Side Dish

This Copycat Baja Fresh Salsa has been made routinely in my house for 11 years.  It is so flavorful! The Baja Fresh restaurant near us closed down several years ago.  In fact the closest one to me know is in Wisconsin! Luckily I had a small container left and my late husband and I were trying to figure out what the black flecks were in...

When summer is in full swing, you’ll want these jalapeno corn fritters on repeat.  Easy to make ahead and reheat later in the week.  Winning! And in the dead of winter, use canned corn and dream about warm temps. Can you use canned corn to make corn fritters? Absolutely!  Just make sure to drain the corn really well and dry in paper towels.  I do...

This chopped broccoli salad is so good.  It will be a great addition to your summer BBQ. The best part is that you can make it ahead of time so you aren’t slaving in your kitchen as people are walking up your driveway. What kind of vegetables can you add to a chopped salad? I love a chopped salad.  You can really substitute any veggies...

One of my favorite things to bring to a cookout (besides the meat!) is a good summer pasta salad. There are two stars to this salad – the giardiniera dressing and the Galileo® Salame.  Best part is that this can be made ahead of time and it’s good in the fridge for several days. I love that there are both cooked and raw veggies in...

This hominy macaroni and cheese may be the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever made.  The hominy makes it! What is hominy? Full disclosure, I had to look this up!  “Hominy is made from whole corn kernels that have been soaked in a lye or lime solution to soften the tough outer hulls. The kernels are then washed to remove the excess solution, the hull,...

This pasta with zucchini and corn is great not only in the summer, but in the middle of November when the temps start to fall. I deep cleaned my pantry yesterday.  If my daughter Hannah were still living at home with me she would have shaken her head. So get ready for lots of pasta dishes while I use up what’s in my pantry! What...

Butternut squash twice baked potatoes are so good!  A little sweet, a little spicy and would be the perfect side dish to your Thanksgiving table. Best part is these butternut squash twice baked potatoes can be made ahead. Simply stuff the potatoes and then right before broiling, add the cheddar cheese.  Now is not the time to use fat free cheese, please and thank you....

A great way to use up your farmers market bounty is to make this easy marinara with chicken sausage meatballs.

This carrot potato mash was a happy accident. I’ve been doing Mariano’s pick up groceries since I am not on Day 11 of no results yet of my COVID test.  The sweet girl who did my shopping called me and said “we don’t have any one pound bag of carrots, can I substitute a pound of baby carrots? Um, the question to that answer will...

I love when I can make one dish and morph it into a few things later in the week, like these pork and mushroom wontons. I love wontons so much because the possibilities are endless.  Have some protein and veggies?  Wrap it up in a wonton.  I bought 1/2 a pound of ground pork from Mariano’s – if you stick to chicken or beef, please...