Herb & Greek Yogurt Potato Salad is a creamy, lightened-up, versatile side dish recipe with loads of flavor from fresh herbs! With the imminent return of school, it (sadly) feels like summer is pretty much over. But the truth is, it’s not even mid-August yet…and the blazing temps in some unlucky parts of the country (🙋) won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. So I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not ready for slow cooker soups and pumpkin recipes quite {Read More}
Baked Parmesan Yellow Squash Rounds
August 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Baked Parmesan Yellow Squash Rounds are an easy and delicious summer side dish requiring just two ingredients: yellow squash and grated Parmesan! One of my most popular recipes every summer is my Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds and this summer has been no exception, as that recipe had enjoyed some viral traffic in recent weeks. On one hand, it makes me laugh, because that recipe is SO easy (only 2 ingredients!) that it almost doesn’t qualify as a recipe and I {Read More}
Cilantro Lime Rice
July 20, 2017 by 1 Comment
With just a handful of ingredients, Cilantro Lime Rice is the perfect base for burrito bowls or a delicious side for all of your favorite Mexican recipes! Having attended Texas A&M, FreeBirds was an integral part of my college experience. Now that we take our kids back for Aggie sporting events several times per year, we always make it a point to eat there…even though, technically, there are now locations in Austin and we could just dine there from home. {Read More}
Marinated Tomatoes
July 11, 2017 by 3 Comments
Ripe, juicy tomatoes soak up olive oil, red wine vinegar, onion, garlic, & fresh herbs in Marinated Tomatoes, a zesty summer salad or a versatile side dish! ‘Tis the season for homegrown tomatoes! Thanks to my father-in-law’s bountiful garden, by this time every summer, we’re positively swimming in big, juicy, deep red specimens of tomato perfection. We eat ’em sliced, with salt and pepper. On bread with good mayo for a tomato sandwich. Caprese-style…drizzled with balsamic, layered with fresh mozzarella, {Read More}
Quick Stovetop Baked Beans
May 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Quick Stovetop Baked Beans is a quick and easy, 5-ingredient recipe that dresses up canned white beans for a versatile dinnertime side dish! Sometimes you need an effortless side dish to round out a meal, and bonus points if the entire family loves it. So it goes with these Quick Stovetop Baked Beans. After all, baked beans need not take all day, and today I’m letting y’all in on the simple, 5-ingredient shortcut! One of my favorite dishes to whip {Read More}
Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Thyme
March 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Tender and flavorful Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Thyme is a vibrant spring side dish that’s as gorgeous as it is delicious! I wasn’t planning on adding another Easter-friendly carrot side dish to the ol’ recipes archives. After all, in past years I’ve already shared pan-sauteed carrots and crock pot carrots and carrot slaw. But when I saw these beautiful, colorful rainbow carrots at the grocery store the other day, I knew I couldn’t pass them up! Not to mention the {Read More}
Cheesy Garlic Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus
March 10, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Cheesy Garlic Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus is an easy, one-pan side dish recipe that makes a gorgeous, delicious addition to a special holiday meal or a regular weeknight dinner! Spring Break is upon us, Easter is around the corner, and I say it’s high time we bid adieu to winter recipes and ring in the new season with some fresh, spring fare! I don’t think an Easter menu would be complete without asparagus, so this year I’ve paired this quintessential {Read More}
Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans
November 21, 2016 by 2 Comments
Oven roasting turns plain broccoli into something special…and a crunchy, garlicky, toasty topping takes it to the next level in this Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans! With Thanksgiving only a few short days away, I realize that it’s a little late in the game for another side dish recipe. However, the good news is that this Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans would also make a fabulous addition to your Christmas or Hanukkah or New Year’s menu! {Read More}
Southern Squash Casserole
June 23, 2016 by 8 Comments
Southern Squash Casserole is loaded with tender sauteed yellow squash, cheddar, Parmesan, and sour cream, then topped with buttery cracker crumbs and baked for a delicious, comforting side dish! I’ll be the first to admit that yellow summer squash has never been my favorite of the stereotypical Texas garden harvests. However, seeing as how my in-laws have a glorious and abundant stereotypical Texas garden, we end up with lots of it every summer. I like zucchini and have come up {Read More}
Simple German (Swabian) Potato Salad ~ Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat
May 30, 2016 by 6 Comments
Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is a simple German Potato Salad hailing from the Swabian region of Germany that features sliced potatoes, minced onions, hot broth, oil, vinegar, and fresh parsley. It’s potato salad season, friends! And seeing as how I’ve shared recipes for Classic Potato Salad and German Potato Salad (the hot bacon/vinegar kind) in summers past, it’s high time I share the traditional type of potato salad found in the region of Germany where my mom grew up and where my {Read More}
Slow Cooker Honey Cinnamon Carrots
March 10, 2016 by 4 Comments
Slow Cooker Honey Cinnamon Carrots make a sweet, buttery, and addictive side dish…the perfect easy recipe for freeing up the oven and feeding a crowd, on a holiday or any day! Apparently I don’t keep resolutions very well. When I wrapped up my final recipe for the cookbook a few weeks ago, I swore off slow cookers for awhile. In fact, I actually put away the three slow cookers that have been in constant use and permanently residing on my {Read More}
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
November 30, 2015 by 8 Comments
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham feature thin slices of potatoes drizzled with cream and layered with ham and cheddar for a decadent comfort food recipe that’s also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham! Today’s recipe is a classic, folks — creamy, cheesy, decadent scalloped potatoes — and since ’tis the season for holiday ham, why not toss some of that in as well? It’d be a lot cooler if you did. 😉 Who doesn’t love Cheesy Scalloped {Read More}
Cran-Cherry Sauce
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Sweetened with honey and brightened with citrus, Cran-Cherry Sauce strikes a perfect balance between tart cranberries and luscious cherry preserves, making it the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table! Welp, only a little over a week to go until Turkey Day, friends! Soon I’ll be shifting gears and bringing you Christmas recipes, but not before I share at least one more Thanksgiving dish today…homemade cranberry sauce with a twist! Now everybody knows that homemade cranberry sauce is head-and-shoulders-above the gelatinous {Read More}
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
November 10, 2015 by 6 Comments
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and topped with toasted pecans, making it a delicious and effortless addition to Thanksgiving dinner, while freeing up the oven at the same time! Well, November is already flying by at record pace, so I do believe it’s time to start getting serious about Thanksgiving menu planning. Do you already have a set-in-stone menu that you adhere to each year, or do you like trying new recipes? Orrrr do {Read More}
Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread
October 15, 2015 by 16 Comments
Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread is moist, tender, and loaded with extra flavor from crispy bacon, gooey cheese, and spicy jalapeño, making it the perfect accompaniment for all of your favorite soups, stews, and chilis! So…I’m posting this recipe today because cornbread accompanies soup, and soup is associated with cold weather, and maybe if we build it, they will come. Or, in this case, maybe if we act like fall temperatures have arrived, they finally will. Because, Y’ALL. It hit 100 {Read More}
Slow Cooker Creamy Cheesy Corn
October 12, 2015 by 13 Comments
Slow Cooker Creamy Cheesy Corn is a rich, comforting side dish that’s the perfect addition to any holiday menu…because not only is this recipe delicious, but it also frees up the stove and oven! A few weeks ago, I had the honor of attending a 20th High School Reunion…and, seeing as how time apparently moves at warp speed, that high school reunion was actually mine. Now I’m not sure exactly how this happened. I mean, I remember 4th grade like {Read More}
Cinnamon Maple Roasted Squash
October 5, 2015 by 3 Comments
Cinnamon Maple Roasted Squash features vitamin-packed butternut squash coated with coconut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, then roasted until tender and sweet for a gorgeous, golden fall or winter side dish! If summer produce is best eaten fresh, fall produce was made to be roasted. Roasting is actually my favorite way to enjoy veggies year round, but I tend to shy away from it during the hotter months, seeing as how it can quickly heat up the whole kitchen, thereby {Read More}
Parmesan Panko Asparagus
May 10, 2015 by 8 Comments
Fresh asparagus spears are coated in a mixture of grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and baked until crispy and golden brown for an addictive, healthy, “asparagus fries” side dish or snack. The other day in the grocery store, my 5-year-old spied a display of asparagus and begged me to buy a bundle of it. Not one to argue with any child-o-mine who enthusiastically requests a green vegetable, I obliged. Now, I typically pan sautée or roast my asparagus. But once {Read More}
Carrot Apple Slaw
May 5, 2015 by 8 Comments
With crunchy carrots, sweet and tart apples, dried cranberries, salty feta cheese, and a creamy dressing, this Carrot Apple Slaw is a refreshingly sweet and savory salad for summer! It’s May, y’all. MAY. And that means that after a flurry of teacher appreciation and field day and end-of-year parties, the school year will come to a close. And spring will give way to summer. And vacation time will be upon us. And I just don’t know if I’m ready for {Read More}
Easy Spanish Rice
April 30, 2015 by 23 Comments
Cook a pot of rice using chicken broth, tomato sauce, and a few seasonings to make this quick and easy Spanish Rice. It’s the perfect base for rice bowls or a delicious side dish to your favorite Mexican entrees! Cinco de Mayo is on the horizon, and a quick search of the blog will reveal that you’re already set when it comes to appetizers, main dishes, beverages, heck, even breakfasts! Alas, the only Tex-Mex side dish that I’ve shared as {Read More}
Homemade One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese
April 23, 2015 by 23 Comments
Creamy, from-scratch, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese is as easy as one pot, a handful of ingredients, and ten minutes on the stove! Okay, folks…today’s recipe is one that just might revolutionize your life! Every kid loves plain, simple, stovetop mac & cheese from a box, right? And every adult enjoys creamy, cheesy, made-from-scratch mac & cheese, loaded with various cheeses and baked in the oven to decadent perfection. But what if I told you that you could have the best {Read More}
Orange Apricot-Glazed Carrots with Candied Almonds
March 10, 2015 by 3 Comments
Orange Apricot-Glazed Carrots with Candied Almonds are sweet and tender, glossy and vibrant…and the perfect spring side dish for Easter dinner! Well, folks…another winter day, another spring recipe. 😉 But hey, I’m not jumping the gun too much here! It’s my understanding that some of you are already enjoying Spring Break (ours is next week), the clocks have already “sprung forward,” and in reality, we’re only a couple weeks out from the official changing of the seasons. So I hereby {Read More}
Creamy Spring Peas with Bacon + Mint
March 1, 2015 by 3 Comments
The ultimate Easter side dish, Creamy Spring Peas with Bacon + Mint feature a delicious combo of flavors and textures from sweet green peas, fresh sugar snaps, salty bacon, a decadent cream sauce, and refreshing pops of mint! Well, March has certainly come in like a lion around these parts. We actually have a chance of snow in the forecast this week. Snow! In central Texas! In March! But aside from the fact that my kids would be elated to {Read More}
Roasted Balsamic Green Beans
December 4, 2014 by 4 Comments
Seasoned green beans are roasted until caramelized and then tossed with a balsamic reduction in this flavorful side dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight yet special enough for a holiday dinner! Before I get into too many holiday goodies and cookies and treats and food gift ideas, I thought that today was as good a day as any to bring you a recipe to augment your Christmas dinner. Green beans are a pretty safe bet as far as side {Read More}
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
November 14, 2014 by 12 Comments
Simple seasonings boost flavor and roasting brings out the natural sweetness of these easy-to-prepare Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan! For many years, I was a proud member of the Not a Fan of Brussels Sprouts Club. After all, the ones I recalled from childhood originated from a can and were served on an avocado green melamine tray in my elementary school cafeteria. I mean, YUCK. Way to turn impressionable kids on to healthy green vegetables! Anyway, it was many, many {Read More}
Garlic & Herb Stuffing
November 9, 2014 by 25 Comments
Garlic & Herb Stuffing is a savory, simple Thanksgiving dressing featuring both French bread and cornbread, and it can be customized with your favorite herbs and add-ins! So last week I brought you Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes and Mini Pecan Pies. This week I’m bringing you this delicious Garlic & Herb Stuffing, a tasty veggie side, and quite possibly the best darn turkey you’ll ever try. ANNND, you do not want to miss the awesome Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Hop happening right {Read More}
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
November 2, 2014 by 21 Comments
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, featuring a smooth, creamy filling and a topping of either toasty marshmallows or crunchy pecan streusel. November has arrived and that means one thing…time to start thinking about the ol’ Thanksgiving menu! I don’t know about y’all, but one dish I must have on my Turkey Day table each year would be sweet potatoes. I realize that some people are solidly in the mashed potatoes camp — and don’t get me {Read More}
Slow Cooker Charro Beans
October 2, 2014 by 48 Comments
Slow Cooker Charro Beans — flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, and spices — are the perfect pinto beans to accompany your favorite Mexican entrees! A few days ago I shared my recipe for King Ranch Chicken Casserole, which just so happens to be one of my family’s very favorite comfort food classics. And if you saw that post, you may have noticed a side of tasty-looking pinto beans adorning the casserole plate. Well, those beans weren’t {Read More}
Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes
September 16, 2014 by 1 Comment
Simple, delicious Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and loaded with flavor, thanks to garlic, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…roasting is my favorite way to cook vegetables! Roasting not only enhances the texture, but it also brings out a deep flavor and natural sweetness in just about any veggie. And potatoes? Well, they turn from ho-hum to downright magical after a nice stint {Read More}
Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes
August 3, 2014 by 13 Comments
Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes are a delicious summer side dish featuring garden-fresh tomatoes that have been drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper, and roasted to sweet and savory, caramelized perfection! I happen to be a big tomato fan, so one of my favorite things about summertime is enjoying plump, juicy, homegrown tomatoes. Seriously, these bright red beauties make me want to abstain from eating anemic grocery store tomatoes during the rest of the year. {Read More}
