Need a quick side dish that is packed with flavor and comes together in minutes? Blistered Garlicky Green Beans is it! I’m always looking for quick veggie sides – gotta get those veggies in! My kids actually like green beans better than I do. I love a green bean casserole, but fresh green beans are not typically my thing. I don’t like the squeaky-ness…anyone with me?! These Blistered Garlicky Green Beans are really good though! They get nice and crispy, and I think it eliminates that squeaky-ness. Very technical food terms here, by the way.

To start, trim the green beans, wash them, and make sure they are nice and dry. If there is water left on them, they will splatter even more when they hit the oil. I typically do this step on the weekend, so mine are ready to go as a quick side dish. Plus I hate trimming green beans and asparagus, so if I don’t do it right when I get home from the store, I probably won’t use them.

Add the olive oil to a pan and heat it over high heat, until shimmering. Make sure the green beans are nice and dry before you put them in the pan. They will splatter quite a bit, so a splatter screen can come in handy. Throw in the green beans and use tongs to spread them out evenly. Cook them, without disturbing them, for about 3 minutes. Then use tongs to flip them over (be very careful – the hot oil will splatter). Spread them out in an even layer again and let cook for about 4 more minutes.

Once they are blistered, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the sliced garlic. Let cook for about 1 more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. I love to serve these with Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops. The green beans cook while the pork chops are in the oven.

Blistered Garlicky Green Beans

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

3 garlic cloves, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Once hot, add the green beans (be sure they are very dry – no water on them).  Spread them in an even layer and cook for about 3 minutes, until browning on the underside. Using tongs (and with an oven mitt on), carefully turn the green beans over.  Cook for 4 more minutes, rearranging with tongs as needed, until all sides are browned.  Add the sliced garlic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Cook for one more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.

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Thyme and Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a really simple way to roast a veggie alongside whatever protein you are making for dinner. They are a flavorful, healthy side dish since sweet potatoes are nutrient dense and high in fiber. For some interesting facts on the nutritional value of sweet potatoes, check out this article. We eat sweet potatoes a lot, as I actually like them better than regular potatoes (which is a long way for me to come, because I used to hate them!). My kids will eat them too, finally. You know how they say to give a kid a food at least ten times before they will eat it? I’m pretty sure the person who wrote that rule doesn’t have kids. Either than or mine are a whole ‘notha level of stubborn. I have served them sweet potatoes, in every form imaginable, consistently (once a week or so) for TWO YEARS. They finally, finally, started eating them (and liking them!). What is that, 100 times of serving them?! Maybe its because they see how much I like sweet potatoes and that deterred them from trying them, out of pure stubbornness. I know you mommas feel my pain.

Anyway, back to the recipe. not only do these Thyme and Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes make a great side dish, if you are doing a Whole 30, they make a great base for a hamburger slider or Sloppy Joe meat too! For breakfast, you can top them with a fried egg and some hot sauce. They are super flexible!

Thyme and Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

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Baked Beans are a summer time staple in our house. They just pair so perfectly with grilled food! I love this recipe because it makes a huge batch that I can store in the freezer in smaller portions. These baked beans are perfect. Sweet, savory, and a little smoky with that delicious bacon flavor. I like to serve these with any grilled meat or my Cowboy Stuffed Chicken. These are absolutely the best baked beans, no doubt about it!

Start by sautéing the onions in butter over medium heat.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except the bacon.

Add the sautéed onions to the mixture and stir to combine well. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the slices of bacon and bake at 325° for 2-3 hours. When the beans come out of the oven, use a large serving spoon to gently press on the top to accumulate the bacon fat and skim off.

The Best Baked Beans

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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5 cans pork and beans (VanCamp’s)

1 large yellow sweet onion, chopped

2 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

3 Tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 slices uncooked bacon, each slice cut into thirds

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter in the pan.  Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent.  In a large bowl, add the beans, onions, ketchup, molasses, mustard, and brown sugar.  Stir to mix well.  Scoop out into the baking dish.  Top with the slices of bacon and bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-3 hours, until carmelized and bubbly.  When the beans come out of the oven, use a large serving spoon to gently press on the top to skim off the bacon fat.

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There really is nothing better than Cheddar and Green Chile Cornbread with a bowl of chili. Today is the coldest day that we’ve had all winter and I’m thinking I need to make a trip to the store for that exact meal! Although, I don’t really want to go out in this cold…decisions, decisions. In case you missed it, I of course love my own chili recipe, but here’s another recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers that I like to make to switch things up sometimes! Both are absolutely delicious! And of course, the perfect side dish for any chili recipe is Cheddar and Green Chile Cornbread! It’s easy to make and is always a crowd pleaser. I’ve gotten so many compliments on this recipe over the years!

My favorite thing about this cornbread is that it’s not dry at all! Most cornbreads come out pretty dry, which isn’t that appealing to me. Give this one a try and let me know what you think!

Cheddar and Green Chile Cornbread

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 (15 oz) can cream-style corn

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°.  Grease an 8×8 square baking dish.  Beat together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined well.  Stir in the corn, chiles, and cheeses.  Add the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. and stir to combine.  Pour into the pan and bake at 300° for 1 hour.

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Fruit Salsa is my go-to recipe when I need to bring a side dish to a party. It’s healthy and the fruit is already cut into little pieces, so it’s perfect for little kids! I often make a big batch of this fruit salsa and we eat it many ways throughout the week. We eat it with cinnamon sugar pita chips, on pancakes, on oatmeal, on fruit pizza, or just by itself! Sometimes I just use leftovers of this as our side of fruit for a weeknight meal. It really doesn’t matter how I serve it, my boys simply love this stuff!

I do not use added sugar (outside of what is in the fruit preserves), but if you would like yours a little sweeter, try adding 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. I try to be very conscientious of our added sugar intake and I honestly think that with the fruit and the fruit preserves, its plenty sweet!

Fruit Salsa

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1 6-oz carton raspberries

1 16-oz carton strawberries, diced

1 6-oz carton blueberries

2 mangoes, diced

3 Tbsp blackberry preserves

Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (I use Stacy’s)

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Instructions

Combine all of the diced fruit and berries in a large bowl.  Add the fruit preserves and stir gently to combine.  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

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This recipe is so simple, but makes the most incredible applesauce! I’ve always bought the pouches of organic cinnamon applesauce for the boys, but they are so expensive! They go through the stuff like water, so I thought, why not make my own? I use organic ingredients, and it’s so much cheaper than buying all of those pouches! Simply place peeled, sliced apples into a crockpot, top with the remaining ingredients, and let it cook in the crockpot. Mash, whisk, and serve! It’s soooo good warm on a cold day!

Feel free to swap out the sugar for honey, or leave it out all together for a little more tart applesauce. A lot of times, I leave it out altogether in order to reduce our added sugar intake.

Cinnamon Applesauce

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (I use half honeycrisp or pink lady and half granny smith)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

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Instructions

Place the apples into a slow cooker.  Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over then top, then pour the water in.  Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours.  Once the apples are soft, use a whisk to mash them and stir until smooth (or to the consistency that you prefer).  Store in the fridge.

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