It didn’t take long to figure out I hated french cut green beans. And the sauce was just too saucy – it was a soupy mess. So I switched my recipe to regular canned green beans and that made it a little better.

This year, I switched it up again and used frozen green beans. They must be cooked first, so I steamed them to perfection (just a little firm, and not too mushy). I’m very happy with the results.

Ingredients

• Cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
• Green Beans (about 29 oz)
• Milk
• Salt, pepper
• Soy Sauce
• Paprika
• Crispy Fried Onions

Yes, you are correct… The original French’s Green Bean Casserole did not add Paprika or Soy Sauce – that was me. I did that. I actually considered making homemade fried onions – all you need is 1 – 2 onions and some Panko bread crumbs and flour… and time. So, I skipped it and used the French’s.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
• Mix the soup with the milk & seasonings.
• Steam or blanch your fresh or frozen trimmed green beans to your liking.
• Stir the beans into the soup base with 2/3 c Crispy Fried Onions.
• Bake 30 minutes, stir and top with 2/3 c fried onions. Bake 5 more minutes.

Make Ahead Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except the fried onions, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Stir in half the onions and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then stir, and top with remaining onions, cooking for 5 more minutes.

I make the mix two days in advance and just pop it in the oven with the Turkey to finish it off.

Homemade Crispy Fried Onions

Preheat oven to 450. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss 2 thinly sliced onions with 4 tsp olive oil, 1/2 c. flour, 2 Tbsp Panko and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread on the baking sheets and bake 30 minutes, turning the onions over every ten minutes.

Alterations:

• Add fresh sliced mushrooms
• Cut the green beans into smaller bite-size bits (1 – 2″ long)
• Try 4 minced garlic cloves
• Add Parmesan cheese to the top, or to the soup mix
• Make your own homemade soup base
• Add a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard
• Bake some crispy bacon bits and add that to the mix
• Use sauteed chopped onions in the soup

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Classic Green Bean Casserole

A tasty twist on green bean casserole

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 172kcal

Cost 6

Ingredients

• 2 lb green beans, trimmed
• 10 oz cream of mushroom soup, condensed
• ½ c milk
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 ⅓ c crispy fried onions
• 1 tsp Kikkoman's Soy Sauce
• ¼ tsp paprika

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Combine soup, milk & seasonings.
• Blanch or steam your fresh or frozen green beans, then add them, along with 2/3 c. crispy fried onions, to the soup base.
• Pour into baking dish & cook 30 minutes.
• Top with remaining 2/3 c fried onions and bake 5 more minutes.

Notes

The post Classic Green Bean Casserole appeared first on Food Love Affair.

I like my mashed potatoes just about every way you can make them. I love mashed potatoes. Here is my take on Chef John’s Perfect Mashed Potatoes, with extra creamy, lightly cheesy flavor with a dash of fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise (about 6 medium-large potatoes)
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. milk (more, if desired)
• 1/2 c. cream cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2-3 Tbsp chopped, fresh parsley
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (optional – more, if desired)

You can make these ahead of time, and then reheat in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.

Instructions:

• Peel & slice the potatoes lengthwise, making sure pieces are evenly sized (quarter the larger pieces). Place the potatoes in a large pot & cover with water; add salt as desired.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low 25 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot to cook some of the moisture out of them.
• Mash the potatoes (in batches if you need to) until smooth and fluffy, then add remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine, using a whisk or electric mixer.

It is better to cut your potatoes into large, evenly sized pieces than boil them whole. This way they cook evenly and consistently.

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Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Extra creamy mashed potatoes taste great with turkey gravy, but don't need any extra moisture.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 281kcal

Cost 4

Equipment

• potato masher

Ingredients

• 2 lb russet potatoes
• ½ c unsalted buttter
• ½ c milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black or white pepper
• ½ c cream cheese
• ¼ c sour cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• ½ c Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Peel & slice the potatoes lengthwise, making sure pieces are evenly sized (quarter the larger pieces). Place the potatoes in a large pot & cover with water; add salt as desired.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low 25 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot to cook some of the moisture out of them.
• Mash the potatoes (in batches if you need to) until smooth and fluffy, then add remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine, using a whisk or electric mixer.

Notes

The post Creamy Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Food Love Affair.

I like to add sour cream to make it extra moist.

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole corn
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 box cornbread muffin mix
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 c. sour cream

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients and place in a greased 9×9 baking dish. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and edges.

For holiday prep, you can make this ahead of time, and reheat at 350 for 15 minutes. Or, if you’re filling the oven with all the side dishes, it can be cooked at 350 for 45 minutes.

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Cornbread Casserole

The perfect side dish for your holiday spread (these make great muffins, too)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 164kcal

Cost 3.25

Ingredients

• 15 oz whole kernel sweet corn
• 14 oz cream-style corn
• 8 oz cornbread muffin mix
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
• ½ c sour cream
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp paprika

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9×9 baking dish.
• Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Notes

The post Cornbread Casserole appeared first on Food Love Affair.

They’re super easy to make and really tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts
• 4 strips of bacon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion
• salt & pepper

Instructions:

• Slice the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. I like to rinse mine off first.
• Slice the bacon into little strips.
• Dice your onion and set aside with the sprouts.
• Cook the bacon in a 10-12″ skillet, then remove the bacon to drain the grease on a paper towel.
• In the same pan, add the butter. Once it melts, add the sprouts and onion. Cook about ten minutes, until they start to brown, stirring occasionally.
• Season with salt & pepper and add the bacon bits back in.
• Remove from heat, serve & eat!

Even if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, or always forget what they’re called – those little cabbage head things – these are sure to please a picky eater.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Savory pan roasted brussels sprouts make an excellent Thanksgiving side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 152kcal

Cost 5

Ingredients

• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 2 Tbsp butter
• ½ onion
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 4 bacon slices

Instructions

• Slice the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Dice the onion. Set both aside.
• Cut bacon into strips and cook on medium-high heat in a skillet.
• When cooked to a crisp, remove bacon to drain on paper towel.
• In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the brussels sprouts & onion. Cook about ten minutes, until brown, turning occasionally.
• Add the bacon bits, remove from heat, serve & eat.

Notes

The post Brussels Sprouts with Bacon appeared first on Food Love Affair.

You can make more of the dressing if you want it wetter, but just a little bit is all we need.

It’s super simple and quick. Make this salad in just a few minutes (once you prepared the bacon).

1. Bake the Bacon

Bake the bacon on the oven, on a pan with a roasting rack. Lay out the bacon (about 5 or 6 slices), then put it in the oven – don’t preheat. Just turn it to 425, cook it about 12 minutes, flip it, and give it another 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and put the bacon on paper towel, and let it cool.

2. Prep the Salad Veggies

Then, chop up your broccoli (1 bunch), and cauliflower (about 1/2 a head). I like my cheese in cubes, but you could shred it, if you like it like that – about 2/3 cup. Dice about 1/4 of a medium red onion. Toss this into a bowl and then make the dressing.

3. Make the Dressing

Whisk 1/3 cup of mayo with 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 ½ Tablespoons of sugar.

4. Combine, Chill & Serve

Add the crumbled bacon into the veggies, and drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Put the lid on the bowl and shake it to combine. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Alterations

• Add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• Add 1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or raw pumpkin seeds.
• Try it with apple cider vinegar, and a bit of Dijon mustard for more flavor.

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Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

A simple broccoli salad, easy on the mayo.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cool & Marinade 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 276kcal

Cost $7

Ingredients

• ⅓ lb bacon crumbled (about 5 thick slices)
• 1 ⅓ c broccoli florets (about 1 crown)
• 1 ⅓ c cauliflower florets (about 1/2 head)
• ⅔ c cheddar cheese cubed
• ⅓ c red onion diced
• ⅓ c Hellmann's Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil
• 8 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vinegar

Instructions

• Bake the bacon in the oven at 425° (do not preheat), for 12 minutes. Flip the bacon, and continue cooking until crispy, about 15 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and allow to cool.
• Dice the broccoli, cauliflower, and onion. Cube or shred the cheese. Combine in a medium-sized bowl.
• Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar.
• Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it into the vegetable bowl. Drizzle the dressing mix and stir to combine.
• Place the lid on the bowl, give it a few shakes and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

The post Broccoli Cauliflower Salad appeared first on Food Love Affair.

To slice the cabbage, I got a head of cabbage and started slicing it until I had about half a head piled on the chopper. Then, I just sliced it the opposite direction. I tried to make thin slices, but when you get the end piece, it can be pretty big. Just make sure it’s chopped up into bite-size pieces.

Using two bell peppers, I sliced them lengthwise and then just cut them in half. I sliced the celery in half length-wise and then sliced them thinly (about 1/4″). I used 1/4 of an onion, and then sliced that into strips. I shredded my carrots using the cheese grater.

All you do is prep the veggies, mix the dressing and combine the two. Let it rest for at least an hour.

For the dressing, be sure to use fresh ground peppercorn to make the pepper slaw really pop. Combine vegetable oil, celery salt, pepper, celery seed, sugar, apple cider vinegar and mustard with a whisk until the sugar begins to dissolve. The recipe actually calls for dry mustard, and I never have that in my cupboard, so I just use yellow mustard.

I tried to shake this to combine, but you’ll have to shake, then stir and repeat. That mixed it up really well.

A perfect side dish for your barbeque! We had shredded beef brisket on kaiser rolls with this yummy, summery pepper slaw.

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Bell Pepper Slaw

A crisp and refreshing summer side salad for your cookout.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 111kcal

Cost $4

Ingredients

• ½ head green cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3 ribs celery
• ¼ onion, sliced
• 1 carrot, shredded

Dressing

• ½ c canola or vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp celery seed
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp mustard

Instructions

• Chop, dice and shred your veggies.
• Mix your dressing.
• Stir to combine.

Notes

The post Bell Pepper Slaw appeared first on Food Love Affair.

It’s pretty easy, and you can tweak it to your liking. All you need is:

• a bag of coleslaw mix
• sunflower seeds
• sliced almonds
• ramen noodles
• green onion
• vegetable oil
• distilled vinegar
• sugar

First you mix the salad, then you mix the dressing and toss it all together. I added a bit of salt & pepper to mine since the nuts were raw, I felt the salad could use a little balance of salt to the sugar.

Alterations:

• Make the coleslaw mix from scratch with Napa cabbage (about 3 cups), red cabbage (about 2 cups) and carrots (about 1 cup).
• Use organic ramen noodles.
• Add extra carrots, shredded or sticks.
• Add sesame seed, or swap the vegetable oil for olive oil or avocado oil.
• Swap the white vinegar for rice vinegar.
• Add a tablespoon of soy sauce to the dressing.
• You can toast the nuts in the oven, or stir fry the nuts with the noodles in butter for extra buttery crunch.

This crunchy ramen salad is a perfect potluck or cookout side dish; you could call it “disappearing crunchy ramen salad”!

Tips:

To crush the ramen noodles, you could use a rolling pin. I put mine in a quart Ziploc bag (don’t seal the bag), and ended up kind of hammer-rolling it out to bite-size pieces.

Also note that this salad is best eaten the day it is prepared. When you let the ramen noodles sit in the dressing, they will absorb it and no longer be crunchy.

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Crunchy Ramen Salad

A light, crunchy summer salad with an Asian twist that's easy to make and a great crowd-pleaser!

Course Salad

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 329kcal

Cost $9

Ingredients

Salad Base

• 1 bag coleslaw mix
• 1 c sunflower kernels
• 1 c sliced almonds
• 2 bags ramen noodles
• 4 stalks green onion

Dressing

• ¾ c vegetable oil
• ⅓ c distilled vinegar
• ½ c sugar
• ½ t pepper
• ¼ t salt

Instructions

• Combine the salad base ingredients in a large bowl.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the dressing to the salad and mix well to coat.

Notes

The post Crunchy Ramen Salad appeared first on Food Love Affair.

Ingredients

• 1 box thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 3 T lemon juice
• 4 T canola oil
• Seasoned Salt
• Sugar
• 4 oz diced pimento
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 c celery, sliced
• 1 c black olives, chopped
• 1 ½ c Mayo

Recipe Update:

I finally found my notes for the recipe and there’s a few things missing here…

• Break the “Vermicellie” into Thirds Before Boiling
• Original Recipe calls for 1 T. Accent (if you don’t have any issues with MSG, feel free to try it this way, with seasoned salt)
• Celery should be 2 c.
• ¾ c. onions is missing; I think this is supposed to be red onion (or green)
• A note about the oil: it can be Canola oil, vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Break the pasta in half and cook according to package directions.

Place cooked spaghetti in a large bowl and add seasoning mix, lemon juice and vegetable oil. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add vegetables and mayonnaise and mix well. Chill for one hour and serve.

Variations

I also like to make my own seasoning, but you can choose 1 Tbsp of seasoned salt to your liking, adding a bit of sugar to replace the original 1 Tbsp of MSG.

Optionally, you can add diced onion – red onion or white onion – about ½ cup, or ½ an onion for extra veggies.

You can also use vermicelli noodles, which are equivalent to angel hair and traditionally Asian.

I’ve seen diced tomato used in place of pimentos, I would use just one Roma tomato.

You can also use just zesty Italian dressing with McCormick salad dressing seasoning (Perfect Pinch) instead of the olive oil + lemon juice and skip the mayo.

Tip: Don’t forget this is mayo-based, so if you bring it outside, keep it cold.

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Spaghetti Salad

A thin spaghetti salad side dish.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 9 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 11

Calories 234kcal

Cost $9

Ingredients

• 16 oz thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta (1 box)
• 3 T lemon juice
• 4 T canola oil
• 4 oz diced pimento
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 c celery, sliced
• 1 c black olives, chopped
• 1 ½ c Hellmann's Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil

Seasoning Mix

• 1 ½ T salt
• 1 T sugar
• ½ t Paprika
• ½ t turmeric
• ½ t onion powder
• ¼ t garlic powder

Instructions

• Break thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta in half and cook according to package directions
• Place cooked spaghetti in a large bowl and add seasoning mix, lemon juice and vegetable oil. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove pasta from the refrigerator and add vegetables and mayonnaise. Chill for one hour and serve.

Notes

The post Spaghetti Salad appeared first on Food Love Affair.

But, today’s lunch was a practically perfect tuna-macaroni salad. Pretty simple. I’m too impatient to wait the extra hour. I just eat it right away. Then, the leftovers will be extra tasty.

Noodles, peas (I do love the peas), celery (I tend to add too much), tuna, mayo (not too much), pickles (always have tuna with pickles), onions, lemon juice and seasoning. I spice it up a bit with paprika and dill, and both white or yellow onions and green onions. It makes a good balance of veggies-to-noodle ratio.

Variations:

• add 2 teaspoons of sugar to sweeten it
• reduce the mayo by adding 1/4 c. milk
• use vinegar instead of pickle juice
• use pickle relish instead of pickles
• skip the green onions and dill if you don’t have any
• add a bit of garlic powder to enhance the flavor
• add a teaspoon of yellow mustard
• ignore the paprika (because I like paprika on everything)

Tip: It is important to break up that tuna before mixing it. I just happened upon a long sharp bone making this batch. And don’t forget if you take it to a cookout outside: you must protect the tuna by keeping it cold (out of the sun and in a larger bowl with ice).

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Tuna Macaroni Salad

Simple afternoon salad, or side dish for cookouts.

Course Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 36 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 316kcal

Cost $5

Ingredients

• 8 oz macaroni noodles
• 1 c peas, frozen
• 8 oz tuna
• 2 baby dill pickles, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ¼ yellow or white onion, diced
• ¾ c Hellmann's Olive Oil Mayonnaise Dressing
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 T pickle juice
• 1 t pepper
• ½ t paprika
• ½ t dill
• ½ t salt

Instructions

• Cook, drain and rinse pasta according to package (al dente + 1 minute). Add peas while pasta is cooling.
• Mix mayo, lemon juice and pickle juice in a small bowl.
• Chop and slice the fresh vegetables.
• Drain tuna as necessary and break it up well in a large bowl. Add vegetables, mayo mix and seasonings. Stir to combine.
• Cool in refrigerator one hour.

Notes

The post Tuna Macaroni Salad appeared first on Food Love Affair.

Spinach pie: fresh spinach or frozen? My attempts at fresh spinach for spanakopita failed. It tasted like dirt even though I washed and washed. I prefer frozen now, because there is a lot less fuss over preparation. You don’t have to cook it through, since it is already wilted, but I fold mine into my sauteed, seasoned veggies, and cook it just a little to warm it up, and let some of the steam or remaining moisture evaporate.

Seasonings are better when fresh, such as dill and parsley. I almost never have the fresh stuff, so if you do, double the amount used. And use as much onion & green onion as you see fit. I like to combine the two, or sometimes leave out the green onion. About 1 medium white or yellow onion and a half-bunch of green onion makes a good base to complement the spinach.

Spanakopita cheese: just feta, or feta and ricotta? This is a personal preference – the feta did not provide enough richness to my liking, so I combine both feta and ricotta cheese for a rich, creamy tasty Greek spinach pie. Try it with cottage cheese, if that’s your thing.

During assembly, you want to keep they phyllo dough moist, so I put a very lightly moistened paper towel over the top of my sheet pile.

Then, after each layer of pastry sheet, I dab the whole layer, end-to-end with olive oil.

Before the last two or three layers, I fold the edges in and over the top.

Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes.

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Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Greek spinach pie, rich and creamy and easy to prepare.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 178kcal

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 c green onions, chopped optional
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz frozen spinach, drained well
• 2 T parsley
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ½ c ricotta cheese
• 1 c feta cheese crumbles
• 1 t dill weed
• ⅛ t nutmeg
• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
• ¾ c olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9×9 baking pan.
• Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee onions & garlic until soft and lightly brown. Add spinach, parsley and seasonings. Mix and cook until heated through (about a minute). Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Stir into spinach mixture.
• Lay 1 sheet of dough in pan and brush lightly with oil. Lay another sheet of dough, brush with oil and repeat with 2 more sheets. Give it another light coating of oil, ensuring all layers are coated end to end.
• Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Layer the remaining 4 sheets of dough with adequate oil between each layer and on top, then tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

The post Spanakopita (Spinach Pie) appeared first on Food Love Affair.