This week: Side Dishes for a Grill Party?
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-JT
They both look really good. When it comes to a party I usually go with the tried and true instead of something new. Besides mayo, bacon, sugar doesn’t sound overly healthy.
I’ve been gone & missed this site! The corn salad looks good. I do love devilled eggs & I have made them w/ blue cheese mashed in, really delicious.
There is a restaurant in town that does a pretty classic potato salad, BUT they also add some cream cheese, chopped bacon & green onions or scallions. I swear I crave it.
These are two of my “go to” sides for taking places - really love them both and they have been ‘hits’ everywhere I’ve served them - both are similar to your two sides:
Broccoli Salad Supreme
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/broccoli-salad-supreme
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Fresh Corn Salad - Ina Garten
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fresh-corn-salad-recipe.html
I’ve only made this with frozen corn since I didn’t have fresh available - still delicious. Fresh corn would be heavenly.
Are there children involved?
When I was a kid we had a hand crank ice cream mixer. Best ice cream you ever had. But you had to crank it for like a half hour (or whatever, I was a little kid). Now that I think of it, it only came out when there were gatherings with a bunch of little kids. Could it be that the parents were using this device to keep us kids busy and worn out during their party?
I’m a Southerner. My baked Mac and cheese is the first thing to go. Your salad looks excellent! Go with what you know.
I’m not a health nut either but my gf makes a great broccoli salad like the one displayed and it has raisins and some seeds in it. it is very good. had some last night and you can buy locally at acme or giant
Here is my go-to side dish. Get a can of VanCamps Pork’n’beans of appropriate size for guests. Use can opener to remove lid. Insert serving spoon in can and serve. Let’s eat. No bowl to wash!
Put me on your cooking ping list.
Google Bess’ Butter Beans, omgoodness, sweet, mustardy, creamy heaven. I got the recipe many years ago from a vegetable cookcookbook and it is my favorite dish to take to picnics, church suppers, and other places. Where ever I take those beans I always bring home an empty dish and people always ask for the recipe. I use Colman’s dry mustard which gives more heat.
Sorry I can’t post link I’m on an i-pad and it’s finicky.
I sometimes take home canned zuke spears, and pickled green beans for a quick relish type plate and no time to do anything.
I absolutely have to have potato salad, baked beans, and chips to go with hot dogs or burgers though.
A quick baked bean recipe:
Saute onions in bacon grease, add pork and beans, brown sugar, hickory smoked BBQ sauce, and worchestireshire sauce in an iron skillet and stir till sugar is dissolved and beans are hot. Place Bacon on the top, and pop it in the oven, till bacon is done, and juice is thickened.
I never measure, just sort of dump stuff in and give it a taste.
I have always loved pasta salad with arugula. It was one of my favorites growing up because everything came out of our garden and tasted great.
Boil thin mini penne, rinse under cool water and drain. Place in large bowl and coat with olive oil and salt to taste. Add a bunch of diced cherry tomatoes and arugula. Add sliced white or purple onions and melrose peppers. Mix and serve.
My go-to dish is New Potato Salad with Red Onion Dressing. The last time I delivered it to a family when the mom was in the hospital their 15 year old son told my boys the salad was “orgasmic good”. Guess it doesn’t get much better than that.
Half or quarter new 2 lbs new potatoes. Salt and pepper them then Cool slightly. Mix together 3/4 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup quality mayo, 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill and 1/2 cup chopped red onion. Pour over potatoes and gently mix.
Very easy and quite good.
Cast Iron Skillet Baked Potatoes
These potatoes are baked, cut side down in a cast iron skillet. This
results in a potato with a slightly golden brown crust on the cut side and
it has a delicious, roasted flavor.
4 Tbsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp seasoning salt or kosher salt
3 or 4 medium size potatoes, sliced in half length wise
In a 10-inch size, room temperature, cast iron skillet, add the oil and spread evenly over bottom. Sprinkle rosemary and salt evenly over the oil.
Scrub and dry the potatoes. Leave potato skins on. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise, through widest part of potato. Place potatoes, cut side down, one layer deep in bottom of cast iron skillet. Press down on potatoes so that the cut side is coated in oil.
Place cold skillet of potatoes in cold oven. Set oven to 400-F and bake for 45-minutes. At end of cooking time, pierce with fork to test for doneness.
Potatoes can be served with sour cream, grated cheese, etc.
Here’s the easiest method that I’ve found to make risotto. The microwaves do all the stirring.
Microwave Risotto
Easy to make Risotto using the microwave. A lot of stirring is not necessary when making risotto in the microwave, it does most of the work.
Ingredients
3 cups hot chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste, careful chicken broth can be salty)
1 pinch ground white or black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup uncooked medium grain white rice like Calrose or arborio (don’t use regular long grain rice, it doesn’t have enough starch to make risotto)**
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
cooked peas (optional)
Directions
Combine the chicken broth, salt and pepper in a 4-cup pyrex measuring cup. Bring almost to a boil in the microwave.
Remove from microwave and set aside until needed below.
In a 2-qt microwaveable casserole dish, heat the butter and olive oil in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Add the onion to the dish, and stir to coat. Cook in the microwave for 4 more minutes.
Add the uncooked rice, and stir to coat with oil. Cook for another 4 minutes.
Pour the heated pyrex measuring cup of chicken broth into the rice, and stir.
Cook in the microwave for 9 minutes.
Stir, then microwave for another 9 minutes.
If you want a creamier risotto, add 1/4 cup of warm water, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese as soon as it comes out of the microwave, (add cooked peas, if desired) and serve.
For a 750-watt microwave, use 100% power settings for each time interval. For 1000 or 1500-watt microwaves, use 70% power settings for each time interval.
**In addition to Arborio rice, you can make a very good risotto using Calrose variety medium grain rice. It has enough starch to create a creamy risotto. Calrose is also used as a sushi rice. I’ve also made a very good rice pudding with Calrose. You can get Calrose at Walmart. Calrose rice is not a brand, it’s a variety of rice grown in California’s Sacramento delta. Some of the brands of rice carrying Calrose are Botan, Diamond, Hinode, Nishik, Golden Star. I’ve seen Botan brand of Calrose rice at Walmart. Calrose rice is less expensive than Arborio rice. You can’t make risotto with long grain rice, it doesn’t have enough starch to make the creamy sauce that risotto is famous for.
Julia Child’s French Potato Salad
A fine French first course: boiled sliced potatoes seasoned with oil and herbs....
3 cups red-skinned “boiling” potatoes, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp wine vinegar
2 Tbsp minced shallots or scallions
a sprinkling of salt and pepper
2 or 3 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
2 or 3 Tbsp olive oil or salad oil (optional)
Cooking the potatoes. Choose red-skinned “boiling” potatoes.
Peel them and cut into slices less than 1/4-inch thick; simmer them a few minutes in lightly salted water.
When just tender, drain and let them sit 2 minutes in the hot, covered pan to firm them up.
Seasoning. For about 3 cups of cooked potato slices: While still warm, toss them gently in a bowl with 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 1 1/2 tablespoons of wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of minced shallots or scallions, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh minced parsley.
Let steep for 10 minutes or so, tossing several times.
Taste and correct seasoning; toss with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil or salad oil (you may omit the oil). Serve warm or cold.
Source: Parade Sunday newspaper magazine, Aug 22, 1982.
From 1982 to 1986 Julia Child was the Food Editor of the Parade magazine.
Dear Abby’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad
16-oz. pkg. black-eyed peas, cooked
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Cook peas according to package directions, drains and refrigerate until chilled.
In medium bowl, combine peas, tomatoes, green pepper and onion; mix well.
In small bowl, combine vinegar and sugar; pour over pea mixture; toss. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes: 4 to 6 servings.
TIP: 1/2 cup sliced green onions may be substituted for onion
Source: Dear Abby’s favorite recipes, by Abigail Van Buren - 1987, 1988.
School Cafeteria Carrot-Raisin Salad
6 servings
2 cups carrots, coarsely shredded
3/4 cup raisins
4 tsp cup milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
pinch salt
pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
50 servings
3 quarts carrots, coarsely shredded
1 quart 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup milk
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1. Place carrots and raisins in large bowl.
2. Combine milk, mayonnaise or salad dressing, salt,
nutmeg (optional) and lemon juice (optional).
3. Pour dressing over carrots and raisins. Mix lightly.
4. Cover. Refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Mix lightly before serving. Portion with No. 16 scoop (1/4 cup).
Source: USDA School Lunch Recipes - 1988.
I like both your salads. A good creamy broccoli salad with fresh purple onions is sooooo good.
For the 4th I made German potato salad out of the little round white potatoes with skin on, don’t cook em too much so they slice but are still done. Then once you can touch the potatoes, they should still be quite warm (and you can cheat and wear a fingered oven glove), slice them up in a big huge bowl and shake rice vinegar all over them. Sprinkle with plenty of salt. Gently toss, taste. Add more vinegar and salt til it is delicious. Some add a touch of olive oil once the potatoes are cool. And pepper if you like.
I also made the BEST simplest Cole slaw dressing, from allrecipes, so simple. For one bag of pre chopped Cole slaw mix:
1/2 c mayo
2 tbsp white sugar
1.5 tbsp lemon juice (I just used the juice of one lemon)
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (I used a scant 1/2 tsp sea salt and it was perfect)
I prefer Asian slaw without mayo, but people wanted the American style, and hey, it was our Independence Day. This was the best American cole slaw I’ve tasted. Lovely tang.