Recipe Hit List: 12 Veggie Sides To Try

I find myself making the same boring vegetables prepared the same boring way since my guys are so veggie-fussy, but occasionally I get in the mood to mix things up. Sometimes that means a new veggie fave is found, or at least one that everyone will eat just fine. So this week I went on a veggie hunt…here are the dishes I’m tempted to try:

12 Veggie Sides To Try
*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

1. Apricot-Glazed Sweet Potatoes Recipe: I usually serve this as a side dish with poultry or pork. As the wonderful aroma wafts through the house, I’m always asked, “Is dinner ready yet?” So don’t be surprised if your gang comes to the table extra-hungry. Recipe from Taste Of Home.
2. How To Make Squash Casserole: Squash casserole is one of those dishes that varies so widely in recipes. I swear there are at least a hundred different variations out there. This one is my favorite. Gooey cheese, buttery cracker crumbs adding a hint of crunch, and the taste of garden fresh squash – even though I do use frozen most of the time. This is a cinch to make and very filling for a side dish. Recipe from Southern Plate.
3. How To Make Glazed Carrots: Wait! Before you hit the “Back” button on your browser, these are not the mushy, syrupy pieces of sad that you remember from your high school cafeteria. They’re a little sweet, a little salty, and still have a bit of texture to them. Recipe from How To Cook Like Your Grandmother.
4. Vegetable Curry: I cooked this vegetarian dish for my family Doctor. She told me she tried this curry at a recently open Indian & Malay Kitchen here in Exton but it was too bad they closed down the Malay kitchen not long after that. Since she like it so much I told her I will cook some for her and brought it to her on Tuesday. She told me it taste even better than the one she had at the restaurant . Recipe from My Kitchen Snippets.
5. Butternut Squash Risotto: First, there are the sweet, peppery cubes of roasted butternut squash. Delicious on their own. But then you start simmering a little pot of chicken stock and sautéeing the pancetta and minced shallots in melted butter, and the smells mingling in the kitchen are nothing short of intoxicating. After about 10 minutes, you add the Arborio rice and a little champagne. (The recipe calls for dry white wine, but we are rich in champagne – one of the many benefits of getting married on New Year’s Eve.) And then you ask yourself, “What would Ina do?,” and pour yourself a glass. Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake.
6. Spinach Rice Casserole: An easy baked side dish of spinach, rice, and cheese. Recipe from Tammy’s Recipes.
7. Roasted Cauliflower: This is a simple and delicious side dish. The mayonnaise sounds odd, but something about the flavor marries extremely well with the sometimes bland cauliflower, and it caramelizes beautifully. No one will have any idea there is mayonnaise in this recipe and cauliflower haters will have a hard time finding fault with this preparation. Recipe from Kirsten’s Home Cooking.
8. Roasted Greek Potatoes: I have always kept the ingredients the same, but have played a lot with the cooking times, and amount of time covered/uncovered to achieve just that right combination of crispy and juicy. I love potatoes in just about any form, but this is one of my favorites because I think they come out just like those yummy potatoes you get when you order Greek takeout. Recipe from Janet Is Hungry.
9. Night Before Broccoli Casserole: Night Before Broccoli Casserole is a great way to get those veggies. From the Rumpke Family Cookbook.
10. Roasted Asparagus: I love roasting any sort of vegetables, but asparagus is really the best when prepared this way. Play around with the herbs and spices you use as well. I have tried several different ways but the recipe below is Chuck’s favorite. Some favorite variations of mine include adding minced garlic when you add the salt and pepper, and than grating some Parmesan cheese over the asparagus as soon as you take it out of the oven. Recipe found at Cooking This and That.
11. Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic, Orange, Oyster Sauce: A keeper! The basic technique is a great way to skillet-steam/sauté broccoli, then add other flavorings. I will definitely do again in other ways. Frozen broccoli crowns might work too. Recipe found at A Veggie Venture.
12. Glazed Roasted Vegetables: Recipe found at Better Homes & Gardens.

And of course, mashed potatoes are always a big hit! Check out today’s earlier post Mashed Potatoes Tip List for ideas on how to jazz them up a bit.

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