Sides
Kale Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
This kale salad is full of dried cranberries, sliced red pears, crispy bacon, honey goat cheese and a hint of lime juice, and then topped with glazed honey almonds. A simple homemade honey mustard dressing drizzled on top adds a final sweet and savory note! Fall is without a doubt my favorite season. The weather’s cooler, but snow is still a month or two away (hopefully), which means I’m able to don layers and scarves, build roaring fires in the fireplace, and spend plenty of time curled up with a blanket reading or writing. Ahhh… That time of year is also when family and friend gatherings abound and holiday celebrations…
Sweet Potato Casserole
The very best sweet potato casserole EVER. And not a marshmallow in sight! My paternal grandmother passed away many years ago and, even today, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without her tried and true — and terribly addicting! — sweet potato casserole. This isn’t your typical sweet potato casserole that’s served on Thanksgiving. There isn’t a marshmallow in sight. Not a one. Instead, it’s a fluffy, creamy, crunchy, gooey, can’t-believe-it’s-a-side-not-a-dessert accompaniment to an already spectacular spread. And it’s better without the marshmallows. It. Just. Is. My aunt traditionally made this sweet potato casserole during our large family gatherings every Thanksgiving since my grandmother’s passing. For one, it’s super…
Old Fashioned Creamy Potato Salad
This old fashioned creamy potato salad is a huge favorite of ours, and a perfect side dish to burgers and dogs on the grill! Don’t like potato salad? I hear that a lot. That is … until people try this potato salad. No, seriously. My husband won’t typically eat potato salad unless it’s this potato salad. And, he’ll eat leftovers, which is worth noting because he’s not typically a “leftovers” kind of guy, unless it’s steak or his mother’s enchiladas. Starting in spring, this particular potato salad is requested at every family gathering. Yes: Every. Single. One. Friends who’ve tried it? Same request. You might be wondering what it is…
Make-Ahead Casserole Recipes
There’s nothing better than having dinner ready to go on a busy night. Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey casserole? Especially casserole recipes that can either be tossed in the fridge till dinner the next day, or frozen for weeks (or months)! To me, casseroles are one of the best comfort foods out there, and make-ahead casserole recipes are the best. THE BEST! A friend who’s due any day with her second baby recently asked me if I’d help her prep a few freezer meals to tuck away until after the baby’s born. (For the record, I was not that smart with my food prep. For either child.) Those of you who’ve raised…
BLT Salad With the Crispiest Chicken Ever
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CrispyCreations #CollectiveBias #FriedChicken You’ll love this BLT salad with the crispiest chicken ever! All the classic flavors of a chicken BLT sandwich, but deconstructed with a layer of chopped crunchy romaine lettuce that’s topped with mouth-watering bites of bacon, creamy bleu cheese, heirloom tomatoes fresh from the farmers’ market, and pan-fried crispy chicken. A classic BLT sandwich has always been one of my favorites. There’s something about the savory saltiness of the bacon mixed with the fresh sweetness of a tomato that’s unbeatable. Over the years I’ve played around with my BLT combos,…
Homemade Guacamole
Go ahead and make a double batch of this homemade guacamole; it’s so yummy, it won’t last long! I’m a big avocado fan. Like, I-could-eat-one-with-every-meal-and-be-perfectly-content, avocado fan. Even though the weather was gorgeous and the scenery was breath-taking along the coast, one of my favorite parts of visiting San Diego a couple years ago was, wait for it, avocados on top of, served with, or as an add-on for every meal on a menu. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Haha! I’ve been lucky to find relatively inexpensive avocados here at ALDI, where a bag of four non-organic avocados goes for about three dollars, and an organic bag…
Simple Holiday Recipes
No one ever said the holidays had to be full of difficult and time-consuming recipes. The best celebrations are had over simple holiday recipes that taste great and are easy to prep and make. Cheers! Some folks have their holiday menu planned out weeks, even months, in advance. Others use the same tried-and-true menu year after year. And then there’s the rest of us. I have a recipe or two that I make each year, but otherwise my recipe choices vary depending on what the plans are — am I responsible for the main dish and most of the sides, or am I just complementing the main dish with a…
French Farmhouse Potatoes
These simple and mouthwatering French farmhouse potatoes are a classic, but I give Rachel Ray the credit for bringing this recipe to my attention during one of her holiday specials. The true credit, however, for the recipe goes to famous French chef Jacques Pépin, who originally made this potato side a favorite on many family tables years ago. Rumor has it, this particular recipe was made by his French grandmother on a daily basis, served with dinner and loved by all. There are only a few simple ingredients needed for what ends up becoming soft, rich and creamy potato goodness. And while the process for making them isn’t difficult, it does…
