Side Dishes Recipes

Side dishes recipes are important because they accompany the main dish or entree. They are usually made of a starch or vegetable and can be as simple as Roasted Onions in their Skin or a little more "fancy" like Carmelized Onion and Gruyere Bread Pudding. You can serve them along side the entree or on a separate dish. Here are some of my favorites!

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Holiday Potatoes

½ cup onion, chopped

1 can cream of celery soup

1 small carton sour cream

¼ cup butter

1 small jar pimentos

1 ½ c cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup cornflakes + 3 T. butter

Mix all but the cornflakes and 3 T. butter. Pour into a casserole dish. Can be left in the refrigerator 2-3 days before baking. Sprinkle cornflakes that have been mixed with 3 T. butter on top. Bake at 350 F. for 1 hour.

Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Bread Pudding

Serves 6

1 1/2 Tablespoon butter

3 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 tsp. roasted garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

3 large eggs

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

3 cups 1" cubes crustless bread or brioche

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 6 individual 4-oz. ceramic ramekins. Heat butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, parsley and thyme and saute until onions are tender and lightly browned. Remove pot from heat. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs, cream, milk, 1/8 cup Parmesan, Gruyere, salt and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Add the bread cubes and allow to stand 10 minutes. Stir in the sauteed onions. Transfer to prepared ramekins. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Place the ramekins in a hot water bath, cover with aluminum foil and bake until the pudding is brown, puffed and set in the center, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and allow the tops of the puddings to color. Serve warm.

Tangy Broiled Tomatoes

4 large, firm tomatoes

Spicy brown mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Pat cut surfaces of tomatoes with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Spread mustard over cut side of each tomato half. Combine salt and peppers in a small bowl; stir well. Sprinkle pepper mixture evenly over top of each tomato half. Combine cheese, breadcrumbs, and butter; stir well. Spoon breadcrumb mixture evenly over top of each tomato half. Place tomatoes in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 F. for 15 minutes. Broil 4 inches from heat 30 seconds to 1 minute or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Thanksgiving Texas Cornbread Dressing

The best turkey ever and a wonderful cranberry sauce along with this dressing would complete your Thanksgiving meal.

This is a simple dressing recipe, but I always get rave reviews on it!!

10 (2-inch) cornbread muffins, crumbled

6 slices white bread, crumbled

5 cups chicken or turkey broth (preferably home-made)

2 medium-size onions, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup melted butter

½ pound mild sausage (I always use hot for an extra kick)

2 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Soak cornbread and bread slices in chicken broth; stir until liquid is absorbed. Saute onion and celery in butter until vegetables are tender; add sausage and cook over low heat until sausage changes color.

Combine bread mixture, sausage mixture, eggs, salt, and pepper, mix until thoroughly blended. Spoon dressing into a buttered 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

The easiest recipe ever! But OH! So delicious!

4 medium yellow onions, unpeeled, halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onions with oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until onions are tender and cut surfaces are a rich golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and/or pepper if needed, and serve in their skins.

Grilled Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, rinsed in cold water

3 T. olive oil

½ tsp. salt (sea salt if possible)

Pinch sugar

Zest (grated peel) of one lemon

With one hand at the root end of an asparagus stalk and the other hand ¾ of the way up the shaft, bend gently. The asparagus will snap where the tough portion ends. Cover a jelly roll pan with foil and spread asparagus out on top of the foil. Drizzle with oil then roll asparagus to coat all sides. Slip under the broiler, about 3 inches away, and broil for 4 minutes only, or place on grill on perforated pan and grill over direct heat for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and a kiss of sugar and place on a serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve immediately.

Red Onion Strings

Put these on top of a grilled steak. There is nothing better!

¼ cup kosher salt

10 cups cold water

4 red onions, peeled

Mix salt and water in a container. Slice onions on a mandoline very thin or slice thinly by hand. Onions need to sit in salt water at least two hours before use.

Seasoned Flour Mix

4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 T. paprika

1 T. coarse black pepper

2 1/2 T. kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together. Take onion strings out of the water and drain. Roll in the seasoned flour mix and deep fry in batches at 350 F. in peanut oil.

Grilled Vegetable Platter

I often double the vinaigrette quantity so that I can more lavishly marinate and dress the vegetables. This platter makes a beautiful presentation. Lots of color!

Vinaigrette

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 minced garlic clove

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Veggies

1 whole large bell pepper, red, orange, or yellow

1 large red onion, sliced into ½-inch rings

1-pound eggplant, sliced into 1/3-to ½-inch rounds

1 small fennel bulb, sliced 1/3 to ½ inch thick through the stem end

1 zucchini, about ½ pound, sliced into 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick lengths

4 small heads of radicchio, quartered through the stem end, or 4 to 6 endives, halved through the stem end

4 red-ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Relish

2 red-ripe plum tomatoes, finely diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or parsley

1 tablespoons flavorful olive oil

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Capers, caper berries, green or black olives, and/or Parmesan curls (made with a vegetable peeler).

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredient in a small bowl. Run a thin metal skewer through each onion slice to hold it together. Brush the vegetables with about three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Give the eggplant the heaviest coat.

Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium. Grill the vegetables, in batches if necessary. Plan on grilling times of about 12 to 15 minutes for the pepper and onion slices, 8 to 12 minutes for the eggplant, radicchio, and endive, 6 to 8 minutes for the zucchini, and 4 to 6 minutes for the tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side down to start. Turn the pepper on all sides to cook evenly, and the rest of the vegetables three times, brushing with the remaining vinaigrette as they cook.

Cook until tender, removing each vegetables as it is done. Transfer the pepper to a plastic bag and close to let it steam and loosen the skin. When cool enough to handle, pull off any loose charred pieces of skin. Slice the pepper into thin strips, discarding the seeds and stem.

Arrange the vegetables attractively on a platter. Just before serving, stir together the tomato relish. Top the platter with the relish, scatter the capers, olives, and/or Parmesan curls about and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons good olive oil

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty), and serve immediately.

Fruity Rice Pilaf

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup basmati or long grain rice

1 ½ cups veal stock or water

¼ cup currants (or raisins)

¼ cup dried apricots, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper

½ cup blanched pistachios

1 bunch dill, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ cup plain yogurt

Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and fry the onions until soft, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fry, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook until it looks translucent and the oil is absorbed. The rice will start to pop.

Stir in the stock or water with the currants, apricots, tomato, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid is absorbed (do not stir) and rice is tender, 18-20 minutes. Let the rice stand 10 minutes, then remove the cover and stir in the pistachios, dill, and parsley, using a fork. Add enough yogurt to moisten the pilaf, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Savory Corn Pudding

It's worth waiting for the sweetest corn of summer to make this delicate, creamy, soufflé-like side dish that's a perfect accompaniment for grilled or roasted meats.

Secrets:

To remove corn kernels with minimal spray and mess, hold the cob perpendicular to the cutting board and, with a sharp chef knife, shave off the kernels all the way around the lower half of the cob. Turn the cob upside down, holding the shaved part, and shave off the remaining kernels. With the dull edge of your knife, scrape the cob to extract any flavorful juices left behind.

To make this corn pudding even richer, substitute half-and-half or heavy cream for the milk.

To ensure even cooking when baking delicate puddings such as this, place pudding in a bain-marie (or large pan of hot water bath). The temperature of the water remains constant as the temperature of your oven naturally fluctuates. Use a sturdy roasting pan and line it with a paper towel to prevent the pudding from sliding around as you take it to and from the oven. For safety, don't add the water to the bain-marie until you've placed it on the rack in the oven.

7 ears fresh sweet corn or 2 pounds defrosted, frozen petite white corn kernels

1 ½ cups whole milk (or half-and-half, or heavy cream)

2 teaspoons butter, for baking dish

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour

4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded on large holes of a box grater

2 tablespoons fresh or freeze-dried minced chives, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (or for more of a kick, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper)

If using fresh corn, cut off kernels and reserve 1 cup. Place remaining corn and 1 cup of the milk in a blender. Hold lid in place and increase speed slowly. Puree at highest speed for a full 3 minutes. If necessary, interrupt blending to scrape down the sides. In the meantime, adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 325 F. Prepare a bain-marie (hot water bath). Choose a roasting pan large enough to hold a 9-inch round or square by 2-inch deep (2 qt.) baking dish. Butter bottom and sides of baking dish and set aside. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs lightly. Add blended corn mixture and whisk to combine. Sprinkle with flour and whisk to blend thoroughly. Add remaining ½ cup milk, cheese, all but about 1 teaspoon of the chives, salt, Tabasco, and reserved corn kernels and stir to combine. Pour into buttered baking dish and sprinkle with reserved chives. Can be prepared ahead up to this point. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Pull out oven rack halfway. Place pudding on paper towel in bain-marie and place in center of oven rack. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan, around the outside of the baking dish to halfway up the sides of the pudding. Gently slide oven rack into place and bake until blade of paring knife inserted in the center of pudding comes out almost clean, 45 to 60 minutes depending on depth of baking dish. Top of pudding should be firm and pale and edges should begin to pull away from sides of baking dish.

Remove bain-marie from oven. With oven mitts and/or a large offset spatula, carefully transfer baking dish with pudding from bain-marie to a cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Duchess Potatoes

This is a very impressive side dish. It is cooked potatoes that are pureed with egg yolks and butter, then formed into small shapes or piped as a garnish and baked until golden brown. The term a la duchesse refers to dishes garnished with duchess potatoes.

4 pounds large red potatoes

¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 ¼ cups milk

3 large egg yolks

2 T chopped parsley for garnish

Peel and quarter potatoes and in a large saucepan cover with salted cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. While potatoes are simmering, in a small saucepan heat butter with milk over moderately low heat until melted and keep warm. Drain potatoes in a colander and force through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. With an electric mixer beat in milk mixture, yolks and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Transfer potato mixture to a piping bag and pipe out small mounds of potato mixture. Bake potatoes until heated through, about 15 minutes and serve warm. Transfer potatoes to serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Summer Tomato Flan

Pie Crust to fit 10-inch removable bottom tart pan

6 Large Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise in 1/2" thick slices.

1 tsp. Salt, divided

1 1/2 Tbls. Wholegrain Dijon Mustard

3 Tbls. Minced fresh basil

8 oz. Fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/2" thick slices (enough to cover pan)

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Large Eggs, beaten

1 cup Heavy Cream

Dash

• Tobasco


• Ground White Pepper

Additional Basil to Garnish

Bake blind in a quiche pan the pie crust until very lightly golden. Sprinkle sliced tomatoes with half the salt and let them drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet 30 minutes. Pat dry. Spread the mustard evenly over the bottom of the pie crust. Arrange the tomato slices over, and sprinkle with fresh basil. Top with cheese slices. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Mix together the eggs, cream, Tobasco, remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 375 or 350 Convection Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Garnish with additional fresh basil.

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