Sides – My Recipes

Rice & Other Grains Ratio Guide

Roasted Eggplant

This is a recipe for how to roast eggplant in the oven so each piece is plump and juicy on the inside, and beautifully caramelized on the outside. As opposed to a mushy mess, or shriveled up and dismal! The key is: large pieces and high oven temp.
Eggplant is actually really bland when raw, but it completely transforms when roasted. You don’t need anything more than salt and pepper, but I’ve added some suggestions!

Thyme (my favorite, pictured below) – 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves sprinkled over. It goes so well with roasted eggplant, makes it taste almost buttery;
Parsley, chives or green onions – for touch of freshness and colour (not so much flavour);
Lemon juice – squeeze of fresh lemon juice (also great paired with thyme);
Balsamic vinegar (tiny drizzle) – pop of tartness is terrific! OR drizzle of balsamic glaze;
Sprinkle of parmesan – reminiscent of Eggplant Parmesan.
Ingredients
700g/ 1.2 lb eggplants (2 medium), aka aubergine
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt (kosher / cooking salt, or 1/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan).
Line a tray with parchment/baking paper (optional – recommended for first timers so you don’t lose the caramelized surface).
Cut eggplant into large cubes – 3 cm / 1.2″. Place in large bowl, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.
Toss well, spread on tray, roast 20 minutes. Turn, roast for a further 10 minutes – edges should be caramelised, soft inside, but they’re not shrivelled up and dismal.
Transfer to serving plate. Delicious served plain, but see below for some finishing options.

Recipe Notes:
Peeling – if you’re bothered by eggplant skin (which I am not – I don’t find it at all chewy), peel “zebra stripes” down the eggplant like this. If you don’t leave at least some skin on, then the eggplant cubes are prone to collapsing and turning into mush – you need some skin to hold it together.
Bitterness & salting – In the past, the standard preparation method for eggplant including salting the eggplant to remove bitterness. The eggplant of today has largely had the bitterness bred out of it so unless you have a very old, very large one, you shouldn’t have this problem. I never have.
However, if you can’t get your head around cooking eggplant without salting it, here’s how: sprinkle the cubed eggplant with 1 tsp salt, toss, leave in colander for 30 minutes. Rinse then thoroughly pat dry, toss with oil and pepper (NO SALT), roast per recipe.
Select eggplants that are firm but have a bit of give, and feel heavy for their size (light = dried out inside).

Roasting Garlic

You’ll laugh when you hear how easy it is to roast garlic. The result is smooth, spreadable garlic that has mellowed in flavor. It’s tasty as a spread, but you can toss the roasted cloves into sandwiches or mashed potatoes to add a zippy flavor.

You don’t even have to peel the cloves.

Just chop off the top of the head of garlic. I used two and crammed them into a small lidded baking dish I have. You can use any small dish. I had to separate a few cloves from the mother just to fit them, but it works fine.

Drizzle over the oil and season to taste with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt.

Cover and bake for an hour at 350°.

Glazed Carrots

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 pound fresh, frozen or canned whole baby carrots
1-2 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar (I like less) or 2 Tb. Honey
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or 1 tsp. Dried parsley

Directions

Cook carrots in a small amount of water with salt until tender. Drain. In a saucepan, combine orange juice, orange peel, butter and brown sugar; heat until sugar dissolves. Add carrots and other ingredients, toss to coat. Heat through. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 150 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 152 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Corn Casserole – Preppy Kitchen

Notes
Use room temperature ingredients. Let the eggs and sour cream come to room temperature before you start this dish. Eggs will take 30 minutes to 1 hour to reach room temperature, and sour cream takes about an hour. Cold ingredients are harder to incorporate and might not yield a creamy batter.
Jazz up the flavor. Sauté 1 diced yellow onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves in the butter. Whisk together the sour cream and eggs, then stir in the onion mixture and corn along with the remaining ingredients.
Add sugar. While I prefer this easy casserole on the more savory side, you can add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the sour cream and egg mixture for more sweetness. (Add it along with the corn.)
Add cheese. For extra creaminess and comfort, add 1 cup of shredded cheese like gruyere, Swiss, or cheddar cheese into the batter before pouring it into the pan. Buy a block of cheese and shred it at home. Pre-shredded cheese has additives to prevent clumping, and it therefore doesn’t melt very well.

Servings8 servings
AuthorJohn Kanell

Equipment
8×8” casserole dish

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) box cornbread mix (like Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix)
1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn drained
1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream (120g)
½ cup unsalted butter melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, egg, and melted butter, and whisk until well combined. Add the corn, creamed corn, cornbread mix, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. (Use more or less salt to taste depending on the salt levels in your canned corn.) Stir together until well combined and pour into the prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown, and the center is only slightly jiggly when gently shaken. Let cool for a few minutes before serving warm.

Hashbrown Casserole

Servings12 servings
Author: John Kanell – Preppy Kitchen
Notes
For an extra crunchy texture, you can add some panko breadcrumbs, cornflakes, or crushed Ritz crackers tossed in melted butter over the cheese. However, you’ll have to cover the baking dish with foil until the last 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the crunchy toppings don’t burn.

You can use frozen cubed hashbrowns if you can’t find shredded hashbrowns.

If you’re not a fan of cheddar cheese, you can use any type of melty cheese in its place, such as mozzarella, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, Gruyere, and provolone.
You can add some meat to this hashbrown casserole, such as shredded chicken, cubed ham, or crumbled bacon bits.Add some heat to this old-fashioned hashbrown casserole by adding some diced jalapeños.
Equipment
9×13″ casserole dish
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
2 cups sour cream (480g)
1 (10.5-ounce/298g) can cream of chicken soup
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided (12 ounces/338g)
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (30-ounce/850g) bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the melted butter into a 9×13-inch baking dish and swirl to coat.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of shredded cheddar, onion, salt, and pepper. Fold in potatoes until well coated.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and beginning to brown at the corners. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Turkish yogurt and mayo sauce

Ingredients
1 garlic clove pressed or minced
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup mayonnaise see note for substitutes
¼ cup Greek yogurt see note for substitutes
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint or dill
Instructions
Place minced or pressed garlic with the salt in a shallow bowl. Mash it together to combine.
1 garlic clove,⅛ teaspoon salt
Add mayonnaise and Greek yogurt and mix well.
½ cup mayonnaise,¼ cup Greek yogurt
Taste test and season with ground black pepper.
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Greek yogurt can be swapped for another neutral, unsweetened, yogurt, like Turkish yogurt, or sour cream
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise can be swapped for just crème fraîche
Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, for the flavors to deepen
If you’re making it in advance keep in mind that it will taste more and more of garlic the longer you let it sit
Make ahead: you can make this sauce up to 48 hours in advance
Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat:

Everyday Tahini Sauce

Tahini: I like to make sure to buy toasted tahini. Regular, untoasted tahini can be pretty bitter, so definitely go with one that’s toasted for a more robust, smooth flavor.

This simple tahini sauce is something you can use with everything. It’s quick to make, it delicious and it’s oil-free and sugar-free too.

Course: CondimentCuisine: AmericanKeyword: sauce, tahini Servings: 8 Author: Alyssa

Ingredients

½ cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt & pepper
¼ – ½ cup of water

Instructions

Add all the ingredients into a blender or bowl, starting with 1/4 cup of water. Stir or blend it together until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency (I like mine the consistency of ranch dressing).

Pour into a sealed glass container and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Nutrition

Vegetable kofta

Ingredients:
4 eggs.
1 teaspoon black pepper.
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
2 potatoes
2 carrots
1 leek
2-3 cups of cabbage finely chopped
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
Optional:
2 peppers
parsley
Nigella and Sesame Seeds

Directions:
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees
Grate and finely chop all vegetables
Blend in seasonings, baking powder and flour mixing well.
Add Milk and mix then the oil and mix.
Place on parchment covered baking sheet and even out.
Bake for 25 minutes
Sprinkle cheese, Nigella and Sesame seeds over while still hot.
Bake for another 10 minutes.

Roasted Tomatoes

Servings4 -6 servings
AuthorJohn Kanell

Ingredients
2 ½ lb roma tomatoes 10 large roma tomatoes, halved
5 to 6 shallots halved and peeled
2 heads garlic cloves separated and peeled
2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar 30mL
3 tbsp olive oil 45mL
2 tsp Herbes de Provence 1g
¾ tsp. kosher salt 4g
1/2 tsp ground black pepper 3g
¼ tsp chile flakes 500mg
3 springs fresh thyme
Garnish: fresh basil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F. If desired, cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil to make clean up easy.
Using your thumbs, remove excess seeds and juice from halved tomatoes.
Place halved tomatoes and shallots on pan, cut side up; place garlic cloves in tomato halves; drizzle with vinegar and olive oil.
Sprinkle evenly with Herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, and chile flakes. Scatter thyme over tomatoes.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating pan once to encourage even cooking.
Garnish with basil, if desired. Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze in a resealable plastic bag up to 6 months.
Notes
You can follow this recipe for any tomatoes you have although if the tomatoes you use are small (such as cherry tomatoes) you need to just coat the garlic in oil and toss them alongside the tomatoes.
Fresh thyme is extra delicious with roasted tomatoes but you could also use rosemary, tarragon or oregano which would also work really well.
Feel free to add different spices such as fresh or dried chili, paprika or fennel seeds for different flavor combinations.
Red or white onion can be used instead of shallots, you’ll probably only need about 2 large onions cut into wedges.
Line your baking sheet with foil or baking parchment for easy clean up.
Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat to speed up the cooking time as the tomatoes will likely burn and won’t have a slow roasted and caramelized flavor.
The tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1batch | Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1516mg | Potassium: 2767mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 10185IU | Vitamin C: 160.3mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 15.9mg
Thank You! https://preppykitchen.com/roasted-tomatoes/

Mexican Corn Cups (Esquites)

By: Shareba Abdul
YIELD: 4 servings

Mexican corn cups (a.k.a. esquites) are so easy to make! This healthy snack is loaded with flavour from grilled corn, lime, mayo, cheese and more.

Ingredients:

3 cups of frozen corn (4 ears of corn on the grill adds a wonderful taste to this recipe)

¼ cup mayonnaise, or Mexican crema

2 teaspoons lime juice, plus extra lime wedges for serving, if desired

1 teaspoon chili powder, plus extra for sprinkling (ancho, chipotle, your favourite mix)

salt, to taste (omit if using Feta cheese)

½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled (substitute with Feta)

1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped (for garnish, if desired)

Instructions:

To Make Recipe with Frozen Corn:

Rinse 3 cups of frozen corn under warm water to quickly defrost it. Drain thoroughly.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the drained corn to the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes. The corn will be juicier when cooked for less time, but will take on tasty browned bits if you leave it in the pan longer.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Combine the corn in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice and chili powder and season with salt as desired.

Spoon a layer of the corn mayo mixture into small cups. Sprinkle a layer of cheese, cilantro (optional), and more chili powder (if desired), then add another layer of corn and continue layering ingredients until the cups are full.

Serve immediately with lime wedges, and refrigerate unused portions promptly. Leftovers will last about 1-2 days in the fridge.

Make Ahead: If you want to make this dish ahead of time, grill the corn, cut off the kernels and store them in the fridge for later. You can make the mayonnaise mixture ahead of time too – just leave everything unassembled until the last minute.

NUTRITION

El Torito’s Sweet Corn Cake

Yield: 10 Servings
1/4 C. butter, unsalted
2 T. shortening
1/2 C. masa harina
3 T. cold water
1 10 oz. package frozen corn kernels
3 T. cornmeal
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. whipping cream
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Whip butter and shortening in mixing bowl until fluffy and creamy. Add masa harina
gradually and mix thoroughly. Add water gradually, mixing thoroughly.
Blend corn kernels until coarsely chopped. Stir into masa mixture.
Mix cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add butter
masa mixture; mix until blended. Pour masa mixture into 8″ greased baking pan.
Cover with foil and bake at 350°F. until corn cake is firm, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to stand at
room temperature 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Or use ice cream scoop to serve.

Chi−Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake

1/2 cup (1 stick butter), softened
1/3 cup masa harina
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add the masa harina and water to the butter and beat until well combined.
Put defrosted corn into a blender or food processor and with short pulses, coarsely chop the corn on low speed. You want to leave several whole pieces of corn.
Stir the chopped corn into the butter and masa harina mixture.
Add cornmeal to mixture and combine.
In another medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. When the ingredients are well blended, pour the mixture into the other bowl and stir everything together by hand.
Pour corn batter into an ungreased 8″x8″ baking pan.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place this pan into a 13″x9″ pan filled 1/3 of the way up with hot water. Bake for 50−60 minutes or until the corn cake is cooked through. When the corn cake is done, remove the small pan from the larger pan and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Baked Beans

4 Servings

NOTES : Not grandmas, but quick and still good. Some like this dish English style on toast.

1/2 C Chopped Onion
1-2 Tsp Oil
1 Large Pork & Beans
1/4 C Ketchup
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tb Mustard

Cook and stir onion in oil until tend. Remove excess oil. (Just tilt pan, oil will pool, move onions up the pan away from the oil with a spatula, and soak up oil with paper towel). Stir in the beans and remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

Cabbage Salsa

This salsa is served in Washington state instead of a table salsa we are used to in the southwest. I find it a great salsa for fish tacos.

Ingredients:
1/2 head cabbage, shredded with knife
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced or 1 bunch green onions
1/2-1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1-2 Tb lemon or lime juice
½ tsp salt
2 tsp garlic power
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1tsp olive or canola oil
½ tsp salt, taste test this before adding more
1 tsp Pico De Gallo Con Limon by Fiesta brand (soo good with this)

Optional:

½ teaspoon sugar
½ tsp cumin, ground
1 avocado, diced

Directions:
Shred cabbage into a large bowl and toss with the oil.

Mix in the onion, cilantro, jalapeno and tomato.

In a separate bowl mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the cabbage.

Toss well, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

If you intend to serve the next day, (which is even better for the cabbage blend), hold back the tomatoes and avocado, and mix in before serving.
Recipe 2:
Ingredients
1 large head of cabbage
1 bunch green onions
3-4 radishes, chopped fine
1 bunch cilantro, fresh
6 jalapenos, fresh
1/4 c lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic power
1 tsp Pico De Gallo Con Limon by fiesta brand
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive or canola oil
6 roma tomatoes
Optional:
1 tsp cumin, ground
2 avocados
Directions

Chop the cabbage to the desired size (I like mine a little chunky). Finely cilantro by hand and add to the cabbage (Make sure to rinse the cilantro under water really good). I use a chopper to chop the green onions and jalapenos. The jalapenos need to be cleaned and sliced in half and all the seeds and membranes removed. Do not add any of the seeds or membranes until after you sample and see how hot the salsa is naturally. If the salsa is not too hot go ahead and add the seeds and membranes as needed.
Add all the spices, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Mix together really well.
Dice the tomatoes and avocados and fold them in last. If I make this recipe the night before I do not add the tomatoes and avocados until about one(1) hour before I serve the salsa. Do not mix to much as the tomatoes and avocados will become mushy. Serve with white corn chips. Enjoy!

Calabacitas (Mexican Squash, Corn & Cheese)

serves four

From Socorro Segundo, El Centro California. Socorro spoke very little English and I spoke no Spanish, but we managed to share recipes. Shopping together was a real adventure, with lots of pointing and enunciating things in two languages. Somewhere along the way we became friends. This recipe is one of my favorites that she passed down to me. Socorro was heavy on the garlic and cheese, and it was delicious. This dish is called calabacitas, Mexican succotash, little squash and probably a few more names I haven’t run across. No matter what name it goes by, it is very versatile in its ingredients and easy to make. This makes a nice side dish or make a vegetable taco out of it, any way you choose to use it I think you will like it.

1 Roma tomato, seeds removed
1/8 C chicken broth or (I use 1 Tb Better than Bouillon & 2 Tb Water)
2-3 medium zucchini or Mexican squash (about 9”) or make a mixture of yellow and green squash.
1 cup frozen sweet corn
½ – ¾ C sweet yellow onion chopped
1/2 C grated Monterey Jack Cheese or Asadero cheese
2 cloves of garlic or ½ tsp powdered garlic (a little more if you love garlic)
1 lg green chili (Anaheim), roasted, peeled, and chopped
2 tbs canola or olive oil (Socorro used lard)
1/8 tsp salt and pinch of pepper to taste, if using Queso Fresco you may not need salt

Optional:
1/8 tsp Mexican oregano

Queso Fresco cheese to sprinkle over dish

If you want less cheese omit the Monterey jack cheese and sprinkle ¼ C or less, of Queso Fresco cheese into the mix and a little spread on the top of dish before serving.

Note:

When choosing a Mexican cheese remember Panela, Queso Fresca or Queso Blanco will not melt when heated but add a nice of flavor crumbled into dishes. I love Queso Fresca, but be careful with adding extra salt when using this cheese at it is a bit salty in itself.

Chop squash into 1/4 to 3/8″ chunk and set aside.

Sauté chopped onion, diced tomato and chili in oil until onions are sweated.

Add corn and garlic sautéing a couple more minutes.

Stir in squash adding chicken broth, oregano if using, and 1/8 tsp salt.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Check to see if any liquid is needed.

You may find there is too much liquid as the squash cooks, if so remove lid.

When squash is almost tender, drain off any excess liquid leaving about 1/3 -1/4 C so mixture doesn’t scorch, add pepper to taste and carefully mix in the cheese so the squash doesn’t break up.

Taste test for salt and pepper, (garlic powder?) and simmer until squash is fork tender. Try not to overcook, the squash should still be well formed.

At this point you can either serve or place in oven broiler, sprinkle on a little more cheese and toast the cheese.

Cucumber And Onion Slices

My momused to make this every once in awhile. I think she and I were the only ones in the family that liked it when I was young. Of course, mom used a pinch of salt, a splash or 2 of vinegar, a glug or so of oil, and filled the jar up the rest of the way with water. I have tried to give measurement to the splash and glug, but the pinch has to stay.

2 cucumbers, sliced in ¼ inch slices
1 med.              onion, sliced in ¼ inch slices and separated
½ cup               vinegar
¼ cup               water
¼ cup               oil

a pinch of sugar
a pinch of salt and pepper

I have been known to add tomato wedges, but mom never did. I’m not too sure she used sugar either.

Slice cucumbers and onion. Separate the onion slices into separate rings. Layer cucumbers and onion slices in a wide mouth, quart, canning jar. Mix sugar and water together until dissolved and pour into jar. Add all the rest of the ingredients. If you need to, add more water so that cucumbers and onions are covered with liquid. Screw lid and ring onto jar and shake it to mix up the liquid. Let stand at least an hour before eating the vegetables. Mix the vegetables and liquid up again before serving. You can of course, pour the liquid over the cucumbers and onions in a bowl with the same results. Use a slotted spoon to dip out the vegetables for serving.

Marinated Tomato & Cucumber Salad

This is absolutely one of my favorite summer dishes

4 lg.                 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cucumbers, peeled & cubed
1 lg.                 Vidalia onion, peeled & sliced (Red onion is also great with this salad)
½ C                  olive or salad oil
¼ C                  cider vinegar
1 Tb                sugar or splenda
½ tsp               salt
1/8 tsp            oregano

Pinch of dill or 1 Tb of chopped fresh dill
Pinch of basil or 1 Tb of chopped fresh basil

Optional:
1/8 tsp Garlic powder or finely chopped clove of garlic
Crumbled feta cheese
Whole drained black olives

Put prepared vegetables in large salad bowl. In smaller bowl combine remaining ingredients with wire whip until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour dressing over vegetables and let stand in refrigerator about 1 hour before serving for best flavor.

Vidalia Onion Pie

16 servings 279 cals

I have made this without crust of any kind with success.
3-4 C Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
½ C unsalted butter or bacon grease
4 eggs, beaten
½ C cream
2 Tb flour
½ C sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
¼ C grated Parmesan cheese
(Optional)2 (9 inch) pie shells, baked or make the Ritz cracker shell; recipe below.
(Optional) 2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 pinch paprika
½ C grated Parmesan cheese for topping ( or try mixing with sharp cheddar cheese)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and make sure oven is ready before placing pie inside.Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes if using crust. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

In a medium skillet, cook onions in butter or bacon grease for about 10 minutes, or until clear and soft; stir often. Reserve juices.
In a large bowl, mix onions with eggs, cream and sour cream.
Stir in onion juices, butter and cheese.
Sprinkle in flour
Add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste.
Make sure all ingredients are well blended and then pour into the 2 pie shells.
Sprinkle grated cheese and paprika on top of pies.
Follow baking instructions at top
Let cool for a few minutes to settle before slicing.

Ritz Cracker shell
1 cup ritz cracker crumb
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Mix Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture into an 8-inch pie plate.

Zucchini Sticks Baked and Sweet Onion Dip

Makes 3 Servings Yield: about 3 dozen sticks
Here’s a guilt-free way to enjoy the crunchy outside (and juicy inside) of a restaurant-style zucchini stick.
Note: For a little heat you could mix into the panko 1/4
teaspoon smoked cayenne or crushed up red chili flakes. Enjoy these vegetables with or without the dip. Original recipe from king author flour.

ZUCCHINI STICKS
3 medium zucchini, unpeeled, cut into 3″-long stick
1 tbs salt
1 c coarse, dry bread crumbs (e.g., panko)*
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
(Optional)1 tbs herb seasoning or herbs de province
1/4 tsp pepper
olive oil spray
1/2 c egg substitute; or 2 large eggs; or 3 egg white, lightly beaten
DIP
1 tbs butter
1 medium sweet onion, about 1/2 pound, peeled and sliced
2 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs honey
1 tbs prepared mustard
1 c mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

1) TO MAKE THE DIP: Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over moderate heat, and add the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, then caramelize. This should take between 10 and 15 minutes. The lower the heat,
the longer it takes, but the less likely you are to burn the onions.
2) Once the onions are a medium brown, remove from the heat and add the vinegar.
3) Place the onions and vinegar into a small food processor. Add the honey and mustard, and process or blend until smooth.
4) Add the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
PREP before coating the zucchini: I peal some of the skin off and slice in thick strips or wedges as we like it best this way. If you are using fresh in-season zucchini peeling is probably not necessary as the skin is not tough. If you make slices thick it will take a longer cooking time.
I sprinkle my prepared zucchini with salt as stated below; as you can see by the liquid that is left after an hour, the zucchini has a lot of excess water in it.
1) TO MAKE THE ZUCCHINI STICKS: Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Let the zucchini drain for 1 hour or longer; rinse and pat dry.
2) Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and any seasoning used; set aside.
3) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with olive oil.
4) Dredge sticks a few at a time in the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.
5) Bake sticks for 12 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. If you have thick slices about 15 min. on one side and 10 on the other. Keep a close check on the zucchini for doneness.
6) Serve immediately, with sweet onion dip.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese

SERVES 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side
TIME 1 hour
For a macaroni and cheese recipe that would appeal to adults and kids alike, we kept things simple, staying away from pungent cheeses and overly rich eggs and cream. Instead, we tossed al dente pasta with a béchamel-based cheese sauce, using a combination of sharp cheddar for flavor and Monterey Jack for creaminess. To give our macaroni and cheese recipe a crunchy topping, we tossed homemade bread crumbs with melted butter, sprinkled them over the casserole, and browned the dish quickly under the broiler.
Ingredients:
3 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound elbow macaroni
Salt
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups whole milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

Instructions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Pulse bread and chilled butter in food processor until coarsely ground, 7 to 10 pulses; set aside.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain macaroni and set aside in colander.
Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses until fully melted. Add macaroni and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Top with bread-crumb mixture and broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating dish if necessary for even browning. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes for Two

SERVES 2
TIME 1 hour
Why This Recipe Works
Casserole-style scalloped potatoes can take as long as an hour to cook through. We not only wanted a version suitable for two, but we wanted it on the table as quickly as possible. We began by sautéing onion, garlic, and thyme in an 8-inch nonstick skillet before adding chicken broth, cream, and potatoes. To ensure quick cooking, we simmered the potatoes in the aromatic liquid until they were nearly tender (and well seasoned). Now it was time for the cheese. We knew we wanted assertive cheese flavor, but the more cheese we added, the greasier the dish became. Employing an old test kitchen trick, we tried tossing the cheese with cornstarch. Sure enough, the grease was held at bay even with a generous 1 cup of added cheese.
Ingredients:
2 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup heavy cream
12 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Before You Begin
Don’t use preshredded cheese, which contains added starch to prevent caking. By adding cornstarch yourself, you can control the dish’s texture. You’ll need 2 small or 1 extra-large potato.

Instructions:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cheddar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in bowl until well combined. Toss Parmesan and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch together in second bowl until well combined.
Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick, ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, cream, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are nearly tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Off heat, stir in cheddar mixture and press potatoes into even layer

Pimiento Cheese Spread

If you are from the south, this little bit of heaven shows up as often as potato salad at picnic or party. I first tasted it in El Centro Ca. at a downtown drug store. They made me a pimento cheese and liverwurst sandwich, which hooked me for life on pimiento cheese spread. I showed up every Wednesday just to be able to watch them make the spread in a huge meat grinder looking thing, out by the soda fountain. The drug store had a very small kitchen and 12 seat counter set up, and yes they made malts too. I was trying to figure out the proportions as I really didn’t need a gallon of the stuff, and it gave me a good reason to have a sandwich with the cheese spread slathered on it once a week. I would have gone to work there if I thought I could squeeze the recipe out of the southern lady who made it. She was keeping her recipe a well-guarded secret, I think she used sandwich spread instead of mayo, but I’m not sure. I tried it once and found it very sweet, so maybe it was not sandwich spread after all. There are as many versions of this spread as there are grandmothers it seems. Here is mine

.See Original Version below before making

8 oz. grated extra-sharp cheese
8 oz. Colby or mild American cheese, grated
4 oz. Cream cheese or Nonfactual cheese
2-3 Tb Green onion use both green and white parts. You could use a white onion chopped into very small pieces as a substitute
½ tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp celery salt, or use ½ tsp celery flakes ground fine
¼ to 1 Tb Worcestershire sauce, taste test this as you go to suit your personal taste. I use ½ Tb.
4 oz. jar diced pimientos, undrained
½ tsp prepared mustard or ½ tsp vinegar, red wine vinegar is nice
½ – 1 C Dukes Mayonnaise to taste, this depends on how spreadable you want the cheese to be. If you like use Miracle Whip many people like it better, maybe it is less salty.
1-2 tsp sweet pickle relish
1/2 tsp. salt (you can omit this if using mayo, as it is salty in itself)
1/8 tsp ground pepper
Option:
Try one or more of these options for a little change
1-2 Tb Sugar
¼ tsp cracked red pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp green olives chopped fine
½ cup diced Velveeta Cheese

Place everything but the cheese into a food processor, pulse until mixed.
Add all the grated cheese, and blend.
Taste Test and adjust to your taste if needed.
Chill. Flavor is even better if you make it a day ahead of serving. You can taste test and add more ingredients if you like before serving, but I find I rarely need to add anything.
I’ve been known to use Monterey Jack Cheese instead of Colby, cracked red pepper, or finely chopped jalapeño chili pepper.
Spread on sandwiches or serve with crackers or celery sticks.

Original IngredientVersion:

In Food Processor blend:

8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 – 4 ounce jar chopped pimentos, drained
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
salt to taste