Carrot Oven Fries

1 lb. carrots (about 5 or 6 large,peeled and cut into 4"x1" sticks.)

1 tsp. Olive oil

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 packet Ranch dressing & seasoning mix

Pam vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400* and in a large bowl,combine carrots with oil, cornstarch and the ranch dressing packet. Toss all until well coated. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Now arrange coated carrots in a single layer on pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy.

Recipe and picture via The Harwards

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Casserole:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
1/4 c. butter

Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
5 T. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. flour
1 c. pecans, chopped

Cook the peeled, chunked sweet potatoes in boiling water until tender.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Drain potatoes and mash with electric mixer. Beat
in remaining ingredients and place in 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix together
topping ingredients and sprinkle over potatoes. Bake 30 minutes, or
until browned.

Recipe from Jenny Miner

Printable Recipe

BBQ Potatoes

-4 medium red potatoes, cut
into 3/4-inch cubes
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-2 tablespoons McCormick Grill
Mates Barbecue Seasoning
or 2 tablespoons McCormick
Grill MatesRoasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
-1 large onion, cut into thin wedges



1. Toss potatoes with oil in large bowl. Add Seasoning;
toss to coat evenly.
2. Place potatoes and onions on large wide sheet of
heavy duty foil. Bring up foil sides; double fold top
and ends to tightly seal packet.
3. Grill over medium-high heat 30 to 35 minutes or
until potatoes are tender, turning packet over halfway
through cook time.

Recipe and picture from McCormick

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 cups of hot long grain rice
2 small limes (or 1 large lime)
1 teaspoon lime zest, minced
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Once your rice is cooked fluff with fork. Add lime
juice, zest, cilantro and salt. Stir well. Serve warm.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I tried this out the other night.  It was an easy, delicious side dish.

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Stuffed Yellow Squash

6 medium yellow squash
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 T. Fresh chopped basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 dash pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese- use more
2 T. butter
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled -- use more
1 avocado chopped

- WASH squash thoroughly; cover with water, and bring to
a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 9 minutes or
until squash is tender but still firm. Drain and cool slightly,
Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds,
leaving a firm shell.
- COMBINE onion, tomato, green pepper, basil, salt,
pepper, and avocado in a bowl. Stir in cheese. Place
squash in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Spoon vegetable
mixture into shells; dot with butter. Sprinkle with
bacon. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Yield:6 servings.
Recipe from my friend Misti

Holiday Vegetable Dish

1 16 0z. frozen mixed vegetables(broccoli, cauliflower,
carrot mixture)
1 lg. onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. croutons
1 c. sour cream

Thaw frozen vegetables and saute with butter about
3 minutes. Add soup and sour cream. Mix well. Add
1 c. croutons and mix. Pour into buttered 1 1/2 quart
casserole dish. Heat remaining croutons in 1 Tbsp. butter
or margarine until coated. Sprinkle these over top of
casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Serves 4-6.

Marinated Cucumbers and Tomatoes

1-2 cucumbers
2 large tomatoes
2 oz. water
6 oz. vinegar of choice
2 Tbs. sugar

Combine bite sized pieces of cucumber and tomatoes with other
ingredients in a non-metal container and place in refrigerator
for a couple of hours.

Potato Pockets

4 potatoes, julienned
3 carrots, julienned
1/3 c. onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c grated cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper

Divide vegetables among 4 pieces of aluminum foil (18x12).
Top with butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Seal.
Grill or bake 15 to 20 minutes. Top with grated cheese to
melt.

Spanish Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 glove garlic-minced
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. diced onion
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1-1/2 Tbsp. chicken bullion granulate
1 sprig cilantro
3 c. water

In a skillet heat oil and add rice. Stir until golden
brown. Add garlic, onion, cilantro, and stir. Add
tomato sauce, chicken bullion, and water. Stir and cover.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Classic Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise

¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

½ teaspoon dry ground mustard

½ teaspoon white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Paprika for garnish

Remove the egg yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

Recipe and picture courtesy of deviledeggs.com.

Onion Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/3 c. olive oil

Add all ingredients in a large plastic Ziploc. Close
and shake gently until potatoes are evenly coated.
Bake in shallow baking dish sprayed with non-stick
cooking spray at 45o degrees for 40 minutes. Stir
occasionally.

Crispy Potatoes Au Gratin

from Aunt Patti: All of the following ingredients are estimates

• extra virgin olive oil (to grease 9x13 baking dish -- or for smaller portions use GLASS pie plate)
• 3 - 6 potatoes, VERY thinly sliced (I usually use red potatoes but Idahos are good too - clean well but don't peel)
• salt (little)
• 2 T (or less) of melted butter
• shredded cheddar (at least 4 oz), I use more
• bread crumbs (no more than 1/2 cup or they will be dry)

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly salt potatoes and arrange in even layer. Drizzle melted butter and sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. 20 minutes and voila! OR, if you can't use a 425 oven, you can put in @ 350 for 30 minutes or so. But they're crunchier (better) at higher heat.

Mexican Chicken Rice Bake

From my friend Bernie in a recipe exchange. YUM!

• 1 cup Instant uncooked Rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 chicken Bouillon cubes
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomato w/ mild green chiles
• 1 15 oz. can Black beans
• 1 cup cooked chicken (cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup frozen whole kernal corn
• Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips.

In large pot combine all ingredients except toppings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with toppings.

"Fancy" Mac and Cheese

This is from my friend Lamar, who is an incredible cook. No Kraft Dinner for him! It's not quick and easy, but it's fabulous!

1. Pick your favorite pasta shape (I like the little shell shaped ones)and boil 1 pound in lightly salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving half a cup of the pasta water, just in case.
2. Grate 1/4 pound each of Fontina, Gruyère, and Smoked Mozzarella (orpick your favorite cheeses)
3. Make a bechamel sauce as follows:
4. warm 1.5 cups of milk in the microwave. just enough so it's roomtemperature or so. doesn't need to be hot
5. preheat the oven to 350°F
6. mince 2 cloves of garlic
7. over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. sauté the garlic for about 1 minute in the melted butter.
8. *before the butter browns*, add 4 tablespoons of flour. stir until thick and pasty. don't brown the rue.
9. add 1/2 a cup of the milk, stirring to dissolve the rue. add as much of the remaining milk as you would like to make a sauce that's as think as you want.
10. Add 1 teaspoon of finely ground white pepper (black is okay, but you get specks in the sauce)
11. put the cooked pasta into a casserole dish that you've sprayed with non-stick spray and coated with unseasoned breadcrumbs
12. in the casserole dish, mix the grated cheese, bechamel sauce, and pasta. reserve some of the gruyère to sprinkle on top, or grate more.
13. if the sauce is too thick, add any remaining milk or some of the reserved pasta water until it thins to your liking
14. sprinkle reserved gruyere on top and bake at 350° until the cheese on top is bubbly and starting to brown.

Awesome Potato Casserole

From my friend Michelle, in a recipe exchange. She says "I could live off this stuff; It's great for potlucks, too."

• 2 Lbs Hash Brown Potatoes (thawed, if frozen)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 can cream of potato soup
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 cup diced ham
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped onions, optional

Mix all ingredients in a gigantic bowl, transfer to a 13X9 casserole dish, add whatever topping you wish, Cover and Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Topping ideas: 2 cups corn flakes mixed with 1/4 cup butter works, but I usually just add about 1 c cheese when there's only 10 minutes left on the timer.

Apple Slices

6 apples peeled, pared, and sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 teas. finely grated lemon rind
1 teas. cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in an 8x8 inch baking
dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until
tender. This makes a good side dish with pork.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Stove Top Baked Beans

If you like baked beans, I promise you will LOVE this recipe. They are the perfect side dish to any BBQ!!!

Stove Top Baked Beans

1lb sausage (Jimmy Deans Reg or Mild is best)
1 Large Onion
1 Large can pork & beans
1 Cup of Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Mustard
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke ( found near bbq sauce in store)

Cook Sausage and onion together in pan
Add remaining ingredients in a separate pot
Heat thoroughly
Add cooked sausage and onion
Stir occasionally

Really good if cooked the day before and reheated.

Enjoy!

Zucchini and Tomato Side

4 Zucchini chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes chopped

Mix in small bowl:
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1/2 tsp. Salt
Pour over zucchini and tomatoes and microwave
for 6 to 7 minutes (covered). Sprinkle parmesan
cheese and reheat until cheese is melted.