Favorite Side Dish Or Salad

[purple]

Hi, I have 2 potlucks coming up and need a salad or side dish to take. I am looking for some new ideas, hot or cold dishes. Anyone have a favorite???

Thanks for posting!

[luvs2eat]

This is one of my new faves. I took it to a pot luck a while back and I swear... people were about to LICK the crockpot clean, it was SO good. I doubled the recipe. Enjoy!

Best Corn Ever

2 pounds frozen corn kernels

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Mix all together in crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

[Lisa16]

here is one of my new favorites:

Avocado salad:

3-4 ripe avocados

1 vine-ripe tomato (cut into chunks)

1 scallion (green onion) sliced thin

Dressing:

1 vine-ripe tomato (core it-- roasting optional)

the white bottom part of a scallion

a splash of fresh orange juice (or grapefruit-- this keeps the avocado from turning brown)

liquify in a processor.

Add in salt, pepper, vinegar and oil and pulse until you have a thicker consistency. Taste it and fiddle with it until you have a nice flavor.

The key is the dressing. Pour it over the avocado-tomato mix and stir

If you like, you can add in bacon, hard boiled eggs, etc.

[jerseyangel]

Corn With Bacon and Red Pepper--

Cook 4 cups of frozen corn in lightly salted water. While this is cooking, in a skillet, cook about 1/2 pound of bacon (I use Oscar Mayer) until crisp. Drain.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. In the reserved drippings (using the same skillet to take advantage of the browned stuff on the bottom), saute a finely chopped onion and red pepper until just tender.

Drain cooked corn well and add to the onion and pepper mixture. Crumble bacon, add and toss all together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Can easily be doubled for a larger group, and the leftovers are even better.

[lpellegr]

I used to make this with couscous, but it works fine and is gluten-free if you use millet.

Middle Eastern grain salad

1 cup millet - sear grains in a few T of hot oil for a few minutes to turn some of them varying shades of brown. Cook in water as directed.

Add when cooled:

1 c thinly sliced celery

1 c chopped scallions (or use onion powder to taste)

1 c shredded carrots

1/2 c cashews or almonds

Mix and add dressing:

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 c olive oil

1 t cinnamon

pinch curry

1/2 t coriander (skip it if you don't have it)

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste (lots of garlic!)

Serve at room temperature. Unusual and good.

[purple]

This is one of my new faves. I took it to a pot luck a while back and I swear... people were about to LICK the crockpot clean, it was SO good. I doubled the recipe. Enjoy!

Best Corn Ever

2 pounds frozen corn kernels

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Mix all together in crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

I never would have thought of corn and cream cheese together, sounds easy, convenient with ingredients I already have (I might have to try a small batch today)

Thanks for a great idea!

[purple]

here is one of my new favorites:

Avocado salad:

3-4 ripe avocados

1 vine-ripe tomato (cut into chunks)

1 scallion (green onion) sliced thin

Dressing:

1 vine-ripe tomato (core it-- roasting optional)

the white bottom part of a scallion

a splash of fresh orange juice (or grapefruit-- this keeps the avocado from turning brown)

liquify in a processor.

Add in salt, pepper, vinegar and oil and pulse until you have a thicker consistency. Taste it and fiddle with it until you have a nice flavor.

The key is the dressing. Pour it over the avocado-tomato mix and stir

If you like, you can add in bacon, hard boiled eggs, etc.

This one sounds delicious and easy, thanks for posting!

[purple]

Corn With Bacon and Red Pepper--

Cook 4 cups of frozen corn in lightly salted water. While this is cooking, in a skillet, cook about 1/2 pound of bacon (I use Oscar Mayer) until crisp. Drain.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. In the reserved drippings (using the same skillet to take advantage of the browned stuff on the bottom), saute a finely chopped onion and red pepper until just tender.

Drain cooked corn well and add to the onion and pepper mixture. Crumble bacon, add and toss all together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Can easily be doubled for a larger group, and the leftovers are even better.

MMM..bacon goes great with anything! I'm going to the store on Wed. and will have to get some bacon to try this. Thanks for posting!

[purple]

I used to make this with couscous, but it works fine and is gluten-free if you use millet.

Middle Eastern grain salad

1 cup millet - sear grains in a few T of hot oil for a few minutes to turn some of them varying shades of brown. Cook in water as directed.

Add when cooled:

1 c thinly sliced celery

1 c chopped scallions (or use onion powder to taste)

1 c shredded carrots

1/2 c cashews or almonds

Mix and add dressing:

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 c olive oil

1 t cinnamon

pinch curry

1/2 t coriander (skip it if you don't have it)

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste (lots of garlic!)

Serve at room temperature. Unusual and good.

I have never had millet, except flour, and I had couscous once at a potluck so I was wondering if pasta would work. Sounds similar to a pasta salad but with a different type of dressing. I have all those ingredients except the coriander and millet. Do you use fresh or bottled lemon juice? Very interesting, thanks for posting!

[Wonka]

I made this last night (left out the peppers because I can't tolerate nightshades). It was excellent and easy to throw together.

ROASTED ARTICHOKE SALAD

[lpellegr]

Regarding the middle eastern salad: I have never tried it with pasta, but I think it might work well with rice, skipping the part about browning it. I have had rice dishes with garlic and cinnamon that worked. Basmati would be perfect for it. They usually include raisins, too. I don't have any coriander in the house and never did, so I just skip it. I don't usually have fresh lemons either, so bottled juice is fine.

[sbj]

An oldie but goody - lime jello, cottage cheese, pineapple, walnut salad. Cool Whip if you want to get decadent. Nice and green for St Patty's. How about Lime Sherbet Punch?

Very retro - these . . .

[jerseyangel]

Speaking of green and retro.....

Pistaschio Salad

In large bowl, combine one package of Jello Instant Pistaschio Pudding Mix and one can of crushed pineapple with juice. (do not drain) Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and a cup of mini marshmallows. Fold in a small tub of Cool Whip.

Chill at least an hour.

Everyone, everytime loves this.

[purple]

Regarding the middle eastern salad: I have never tried it with pasta, but I think it might work well with rice, skipping the part about browning it. I have had rice dishes with garlic and cinnamon that worked. Basmati would be perfect for it. They usually include raisins, too. I don't have any coriander in the house and never did, so I just skip it. I don't usually have fresh lemons either, so bottled juice is fine.

Thanks, it does sound like it would be good with rice and I have Basmati too

[purple]

An oldie but goody - lime jello, cottage cheese, pineapple, walnut salad. Cool Whip if you want to get decadent. Nice and green for St Patty's. How about Lime Sherbet Punch?

Very retro - these . . .

yeah, I haven't had that in years...my mom used to make it with orange jello, shredded carrots, pineapple and cottage cheese...about 35 yrs ago...I forgot

[purple]

Speaking of green and retro.....

Pistaschio Salad

In large bowl, combine one package of Jello Instant Pistaschio Pudding Mix and one can of crushed pineapple with juice. (do not drain) Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and a cup of mini marshmallows. Fold in a small tub of Cool Whip.

Chill at least an hour.

Everyone, everytime loves this.

That is my dd's favorite, I usually make it every Christmas. I forget about during the year...duh!

I bought the "stuff" for the corn, bacon and pepper salad. The red peppers were $1.50 at Walmart...WOW...so I went to a diff store and got them for 68 cents. Your "bacon" salad got me hungry for this one too:

Open Original Shared Link

[Jestgar]

1 package instant tapioca pudding.

Red wine (however much it calls for, minus about 10%). You can bring the wine to a boil and cool if you don't want the alcohol.

Mix as directed and chill

Fold in whipped cream or cool whip if you want it mousse-like

[lpellegr]

Jestgar, are those the knuckles of someone who punched a wall in your photo? Was it because you couldn't get a decent piece of bread?

[Jestgar]

Jestgar, are those the knuckles of someone who punched a wall in your photo? Was it because you couldn't get a decent piece of bread?

:lol:

It's actually my knee after surgery. I tried to make it so close-up that it would be hard to tell what it was. I'm impressed that you could tell it was a body part!

[purple]

Corn With Bacon and Red Pepper--

Cook 4 cups of frozen corn in lightly salted water. While this is cooking, in a skillet, cook about 1/2 pound of bacon (I use Oscar Mayer) until crisp. Drain.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. In the reserved drippings (using the same skillet to take advantage of the browned stuff on the bottom), saute a finely chopped onion and red pepper until just tender.

Drain cooked corn well and add to the onion and pepper mixture. Crumble bacon, add and toss all together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Can easily be doubled for a larger group, and the leftovers are even better.

I made 1/2 a recipe to try it, very easy. I asked my dh if he liked it and he said he wasn't crazy about corn. I ate one serving and he ate the rest...go figure...I think he was after the bacon b/c I seldom buy it

[jerseyangel]

I made 1/2 a recipe to try it, very easy. I asked my dh if he liked it and he said he wasn't crazy about corn. I ate one serving and he ate the rest...go figure...I think he was after the bacon b/c I seldom buy it

That's so funny! I have to agree with him that bacon improves just about anything!

[Roda]

I made this salad this evening and am anxiouslly awaiting to try it after it has chilled. I did taste it warm and it had a good flavor. It is called Cranberry Wild Rice & Buckwheat Salad and here is the link:

Open Original Shared Link

I used honey instead of agave nectar and added more for my taste. I also could not find raw buckwheat groats that were not in bulk and not contaminated with oat groats Anyway, I used the arrowhead mills buckwheat groats in this and they worked good. I also added more pecans (I broke them up into smaller pieces), and cranberries. Enjoy!

[Roda]

I used to make this with couscous, but it works fine and is gluten-free if you use millet.

Middle Eastern grain salad

1 cup millet - sear grains in a few T of hot oil for a few minutes to turn some of them varying shades of brown. Cook in water as directed.

Add when cooled:

1 c thinly sliced celery

1 c chopped scallions (or use onion powder to taste)

1 c shredded carrots

1/2 c cashews or almonds

Mix and add dressing:

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 c olive oil

1 t cinnamon

pinch curry

1/2 t coriander (skip it if you don't have it)

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste (lots of garlic!)

Serve at room temperature. Unusual and good.

I was wondering if fresh crushed garlic would work or would it be too strong?

[purple]

My dd is coming home for an overnight visit and is going with me to the church/potluck. She loves blueberries and cheesecake so I made this salad (EASY) so she would be able to eat something gluten-free that she likes:

Open Original Shared Link

I used Oregon blueberries, not pie filling, you could use frozen blueberries and the juice from the pineapple and maybe a bit of water as a sub. The topping would be good on many things.

I had a little sample and it was delicious, we'll see if everyone likes it tomorrow

Report back...the salad was scrumptious and I noticed most everything my dd liked at the potluck had gluten. I have only been to 1 potluck with my dd since she has been gluten-free and it was mexican food, good thing that time. I am learning. Next time I will take gluten-free brownies, she couldn't have any today and there were 2 pans of them.