Crispy Brussels Sprouts

https://www.bakedbymelissa.com

2 cups Brussels sprouts

2 T olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 T flour

Remove any loose leaves from the Brussels sprouts and trim the ends off. Cut in half lengthwise.

Add them to a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Stir well to combine.

Add the flour and mix so everything is evenly coated.

Place the Brussels sprouts directly on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly and serve with your favorite dipping sauce or use them to top a salad.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2 (15-oz cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup red onion, diced

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

¼ cup chopped parsley

lemon vinaigrette (use as much or as little as you'd like)

Lemon vinaigrette:

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp honey, or maple syrup

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Spanish Rice

2 T oil

½ onion, diced

2 c rice 

1 8oz can tomato sauce 

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 c chicken broth

1 t salt

1 t cumin

Add oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion & cook until slightly softened. Add the rice & toast until it's golden brown. 

Add seasonings, tomato sauce & broth to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low then cover for 20-25 mins.

Fluff with a fork & serve!

Crispy Onion Rings

2 large onions, sliced into rings

2 c milk 

2 c flour

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T salt pepper garlic Kinder's 

1 T paprika

1 T baking powder

Whisk together batter ingredients. Heat oil in a pan. Dip onion ring into batter & place carefully into the hot oil. Flip over halfway & cook till golden brown.

Remove from oil & place on paper towel.

Enjoy!

Jiffy Corn Casserole

½ cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 15 oz can creamed corn

1 15 oz can corn (kernels) drained

1 8.5 oz pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Preheat the oven to 375⁰ and move the rack to the middle position. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish.

In a medium-to-large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, creamed corn, canned corn, and melted butter. Stir until smooth.

Stir in the corn muffin mix (don't over-mix).

Pour the batter into the casserole dish and smooth it out.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the middle has set and the top is golden. Rest 10 minutes before serving. 

Loaded Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1 C Alfredo sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 C cheddar cheese, shredded

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, sliced thin

 

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet covered with foil or a Silpat mat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes or until fork tender (you can also steam the cauliflower for 5-6 minutes- drain well & pat dry with paper towels).

Place the cauliflower into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Pour alfredo sauce over the top. Top with cheddar cheese & bacon. Return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted & sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven.  Top with sliced green onions and serve hot.

Creamy Garlic Mushrooms

16 oz baby bella mushrooms, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 T Cream Cheese

3 T heavy cream
2 tsps of fresh or dry herbs, such as tarragon, basil, parsley
salt & pepper
2 tsp of olive oil

Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil and add the mushrooms and garlic on medium heat. Stir and toss until soft and a little liquid is released from the mushrooms. Add the cream cheese & stir until melted. Add the heavy cream & stir until combined. Add the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

Creamed Onions

https://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/creamed-onions-recipe

2 bags of boiling onions

1/2 C flour

1/2 C butter

2 1/2 C whole milk

16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper 

 Peel onions and put into boiling salted water. Cook until barely tender - drain.

Make a white sauce. Melt butter in saucepan & add flour. Whisk slowly. Cook for a minute & add milk. Simmer until thick. Turn the heat off & add cheese. Stir until melted. Add more milk if it's too thick after adding the cheese. 

Add onions. Stir gently. Pour into a baking dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350°.

Smoked Baked Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, medium

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Prep smoker according to manufacturer's directions to a temperature of 225⁰.

In a small bowl combine garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine.

Wash potatoes. Brush with olive oil. Roll potatoes in spices in bowl until they are completely covered.

Place potatoes on smoker set to 225⁰. Smoke for 2 hours or until soft and fork tender.

Serve potatoes with your favorite toppings!

Raspberry Pretzel Jello

• 6 oz package raspberry Jell-O
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 ½ cups salted pretzel sticks, before crushing
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 8oz package cream cheese - softened
• 1 8oz package Cool Whip - thawed in the refrigerator
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 12 oz bag frozen raspberries - thawed in refrigerator

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

1. Combine 6 Oz packet of Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Crush 2 ½ cups of pretzels in a ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
3. Melt 1 stick of butter than add ¼ cup sugar in saucepan. Add pretzels and mix together.
4. Lightly press pretzel mix into a 13x9 -inch pyrex dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
5. While pretzel mix is cooling down, beat 8 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium/low speed until well-combined.
   
6. Next, stir in Cool Whip using a spatula and mix until well combined.
7. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels and go all the way to the edges of the dish to create a seal. You don't want the jello to leak into the pretzels. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
8. Place raspberries evenly on top of the cream filling and pour Jell-O over raspberries and refrigerate until jello is set.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lemon (juice + zest)
• ¼ cup honey

• Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
• Peel sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper

• Add butter and olive oil to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey. Simmer for one minute on low heat.
• Pour the lemon butter over the sweet potatoes. Toss well to make sure the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.
• Transfer sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Check for doneness and add additional time if needed.
• Serve and enjoy. I love serving honey roasted sweet potatoes with broiled salmon and cucumber salad.

Cheesy Potatoes

2 lbs. frozen hash browns, thawed

3/4 cup  (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped onion or green onion (or 1/4 c dried minced onion)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Grease a 9×13″ pan or baking dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns with 1/2 cup of the melted butter, pepper, salt, and chopped onion, blending well. Add in the soup and sour cream, then the cheddar cheese, mixing everything well. Spread mixture evenly into a 9×13″ baking dish. Mix remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and the crushed corn flakes together and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake at 350⁰, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot.

Ultimate Baked Beans

• 2 28 oz can baked beans
• 12 slices cooked bacon chopped in 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a casserole dish, or other oven safe dish. Add all the ingredients and stir until well incorporated. 

3. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. Can also cook bacon in the microwave for a couple minutes & put on top of the beans halfway through cooking time. Broil 2 min if needed to make crispier. (Can microwave bean mixture for 5-6 min to speed up cooking time, then pour into pan, add bacon & bake 35 min).

4. Serve.

Keto Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

http://accidentalchefm.blogspot.com/2011/09/cauliflower-fried-rice.html

1 small head of cauliflower, florets separated and pulsed in a food processor until “rice-like”
1 large carrot, cut into small dice

1 c corn

1 c peas
1 small onion, minced
4 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1-inch knob of ginger, grated
1 diced red pepper
2 eggs
1-2 tablespoons of coconut aminos

1 lb shrimp 
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 olive oil

Chop all ingredients
Combine chopped onions, red peppers, carrots, corn, peas,  a dash of salt and pepper in a non-stick pan w 1 T oil.
Once the onions are softened, toss in the mushrooms and stir fry everything until the mushrooms are browned.

In a separate pan, add 1 T oil & cook the shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper over medium-high heat. Add a tsp of coconut aminos once the shrimp are almost completely cooked through. Add eggs & scramble.

Then add the remaining ingedients: cauliflower, sweet onion and shrimp to the pan. Make sure that all of the ingredients are mixed together and taste it to make sure it doesn't need more S&P.

Simple Potato Salad

5 lbs potatoes, peeled & cubed
3 stalks of celery, chopped
Mayo (amt will depend how wet you like it & how dry the potatoes are -usually about 2 cups)
Mustard (to taste)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
6-8 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Paprika

Cook cubed potatoes until tender. Drain & let cool a little bit. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in celery, mayo, mustard, salt & pepper until combined. Gently fold in eggs. Sprinkle with paprika. 

Coleslaw (Chick Fil-A Copycat)

2- 16 oz bags coleslaw mix
1 1/2 c mayo
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t dry mustard powder
1/4 t salt
2 T vinegar

Mix sauce ingredients together & pour over coleslaw mix. Stir to combine. Add salt to taste.

Broccoli Salad

10 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
6 c.broccoli, chopped fine
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1/2 c. craisins
1 c. sunflower seeds

Dressing:
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T sugar (I use 2 t. truvia)
1 c. mayo

Add broccoli, onion, craisins & sunflower seeds to large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together & pour over broccoli. Stir to coat evenly. Top with crumbled bacon.
*You can also add diced cooked chicken.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs yellow potatoes, peeled & quartered
3 T. salt
8 oz cream cheese

¼-½ c half & half, at room temp
½ c salted butter, at room temp
2-3 t. salt

2 T butter (for the top)

In a large pot filled 3/4 of the way with water, add the potatoes and 3 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Continue to cook over medium heat until they are fork tender. Approximately 20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a strainer and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Beat potatoes until mostly broken down. Add the cream cheese, butter, ½ & ½ & 2-3 t. salt to the potatoes. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined and the potatoes are smooth. Scoop into serving bowl & dot with 2 T butter. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top for color, if desired.

The Perfect Baked Potato

Russet Potatoes
Oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub potatoes & pierce with a fork. Place on foil lined cookie sheet & bake for 30 min. Remove from oven & rub with oil & sprinkle with salt.
Place back in oven & bake an additional 25-30 min until tender when squeezed.
Cut down the middle & top with butter,  salt & pepper & any other toppings including:
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Green onions
Bacon

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup milk 1 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 t. salt 2 eggs, beaten

Topping: 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup butter 1 cup chopped pecans

	Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.
	In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt & eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, and then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.
	Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.