I can understand the feeling when some people consider macaroni and cheese as their comfort food. There is just something so good with the creaminess and combination of the cheeses in it.

INGREDIENTS:
a box (16 oz) of elbow macaroni
half of stick of butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of cheddar cheese spread
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Vamp up the usual boiled baby carrots with an orange juice glaze sweetened by a little bit of sugar. It’s something to entice to kids to eat more vegetables with their dinner. Even I as an adult think boiled carrots seasoned with only salt and pepper are boring sometimes so a glaze from time to time wouldn’t hurt.

INGREDIENTS:
half a bag of baby carrots
water for boiling
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of water
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of sugar
In one pot, boil the water and baby carrots until they’re fork-tender. Drain the water off and set aside.
In another pot, …read more

This colorful and delicious green beans and cherry tomatoes salad was inspired by Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis green beans salad recipe. While she also had wax beans (yellow) for an added color, I only used green beans and cherry tomatoes to keep it simple for the kids. The dressing is not hard to make either.
INGREDIENTS:
a bundle of green beans
a pack of red cherry tomatoes
water for boiling
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of honey
a drizzle of sesame oil just for taste
sprinkle of dried oregano
sprinkle of dried basil
Boil the water. Add …read more

A simple yet delicious twist or addition, however you want to call it, to the classic mashed potatoes side dish is cream cheese. There’s nothing too complicated about it really. It’s very basic.
INGREDIENTS :
5-6 white potatoes, peeled and quartered
water for boiling
sprinkle of garlic powder
2 spoonfuls of butter
salt & pepper
less of 1/2 block of cream cheese
a squirt of milk
Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain the water.
Transfer the softened potatoes in a mixing bowl, add milk, butter, garlic powder, cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper.
Mash everything together with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Don’t mash too much and don’t add …read more

Ensalada Rusa is a Spanish style potato salad. This potato dish is always a delicious side dish when grilling out. I have a basic recipe but I’m always interested to add news twists to kick it up a notch. Ensalada Rusa from Idaho potato sounds good to me.
Ingredients:
o 2 lb Idaho potatoes
o 1/2 cup Diced carrots
o 1/2 cup Frozen peas
…read more

The children love hush puppies. We usually get them with the southern take-out dinner from White Schwan’s. Of course I wanted to learn how to make hush puppies myself. I search online for an easy recipe that I could make and I found it at AllRecipes.com called Vicki’s Hush Puppies.
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1 cup self-rising flour
* 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
* 1 quart oil for frying
Mix sugar, …read more

The title “Pototo Souffle Casserole” alone sounds delicious, doesn’t it? We can thanks Idaho potato for this delicious recipe.
Ingredients:
* 24 about 8 lbs Idaho® potatoes (8-10 oz) peeled & cut into chunks
* 3 cups Half-and-half or evaporated milk, heated
* 1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
* 4 cups Low fat Yogurt or light sour cream
* 1/2 cup* Fresh minced parsley
* 1/4 t Tabasco Sauce
* 3 cloves Fresh minced garlic
* …read more

A good substitute for rice as a side dish is couscous. The latter is under the pasta family but it’s grainy enough to take on texture of rice. Couscous is actually healthier than rice. You can buy the different flavored couscous in a box at the grocery stores. Besides picking up flavored ones like wild mushroom or toasted nuts, I still buy plain couscous to add my own flavorings. Kinda like this Parmesan cheese couscous I made as a side dish to a surf ‘n’ turf meal we had tonight.
INGREDIENTS :
1 cup plain couscous
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp of …read more

Honey is a versatile ingredient that not a lot of people know. Besides desserts and tea, I love adding honey in salad dressings, and marinades. National Honey Board is sharing a few side dishes recipe to showcase one of honey’s uses. Take this Red-Skin Potato Salad W/ Honey Dill Dressing for example.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small red new potatoes
4 strips bacon
1 medium onion, diced
6 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1 bunch watercress, washed and chopped

Instead of making mashed potatoes again, why not make this Parmesan Cheese Butter-Herb Red Potatoes for a change? You can use either red potatoes or regular white potatoes.
INGREDIENTS :
3-4 medium red potatoes
water for boiling
3 spoonfuls of butter
sprinkle of Italian seasoning
sprinkle of dried basil
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of salt and pepper
Quarter the red potatoes, with skin. Boil with water until fork tender.
Drain the water. Add butter, the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese. Gently mix the whole thing together.
YUMMY! A great side dish for chicken or roasted meats.