Showing posts with label Side dish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Side dish. Show all posts

Italian Pasta Salad

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Italian Pasta Salad is always a winner with tri-color rotini pasta loaded with sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, black olives, quartered salami, and diced mozzarella cheese. It’s so versatile and always a winner!



ITALIAN PASTA SALAD RECIPE
I’ve always loved a delicious cold pasta salad in the summertime! It’s perfect for potlucks, cookouts, pool parties; you name it. Pretty much any get together you can think of, and I guarantee you this pasta salad will be gone in no time. Seriously, it’s that good. And have I mentioned how easy it is, yup, that too!

Italian pasta salad can be made up to one day in advance and then add the sliced tomatoes until it is ready to serve. I find it keeps them fresher a little bit longer.

WHAT GOES INTO A COLD PASTA SALAD?
I love this pasta salad recipe so much because of how versatile it is! The ingredients are pretty straightforward and you can customize it to how you like it:


  • cherry tomatoes
  • salami
  • black olives
  • bell peppers
  • fresh basil
  • red onions
  • tri-colored rotini (adds so much color!)
  • mozzarella cheese



Ingredients


  • 12 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 6 ounce can of black olives, drained and sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 8 ounces salami, diced into quarters
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced into cubes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup Italian dressing

Instructions

  1. Cook the tri-color rotini pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water and set aside to allow pasta to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, add cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, black olives, bell pepper, red onion, salami, basil, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and Italian dressing and mix together until combined.
  3. Place a covering on the large bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to combine.
  4. Serve immediately.

Loaded Potato Casserole

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A loaded potato casserole recipe that tastes phenomenal and it’s so easy to put together! Everyone will be coming back for seconds! 



I cannot believe how quickly July has gone. Wait…I can’t believe how quickly this summer has gone by! Before you know it, fall will be here.

I am not a huge fan of fall besides having pumpkin and caramel in just about everything. Those are the only two that I truly look forward to in fall. After that, I look forward to the spring when the flowers start to blossom and the temperatures start rising.



Ingredients


  • 6 russet potatoes, sliced into ¼" slices
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded monterey cheese
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • fresh or dried parsley, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 9-inch pie pans. Set aside.
  2. Layer half of the potato slices in the dish, overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the potatoes and add the crumbled bacon pieces. Add the other half of the potato slices on top of the cheese.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and eggs. Pour half of the mixture over top of the potatoes.
  4. Remove the steps above for the second 9-inch pie pan.
  5. Sprinkle the parsley on top (optional).
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes, or until the custard, eggs and milk, are cooked and set. Allow the dish to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

PIONEER WOMAN’S POTATOES AU GRATIN

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Potatoes au gratin loaded with cheese, cream and garlic. An easy no fuss no mess delicious weeknight meal. (and the perfect side dish to your holiday meal)



Ingredients


  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 6-7 small potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper
  • 1+1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (I used white cheddar)
  • fresh chives, thinly sliced


Instructions


  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow baking dish and set aside.
  2. Dice the potatoes. Place them in the buttered dish. Combine the milk and cream in a bowl. Add the flour, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk. Pour over potatoes.
  3. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  4. Sprinkle on the chives and serve immediately.

APPLE CRANBERRY WALNUT SALAD

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Crisp apples, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and hearty walnuts come together in a fresh Autumn Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad.  An easy side dish for any favorite meal!



WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS APPLE CRANBERRY WALNUT SALAD
“Made this for a lunch at work to go with a Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich. It was delicious! Hands down the best salad of this kind I have ever tasted. The only thing I did alter was I only used half the dressing. Even had a couple people ask for the recipe, so I sent them here. 🙂 Yum I’ll be making this again before the week is out no doubt.” – Jennifer

“Yum! My mom makes a salad similar to this, so I knew I would like it. It turned out delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and used canola oil in the dressing.” – Katie

“I really liked this salad… I liked how the apply flavor complemented the salad but overall it was not a dressing I’d make again. All of your salads look so appetizing, and it’s fun to be able to choose one that will go with the main I’m making. Thanks for sharing.” – Allison

“This was such a delicious fall salad. I made it for my family, and they loved it. I think the best part was the dressing (which also tasted surprisingly very yummy over some plain chicken). I ended up throwing about 2 T of water and a peeled apple into my ninja to make the apple juice for the dressing. Soooo delicious. 🙂”



Ingredients

  • 6 cups salad (I used a combination of arugula and baby spinach, any spring green mix will do)
  • 1 red apple
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (such as Diamond of California)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Dressing

  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar in a pinch)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup oil


Instructions

  1. Core and chop apples (thin slices or 1 inch chunks). Toss lettuce, apples, walnuts, feta, and cranberries together in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Toss with salad immediately before serving. Enjoy!

Notes
*I also love poppyseed dressing with this salad! **Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger group.

HONEY GLAZED BABY CARROTS

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Honey brings in such a pleasant sweetness to these baby carrots in this easy 15-minute side dish – a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving spread!



With all the Thanksgiving goodies I’ve been posting lately, I figured it was time to take a break from all that comfort food and share a side dish that didn’t involve any kind of carbs or cheese. Although, carbs and cheese are probably the two greatest things in the world.

Still, these baby carrots come to a close second.

No, but really, with all the heavy potato dishes on your Thanksgiving table this year, these baby carrots really need to make an appearance as well. Baby carrots are a nutrition powerhouse, providing over 15 essential vitamins and minerals that are important for good health. So yes, although fat pants are required for Thanksgiving, it doesn’t hurt to add in some healthy vitamins along your way, especially when they’re glazed in honey.

Not only are these carrots chockfull of health benefiting compounds but this side dish comes together so quickly and easily! All you need to do is simmer these babies in a honey mixture and some fresh herbs until they’re nice and tender and that’s it! A 15-minute side dish that doesn’t take any kind of oven space, which, let’s be honest here, is a life saver on Thanksgiving day. And I promise you that even the pickiest of eaters will gobble these up on the big day!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 (16-ounce) bag Grimmway Farms Baby Carrots
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, honey,brown sugar, dill and thyme and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.*
  2. Serve immediately.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

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This black bean and corn salsa recipe is the perfect hearty salsa to serve up for game day or to add some extra flavor to your favorite meals.




Black Bean and Corn Salsa Recipe
This black bean and corn salsa recipe is veggie packed and full of flavor. It’s part salsa, part salad, so it’s super versatile. Serve it up with tortilla chips for game day, or make it part of dinner for an extra layer of flavor.

As usual I kept it pretty mild in terms of heat. But if you love yourself some spicy salsa, feel free to add in jalapenos to give it some heat.

Things to Know about this Black Bean and Corn Salsa Recipe
This black bean salsa is mild, so it’s kid friendly!
Crank up the heat by adding in jalapenos if you’d like.
The smoked paprika is totally optional. It adds a nice hint of smoky flavor, but it isn’t necessary. This will still be a pretty tasty salsa even without!



Ingredients

  • 15 oz. Can Black Beans drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz. Can Corn drained and rinsed
  • ¼ Medium Red Onion chopped
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper chopped
  • 3 tbsp. Scallions chopped
  • ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
  • ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Limes juiced
  • ½ tsp. Dried Oregano
  • ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika optional
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place black beans, corn, red onion, red bell pepper, scallions and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, set aside.
  2. Add extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, dried oregano, smoked paprika and salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Mix well until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  3. Pour liquid mixture over salsa and mix thoroughly so the salsa is evenly coated. If desired, add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Notes

  • The calories included in this recipe are simply an estimate I arrived at using My Fitness Pal's Recipe Nutrition Calculator.

Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

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Enjoy your favorite Thanksgiving side dish in one tasty bite!  These 3 ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole Bites are a unique holiday appetizer recipe.




I love taking meals or side dishes and turning them into appetizer recipes.  Because, I Love Appetizers!

These were a big hit at my house.  The tease of sweet potato casserole really got me craving a holiday feast!



Ingredients

  • 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
  • 5-6 Large Marshmallows
  • 15-20 Pecan Halves
  • Olive Oil/Non-Stick

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Peel sweet potatoes and slice 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
  3. Slice each marshmallow into 3 pieces. (It is easier if you use a serrated knife and chill marshmallows in refrigerator before slicing.)
  4. Lightly drizzle sweet potato slices with olive oil and toss to coat evenly.
  5. Transfer sweet potato slices to foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip slices and bake 10 more minutes.
  7. Top sweet potatoes with marshmallow slices and broil on high for 30-60 seconds or until lightly browned.
  8. Remove from oven and immediately top with pecan halves.
  9. Serve.

Notes

  • Makes 15-20 Sweet Potato Bites

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA PASTA SALAD

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Chicken enchiladas and pasta salad fell in love and had a baby. Trust me, you’re gonna want this pasta salad love child.



Here are some helpful tips to keep that positive mental attitude going, just in case you are a Debbie Downer like me:


  1. Go for a walk! I started getting out of the house and going on two hour walks with Andy. I cannot take Weezer for that whole time because he is an old fat man and will not last that long.
  2. Keep smiling. I think I read somewhere that just smiling alone can do wonders to change your state of mind. Plus, Andy feeds off my energy, so if he sees me smiling, he will keep smiling.
  3. Focus on all the great things you have in your life. Even though at times I was super frustrated with Andy, I remembered how lucky I was to have him in the first place.
  4. Listen to this song or this podcast. It will for sure bring a smile to your face.
  5. Think about things you like: a sleeping child, polite people, overly friendly elderly people, pugs, sitting out on the deck with a good book, etc.
  6. Make Mexican food of any kind for dinner. A good spicy burrito or enchilada always make me happy.



INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Grilled Chicken Breasts, sliced
  • ½ Pound Cooked Macaroni/Fusilli/Farfalle Noodles
  • 1 Cup Corn Kernels
  • ¾ Cup Black Beans
  • ¾ Cup Sliced Jarred Roasted Red Peppers
  • 1 Jalapeno, sliced
  • ½ Cup Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
  • ¼ Cup Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Fresh Cilantro and Diced Red Onion for garnish


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In the bottom of a large salad bowl, mix the Greek yogurt and enchilada sauce together. Add the noodles and toss to evenly coat.
  2. Add all of the other ingredients on top of the noodles. Mix just before serving and garnish with fresh cilantro and red onion.

Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

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This Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe is a lighter version of traditional street corn. With roasted corn, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño and quest fresco this makes a fantastic side dish for potlucks, parties and barbecues.



Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad
This corn salad is super simple to make and is full of flavor. We aren’t adding the mayonnaise that other street corn salads use, making this a healthy side dish option.

Fresh corn, tomatoes and cilantro make this the perfect summer recipe!

Cotija Cheese vs Queso Fresco

Traditional street corn uses cotija cheese which is an aged hard and salty cheese. I do not prefer the flavor and texture so I use queso fresco instead. Queso fresco is a creamier mild cheese. If you like cojita feel free to use it in this corn salad.



Ingredients

  • 4-5 Ears Fresh Corn - roasted, grilled or boiled
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Avocado or Olive Oil
  • 1-2 Jalapeños - seeds/stems removed, finely chopped
  • 1 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes - halved
  • Handful Cilantro - chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1/4 Cup Crumbled Queso Fresco + more for serving
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Grill or cook corn using preferred method. Cut corn kernels from cobs.
  2. In large bowl stir together corn, lime juice, oil, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro and chili powder.
  3. Gently toss in queso fresco. Salt to taste.
  4. Serve with additional queso fresco and cilantro.

Tabouli Shrimp Salad Recipe

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Looking for a healthy, nutritious meal with tons of flavor? This Tabouli Shrimp Salad Recipe has it all! Made with the traditional tabbouleh ingredients of mint, parsley, lemon, tomatoes, cucumber and lemon. The addition of shrimp makes this a satisfying meal that is great for lunch or dinner. (includes Low-Carb Whole30 option)




Ingredients

Shrimp

  • 1 Lb. Large Wild Shrimp, (thawed, peeled, deveined)
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt/Pepper

Salad

  • 1/2 Cup Dry Red Bulgur
  • 1/2 Cup Mint Leaves, (chopped)
  • 1 Cup Parsley Leaves, (chopped)
  • 20 Cherry Tomatoes, (quartered)
  • 1 Cup Chopped Cucumber
  • Juice of 1/2 a Large Lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt/Pepper, (to taste)

Instructions

Shrimp

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Rinse and Drain thawed shrimp.
  3. Toss shrimp with oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until shrimp are pink and in a loose 'C' shape.

Salad

  1. Prepare bulgur according to package instructions.
  2. Combine mint, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice and oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss with cooked shrimp.
  3. Serve shrimp tabouli salad over prepared bulgur.

Notes
Omit bulgur for a Whole30 Low-Carb dish.

CREAMY MUSHROOM SPINACH ORZO

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This creamy, hearty orzo dish makes for the best vegetarian side dish ever! Loaded with mushrooms, spinach and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the most amazing garlic Parmesan cream sauce. You can also add chicken and turn this into a main dish!



How bad is it that this was my dinner 4 nights in a row?


I don’t think I can eat any more orzo. Or mushrooms. Or spinach.

But I think I can give the Parmesan cream sauce a pass for now.

(Who are we kidding, right?)

But really, this orzo makes for such an amazing easy peasy veggie side dish.

It starts with a simple saute of mushrooms and shallots before your garlic cream sauce comes to magic.

With a little bit of flour, vegetable broth, half and half, and freshly grated Parmesan, this will truly be the cream sauce of your dreams.

Add chicken for a full meal, or keep it completely vegetarian.

Either way, it’ll be for dinner 4 nights in a row.

You’re welcome.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups shredded baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in vegetable broth, and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Stir in half and half and Parmesan, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Stir in orzo and spinach until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER CREAMED CORN

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Skipped the canned cream corn this year and make it from scratch right in the crockpot – it’s so rich and creamy and unbelievably easy to make with just 5 ingredients!



Sorry guys but I hope you’re not getting sick of all the heavy, comfort food I’ve been posting lately. I promise, once the new year hits, it’ll be quinoa/salad galore on Damn Delicious. But until then, it’s time to bring on the fat pants for the holidays, starting with the ultimate creamed corn that can easily be made right in the slow cooker!


Now I don’t know about you guys but I am a huge sucker for creamed corn. And even though it’s classified as a side dish, I could easily guzzle this into a main dish. Seriously, once I made this, I threw some rib-eye on the grill for dinner but I could honestly say that I had more corn than steak. Really though, can you judge me?

With just 5 ingredients – corn, cream cheese, milk, butter and sugar (pepper for seasoning of course) – you won’t believe how easily this comes together in the slow cooker. Simply drop everything in the crockpot, cover, stir and that’s it! Now how easy was that? And it’s unbelievably rich, creamy and perfectly sweet to complement the main dish. But then again, if you’re like me, you’ll just skip over the main dish and stick to the creamed corn.



INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 (15.25-ounces) cans whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place corn into a slow cooker. Stir in milk, sugar and pepper until well combined. Without stirring, top with butter and cream cheese. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours.
  2. Uncover and stir until butter and cream cheese are well combined. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes.
  3. Serve immediately.


LOADED HASSELBACK POTATOES

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A glorified baked potato loaded with melted cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crisp bacon bits!



I finally had my first hasselback potato experience today. I’ve actually been wanting to make this for a couple years now but I was so worried that it would be too complicated to make. But little did I know how easy it really was, and it makes for a perfect fancy side dish to almost any meal!


Now what is a hasselback potato? It’s simply a baked potato except you cut thin little slits within the potato, adding butter to the crevices and baking it for an hour until you get that wonderful crispness on the outside. Easy peasy, right? Then you top it off with some cheddar cheese, letting that melt right into those buttery slits. Finally, you finish it off with sour cream, crisp bacon and chives.

So how’s it taste? Well, let’s be honest here – how can you ever go wrong with buttery, cheesy carb goodness, right? These little slits just flake right off and when you combine it with the creamy notes of the sour cream along with the crisp, salty bacon, you’ll want to skip the main dish and gorge on this instead!



INGREDIENTS:


  • 4 russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives


DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Using a sharp knife, make crosswise cuts in each potato, about 1/8-inch apart, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Add butter slices to between the cuts; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until the outsides are browned and crisp, about 1 hour. Top with cheese and bake until melted, an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  5. Serve potatoes immediately, topped with sour cream, bacon and chives.


CLASSIC THANKSGIVING STUFFING

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This will be the only stuffing recipe you will ever need! So much fresh herbs and so buttery. It’s simply the best EVER!



The only thing I truly look forward to during Thanksgiving time is the stuffing. That and the pumpkin cheesecake.

But we’ll get to that a little later.

The stuffing though – holy moly. Smothered in some turkey gravy with an afternoon nap – that right there is the holy grail.

And why mess with a classic, right? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

So that’s what we have here. A true classic made with perfectly toasted sourdough bread, so much fresh herbs, and all the buttery goodness one can hope for (mixed in with some of the sausage pan drippings, of course).



INGREDIENTS:


  • 1 (16-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (16-ounce) package breakfast sausage
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-13 minutes; set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Drain excess fat; transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. Melt butter in the skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  5. Remove from heat; stir in bread and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock until absorbed and well combined. let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.*
  6. Spread bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until top is browned, about 30-35 minutes.
  7. Serve immediately.

INSTANT POT SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

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You can easily use this Sweet potato casserole recipe ahead of time; bake when ready to serve with toasted marshmallows + a pecan streusel topping!



Sweet potato casserole. A low-key guilty pleasure of mine during the holidays.

No wait, it’s really the slightly burnt, crispy mini marshmallows and the crunchy, buttery, sweet pecan streusel on top with just the tiniest bit of mashed sweet potato in the mix. Yup, that’s what we’re looking for here.

And with the help of the pressure cooker, your sweet potatoes will be ready to be mashed in just 8 minutes (no pre-boiling, no nothing), leaving you free valuable oven and stovetop space as you prep for the rest of your holiday dishes.



INGREDIENTS:

  • 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows


DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add sweet potatoes and water to a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 8 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, 5 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; place in the refrigerator.
  3. Remove potatoes from the Instant Pot® and drain excess liquid before returning the potatoes to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.
  4. Stir in remaining 5 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
  6. Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with pecan mixture. Place into oven and bake until almost set, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows; continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden brown.
  7. Serve immediately.

BAKED PARMESAN MUSHROOMS

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The easiest, most flavorful mushrooms you will ever make, baked with parmesan, thyme and lemon goodness!



Mushrooms are one of my favorite kind of veggies, but the strange thing is, I honestly cannot remember the last time I had them. But when I saw this awesome baked recipe over at Simple Provisions, I just had to make that emergency grocery run to get my mushroom fix. No, not that kind of fix. The fix that’s baked in its own juices with freshly grated Parmesan cheese – my ultimate weakness!

Now this is by far one of the easiest mushroom dishes I have ever made. Simply slice up your mushrooms, throw them on the baking sheet and toss them with some olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, thyme, lemon zest and lemon juice. Done and done. Now how easy is that? The best part about this is that it makes for a quick and easy side dish for all of your meals!



INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. Place mushrooms in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.
  3. Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until browned and tender, tossing occasionally.
  4. Serve immediately.