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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Jun 24, 2020

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – buttery mashed potatoes with roasted garlic. An easy side dish that goes with any meal!

I love mashed potatoes. I love mashed potatoes of all kinds. I even love those little cups of mashed potato flakes that you add water to and microwave. Are those even real potatoes? Who knows.

These Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are my favorite though. (Okay, these or my Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes. I can’t choose between them.)

They are easy enough to do on a weeknight but fancy enough for a dinner party or a holiday meal.

I have every single ingredient in my pantry or fridge at all times and I’m sure you do too! It’s just potatoes, garlic, butter, and milk! But they’re so flavorful and just perfect.

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Spicy Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Jun 23, 2020

Spicy Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts – fresh brussels sprouts tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce and roasted until crispy and delicious.

I am happy to report that my children ate brussels sprouts (and liked them!) for the first time ever.

Roasted brussels sprouts are just the best. They get a little crispy on the outside but stay tender on the inside. And for these Spicy Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts, they’re tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce before being roasted so they are super flavorful.

These roasted brussels sprouts are easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for a dinner party or holiday meal!

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Broccoli Salad

Jun 12, 2020

Broccoli Salad – my favorite summer side dish! Fresh broccoli, red onion, raisins, bacon, and sunflower seeds in a sweet and tangy dressing.

Originally posted April 4, 2010. Updated June 12, 2020.

Broccoli salad is my alltime favorite summer side dish. I love the classic version I’m sharing today and I love my lightened up Cranberry Almond Broccoli Salad.

Even the broccoli haters in my life love this salad. There are so many different textures and flavors and it all gets tossed with a cole slaw-ish dressing. It’s the perfect side for all your summer burgers and hot dogs and barbecue everything.

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Baked Potato Salad

Jun 09, 2020

Baked Potato Salad – everything you love about baked potatoes in a potato salad! Potatoes tossed in sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives. Perfect for summer barbecues!

This post originally published July 22, 2011. Updated on June 9, 2020

This is my alltime favorite potato salad recipe. It’s also currently the only potato salad recipe on this site.

“Why, Amanda, is this the only potato salad on your site?”

You guys, I’m so bad at boiling potatoes for potato salad. They either end up undercooked or so mushy that they practically turn to mashed potatoes.

This Baked Potato Salad is my answer to that problem because the potatoes are baked instead of boiled. And then they’re diced up and tossed with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and a sour cream dressing.

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Farro Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Pecans

Oct 21, 2019

Farro Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Pecans – a great holiday side dish recipe! Farro tossed with dried cranberries, feta cheese, and pecans in a light lemony dressing.

Okay, I know it’s a little early to be thinking about Thanksgiving but I can’t help it. It was freezing last week in Texas and it got me all excited for the holidays and now we’re talking about Thanksgiving side dishes.

If you want an easy, make ahead side dish option, this farro salad is perfect. The cranberries and pecans make it feel holiday-ish but it’s nice and light and healthy!

Or, if you want to just make a batch for your lunches for the week, perfect for that too. Throw some grilled chicken on top to complete the meal!

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Pineapple Baked Beans

Jun 27, 2019

Pineapple Baked Beans – a favorite side dish for barbecues! Beans with bacon, crushed pineapple, and brown sugar are baked until the sauce is thick and delicious.

Hi guys! Can you believe June is almost over? Summer is flying by and I’m not happy about it. I just want it to stay summer forever!

Like, I’m already signing kids up for fall sports and getting back to school emails and ugh, I’m not ready to be thinking about fall.

But we still have a lot of summer left and I have a great barbecue side dish for you today. If you love bacon and pineapple and baked beans, you are going to love these!

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Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Mar 15, 2017

You guys.

I’m obsessed with cauliflower again.

I’ve had it everyday for, like, a month straight.

For breakfast.

I know.

I swear it’s amazing though! I do some riced cauliflower with some riced sweet potato with diced turkey bacon and a fried egg. And then just a tiny bit of maple syrup and a giant drizzle of sriracha on top. Sounds weird, but just trust me.

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Green Bean Casserole Phyllo Bites

Nov 18, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiveThanksBeFull #CollectiveBias

Anyone doing a Friendsgiving this weekend?

This is the first year I’m doing one! We live in a military community so normally I’d just invite all our friends over on Thanksgiving since everyone’s away from their family around here but my kids are going with their dad for the big day so I don’t plan on cooking at all on Thanksgiving.

At all.

So we’re doing a Friendsgiving with some friends this weekend. Pretty excited about it. It’s low pressure, fun, and everyone’s pitching in so no one feels like they’re cooking all day.

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Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Oct 11, 2016

Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes – the perfect side dish for every meal! These potatoes are loaded with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions!

So if you follow me anywhere, you know I was in Austin at BlogHer Food all weekend. It’s a conference for food bloggers where we all talk about what annoys us about our job and then we eat everything in the city.

And, in case you’ve ever wondered, I am horrible at conferences. (Very good at the eating part though.)

I showed up for 3 things the entire conference. And only stayed the full time for 1 of those.

Sitting still is hard for me, y’all.

Also, I sat down with a group of girls I didn’t know for the closing keynote and they asked if I had a business card.

And I didn’t.

I mean, do I seem like the kind of girl that carries business cards?

Anyway, one of the girls said, “Aww, you must be a new blogger!”

So that was kind of how the conference went for me.

I did get to hang out with friends that I’ve only ever known over the internet which was honestly the only reason I went to begin with so that totally made up for the conference being… ahem… lame.

And also there was lots of food!

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Creamy Dill Cole Slaw

Oct 03, 2016

Heeeeey guys! On our road trip home a few months ago, we discovered that my 4 year old absolutely loves coleslaw.

I don’t know that he had ever tried it before but we were at a seafood restaurant in Orange Beach and he pointed to a bowl of coleslaw on someone else’s plate and said, “I want that.” Ate the whole bowl. Asked for more.

A few days later, on our way back to Texas, we stopped at this gourmet hot dog place in Houston and he ordered the slaw. Ate all of it. Asked for mine.

He is obsessed. Who knew a 5 year old could love cabbage so much? But it is totally fine with me because it is also one of my favorite foods and really, is there a better side dish for barbecue? And you know I am all about the barbecue right now.

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Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Jul 25, 2016

Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce – delicious sweet and spicy barbecue sauce made with fresh cherries and Bourbon! Perfect on grilled chicken!

Happy Monday, y’all!

How was the weekend? Fantastic, I hope.

I had a very busy weekend.

Finished New Girl. Took some naps. Caught a lot of Pokemon.

Definitely not ready for Monday! But I have a delicious recipe to share today so I guess it’s okay.

Have you tried Four Roses Bourbon?

I posted a photo on Snapchat when I received this bottle and 10 people were all, “OMG THAT’S MY FAVORITE!”

It is the only bourbon distillery that blends 5 proprietary yeast strains with two separate mashbills to produce 10 distinct bourbon recipes. The bourbon is then aged in one-of-a-kind single story rack warehouses that allows the bourbon to age gently and undisturbed throughout the years. Each bourbon variety has it’s own unique character, spice, and rich fruity flavors.

I used the Four Roses Bourbon Yellow for this Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce. They created this one by mingling all 10 of their bourbon recipes. It’s fantastic, with hints of apple and pear, a floral aroma, and a taste of honey and spice. It’s smooth and mellow and is great for creating sophisticated cocktails.

Check out the Four Roses Bourbon website for more info, lots of recipes, and to find out where to buy your own delicious Four Roses Bourbon!

Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce!

I bought a ton of cherries when this bourbon showed up on my doorstep because bourbon and cherries? Perfect together. (Ice cream recipe coming soon!)

This bbq sauce is sweet and spicy and fruity and delicious. Perfect on grilled meat, perfect on a spoon. I’m obsessed.

I made tater tots at 1 am the other day and stood at my kitchen counter, dipping them in what bbq sauce I had leftover.

That good.

Cherry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup Four Roses Bourbon Yellow
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
3 cups fresh cherries pitted and halved

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add Four Roses Bourbon Yellow, ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and add the cherries. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and cook slightly. Use a blender to puree the sauce until smooth.
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Want more bourbon recipes?

Strawberry Basil Bourbon Smash

Raspberry Bourbon Smash

Grapefruit Bourbon Sour

This recipe created in partnership with Four Roses Bourbon. Thank you for supporting my sponsors!

Mexican Rice

Jun 11, 2015

We’ve officially been in Texas for 2 months.

And that’s nuts. I simultaneously feel like we just got here and that we’ve been here for 10 years.

Overall, I don’t hate Killeen like everyone said I would. Seriously, everyone I came in contact with told me how bad it would be. I still meet people that tell me that. At my last doctor’s appointment, the doc actually said, “Ugggghhhh, I’m sorry!” when I told him we’d just arrived from Colorado.

But yeah, I don’t hate it.

What I do hate (and don’t be mad at me) is the food.

I cannot find a good Mexican place to save my life. We’ve tried every place on the first page of Yelp.

No. I won’t go back to any of them.

I tried to order a drink at the last one BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE MENU and they looked at me like I was crazy and said, “Uhhh, we don’t have drinks.”

And I was all, “Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiit a minute, how is it possible to have chips and salsa without a margarita?”

I’m just not into it. I need to venture down to Austin soon but gahhh, who has time to drive anywhere?!

Anyway, I’ve been craving a really good enchilada since we had our last once at our fave Mexican place in the Springs. Last night I finally admitted defeat and made my own.

I used to make this Mexican Rice recipe once a week years and years ago (had to track down my first blog to find the recipe!) and it was just as good as I remembered. And no, that’s not a pea, it’s a jalapeno.

(Texans, whyyyyy are there peas in your Mexican rice?!)

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Funeral Potatoes

Nov 11, 2013

Happy Veteran’s Day! I hope you’re enjoying a well-deserved day off.

I wanted to talk to y’all about something today.

I think I’m going to skip posting Thanksgiving recipes on the blog this year. I’ve done them in years past and cooking them and then eating them for days afterwards… it really takes away the magic of Thanksgiving. You know, the one day of the year that you can eat whatever you want without guilt. The special, once a year casseroles. Stuff like that just loses it’s specialness (not even a word, I know) once you’ve already done it, photographed it, and yapped about it on your blog.

But depending on how many glasses of wine I’ve had by the time Thanksgiving dinner is ready, I plan on photographing and blogging. No promises, but… maybe.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share a recipe that is definitely Thanksgiving-appropriate.

I’ve been hearing about these potatoes for years but since I’m not really a potato person unless they’re deep-fried and served with chicken nuggets, I’ve kind of just ignored them. But I’ve been obsessed with The Shaytards lately and they mentioned them in a vlog recently and all of the sudden, the potatoes seemed really appealing.

They are SO good. I had three bowls of them. I skipped everything else I cooked and just ate potatoes. And now I may end up making them on Thanksgiving because they are just that good.

One year ago: Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Two years ago: Monster Cookies
Three years ago: Jalapeno Popper Dip
Four years ago: Sweet Cream Biscuits
Five years ago: Enchiladas in Pumpkin Sauce

Funeral Potatoes

from Taste and Tell

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dried onion
32 ounce package cubed hash browns
3 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes
2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil.
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, melted butter and onions. Fold in the hash browns. Spread in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the crushed corn flakes on top of the mixture. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of butter over the corn flakes.
Bake in the preheated oven. If using shredded hash browns, cook for 30 minutes. If using cubed hash browns, cook for 55-60 minutes.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Jul 31, 2013

I have been trying to get on a Monday – Thursday posting schedule for months now but it seems like every week something happens that just messes everything up.

My blog went down Monday – my apologies if you were in dire need of a muffin recipe or something and couldn’t reach it – and I didn’t really think anything of it. Technical issues with the blog are one of the only things in life that I’m pretty laidback about. My host usually knows of an issue before I do and I figure they can fix things faster if they aren’t having to respond to my emails every 5 minutes. But anyway, on Tuesday morning it was still down and since I had a few “wtf” tweets and emails I decided to contact them. The guy emails me and says “There are no files in that database. That’s why nothing’s there.” And I’m all “Good joke but no really, where’s my 5 years of blog posts?”

He eventually got all my posts up but I had to go searching for my header and such and since I’m on my third computer this year, I didn’t have it saved. So I had to go digging through my external hard drive and once I pull that thing out, I’m done. Because why would I fix my blog and get a post up when I can go through every single photo I took in 2006?

And then I took the fat baby swimming for the first time.

So that’s my incredibly long story for why I won’t have 4 blog posts up this week. Stay tuned for next week’s excuse.

These quinoa bites are the new favorite side dish around here. Even my husband loves them and he’s anti anything weird like quinoa. They’re really easy to adapt to fit your needs too – like maybe add some diced ham to make a portable lunch!

One year ago: Everything Bread
Two years ago: Chocolate Chip Scones
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

from So Very Blessed

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa cooked in low-sodium chicken broth, preferably
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, basil, cheese, flour, seasoned salt and pepper.
Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bites are firm to the touch.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Apr 11, 2012

Happy Hump Day! How’s about a giveaway to make this Wednesday a little less painful?

I was recently sent a mandoline slicer as part of the OXO Blogger Outreach Program. I was pretty stoked about it because I’ve wanted a mandoline foreverÂ but those dang TV chefs had me completely scared of them. I mean seriously, those chefs talk like the sole purpose of a mandoline is to cut off your fingertips. But as it turns out, it’s really no big deal. And this handheld slicer from OXO comes with a nice little food holder that keeps your fingers far from the blade.

I knew immediately that I wanted to make some sort of veggie chip. I love those veggie chip mixes that you can find in bulk bins. LOVE them but how horrible are they for you?! The veggies don’t taste or look like their original form once they come out of the deep fryer.

So I sliced a sweet potato with my sparkly new mandoline and then baked them for what seemed like days. They turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. My oldest, who doesn’t like sweet potatoes, went crazy over them! They do take a verrrrryÂ long time to bake but I promise it’s worth it. And don’t crank the oven up to speed things along – you’ll end up with black sweet potato chips. Not that it happened to me or anything… ahem.

And now for the giveaway!!

I have an OXO mandoline slicerÂ to give to one lucky reader! All you have to do is answer:

What would you make if you won the mandoline?

Rules:

US only, please.
Giveaway will run until Sunday April 15, 2012 at 10 pm Mountain time.
Winner will be randomly chosen. I’ll email the winner and he or she will have 48 hours to respond before I have to choose another person.

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! The winner is Abbi!

One year ago:Â Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

4.8 from 5 votes

Baked Sweet Potato Chips + a GIVEAWAY!

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato sliced thinly with mandoline slicer
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and/or cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place sliced sweet potato in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over top; sprinkle with salt (or other seasoning). Toss the potatoes with your hands to make sure all are covered.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 1Â½ hours (may be longer), rotating the sheets halfway through. until the sweet potatoes are crispy.
Let cool slightly. Best eaten the day they are made.

I was sent a mandoline to test out but was given no further compensation. All opinions are my own.Â