Roasted asparagus

I've finally figured out how to make the perfect asparagus. This is super simple, and you just need to season it however you wish.

If you don't know how to trim asparagus, it's really easy. Just take the end between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it snaps! It's perfect for those days you just want to snap something! It always breaks the wooden end off at the right spot-no more second guessing!

Roasted asparagus

Total time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus spears in a 9x13 inch baking dish, doing you best to only have one layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, and toss the spears so they are well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add more to taste if you wish.

Roast in oven for about 7 minutes, then toss the spears with tongs. Cook for the remaining 7-8 minutes or until tender.

Root veggies

I don't think I've ever had beets in my life. While I was making this I even asked my mom and her answer was "Nope." I'm glad I tried them! This isn't something I'd want all the time, but it was good to change things up.

I also need to say, I love the bowl I put these in with some asparagus. It's perfect when you have a few different side dishes!

Prep

My favorite bowl!

All of dinner!

Root veggies-adapted from Meals Made Easy by Real Simple

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Bunch carrots, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• Bunch beets, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon dried tarragon

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the carrots and beets and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and tarragon. 

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes

Sugar snap peas are one of those vegetables you don't think about very often. For me, it's in stir fries. It's one of those items that gives the extra crunch that is just awesome. I really enjoyed making this side dish. A little bit of cheese and the tomatoes really made it pop!

One thing that I really love about this recipe-no need for added salt or pepper! I'm really not much of a salt fan, so I usually don't put it on unless it's really necessary in a dish. Pepper, I do love, but there was enough different flavor concepts going on for this side that it wasn't needed!

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes-adapted from Fast & Healthy Cookbook by Pillsbury
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 5

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups frozen sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from saucepan; place in a serving dish or on a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.

In the same saucepan, heat 1/3 cup water to boiling. Add sugar snap peas and return the pan to boiling. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain then return peas to saucepan.

Return the mushrooms withs garlic to the saucepan along with tomatoes and basil. Cook until warm. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese.

Asparagus with balsamaic tomatoes

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. It's extremely easy to cook in just olive oil. pepper and salt. This recipe had a bit of an extra kick with the tomatoes, balsamic and feta. It wasn't anything mind blowing, but I did like the change up.

Asparagus with balsamic tomatoes-adapted from Dinner Tonight! by Cooking Light
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes until crisp tender; drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and cook for 3 minute minutes. Stir in salt. Place asparagus on a platter, top with tomato mixture, feta and pepper to taste.

Steakhouse potatoes

Oh. Em. Gee. Let me tell you about these potatoes. I think I'm pretty good at making mashed potatoes but these were something else. I couldn't. Stop. Eating them. You won't be sorry making these.

Steakhouse potatoes-adapted from Ree on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

• 5 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup french fried onions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes as if you are making mashed potatoes-about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Smash with a potato masher and add in all other ingredients, mixing well. Top with additional cheese and french friend onions, if desired.

Garlic and butter green beans

This is such a simple recipe, but it's so good. It's probably all the butter. I seriously cannot say no :)

Garlic and butter green beans-adapted from thechefs(ex)wife on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and saute until heated through, 5 to 15 minutes depending on if beans are still frozen. 

Cheesy Biscuits

These were very quick and easy to make. Less than 15 minutes and you have some yummy dinner rolls!

Cheesy Biscuits-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 10

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese in a large bowl until a dough forms. Spoon 10 balls of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cauliflower Rice

I made this to go with the Greek Chicken Stew. It was great with the stock. I don't know that I would make it with anything that didn't have a sauce to it. It wasn't bad, just not a ton of flavor.

Cauliflower Rice-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 head cauliflower florets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Boil cauliflower for 8 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. Return to pan, add oil, salt and pepper and mash like you would potatoes until a consistency you prefer.

German Cucumber Salad

I made this recipe as I had accidentally bought too much yogurt and needed to use it up. It didn't hit anything out of the park, but maybe I'd like it more in the summertime?

German Cucumber Salad-adapted from Stumbling Upon Happiness
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 2

• 1 cucumber
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• Pinch of salt

Slice the cucumber, tomato and onion into thin slices. In a large bowl, mix together dill and salt. Add yogurt and lemon juice until well combined. Mix in vegetables until well combined. 

Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Carmelized Mushrooms

Oh. Em. Gee. That's really all I have to say for this recipe. I could've eatn an entire saucepan of this stuff. It was so. Good. You need to make this. Like yesterday. You won't be disappointed.

Risotto can be intimidating. I know I was scared the first time I made it. But honestly, it's super easy. The worst part is that it's a bit time consuming as you have to stir it a lot, but it's not that bad! Even with that, this dish is totally worth it.

Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Caramelized Mushrooms-adapted from How Sweet It Is
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup red wine
• 3-4 cups chicken broth
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon butter over low heat, then add mushrooms. Let caramelize for 10-15 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium heat and heat the vegetable oil and butter. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add rice, tossing to coat in butter and oil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, stirring every few minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add one cup stock, stir and let absorb like you did with the wine. Continue 2-3 more times until stock is absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes. Taste to determine if rice is cooked to your liking, if not, add one more cup of broth.

Reduce heat to low and stir in goat cheese, salt, pepper and cooked mushrooms.

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan

Seeing the title of this just made me want to eat it. On top of that, I found this on Pinterest, so, of course, the original poster's image is amazing! A great new twist for your side dishes. I put this together the night before, covered & put in the fridge, and had Scott put it in the oven once we were ready to eat. It worked out great!

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan-adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound frozen french green beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese. Toss to coat well. Place mixture on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp. Top with parmesan cheese.

Coleslaw

More veggies from Growing Power! I made coleslaw with a head of cabbage. It was a great, go-to recipe!

Coleslaw-adapted from Add a Pinch
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 head shredded cabbage
• 1 bag shredded carrots
• 1 small onion, diced

In a large bowl, combine Miracle Whip, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper and celery seed. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Add cabbage, carrots and onion and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately or chilled prior to serving.

Corn on the Cob-Boiled

Corn on the cob is a staple of summer. Scott isn't a huge fan as he doesn't like the corn getting stuck in his teeth, so I don't buy it very often. We'll usually have it at his dad's for Sunday cookouts. I got two ears of corn from Growing Power, so I decided to give it a try!

Our grill has been out of commission for some time. We haven't quite figured out what's going on with it. Scott either needs to spend a day looking at it, or we'll solely use our mini Weber. I decided to Google some other ways to make corn on the cob. I found this recipe for boiling it, and it was quick and delicious! You don't get quite the charred feel as on the grill, but it takes about 10 minutes, and it's done!

Corn on the Cob-Boiled-adapted from Epicurious
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves-as many as you want :)

• Ears of corn
• Butter and salt for serving

Fill a stockpot large enough for all the ears of corn with water, and put on the stove to boil. Husk the ears of corn, making sure all the silky threads are pulled off. Place ears into boiling water and boil for at least 5 minutes. Serve with butter and salt.

Zucchini and Rice Casserole

This was a great casserole! We ate it for a main dish, but it would be a fantastic change up for a side dish too. It would go great with chicken, ham or pork chops. I pretty much love everything with zucchini in it.

Zucchini and Rice Casserole-adapted from Comfort Food by Cooking Light
Total Time: 60 Minutes
Serves 8

• 2 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. IN a large stock pot, bring zucchini, onion and chicken broth to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain; partially mash with a potato masher.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and browning.

Cherry Side Rice

I've recently learned that Scott doesn't like wild rice. Which baffles me. I think it's awesome. And I love this recipe because it mixes regular rice with the wild rice to get it a bit of a sticky consistency. The dried cherries really add something to this too!

Cherry Side Rice-adapted from Best Fall Recipes by Southern Living
Total Time: 4 hours
Serves 8

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 5.5 ounces dried cherries

In a lightly greased 3 quart slow cooker, stir in rice and butter until rice is coated. Stir in chicken broth, onion and pepper. Cover and cook on high 3 1/2-4 hours or until rice is tender. Stir in cherries. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Apple Wild Rice Salad

So after making this dish I learned Scott is not a fan of wild rice. Which shocks me! I love the heartiness of wild rice and think it really brings something extra to a meal! The one thing I'm not particularly fond of--how long it takes to cook! I don't know that I've ever cooked with true wild rice (not from a box), so that was a bit of a shock for me!

Back to the recipe...

I didn't realize how much this recipe makes, but its TEN FREAKING SERVINGS! so I would definitely recommend halving it unless you want a lot of leftovers or are bringing this to a party. I like this idea for a party because it's actually supposed to be served cold! Because I'm terrible at fully reading directions before I start something, I didn't realize how long this would take and we ate it warm. It was still pretty good, but, if you're like Scott and not a wild rice fan, it's most likely not for you!

Apple Wild Rice Salad-adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time: 1 hour + chilling, if desired

Serves 10

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 2 gala apples, chopped
• 2 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup orange juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Cook wild rice according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss apples with two tablespoons orange juice. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Add apples to rice, and drizzle dressing, tossing to coat. Refrigerate until chilled, if desired.

Slow Cooker Stuffing

Stuffing is one of those things that is just necessary for Thanksgiving. I can tell you that I've never really been a fan. My grandmother used to make this crazy, weird stuffing that includes the liver and everything else from the turkey. It was good, but not what most people think of for stuffing. I've also never had a desire to actually STUFF the bird. So this year, with the limited resources of my oven, I decided to try a slow cooker stuffing recipe.

I actually got the idea from my mom, and as I was talking to her Thanksgiving morning, we realized we ended up making the same recipe! She said she just bought a bag of bread crumbs, while I ended up using fresh bread. I think the best thing about that is you can really use whatever kind of bread you have on hand. I bought a french bread loaf earlier in the week, cut it into cubes on Wednesday night and they were nice and dry Thursday morning!

I did read a lot of the reviews on this recipe before making it, and the one thing everyone said was to not add all the chicken broth right away. I'd definitely have to agree! I only added two cups, thinking it was just moist, but by the end of cooking it was very wet. I ended up adding in some additional cornbread breadcrumbs I had on hand, and placing a paper towel under the cover to soak up some of the condensation. That being said, it turned out really tasty!

Slow Cooker Stuffing-adapted from AllRecipes.com

Total Time: 5 hours

Serves 16

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon rotisserie seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Up to 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Melt butter in a medium skillet and saute onion, celery and parsley until tender.

In a 6 quart slow cooker, combine vegetable mixture, bread crumbs and seasonings by stirring gently. Slowly pour in broth, about 1/2-1 cup at a time until just moistened. Mix in eggs. Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours. Check stuffing once an hour and stir. If it is getting dry, add more chicken broth. If too wet, add additional bread crumbs or cubes, and/or place a paper towel between the cover and slow cooker to catch the condensation.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Normally when I make mashed potatoes, I just throw in some seasoned pepper, garlic salt, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, milk...really whatever I have on hand. For Thanksgiving, I decided to try an actual recipe for mashed potatoes. I thought these ended up fluffy and tasty! As always with mashed potatoes, don't just pour in the entire amount of milk. You'll want to add it gradually so you don't accidentally make them into soup.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 12

• 5 pounds baby red potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain; return to pan. Mash potatoes, adding in all other ingredients. Slowly add milk to reach desired consistency.

Try Again: Cheesy Bacon Potatoes

So this recipe did not go well. I didn't give myself enough time to do it as the recipe stated. So this is more of a try-again recipe. We ended up throwing the potatoes in the oven to finish cooking. The cheese got a little over cooked, but the flavors were definitely there! If any of you try this, let me know how it goes!

Cheesy Bacon Potatoes-adapated from Stock Piling Moms
Total Time: 4 Hours
Serves 6

• 1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 green onion, diced
• 6-8 red potatoes, quartered
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter

Cook bacon over medium heat in a skillet until crispy. Meanwhile, line a 5-quart slow cooker with tin foil, having enough to cover the potatoes with once placed inside. Place half of the bacon, onion, potatoes and cheese in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with half salt and pepper, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover potatoes fully with foil to keep in steam. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Citrus Green Beans

I don't make fresh green beans often, but I really need to more! They are so delicious and crunchy! This is one of the simplest ways to make green beans with a lot of flavor and little time. I'll definitely make this again!

If you've never made green beans before, here are three great ways to do it!

Citrus Green Beans-adapted from Health Cooking Recipes Cards by Taste of Home
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil and place green beans in them. Bring to a boil again, and then simmer for about 4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender.

Transfer beans to a serving bow. Add the oil, peel, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add more salt and pepper if desired, to taste.