I am not hopeless in the kitchen but I am new to cooking side dishes to be included in extended family get togethers. Ideally, everyone eats what I make and I don’t spend all day before hand prepping this.
We already have:
-Ham
-Potatoes
-Rolls
-Coleslaw
I am expected to make something that goes with the above.
What should I make?
Deviled eggs! Easy and people love them. Also kinda fits the theme of the holiday. Recent thread:
I need your best deviled egg recipes - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
People go nuts over deviled eggs, it’s a great suggestion.
The trick is to put the filling in a ziplock baggie and snip the corner off to make a bootleg piping bag. Makes the whole process a billion times easier.
Solid popular suggestion, however, hard boiled eggs make me want to vomit. It is bad enough that smell is by all the other food all night long, I won’t have my house smell like it also.
Your favorite green vegetable. Green beans almondine, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus, etc.
Rabbit. But never rabbit soup.
I am making a couple of spinach and feta quiches using this recipe with a couple of minor tweaks.
I made one last week as a trial run and it was very good (and not at all difficult to do).
mmm
Asparagus is cheap and plentiful right now.
I recently had a beet & feta salad with quinoa (or couscous, I forget) that was very tasty and spring-like. The beets take a bit of work but not like a 10 hour cook or something.
Dirty Rice.
Or,
Fried corn is quick.
Macaroni and cheese if you don’t mind another starch.
I don’t make a habit of eating roasted asparagus too often but in the past few years I’ve learned that it is THE BOMB with Easter dinner. Slightly bitter goes with the salty ham, the creamy potato salad & coleslaw, and the sweet & buttery rolls.
The dish does get a little sloopy once it’s done, and is much better fresh & hot. So if you can, do the prep (wash, cut, season) beforehand and roast at the venue. But if you can’t, just make sure you’ve got them in a nice tightly lidded container. The flavor won’t go off any way you do it (for me it still tastes great days later), it just might not be as visually appealing the older it gets.
You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. It’s perfect. This is what I am going with. Thank you.
Cool, let me know how it turns out.
FYI I used fresh (sauteed in butter) mushrooms instead of canned. I contemplated using fresh spinach (you would have to steam it first), but chickened out and went with frozen again. Drain it very well, then smash it between paper towels a few times.
The crust - don’t buy the cheap brand, I used (frozen) Marie Callender. It was yum.
Also, you’ll probably end up with a bit too much filling, no big deal.
mmm
We like:
We used to make a (normal) macaroni salad and throw in canned baby shrimp. Always a big hit at easter dinner.
Green beans steamed until tender and then sauteed in butter with a little lemon juice and topped with slivered almonds.
If you don’t mind adding more swine flesh to the dinner, you can add a little chopped bacon.
Gee, this sounds really good! I may make it for myself tonight.
I’ve never heard of these before. I must lead a sheltered life.
I’ve used fresh steamed spinach before, and I must say, as long as you’re using good frozen spinach, the difference in quality is really not noticeable.
Yams/sweet potatoes in any way, shape, or form seem to be a tremendous favorite in these parts, judging by the truckloads the local supermarkets have brought in during the last couple of weeks. Try mashed sweet potatoes as a complement to the ordinary mashed white potatoes, a sweet potato pie, yam fries or another side dish. Hint: sweet potatoes work better in dishes meant to be sweet, while yams work better in recipes meant to be savory.
Good to know, thanks.
mmm