Homemade Fries

We've been eating homemade fries for a few years and they were good but inconsistent. Sometimes they would be nice and crispy, other times more like slices of baked potatoes. Recently though, after some more intentional experimenting we've found our ideal Homemade Fries recipe.
The most important step is making sure when you cut the wedges that there is enough skin on each wedge for it to balance nicely. That way, when it's time to serve your flavorful homemade fries they're easy to remove from the pan. {I used to have to scrape and scrape them off the pan, no matter how well greased it was so this is very important to me!}

Homemade Fries
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Source: Lakeside Luth. Cookbook
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1 T grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp season salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
dash black pepper

Directions:
   1.  Cut potatoes in half and each half into four wedges. {Keeping wedges that balance nicely is what makes serving these easy.}
   2.  In a small bowl combine cheese and spices.
   3.  Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with oil. Arrange potatoes in pan, skin touching the pan. Lightly spray the potatoes with oil. Sprinkle seasoning mix evenly over potatoes.
   4.  Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 35 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Glazed Carrots

We typically have frozen veggies along with most of our meals. Sometimes though, if I'm thinking ahead or bored of the regulars, I'll make these Cinnamon Glazed Carrots. My husband, who before we were married would very rarely eat vegetables, even admits these are pretty good. That's high praise for vegetables from him!
I refuse to buy frozen carrots since I can get raw ones for half the price so peeling and cutting the carrots is the "hardest" part of this side dish. After that minimal prep work is done, all it takes is steaming the carrots then adding two ingredients and stirring. Not hard at all! Also, the measurements given are easily adjusted for the quantity or taste you desire.

Cinnamon Glazed Carrots
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Yields: 4 side dish servings

Ingredients:
4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
   1.  Steam carrots until just softened.
   2.  Remove from strainer and place in pan. Add brown sugar and cinnamon; stir until coated.

Breadsticks with Garlic Butter

This is one of many recipes that I tried for the first time when we had company. Why do I do that to myself? I'm fortunate in that I've never had any major disasters. Anyway, these breadsticks were far from a disaster, instead they've become a mainstay in my menu planning.
After trying a few different methods I've found a great way to keep these in the freezer to pull out for unexpected uses. That, along with keeping a batch of Garlic Butter on hand, means breadsticks are never more than 10 minutes away from the table!

Breadsticks
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Source: Clover Lane

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 T yeast
3 T brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 T oil

Directions:
   1.  Pour water in a large mixing bowl; sprinkle yeast and brown sugar over top. Allow yeast to bubble, about five minutes.
   2.  Add flour, salt and oil; mix with dough hook until dough forms a ball. Cover and let rise one hour.
   3.  Roll dough out to size of cookie sheet. {I usually split it between two sheets.} Transfer to greased and cornmealed sheet. Using a pizza cutter cut into breadsticks. Let rise 1 hour.
   To Serve Immediately: Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Spread with Garlic Butter {recipe below} and serve warm.
   To Make For Freezer: Bake at 375 for 5 minutes. Store in a freezer bag. When ready to serve, place on greased and cornmealed sheet and bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes. Spread with Garlic Butter {recipe below} and serve warm.

Garlic Butter
3 T butter, softened
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder

Easy Cheesy Biscuits

My husband's new favorite recipe is Easy Cheesy Biscuits. He's a huge fan of cheese, which plays a tasty role and the butter makes them undeniable soft and flaky.
Similar to Baking Powder Biscuits these Easy Cheesy Biscuits are a quick, easy addition to any meal. With a food processor they come together easily but even without a food processor they are a cinch to make.

Easy Cheesy Biscuits
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Yields: 10 biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup milk 

 

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 450.
   2.  In bowl of food processor {or regular medium bowl} mix flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt.
   3.  Cut in butter using food processor {or a pastry blender or two knives} until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   4.  Add cheese.
   5.  Add milk; stir until a soft dough forms.
   6.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a long rectangle; cut into 10 biscuits {I usually do a 5x2 cut}. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
   7.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Kraft Foods

Salsa Roll-Ups

I've been making these Salsa Roll-Ups for almost as long as we've been married. It's a simple appetizer/side dish that I stumbled upon in my early cooking days when I was just starting my kitchen adventures. Well, even though I've come a long way in my cooking skills we still really love these Salsa Roll-Ups and whenever I take these to a gathering they are met with rave reviews. It just goes to prove that sometimes simple and easy is the way to go.
The key to a nice looking end product is making sure to freeze the roll-ups for a short time before you slice them. This way they can withstand the pressure from the cutting and maintain their circular shape.

Salsa Roll-Ups
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Yields: ~50 pieces

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tsp chili powder
8 tortillas  

Directions:
   1.  In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese, salsa, cheese and chili powder.
   2.  Spread mixture over tortillas, leaving a 1 inch border on one side (to allow for the filling to move as you roll). Roll gently, placing seam side down on a plate. Place plate in freezer for 30-60 minutes. (You don't want them frozen solid, just slightly hardened.)
   3.  Remove from freezer; using a serrated knife slice into 1 inch pieces, place on serving plate.

Source: Kraft Foods

This is linked to Tasty Tuesdayand URS.

Baking Powder Biscuits

I believe the first time I made these I was in need of something to go with dinner that I could make with what I had on hand. Baking Powder Biscuits worked great because the six ingredients are ones that I, like most people, typically always have in my kitchen. If you have a food processor this recipe is incredibly easy but even if you don't it is still an easy recipe.

Baking Powder Biscuits
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Yields: 12 biscuits

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 cups flour
1 T sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 450.
   2.  Cut butter into small cubes. In a medium bowl, or bowl of food processor combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into dry mixture until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
   3.  Stir in milk until dough comes together (this is a soft and sticky dough).
   4.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times. Pat into a 1/2 thick rectangle. Cut into 12 biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
   5.  Bake until slightly brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately.

Source: Betty Crocker Cookbook

3 Bean Salad

Much like the Stromboli we had at the same meal, the memory that comes to mind when I think of 3 Bean Salad is eating at my sister-in-law's house soon after we were engaged. It was delicious and finally this summer I got around to figuring out my own version!
Technically, I suppose mine is only 2 Bean Salad since all I use is green beans and kidney beans (white kidney beans in these pictures). I looked at buying wax beans like many recipes call for but since I can get green beans for half the price I call that good enough!
This salad tastes best if you mix it up in the morning for an evening meal. That way all the flavors can really blend to make a delicious taste.

3 Bean Salad
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Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
~ 2 cups green beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Italian dressing
5 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup vegetable oil  

Directions:
   1.  In a medium bowl combine beans, onion and parsley.
   2.  In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, dressing, sugar, garlic powder, vinegar and oil.
   3.  Pour dressing over beans; stir well. Refrigerate until serving.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats and URS.

Non-Grainy Cornbread

We have found that we love cornbread in our house! It took a few tries to find the right recipe but, at least for us, the search is over. My husband likes to drizzle honey over his cornbread but I love it simple and plain.
The key to ensuring that your cornbread isn't grainy is to soak the cornmeal in the milk. It makes a huge difference! This is a quick and easy side dish that can go with a variety of meals and uses ingredients that you likely already have in the cupboards.

Non-Grainy Cornbread
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Yields: 16 pieces

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
honey (optional)

Directions:
   1.  In a medium bowl combine milk and cornmeal. Let soak for 15 minutes. 
   2.  Preheat oven to 400.
   3.  Add flour, sugars, salt and baking powder to bowl; mix. Stir in egg and vegetable oil until well combined.
   4.  Pour batter into greased 9 inch pan. Bake at 400 for 20-25 or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   5.  Serve warm with optional honey drizzled over the top.  

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday and URS. 

Baked Beans

We had always been content fans of canned baked beans until one Saturday last summer. We were grilling and wanted to have baked beans but there were none in the house. I went to my cookbooks, looked around and found this recipe. The first time I made the beans they were good but not perfect. Now I think I've pretty much got it down and we actually prefer these beans as opposed to the canned stuff.

The longest part of the prep is boiling the coffee mixture but even that doesn't take long. After that you can relax and enjoy the delicious smell of your baked beans baking in the oven, making you wish it were already time to eat!

Baked Pinto Beans
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 30 oz can pinto beans (or 2 14 oz cans), drained
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup water
1/2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup cold coffee
1/2 onion, diced
2 slices bacon, diced
1 cup water

Directions:
   1.  In a small saucepan, heat brown sugar, 1/8 cup water, vinegar, salt, cloves, pepper and celery seed to boiling, stirring occasionally. Stir in coffee.
   2.  Place beans, onion and bacon in a casserole dish. Pour coffee mixture and 1 cup water over top; stir.
   3.  Cover and bake in 350 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and bake 15-25 minutes longer.

Adapted from: 1988 printing of Betty Crocker Cookbook

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Focaccia Bread

I am working on building my bread repertoire as I'm realizing that bread can make a wonderful side dish for many meals. We've found some winners but we've also found some that won't be repeated. This focaccia bread defintely goes in the winner category. My husband declared that it was the star of the meal. (I'm not sure what that says about the rest of the meal.)
I was very pleased with how easy this was to make. You essentially only have three chunks of time you need to devote to it and the length of those times are much less than with a typical bread. The bread turned out moist and flavorful, a perfect complement to our dinner.

Focaccia Bread
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Yields: 16 squares of bread

Ingredients:
1 5/8 cups flour
1 1/8 tsp yeast
1/2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 T oil
1/2 + 1/3 cup warm water, 105-110 degrees
1/2 T Italian seasoning
1 T Parmesan cheese
1 T shredded cheese
1 tsp oil

Directions:
   1.  In a mixing bowl combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add 2 T oil and water; mix. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.
   2.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
   3.  Drizzle 1 tsp oil over bread; sprinkle Italian seasoning and cheeses over top.
   4.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
   5.  Preheat oven to 375; bake for 30-35 minutes.

Source: Joy in My Kitchen

Twice Baked Potatoes

This "side dish" could practically stand on its own! The original recipe calls for bacon pieces to be added as well but I typically leave them out. However, simply by adding a generous amount of bacon I could see this dish serving as a main dish.
I like to make a double batch and stick one in the freezer because it takes a little bit of preparation and time. In the end though, it is well worth it! The potatoes are creamy and smooth but with a little rustic texture still there. It is a delightfully pleasing combination.

Twice Baked Potatoes
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Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
4-6 potatoes (2lbs), diced
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
   1.  Fill a medium size pot 2/3 full of water, bring to a boil. Add potatoes; bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain, return to pot and slightly mash potatoes.
   2.  Add cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup cheese and seasonings. Stir until combined.
   3.  Transfer to a small casserole dish. Cover with remaining cup of cheese.
   4.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
   *This recipe can be frozen before baking. Increase baking time as necessary.

Source: Stolen Moments Cooking