Baked Stuffed ZucchiniI have been making this recipe for a few decades. It is one of my favorite side dishes. My old cookbook is titled “Northern Italian Cooking.” In northern Italy this is called “Zucchine Ripiene al Forno.” This is a lighter version than the southern Italian version called Baked Zucchini Boats. They have a heavier version with tomato sauce and at times use tender potatoes. I absolutely love this side dish.Twice-Baked PotatoesMy aunt Phyl made these for a family reunion at our grandparents’ home in Milwaukie, Oregon. They were a big hit. She made them in advance and then popped them in the oven right before dinner. This is a wonderful alternative to a plain baked potato. It can be served alone with a salad for lunch or with a meat roast and vegetables for dinner. I made these recently at the Kassman’s house in Corvallis, Oregon. We had leftovers that evening, so the next morning Robin served them with a fried egg on top. Twice-Baked Potatoes are a great to enjoy for any meal of the day!Rice a Roni Chicken SaladRecently Dave and I visited our friends Mike and Lori for a barbeque in Poulsbo, WA. I worked with them at the US Army Corps of Engineers when we lived in California. This salad was one of the sides they served. Mike said his mother used to make this for the family when he was growing up. It’s a great summer salad, delicious and easy!Baked Rice with Beef ConsomméThis is a super easy recipe and a great side dish especially with grilled steak. Plain rice can tend to taste dry, but this baked rice is buttery and beefy. Traditionally it is made with one can of beef consommé and one can of cream of mushroom soup. But I like it better with two cans of beef consommé and fresh onions and mushrooms. It is also wonderful as leftovers that you can reheat covered in either the microwave or oven.Hoppin’ JohnHoppin’ John can either be a vegetarian or traditional dish with veggies and sausage. This recipe is the traditional one. If you prefer to prepare it vegetarian, omit the sausage and double the cans of beans to two. My girlfriend Peggy sent me the recipe and she and her husband find it healthy and tasty. She said she got the recipe from “Well Plated by Erin.” The only difficult thing is that there are a lot of vegetables to chop, but I found that to be fun. The degree of heat from the spice will be up to what you prefer. I will have a minimum down and then you can add more for the chili powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. Serves 4.Carolina Red Rice with SausageThis side dish has become famous because of its roots in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Rice is a big cash crop in the south. The most famous is “Carolina Gold Rice.” It is delicate, non-aromatic with some starch and plenty of nutrients. When cooked this rice is plump and fluffy. It is very similar but less sticky than Asian rice. Red rice is so delicious because of the variety of vegetables which include tomatoes, celery, onion, and bell pepper. But the smoked sausage takes it over the top!Julia’s Cheese SouffléI found this recipe in Julia Child’s “The Way to Cook” cookbook. Her recipe is simple and similar to other soufflé recipes I have made in the past. In the fall of 2008, Dave and I were visiting my Aunt Mollie near Washington DC. One day while Dave and Mollie went to the Smithsonian to listen to a Physics lecture, I attended a cooking class at Sur La Table in Arlington, Virginia. We learned how to make different variations of crepes and soufflés. The first were sweet and savory crepes. The savory included chicken, mushrooms, and asparagus. The sweet had apples and brandy. Then it was time to make the soufflés. We learned how to make the classic cheese and then the crab with red pepper cream sauce soufflés. It was a fun class and I learned that crepes and soufflés are not that hard to make. Afterwards, I went over to their kitchen store and bought 4 ramekins (one cup white baking dishes) for making individual soufflés and a nonstick pan for making crêpe’s.Tater Tot CasseroleIn 1984, Dave was in Del Rio, Texas at Laughlin Air Force Base in Pilot Training. I had my first full time job out of college working for FEMA at the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon. It was also my first apartment, and I finally had some money to afford groceries. One weekend, my grandparents and my father came to my apartment where I made them dinner. At the time, this Tater Tot Casserole recipe was one of my favorites. My grandmother, Edna, was in my kitchen with me and she said, “These are all good ingredients.” I haven’t made this in a long time, but when I saw the recipe in my file, I thought that this would be nice to have in my blog. See my October 2021 Newsletter for the origin of the Tater Tot. This may seem like a meal just for children, but grownups like it as well!Savory Thyme PopoversSavory Thyme Popovers are delicious as a dinner side. Traditionally, the batter is poured into muffin tins coated with bacon or beef fat. Because they bake individually, these expand in the oven and end up looking like small puffy clouds. They are crisp on the outside and light & airy in the middle. Recently, I served them with a grilled flank steak and homemade Caesar salad. There are only 6 ingredients, which is why this is so easy to prepare. I make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate. Then the batter is brought to room temperature before baking. When these savory popovers are finished in the oven, dinner is ready. It is fun to break these in half and add cubed butter.Creamy Corn SouffléThis summer the corn crop was abundant. Because of that, I ended up having a fair amount of leftover fresh steamed corn kernels in my freezer. So, I needed a recipe that uses a lot of corn and this one sounded appealing. I made it several times this past month and since we like it so much, I wanted to share this recipe with you!Crustless Spinach QuicheThis crustless spinach quiche is such an easy and healthy side dish. It’s packed with protein from the milk, cheese and eggs. This is also a great way to get a healthy dose of spinach in one serving. I also think this would be excellent for breakfast with a fruit salad. (This recipe came from butterwithasliceofbread.com).Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread PuddingBread puddings can be sweet or savory. Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding is a new favorite of mine. I made this recipe for Dave for dinner and he couldn’t believe how good it tasted, not only the first time, but even the leftovers. Ina Garten, the Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, has a sweet bread pudding recipe that she serves to her guests for breakfast or brunch. It’s sort of an easy way to serve a larger crowd french toast. And she is quoted as saying “without having to be a slave to the stove cooking french toast individually”. Savory or sweet, this is an excellent way to use up bread and it’s delicious!Slow Cooker Orange Cranberry SauceThis is a very simple recipe for slow cooker orange cranberry sauce as it only uses a few ingredients. I like to make it at the holidays because it can be done in advance and the sauce naturally thickens while in the refrigerator.Ina’s Herb Apple Stuffing CasseroleI am a big fan of Ina Garten and watch her cooking show Barefoot Contessa regularly. Ina’s Herb Apple Stuffing Casserole is a favorite of mine to use at thanksgiving because you can make the casserole the day before. Her recipe calls for cutting up an apple, but the substitution of applesauce works well and it’s easier. I also like how creamy the stuffing is on the inside because of the egg, cream and stock mixture. If there are any leftovers, I like to make Stuffing Waffles that freeze well for later use.Tuna CasseroleEither you like it, or you don’t. Tuna casserole can be your favorite or something you would not feed your family and friends. But, Dave and I enjoy the comfort of this dish. Some of the appeal might be what we grew up with in our childhood. So, if you are a fan… this is a delicious recipe. I make this at home or aboard our boat. I did a little research and learned that this recipe first became famous in the Pacific Northwest in 1930. The recipe was published in Sunset Magazine from a woman living in Kennewick, Washington calling it “Noodles and Tuna Fish en Casserole”. After that, the controversy began with various chefs… basically that this dish is just canned tuna, noodles and mushroom soup. But by the 1950s, tuna casserole had become a popular family meal. And over time and with more tweaking to the recipe… it has lasting power. So, if you are one to embrace a tuna casserole… I recommend this recipe as it is my favorite version!Kielbasa JambalayaLately, I have been wondering about the origin of jambalaya. So, I did a little research. When the Spanish explores discovered (what would become) the Louisiana territory and became colonists… they invented a local version of their home dish of Spanish paella. But since saffron is not native to our southern states, tomatoes were used instead. Later, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana this dish continued to grow in popularity. Jambon is French for ham. And Aya can be loosely translated as African for rice. And apparently, that is how jambalaya was named for this famous creole dish.Coleslaw I think crab cakes and tartar sauce go well with coleslaw. I also like to make the coleslaw ahead at home and take to the boat with other provisions. As sailors say… fair wind and calm seas!Crock-pot Mac-n-CheeseMost everyone knows that Trisha Yearwood can sing country music beautifully. But she also has a cooking show on the Food Network that is one of my favorites. So, when I saw how she makes this recipe in her slow cooker, I simply had to give it a try. I have altered Crockpot Mac-n-Cheese just slightly. It is very cheesy, and the eggs give it a fluffy, custard consistency like soufflé. I have made many mac-n-cheese recipes in the oven and stovetop but the ease of doing this in a slow cooker is another plus.
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