side dishes Archives - Cozy Country Living

Cheesy Baked French Cut Green Beans

Shannon — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 15:45:33 +0000

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

Sometimes when we plan a meal we focus so much on the main dish that the sides aren’t given much thought. As a matter of fact, sometimes side dishes really are an afterthought. As much as I love simple sides, like steamed veggies, leafy salads and fresh fruit, I really enjoy cozy side dishes that are warm and baked in the oven on a chilly evening too. Whether you are planning your dinner menu for the week or bringing a dish to pass this holiday season, these Cheesy Baked Green Beans are sure to become a family favorite!

My dad likes to talk about food with me. I like it because, well…I like to cook. He often reminisces about good home cooked meals that my mother has cooked him in the past and gets frustrated talking about some favorites of his that he can no longer find in the grocery store. One of the items that he can no longer find are french cut green beans in cheese sauce. I have never had it, but it sounded good so I decided to make a tastier homemade version for him myself! Let me tell you…Yum!

This yummy side dish is really easy to make! First, grab a package of your favorite frozen french cut green beans on your next grocery store trip to Walmart. Then head over to the cheese section and grab a package of Kraft Natural Sharp Cheddar shredded cheese. There are so many delicious Kraft Natural Cheese varieties to choose from, so you may even want to grab a few different cheeses for dinner later in the week! As long as you have milk and few basics at home, you should be all set to get cooking!

In a large stock pot, saute your finely chopped onion, and minced garlic in butter until softened over medium heat. Add flour (to make a roux) and then slowly add milk anda little sour cream until thickened. Season with a little salt and pepper, then add in the Kraft Sharp Cheddar Cheese, stirring until it’s melted and has become a delicious sauce.

Add your thawed french cut green beans to the cheese sauce and mix well to coat all of the beans.

Pour the cheesy beans into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish evenly and sprinkle the top with more cheese and a generous handful of breadcrumbs.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown and bubbly.

These yummy green beans are great served with chicken, beef, or pork for dinner and make a tasty dish to pass for large family gatherings on any occasion.

I can’t wait to share this recipe with my dad! I think he’s going to love it! This dish will definitely be making more appearances on our family’s dinner table. Enjoy!

Cheesy Baked French Cut Green Beans

Ingredients

1 (48 oz.) package French Cut Green Beans, thawed
6 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 cups (16 oz. Bag) Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar Natural Cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, regular or panko

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large stockpot, melt your butter over medium heat and quickly saute your onion and garlic while stirring being careful not to burn.
Whisk in your flour until no lumps remain, then slowly add your milk and sour cream.
Season with a little salt and pepper, stir.
Stir well until the sauce is smooth and slightly bubbling on the sides of the pan.
Add 3 cups of the cheese and stir well.
Turn off the heat and continue stirring until the cheese is melted and you have a nice, thick sauce.
Add your thawed green beans to the cheese mixture and stir well to coat.
Pour your cheesy green bean mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs on top.
I sometimes spray a touch of non stick cooking spray on top of the breadcrumbs to help it brown up.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until it's golden brown on top and bubbly.
If it's not as golden as you'd like on top, turn your broiler on medium for 5 minutes and that will do the trick!
Let sit for 10 minutes.
Serve warm as a side dish with your favorite entrees.
Serves 12 generously.
Enjoy!

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/cheesy-baked-green-beans/

Looking for more cheesy goodness? Check out the great recipes at KraftRecipes.com!

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Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

Shannon — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 18:12:41 +0000

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a dinner rut? I think sometimes when I am trying to create new recipes for the blog or be really creative with too many things at once, I get a little burned out. With my oldest 3 children off from school the past 2 weeks for Spring Break, I found myself not able to focus. I was trying to do a lot of fun activities with them and really enjoy all of the extra time were were spending together. The weather didn’t cooperate, so I guess being in the house and constantly trying to please everyone left my mind completely blank when it got to the end of the day and it was time to make dinner. I decided that dinner those 2 weeks didn’t have to be something extraordinary and that I didn’t have to be “supermom”. I ended up making classic, good, old fashioned basic recipes most of the evenings those 2 weeks and ended up really enjoying those comforting meals with my family and without any stress.

Simple, Easy & Delicious Homestyle Mashes #Potatoes your family will love!
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These buttery and fluffy Homestyle Mashed Potatoes are simple and delicious. They take very little time to prepare and feed a large family like my own. Fresh Idaho Russet Potatoes are the star of this recipe and are the perfect side dish for any classic, comforting entree from meatloaf to baked chicken. I have found that these mashed potatoes reheat very well, and I have even made them ahead of time on occasion. If you need some simplicity brought back into your kitchen, give these mashed potatoes a try! I promise your family will love them!

Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5 lbs. fresh Idaho Russet Potatoes
8 Tbsp. salted butter
3/4 to 1 cup 2% milk
1/2 Tbsp. sea salt to season if desired

Instructions

Peel, halve and quarter your potatoes.
Rinse well.
Place potatoes in a large stock pot and fill with cold water until the water covers the potatoes and is about a few inches higher.
Add a tsp. salt to the water.
Bring the potatoes to a boil and then simmer until they are tender enough to be pierced with a fork, about 35 minutes or so.
Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.
Turn the heat on medium and give the potatoes a good stir- this helps to "burn up" any extra moisture and keep the pan warm.
Add the butter and half of the milk.
Turn off the heat.
With a hand held mixer, whip the potatoes and slowly add the rest of the milk until you get a nice fluffy consistency.
You can always add a few more splashes of milk if desired.
I do not mash the potatoes first, the mixer does all of the work for me and leaves tiny little bits of potato in the mashed potatoes- which my family loves. If you like your potatoes a little smoother, simply mash them first and then proceed to the hand held mixing part
Taste the potatoes and add a tad bit more salt if needed.
Start off small if you are adding salt though, because once it's in there, you can't take it out! You can always add more if needed.
Spoon into your favorite dish and serve warm.
Serves 8 to 10 generously.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/homestyle-mashed-potatoes/

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Seasoned Oven Fries

Shannon — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:23:50 +0000

Well, the kids are out of school, the weather is hot and it’s grilling season! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far:) Whether your summer days are spent in the garden, at the pool, the playground or at the beach; grilling provides a pretty quick dinner after a long day. If you are looking for a great side dish to go with that juicy burger, these Seasoned Oven Fries may just fit the bill. They are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and have amazing flavor. Sometimes a cool drink with a burger and fries is a simple,perfect ending to a long summer day.

Seasoned Oven Fries

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs. Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and sliced the long way into 1/2 inch slices
2 Tbsp. Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray well with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands until everything is well coated.
Place the seasoned potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets.
Cook for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
You may turn the broiler on for 2 minutes after the cooking time to make them a little more crispy too.
Serve hot with Ketchup.
Serves 6-8.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/seasoned-oven-fries/

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Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes

Shannon — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:51:53 +0000

When I use my slow cooker, it is usually to make a whole meal. Yesterday was very warm here and I really didn’t feel like cooking anything in the oven or on the stove top. I needed a side dish to go along with the grilled chicken I was going to make so I thought roasted potatoes in the slow cooker would be perfect.

I scrubbed all of my potatoes, sliced them and chopped my garlic and herbs and threw everything in the slow cooker. I felt good that I had a great side dish cooking and all the work for preparing dinner was finished. The house smelled so good and when the time was up on the slow cooker, I could not wait to see how they had turned out. I was SO disappointed!!! The potatoes didn’t look roasted, they looked a bit mushy and now I was rushed to figure something else out for a side dish. Now don’t get me wrong, these probably would have been fine served as they were, but they just weren’t the pretty, caramelized, slightly crisped roasted potatoes I was hoping for. As I looked at this big crock full of potatoes, I had an idea. I was determined to save these potatoes so I grabbed my hand held mixer, some milk and whipped them up. These turned out to be delicious mashed potatoes and they were nice and hot when I was ready to serve dinner.

I think I may make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker more often! It was nice to have the mess of preparing them cleaned up hours before and I didn’t have to worry about the potatoes getting cold because they were nice and warm in the slow cooker. If you love mashed potatoes, but don’t have time during the week, try them in the slow cooker! I am glad I made this “roasting potatoes in the slow cooker” mistake because I got a great mashed potato recipe out of it! Have you had any slow cooker mishaps that turned into something wonderful lately?

Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5 lbs. potatoes, pealed or scrubbed(if you like the skins in there) and cut into chunks
1/4 cup water
3 large cloves garlic, minced finely
1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups milk
more salt and pepper to season if desired

Instructions

In a 6 or 7 qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the milk.
Cover the slow cooker with a kitchen towel and then place the lid on top making sure the towel is not touching any hot outer parts of the slow cooker though ( This helps to absorb excess liquid)
Cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours.
When the potatoes are done cooking, mash potatoes with a potato masher, then add milk 1/2 cup at a time, whipping with a handheld mixer after each addition.
Season with more salt and pepper and add a bit more butter to your liking.
Keep covered until ready to serve.
Serves 8 to 10.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/slow-cooker-garlic-herb-mashed-potatoes/

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Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes

Shannon — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:45:22 +0000

It’s hard for me to think of a ham dinner without potatoes. I think they just go perfect together! This week for Slow Cooker Thursday I wanted to make a side dish that goes well with what you might have planned for your Easter Dinner. Sometimes when you are cooking a big meal, oven space often becomes limited. This recipe makes the most delicious, creamy, wonderful Au Gratin Potatoes that have a slight browning around the edges! I really love that you can make these potatoes ahead of time and not even think about them until it is time to serve dinner. This recipe can also be doubled if you have a larger 6-7 quart slow cooker- I would just extend the cooking time maybe an hour or so. If you have never made homemade Au Gratin Potatoes before, give this recipe a try. Trust me- you won’t want to buy a packaged mix again!

Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes
1 heaping cup of freshly shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & onion salt for seasoning
1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Instructions

Wash, peel, and slice your potatoes. You want them about a medium thickness. You can use a food processor if you like.
Butter your slow cooker with about 2 Tbsp. of butter.
Add one layer of potatoes and salt them. Please DO NOT forget to season them or they will taste very bland. I like to alternate seasoning layers with regular salt on one layer and then onion salt on the next.
Continue layering and salting until you have used all the potato slices.
When all the potatoes are in the pot, melt the 3 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan.
Add the flour and whisk.
Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble up, then cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until thickened.
Add the garlic powder and stir.
Add the cheese and stir until melted.
Pour over the top of the potatoes. Don’t stir the potatoes, but give them a jiggle to get some of the sauce down into the bottom of the pot.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the dried parsley.
Place 2 or 3 paper towels across the top of the slow cooker and put on the top. This helps absorb excess moisture that would make your potatoes wet and mushy!
Turn the pot on high and leave it for an hour.
After the hour, turn the slow cooker to low and cook 3-4 more hours.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/slow-cooker-au-gratin-potatoes/

*This recipe is adapted from Sunshine Mom

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