted-green-beans-2These green beans were so good, and so simple to prepare.  Definitely something you can whip up in 30 minutes start to finish with either fresh or frozen green beans. I’m not going to include spice measurements because it is all to taste.  Enjoy! Recipe and photo adapted from thewanderlustkitchen.com

  • 1 lb green beans
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425. If using fresh green beans, trim the ends.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle on spices and use your hands to coat evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Down-Home Cornbread

On By sarafillmerIn Side Item

This recipe comes from a cookbook my mother-in-law gave me that is filled with recipes that are kid-friendly.  I love this cornbread, and has a different flavor than the other recipe on my site.  It goes great with my Texas Chili recipe.

  • 3/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 4 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray an 8″ square pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg.  Add the water and melted butter to the egg, and mix well.  Combine the two mixtures and blend together.  Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Shells & Cheese

On By sarafillmerIn Entree, Side ItemLeave a comment

This recipe came from Pioneer Woman and was so good. It’s probably the only macaroni and cheese I enjoyed eating the second day.  Add bacon and peas to make it more a main course. Photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

  • 12 oz (weight) small or medium pasta shells
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8-10 oz  (weight) Velveeta, cut into cubes
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente (do not overcook). Drain and set aside. In a large pot heat the milk and butter over medium-low heat. Turn off the heat, then add Velveeta and stir until completely smooth and melted. Stir in the grated cheddar, then add seasoned salt and pepper. Stir until combined, then taste it and add more seasonings if needed. Add cooked pasta and stir until coated. It will be soupy and saucy, but will thicken slowly.

Potato Wedges

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Gluten-Free, Side ItemLeave a comment

I made these wedges for a football party we were having and they were a big hit.  I put the ranch dressing on the side because my husband doesn’t like it, but I will put the recipe here as it was when I found it on Pinterest. There are so many different topping combinations so be creative. Recipe and photo courtesy of yummy-recipezz.blogspot.com.

Fries:

  • 4-6 potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sea salt, black pepper, and seasoning salt

Ranch sauce:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/4 cup milk

Toppings:

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup bacon bits
  • 1/4 chopped green onion (optional)

Cut potatoes into wedges.  Place on foiled, greased baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and lightly toss with tongs.  Sprinkle the seasonings over the potatoes and bake at 400 for 40 min or until fork tender. In a separate bowl mix sour cream, ranch dressing and milk.  Whisk together. On a separate platter smooth out 3/4 of the sour cream sauce. Place hot potatoes on sour cream sauce.  Drizzle remaining sour cream sauce on potatoes and add your desired toppings.  Place under the broiler for a few seconds to melt the cheese.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

On By sarafillmerIn Side ItemLeave a comment

I made this stuffing recipe for the first time last Thanksgiving to take to my work dinner, and I liked it so much I made it again for my family celebration.  As someone who has never liked stuffing, I’m glad to have found a recipe to make every year.  Recipe and photo courtesy of sixsistersstuff.com.

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 21 oz can Lucky Leaf Apple Cranberry Pie Filling
  • 1 6 oz box of dry stuffing mix

Combine water with butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until boiling (about 3 minutes).
Add your pie filling and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir in stuffing mix and seasoning packet. Return to the microwave and cook for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork and serve warm.

* If you don’t have the Lucky Leaf product where you live, you can use the 21 oz can of apple pie filling and about 1/4 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce, (take away a 1/4 cup of the pie filling)

*Do not use meat flavored stuffing

Cranberry Apricot Chutney

On By sarafillmerIn Gluten-Free, Side ItemLeave a comment

I got the recipe from my brother.  It isn’t a Thanksgiving meal without this cranberry sauce on the table.  I could eat it with a spoon.  It is very simple to make, and I would recommend doubling the batch because it’ll go fast.

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 orange, zested

Boil the water and sugar together for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and apricots. Simmer until the cranberry skins burst, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and cool.

Sweet Potato Fries

On By sarafillmerIn Side ItemLeave a comment

This is my recipe for sweet potato fries.  There are a few keys steps to ensure they get super crunchy and yummy. Make sure they are cut almost shoe string in size, well coated in corn starch and the oil is nice and hot.  It has taken a while to perfect this recipe, but if you follow those 3 key steps they will turn out every time.  These are also great to make into a hash the next day.

  • 3-5 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ziploc bag
  • vegetable oil
  • salt for seasoning

Start by peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes into shoe string fries. Soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes.  After they have soaked, put 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a ziplock bag and add the fries.  Make sure the shake as much water off the fries as you can before you add them to the bag.  If you have a large batch, I would split the fries between two bags with cornstarch in each.  They key is the get the fries well coated with cornstarch. While coating the fries, heat the oil and make sure it gets very hot.  Fry them in the oil for about 5-7 minutes in batches, and then put in a bowl lined with paper towel to soak up the extra oil.  Season liberally with salt and eat immediately.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

On By sarafillmerIn Side ItemLeave a comment

These tortillas are very easy to make and taste better than store bought.

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup lard
  • 1/2 cup cool water

Whisk together the flour and salt, then cut in the lard with your hands, a fork or pastry blender.  Add in the water until the dough comes together.  I like to knead the dough for a minute or so to make sure it’s fully incorporated, then pull off small pieces at a time and roll into circles. If you want taco size tortillas it will make about 12.  If you want bigger tortillas it will make about 8. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, then roll out the balls one by one and put the tortilla rounds onto a hot griddle, cooking on each side until you see the brown spots on both sides.  Store in a tortilla warmer or plastic baggie.  Will keep for a day or so.

Butter Dip Biscuits

On By sarafillmerIn Side ItemLeave a comment

These are some of the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten.  Hot from the oven, the top is crispy and buttery, just the way a good biscuit should be. Recipe is courtesy of The Country Cook.

  • 1 stick of butter (melted)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 3/4 buttermilk

Melt the stick of butter in an 8×8 baking dish.  Make sure to coat the sides of the dish with butter, or you can use baking spray.  Mix together the dry ingredients, then mix in the buttermilk.  Batter will be sticky. Then press the batter into the baking dish, right on top of the butter, making it as even as possible.  Butter will cover the top of your dough. Bake at 450 for 20-25, or until the top is golden brown and springs back to the touch.

Sweet Cornbread

On By sarafillmerIn Bread, Side ItemLeave a comment

This recipe is a dead ringer for Boston Market’s famous cornbread.  Really try to use the Jiffy mixes otherwise it will taste too cakey, trust me on this. Courtesy of The Sisters Dish.

  • 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

Mix both boxes according to directions, and combine the batter. You can use a large mixing bowl and combine both boxes of mix together and add the other ingredients all at once. Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray, then pour the prepared batter in. Bake at 350 until done, approx. 30 minutes. Toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.