Need some help with a side dish

[OU812]

Taby, my daughter, is goin to graduate on Mothers day and has requested brisket, pulled pork, sausage balls, tater salad and smoked beans.

What I'm havin troubles with is what to have with whats on her list. Seems like theres allot of meat and very little other stuff.

I aint no sweet eater so meat and taters work for me but I feel others would like some other goodies.

Any ideas?

[Quarlow]

Theres nothing like a good bean salad. I usually get the three bean but sometimes I can get a six bean'er. And Green bean casserole with those French's fried onions on top is pretty dang tasty too.

[classicrockgriller]

All kids like mac and cheese and that would be easy.

[ArnieM]

I was looking at this one for the weekend; picked up some fresh green beans.  Looks interesting.

EDIT:

Adding the link might help  :D
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?64-Green-Bean-Bundles

[deb415611]

I'm not a mayo eater so I usually do either a pasta or rice salad.  I usually wing it but basics are pasta or rice , some type of salad dressing , some veggies, etc.   The rice can be white or brown

rice or pasta - italian dressing, roasted red peppers, small cubes of mozzarella, diced pepperoni, artichoke hearts

brown rice, lemon-dill dressing, baby peas

rice or pasta - feta cheese, calamata olives

I put other veggies in also but above gives a base


Awhile ago I did a Black bean & Corn Salad that was really good  - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe/index.html

Congrats to Taby --  enjoy this summer,  it stinks when they go away to college :(

[classicrockgriller]

I'm not a mayo eater so I usually do either a pasta or rice salad.  I usually wing it but basics are pasta or rice , some type of salad dressing , some veggies, etc.   The rice can be white or brown

rice or pasta - italian dressing, roasted red peppers, small cubes of mozzarella, diced pepperoni, artichoke hearts

brown rice, lemon-dill dressing, baby peas

rice or pasta - feta cheese, calamata olives

I put other veggies in also but above gives a base


Awhile ago I did a Black bean & Corn Salad that was really good  - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe/index.html

Congrats to Taby --  enjoy this summer,  it stinks when they go away to college :(

I know someone who will be very sad when their Taby goes off to College.

[OU812]

CRG, any pointers on a good mac n cheese.

Q, any incite on the three bean salad?

We have green bean casserole quite often so I'm tryin something new.

Arnie, the bacon wrapped fresh green beans sounds good.

deb, the Black bean & Corn Salad sounds good too.

I'll have to see what Taby thinks, we still have a little wile before crunch time.

Keep the ideas comin.

Thanks.

[Tenpoint5]

OU double this recipe and put it in a crock-pot and you Will not have any leftovers. Guaranteed crowd pleaser, besides its FAT FREE. I don't see see fat listed anywhere in the recipe. Go stick your head in the sand turtle boy or I'll make soup outta you!!!

Creamed Corn

2 lb frozen super sweet corn, thawed and drained
As much love as you can spare
1/2 stick butter, cubed
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 to 1/4 cup whipping cream ( Whats left in the little milk carton aint worth saving dump it all in)
2 to 3 ounces of cream cheese, cubed (Never seem to get back to that half of a stick of cream cheese put it all in there)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Puree some of the corn to act as a thickener, Or just add a can of creamed corn.  Add all ingredients except the salt and pepper to a pot and slowly bring up to a low simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the cheese has started to melt, lower the temp and allow the corn to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add sugar as needed to suit your sweet tooth.

This can be cooked in the oven in a casserole dish or for real large batches use a stock/crock pot.

[ArnieM]

Please don't bring up turtles  ;D ;D ;D

[Quarlow]

Here is one I found on the net. It is very similar to the one my sister uses to make which was awesome. I have not made this recipe.

Four Bean Salad

1 (19 ounce) can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
1 (14 ounce) can Green beans
1 (14 ounce) can Wax beans
1 (19 ounce) can Red Kidney Beans
1 Red Bell Pepper (any colour can be used)
1 small White onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf Parsley

DRESSING
2/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/2 cup granulated Sugar (use less if desired)
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
Directions
  Drain: chick peas, green beans, wax beans and red kidney beans and rinse well,
  then drain again and place in a large mixing bowl. Rinse well then drain again;
  add to bowl.
  Dice up a coloured bell pepper (red, orange, yellow or green) and add to beans.
  Peel a small red onion and slice into very thin strips and add to bowl.
  Lastly, add about 1/2 cup of chopped fresh flatleaf parsley.

  Now make dressing: in a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegars, oil,
  sugar (I use a scant 1/2 cup), minced fresh garlic, worcestershire, and
  salt and pepper.
  Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss.
  Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally (before serving,
  taste, as it may need more salt).
  When ready, spoon bean salad into a serving bowl using a slotted spoon,
  to drain off most of the dressing before serving.

[deb415611]

We could modify this recipe for the starter that CRG is sending you or you could use CRG's recipe and add my additions.  The smoked pepperjack in them was great.  http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=10469.0

[BuyLowSellHigh]

I'll throw this into the mix - it's easy to do in quantity.  A lot of people may cringe, but if you do it right it is wonderful and even my kids (ages 5-10) love it.  Braised sauerkraut ... yep sauerkraut.  Goes well with smoked pork and beef, and brings some balance to an otherwise rich plate.  The key is the rinsing and washing.  Even people who "don't like sauerkraut" like this.  And for those who do corned beef or pastrami, it's nice to have leftovers on hand for sandwiches.

Braised Sauerkraut

4 lbs commercial sauerkraut (stuff in the plastic bag, Boar's Head brand is excellent)
2 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut in quarters lengthwise and sliced thin
2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings (if not available use butter or olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
Ground pepper to taste
12 oz of beer, light or medium lager (suggest you stay away from dark beers for this)

Remove all sauerkraut from the bags, place in a large colander and rinse well. Using your hands squeeze out the water and repeat.  Then place sauerkraut in a large bowl or pot, cover with water by 2 inches and soak for 15-20 min's.  Drain in a colander and squeeze well to remove water. Using a fork separate the kraut until it is somewhat fully and place a colander set over a large bowl. Cover the colander with a plate or plastic wrap, place colander over or in a large bowl and put in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to further drain.

In a large 6-8 qt pot over medium heat sauté onions in the bacon drippings until soft and golden colored, but do not allow to brown or caramelize.  Add the sauerkraut thyme and optionally the caraway.  Toss well to evenly distribute all ingredients.  Pour in the beer, bring to simmer, cover and reduce the heat to medium low and allow the kraut to braise for 45-50 min's.  Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium and continue cooking to reduce to liquid for about 10 min's, until the bottom is moist but there is little standing liquid.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

This can be done a day or two in advance, refrigerated and then reheated either in large pan over medium heat with stirring or in a microwave.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

One more - since nobody has mentioned a slaw yet,

Green Apple Coleslaw

1 medium green cabbage, cut in quarters, cored and sliced very thin (about 4 cups)
2 carrots, shredded fine
3 Granny Smith apples

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon white pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.

Peel, core and coarsely shred the apples, or cut into fine julienne.  Add apples to cabbage and carrots, add dressing and toss well.  Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip – To prevent the apples from turning brown, peel, core and shred the apples at the last minute and immediately add them to already mixed dressing in a large mixing bowl.  Then add the cabbage and carrots and mix well.

For color you can mix red cabbage with green.

[jiggerjams]

If you are still lookingfor a mac n cheese recipe this is our family favorite:

Macaroni           2 Cups

Butter or marg    4 TBS
Dry onion flakes  1 TBS
All purpose flour  3 TBS
Salt                  1/2 tsp
Pepper              1/8 tsp
Milk                  2 Cups
Grated Cheddar  2 Cups   (I prefer Old or Sharp cheddar cheese)

Butter or marg    1 TBS
Dry Bread Crumb 1/2 Cup
Grated Cheese    1/4 Cup

Cook macaroni as directed, strain, set aside.

In medium size sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions, flour, salt and pepper. Keep stirring until combined. If you want to up the flavor stir until the rue is lightly browned. Add milk. Cook stirring until the sauce boils and thickens. I have had no problem upping the heat to a little over med. high to speed up the boil thicken stage, just keep stirring so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and add the 2C of cheese. Stir to melt. Add macaroni and combine. Pour into 2 Quart (2.5L) cassarole dish.

In small sauce pan melt butter. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs until coated. Add cheese and stir to mix. Sprinkle ove top. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 -1 hr. I usually do the 1 hour bake and pull the lid off the dish with 10-15 minutes left to let the topping crisp up. Check it from time to time so the topping does not burn.

This amount will work for a side dish for about eight people, but if you want a main for 4 plus leftovers, I up the measurements by adding one 1/2 more of all ingredients (ie macaroni for 2 cups is now 3 cups). This will still fit in the 2 quart cassarole dish.

This recipe is compliments of Company's Coming Cookbooks. Cassaroles edition. The only alterations I do is (1) double the cheese and (2) cover the cassarole in the oven for 50 minutes. I find the moisture from covering the cassarole allows the topping to gather moisture. This step allows for the toppping to get brilliant gold in color when you pull the lid off and brown it up.

[squirtthecat]

Here is another slaw I have bookmarked...    I'm not into Blue Cheese, so I might try it with Feta instead.


Blue Cheese Coleslaw

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon celery seeds
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cabbage, finely shredded
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled blue cheese

Combine apple cider vinegar and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl; add oil in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until blended. Mix this with cabbage and blue cheese and chill for at least an hour. I put in fridge overnight most of the time and let it do it's thing.