Side Dishes

Easy Authentic Homemade Salsa {From Your Pantry!}

May 1, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Do you celebrate it? Even if you don’t, I mean, who needs another excuse to eat tacos, right?!

My family absolutely LOVES oven baked tacos. Once you’ve tried them BAKED, you’ll never go back! But, you know what goes great with tacos? Salsa.

This recipe for salsa is healthy, delicious, authentic… AND can be made from ingredients you probably have on hand, most of which stay right in your pantry until you need them. Nothing in this recipe is obscure or hard to find, making it not only great tasting but also easy and affordable. You can get everything you need at your local Walmart or where ever you love to shop. That’s one of my favorite things about this recipe, I always have what I need on hand. Thanks to my long time friend Brenda Eaves for sharing this recipe with me. It has quickly become one of our favorites!

:: Authentic Salsa {From your Pantry}

1 {28 oz} can of diced tomatoes (any kind but I prefer Muir Glen organic/fire roasted tomatoes)
1 can Rotele {this is a mixture of tomatoes and chiles}
1 large clove fresh garlic
1/4 of an onion
1 spoonful of pickled jalapenos from a jar (no “real” measurement here – just a spoon from your silverware drawer!)
3 spoonfuls of the juice from the pickled jalapeno jar
1 handful of fresh cilantro

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend! Done.

This is best made the day before to allow the flavors of the ingredients to meld. Tastes just like the salsa you get at Mexican Restaurants. Serve with GMO free tortilla chips.

Need something to wash down those chips and salsa? Check out my recipe for Strawberry Lime Margaritas.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Snacks, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: blender salsa, cinco de mayo, homemade salsa, mexican dinner, mexican food, Mexican restaurant salsa, tomato salsa

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Easy Garlic & Herb Sauteed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

December 26, 2012 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

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We recently had the opportunity to give the new Land O Lakes Saute’ Express a try! They come in 4 great flavors…Italian Herb, Savory Butter & Olive Oil, Lemon Pepper and the Garlic & Herb. We bought some of the garlic and herb and decided to give it a try. Each pack comes with 6 cubes. I used two cubes for this dinner of sauteed chicken, sauteed asparagus, corn on the cob, and roasted potatoes. I used the garlic & herb butter for the chicken and the potatoes.

land o lakes

First, I put a cube in the sautee pan and put the thawed chicken breasts in it to cook. Leave it alone. It is important not to move them around a bunch so that they get that delicious golden brown. Once they have a good bit of color on one side, then flip and leave them alone until cooked through. That is absolutely all I did to the chicken. And it was so flavorful! Really delicious just plain like this with some sides. But, these chicken breasts would also be delicious as grilled chicken sandwiches or on top of salad or pasta. {I cooked a couple extra breasts this way and used it for my chicken, ditalini and pea soup the next evening – delish! I love getting extra mileage out of my dishes!}.

land o lAKEs2

I also used another cube of garlic & herb butter to make roasted potatoes. I usually use just olive oil and salt. This time I used the garlic & herb butter and some salt. First, I cut the potatoes into chunks. Then, I melted the butter and poured it over the potatoes. I spread them out over a foil lined pan and then added a good bit of sea salt. I roasted them at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Until a bit crispy and browned.

The butter burned a bit on the pan, so I was glad I lined it in foil. But, the potatoes tasted great. I couldn’t tell the flavor as strong on the potatoes as I could on the chicken though.

My family gobbled the whole dinner up – no leftovers {thank goodness I put away a few of the chicken breasts for the next night’s dinner}.

Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart. Walmart has provided me with product and/or compensation in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post. My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinion is my own.

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Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: chicken, dinner, garlic and herb, land o lakes, potatoes

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Recipe: Fantastically Saucy Stovetop Mac & Cheese

December 22, 2012 by Denisesawyer 4 Comments

mac and cheese

I have another recipe on this blog for Mac and Cheese that is baked with lots of eggs. It is awesome – and can be eaten with a side salad and totally be a meal… especially since it has eggs {eggs=protein}. BUT, when I want quick, easy, and DECADENT mac and cheese I choose this stovetop recipe.

It is my husband’s and children’s favorite mac and cheese. It is really just as simple as the kind that comes in a box- but drastically and fantastically BETTER. I’m serious, after you make this mac and cheese you’ll question why you ever bought/made that kind that comes in a a box – both due to taste and your sheer amazement at how quickly this whips up!

And, you can use ANY shape pasta you {or your little people} want!

:: Fantastically Saucy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

1/2 of a box of pasta
1 3/4 cup of milk
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp of flour
2/3 cup of half and half
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
cayenne to taste
8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese

Boil a big pot of water with a good bit of salt. Cook the pasta as directed on the box. Strain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in another sauce pan. Add the flour and let the flour and butter cook together for a minute. Then, add the milk, half and half, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes (or until it begins to thicken.

Stir in the shredded cheese. When melted and combined well add the finished cheese sauce to the pasta and stir. Enjoy!

*A Note from Wholesome Mommy: This cheese sauce is also delicious over veggies – especially for children who don’t enjoy eating their veggies otherwise!

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Filed Under: Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: cheese sauce, mac and cheese, recipe, side dish, stove top mac and cheese

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Rooster Potatoes & Recipe for “Unfried” French Fries!

December 3, 2012 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

If you’re from Colorado or Georgia (like me!) I’ve got some great news for you! There is a new potato in town! {I know… are you as excited as me!? I am a potato fan from way back, LOL). They’re called Rooster potatoes – and are not a russet or a red potato – they actually start out pink but bake golden brown. They are the ideal versatile ingredient – you can bake, boil, mash, roast or fry them. Which is just what I did.

And, I want to share this recipe with you because it wowed my mom. That is a tough thing to do. My mom is an incredible cook. She’s who I LEARNED from, for goodness sakes. So, when I make a meal that she likes I feel like I can put a star on my apron.

:: Unfried French Fried Rooster Potatoes

*The trick to making these roasted potatoes taste like real fried french fries is using non-stick aluminum foil. It is a must. I mean it.

Rooster Potatoes (or if you’re not lucky enough to live in Georgia (hehe) or Colorado you can use your favorite type).
olive oil
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel, wash, and cut potatoes. You can cut them in chunks, or fries. (My favorite was really thin french fries). Spread the fries out evenly on a cookie sheet and spray (or toss) with a little olive oil. You don’t want to crowd the potatoes. Make sure they have room to get brown. Adding too many to the pan will make them steam and not get crispy. I do them on two pans for my family of 6 (including my parents) so that they don’t get crowded.

Salt the potatoes and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip them and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

My family was so impressed that these baked potatoes actually tasted like REAL {good} french fries – and they are so much healthier since they aren’t deep fat fried.

Albert Bartlett {Rooster Potatoes} have been a household name in the UK for over 60 years, and this past growing season they have partnered with US farmers.

They began showing up on the shelves of the Colorado and Georgia Walmarts November 11th and will likely continue to be harvested and stocked through January – but once they are sold out – they are sold out! So, go get a bag while you can!

For more information visit AlbertBartlett.com, Facebook or twitter.

Disclosure: I was provided with potatoes in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post.
My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinions are my own and this is my authentic review.

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Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways, Side Dishes, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: potatoes, recipes, review, rooster potatoes, side dishes

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Recipe: Grape Salad

November 30, 2012 by Denisesawyer 2 Comments

This dish is sooo easy, and great for lots of get togethers. I’ve had it at baby showers and also as a side dish along with soup. It can be served with a meal or as dessert! And, this is one “salad” everyone will love – even those picky “I don’t eat rabbit food” party guests.

This is one salad even the kiddos love.

Grape Salad

1 lb. red seedless grapes
1 lb. green seedless grapes
8 oz of cream cheese (at room temperature)
7 oz jar of marshmallow cream
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Beat together the cream cheese and the marshmallow cream. Put the red and green grapes in the bowl and stir so that all of the grapes get coated with the cream cheese and marshmallow cream mixture.

At this point it is totally ready, but it is best if left in the fridge overnight so that everything gets cold and melds together. Right before you serve it add the chopped pecans and stir. (You don’t won’t to do this until right before you’re ready to eat it because the nuts will lose their crunch and get soggy).

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Filed Under: Dessert, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: dessert, fruit dish, grape salad, marshmallow cream

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Bacon Crispy Bake Chicken

October 23, 2012 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity to try a new product – J&D’s Bacon Crispy Bake. I was giddy. Why? My family doesn’t eat pork. It hasn’t always been that way. We used to eat pork and for personal and health reasons we just decided to give it up. But, there is one thing I miss. BACON. I mean, don’t get me wrong, turkey bacon is good. It just isn’t bacon.

So, I was thrilled to hear the details about J&D’s Bacon Crispy Bake. It’s the world’s first bacon flavored breading. It was born from the realization that bacon goes with just about anything you could ever want to bake or fry AND it is both Kosher and Vegetarian. It is new to Walmart and available only in Supercenters, with a national product price of $2.49.

I used it to make this Bacon Crispy Bake Chicken. I also used their other product – Bacon Salt – to make some twice baked potatoes. Here’s the recipe:

:: Bacon Crispy Bake Chicken

boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of Bacon Crispy Bake

Press chicken breasts into crispy bake. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

::Twice Bake Potatoes

Potatoes, washed, pricked with a fork
cheddar cheese
butter
chives
J&D’s Bacon Salt

Microwave potatoes. When the potatoes are done cut them in half and scoop out the flesh of the potato. Put the potato flesh in a bowl and stir in a handful of cheese, some butter, and sprinkle in some chives. Fill each potato half with the mixture and sprinkle Bacon Salt over the tops. Broil potatoes on Hi for about 5 minutes (watch them).

Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Product Reviews & Giveaways, Side Dishes, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: bacon crispy bake, bacon salt, chicken, potatoes, recipe

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Meal Plan for Labor Day Dinner {Recipes Galore!}

September 1, 2012 by Denisesawyer 1 Comment

Steak Dinner Anyone?

Its Labor Day weekend and that means everybody gets a little extra time to spend with their friends and family. What will you do with that extra day? Will you be having a BBQ? I am and I’ll be serving steak, salad, broiled asparagus, and my favorite parmesan potatoes. I thought I’d share the recipes with you today. They are super easy recipes which make them great for entertaining because they won’t take you away from your guests for very long. But, if you’ve already got your menu all planned out you can file these away for when you need a quick, delicious {and company worthy} meal.

Broiled Asparagus

:: Broiled Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, washed {or how ever many you need}
FRESH parmesan {from a block – NOT a shaker can – you’ll be glad!}
Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Boil the asparagus for about 3 minutes (until just tender). Remove them from the pot and place them into a baking dish with all the heads facing the same way. Sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs across the bottoms of the stalks {this is one of those great recipes that don’t require REAL measurements – you can’t do it wrong!}. Then, shave fresh parmesan across the bottom of the asparagus, right over the breadcrumbs, using a microplane. Drizzle across the cheese and breadcrumbs with a small amount of olive oil. Pop the pan into the oven/broiler on hi/broil until the cheese is browned {just a couple minutes so you need to watch it!}.

Parmesan Potatoes

:: Parmesan Potatoes

1 potato per person, plus a few extra
Lowry’s seasoning salt
FRESH parmesan
Butter

Bake the potatoes in the way you normally do, microwave, oven, whatever you like, until done. Split the baked potatoes in half. Slit the potato halves and place a very small amount of butter into each slit. Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with Lowry’s season salt. Grate fresh parmesan over the tops of the potatoes with a microplane. Place the pan in the oven/broiler on hi/broil for 7 to 10 minutes (until browned and bubbly {broiling happens fast so keep an eye on them!}.

And, let’s not forget the steak. Are you someone who uses a specific sauce or marinade while grilling your steaks? Not me. I think all a GOOD steak needs is a little salt and pepper. I’ll be serving Ribeyes from Walmart. Why Walmart? I took the challenge to give Walmart’s steaks a try to see if they were as good as they were saying they were. {Have you seen their commercials?} I figured it was worth a shot – they are 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

I typically eat grass fed beef. We go in with a few families to purchase a whole cow and then split the beef. That usually includes lot of ground meat, beef stew cubes, cubed steak, roasts, and steaks. All of this meat is good and lean, but the steaks have been a little disappointing this last time around. So, when Walmart asked me to give these steaks a try, I was really interested in seeing if they were as good as they explained.

Well, they were. This was the best steak I have had in a long time. Will I by all my beef at Walmart? Nah. I like my grass fed beef. If my local Walmart ever starts carrying local grass fed beef I’ll definitely reconsider. But, I will not hesitate to buy a couple steaks every now and then for a treat from my local Walmart because these were fantastic!

*Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart. Walmart has provided me with product and/or compensation in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post. My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinion is my own.

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Filed Under: Beef, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: asparagus, dinner, easy dinner, easy recipes, potaotes, recipes, steak, whole foods, wholesome recipes

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Roasted & Caramelized Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas

August 16, 2012 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

This dish has evolved over time which is why I think it is sooo good. At first, I learned to roast butternut squash – and after a couple of trials and recipes I found that my family devoured it when I roasted it with a little butter and brown sugar. It really brings out the flavor of the squash. Even my 2 year old ate two helpings!

Then, my mom made traditional roasted vegetables that included potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Chickpeas? You may know them as garbanzo beans, but either way you might be questioning if they were good roasted. The answer is YES! I know, I was surprised too! I actually love what roasting them does.

So, I then decided to add the chickpeas to the butternut squash along with the brown sugar and viola! This dish was born – and devoured, and requested again. (:

Since butternut squash isn’t always available (it will be soon though… so get ready!) I have altered my recipe yet again replacing the butternut squash with sweet potatoes. Both ways are equally delicious (butternut squash and sweet potatoes are somewhat similar in flavor) so depending on what season it is and what you can get your hands on, make this dish. You will not be disappointed either way.

It is not only delish but super healthy too! The squash is sweet so the kiddos will love it, unknowing to them that they are eating a VEGETABLE! (the horror!). And, who doesn’t love sweet potatoes? And the chickpeas become nutty and are super yummy – but also extremely high in fiber! Win – Win! I know you’ll love it if you try it! (And, if you do – be sure to report back! I’d love to hear from you!

:: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas

(Serves 4 to 6)

5 or 6 sweet potatoes
1 can of garbanzo beans/chick peas (preferably organic)
3 Tbsp butter (preferably organic), melted
1/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks (try to keep the pieces similar in size for even cooking). Place the sweet potatoes on baking pan.

Open the chickpeas and drain and rinse. Pour out onto the baking pan with the sweet potatoes.

Mix the butter, sugar, and salt together and pour over the sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Toss together on the pan with your clean hands. Try to coat all the veggies and then spread out evenly in a single layer on the pan.

Roast for 30 to 45 minutes – until the sweet potatoes are tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. Serve hot.

A Note From Wholesome Mommy:
This is also great with chunks of butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes in the fall when you can get your hands on butternut squash! Do not miss this!

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Filed Under: Side Dishes, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: butternut squash, recipe, roasted vegetables, roasting, side dish, sweet potatoes

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Zucchini, Tomato, & Garlic Saute

July 21, 2012 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

Here’s a recipe recently acquired from my sister in law. She made it for us on the fourth of July and I loved it! I immediately took down the recipe and rushed home to add it to my menu plan the following week. It was just as delicious as I remembered. (:

:: Zucchini, Tomato, and Garlic Saute

2 zucchini (chopped into bite sized pieces)
1/2 onion, diced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded
2 cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil

Start by sauteing the onion and zucchini in the saute pan with a little olive oil. After the veggies begin to soften add the tomatoes and garlic and continue to saute until all of the veggies are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

{This is a great way to use all that wonderful summer produce that is in right now!!}

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Filed Under: Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: recipe, saute, side dish, summer, zucchini

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Recipe: Artichoke and Sweet Pea Gratin

May 9, 2012 by Denisesawyer 1 Comment

I found this recipe in Food Network’s Magazine {January/February 2012} and thought it sounded delish. I tweaked it just a bit and now I think I’ve found a new family favorite!

What makes this side dish an even bigger hit is the fact that the it uses pantry ingredients and things I always have on hand! Win!

You’ll be seeing this on my meal rotation regularly.

:: Artichoke & Sweet Pea Gratin

1 Tbsp {organic} butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups {organic} milk
1 can artichoke hearts (in water/not oil)
2 cups frozen peas
Parmesan cheese

Whisk butter and flour together in an oven proof skillet {I used my cast iron skillet} over medium high heat for about one minute (the flour should bubble and start to get dry). Add the milk and whisk until boiling.

Add the artichokes (I chopped mine into quarters first) and frozen peas (do not thaw). Bring to a simmer. Then, top with parmesan cheese (I just grated it right over the top with my microplane so I didn’t measure – just enough to cover the whole dish like a light dusting of snow.

Pop it into the oven on broil. Broil for just a few minutes. When the cheese bubbles and browns it is ready!

Filed Under: Side Dishes, Wholesome Recipes Tagged With: artichokes, recipe, side dish, vegetarian

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Easy Authentic Homemade Salsa {From Your Pantry!}

:: Authentic Salsa {From your Pantry}

Easy Garlic & Herb Sauteed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

Recipe: Fantastically Saucy Stovetop Mac & Cheese

:: Fantastically Saucy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Rooster Potatoes & Recipe for “Unfried” French Fries!

:: Unfried French Fried Rooster Potatoes

Recipe: Grape Salad

Grape Salad

Bacon Crispy Bake Chicken

:: Bacon Crispy Bake Chicken

::Twice Bake Potatoes

Meal Plan for Labor Day Dinner {Recipes Galore!}

:: Broiled Asparagus

:: Parmesan Potatoes

Roasted & Caramelized Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas

:: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas

Zucchini, Tomato, & Garlic Saute

:: Zucchini, Tomato, and Garlic Saute

Recipe: Artichoke and Sweet Pea Gratin

:: Artichoke & Sweet Pea Gratin

Click the Image for a Printable Meal Plan

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