Easy Side Dishes

Bean and corn salad: drain and rinse a can of black beans, and mix with a bag of thawed frozen corn. Stir in one jar of chunky salsa (as spicy as you like it), and season with salt and pepper. Made even better with the addition of any or all of the following: sliced black olives, sliced green onions, a pinch of cumin (ground or whole seed), chopped cilantro, finely cubed soft white cheddar cheese. (The recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc). As easy or as complicated as you want it, and no cooking at all! Have fun.

What about just Coleslaw and Fruit Salad (cut up watermelon, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, etc.)? I just googled a recipe for coleslaw dressing. It was super easy. I also have a fantastic recipe for Broccoli salad. It has kind of a coleslaw dressing, but you add raisins or grapes, and sunflower seeds. It is delicous. If you want the recipe for either, send me a message. Good Luck & enjoy summer parties!

Baked Beans! I buy Bush's Maple Cured and add some onion. Bake in oven for about 45 min to an hour on about 350. I think they taste much better when thicker from being baked instead of done in a pot. You can buy the real large cans usually from the bulk food store and then just bake in a large foil tin. If the big ones don't have the Maple Cured just add brown sugar and some molasses.

I usually make pasta salad with fussili pasta, a whole bunch of sliced or diced up veggies (broccoli, red pepper, red onion, carrots, etc), and toss it with Ken's Northern Italian salad dressing. This is the only salad dressing that really works for me. Sometimes I will toss in some cubed mozerella cheese and salami also.

Other ideas:

* Tortilla chips and salsa
* Broccoli salad (recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broccoli-Salad-2/Detail.aspx)
* Rolls
* Corn on the cobb with plain or flavored butter

That's all I can come up with for now but I'm sure you'll receive some other really great ideas.

Hope your party turns out to be a smashing success!

Cherry Salad:

1 container whipped topping, thawed
1 can cherry pie topping
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Mix and chill. My family has always loved this.

I also am a huge fan of dill pickles--a tray or bowl full of dills would make my afternoon, especially if you had deli turkey and cream cheese to eat with them. We used to make appetizer by spreading cream cheese on slices of turkey, wrapping a pickle, putting toothpicks through at intervals, then slicing them into bite-size pieces. That would be a pain for your get-together, but just a bowl of pickles might be great. Have fun!

One of my family's fave summer side dishes is so simple, it is simply cut up tomato's, cucumbers and a bit of onion in white vinegar. Some people add a bit of sugar to taste to help soften the vinegar or use a bottled viniagrette instead. Lots of luck with your get together. A simple cole slaw is good too. My mom has also made a family fave macaroni salad that is so simple its a crime, its just plain macaroni noodles with miracle whip and a bit of mustard then chopped up ham and green pepper and a bit of onion.

Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and drained
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup diced vine-ripened tomato (optional)
• 1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard (or 1 tsp. yellow mustard)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt , plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp celery salt (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large bowl combine the macaroni, celery, onion, parsley and tomato, if using. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sour cream and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Store covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

If cucumbers are on sale, I add cucumber too.

Cucumber salad

4 Cucumbers peeled in stripes. Slices
1 half or whole red onion sliced very thinly
2 tomatoes sliced or a container of cherry or pear tomatoes cut in half
1/4 cup Rice Wine vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add veggies together.. Salt and pepper.
Mix oil and vinegar together , then pour over veggies and refrigerate.

Also roasting lots of corn on the cobb is always popular.. First boil it for about 15 minutes (do not need to add salt or sugar). Then place on grill for about 4 minutes on 2 sides..

We break the corn in half , so people do not have to mess with a giant cobb,.

Potato salad is usually fairly easy and reasonbly priced. I just use the recipe at www.bestfoods.com (the classic recipe) But potatoes, mayo, celery and onion, very little mustard, salt and pepper, and vinegar and you're on your way!

Sounds like I need to make some now! LOL

Good luck
J.

Pasta salad

I don't measure this, I just throw it together to taste and amt of people.

Pasta (penne or three color wheels work well)
Italian Dressing
Cooked Chicken (I buy a rotisserie chicken and use that)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese or cut up colby cheese
Chopped Onion
Chopped Black Olives (from a can)

Mix it all together and chill and serve. GREAT!

Also just made this today:
Three Color Tortellini
Pesto Sauce
Cooked Chicken
Fried Bacon

First time making it and it was GREAT.

Other sides could be mac n cheese (I make this out of a box, but I hear making it fresh isn't so bad), a warm veggie like carrots, green beans, corn, etc. , cubed cheeses and crackers, and dips with chips/pretzels.

Have fun!

Fruit salad is a really easy one, and it's green so the kids love it :)

1 large tub Fat Free Cool Whip
1 large tub of Fat Free Cottage Cheese (small curd)
2 cans of Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 can of "Very Cherry" mixed fruit, drained
1 regular box Sugar Free Lime Jell-o
1-2 cups Mini Marshmallows

Combine Cool Whip, Cottage Cheese and Lime Jell-o until well blended.
Mix in cans of oranges and mixed fruit.
Top with Mini Marshmallows as desired.
Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

This recipe makes enough for at least 30 small servings, so doubling it should be fine. It works as a side dish or a refreshing dessert.

Have a great party! :)

A super easy pasta one: boil your noodles. I use the twisty multi veggie ones. Can't come up with a name at the moment. They are normal, orange and green. Mix in enough italian dressing to flavor them. You can mix in olives, cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber or anything else you guys like. Or you can leave them on the side and htey can be a "build your own salad."
Another easy one is Pistachio salad. Take a small box of pistachio pudding, an 8 oz thing of cool whip, a can of crushed pineapple and some marshmallows. I mix the pudding and the pinapple, mix in the cool whip then fold in the marshmallows. Sorry, I don't have a measurement on the mallows, I just add till I think it is good.
You can also serve baked beans if you have access to a plug. Just put them in a crockpot and plug it in.
Good luck and enjoy your party!

Cookie salad is a hit with my family. A small box of instant vanilla pudding, 2 cups buttermilk (or 2cups plain milk plus a tablespoon of lemon juice), mix together add an 8 oz tub of cool whip, 2 cans of mandarin oranges drained, and a can of pineapple crushed or tidbits works well, if you use tidbits drain the juice. Then add about 16 fudge striped cookies broken up in pieces. This makes an average size salad, I would double the recipe for a 100 people. Also it is a good idea to refridgerate for a few minutes before serving it helps it set up a little. If you make it ahead of time leave out the cookies until you are ready to serve.

I also like the colored pasta salad that others have talked about. I like to use the wacky mac noodles. Italian dressing, cubed cheddar cheese, olives and tomatoes.

my whole family loves this one. they don't even complain about the peas.
Cheesy Rice Pilaf:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper (I use a whole pepper. Don't use a green pepper.)
1 cup rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
1/2 pound fontina or mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes. Add rice, salt, and bay leaf and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas, cover and continue simmering until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Add the cheese and parsley, stir and serve immediately.

One of my favorites,
Broccoli, cauliflauer, sliced bell pepper, sliced carrots, cherry tomatoes (halved), sliced red onions drizzled with olive oil and vinegar with a littlle pepper and garlic salt. Let it marinate. It's awesome and super easy. You can even add little chunks of mozzerella cheese if you like.
No cooking and only cutting time for prep. It's really, really good!

Frito salad: (Not at all healthy)

-one pound ground beef
-one bag of fritos or dorritos
-green onions, 3/4 head of lettuce, (whatever else you would like: tomatoes, olives, etc.
-one bottle catalina dressing

Brown ground beef and mix vegetables. Can keep in fridge overnight. When ready to serve add catalina dressing and broken up fritos.

Easy to make

Tomato, cucumber & onion salad.
Chunky avocado and tomato salad - use a lot of lime juice to keep the avocado from turning brown.
Corn, red onion, white onion, cucumber, red bell pepper w/ vinegar salad - this is a Stubb's recipe.
Chips & salsa/pico de gallo is always a good side w/ anything.
Steamed broccoli w/ salt & pepper.
Pink Stuff salad (that jello thing).
Green peas & cheese salad.
Purple Hull Peas.
Black eyed peas.
Pinto beans.
Corn on the cob.

Pasta salad is super easy and super cheap. Buy a bottle of Italian Dressing (whatever your favoriate is... my personal favorite for pasta salad is Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian or I mix 1/2 of a bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian with 1/2 of a bottle of Kraft Tuscan Italain) a box of Spiral Pasta noodles, then I just buy a bag of the mixed veggies that include cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots (they are the ones that are ready to steam, but instead of steaming I just chop up for my pasta salad), then I used to buy block cheese of assortment and cut up into cubes for my pasta salad, but found that using Kraft crumbled cheese works perfect. And it is only $2 a bag and has a mix of cheddar, mozz, and provolone (I think). Anyways, mix all together and refigerate. I sometimes add Salad Supreme, which is just a seasoning, but just depends on what taste I am going for at the time. Anyways, it is just a simple pasta salad recipe, but we never have any leftovers at get togethers b/c it is good for kids and adults.

Other ideas, potatoe salad, macaroni salad, pork n beans, green bean casserole, orzzo (sp?) salad - which is kind of like a fruit dessert type thing, make different kinds of potatoe chip dips, salsa and chips. Oh, another favorite of ours is Buffalo Chicken dip - again soo simple to make and it is sooo addicting, hahaha. Then there is coleslaw, brocclislaw, jello salad.

Have fun at your get together!!