While living in Houston quite a few years back, we enjoyed our share of TEX-MEX! We had our favorites of Pappasitas and Lupe Tortillas. All of these restaurants serve Mexican style pinto beans with fajitas, etc. that are called Charro Beans. I was determined to try to copy these beans. I am not a huge bean fan but my hubby loves them. This is what we came up with. They are actually very yummy-I think you will be quite impressed!

Mexican Pinto Beans



1 lb. dried pinto beans

3 qts water

½ - 1 lb. bacon (more gives them more flavor)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 dried red chile pods, rinsed, stemmed, seeded and chopped

(you can find these in the produce – I used my kitchen shears)

3 – 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

5 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander



Cover beans with cold water. Let stand five minutes, stir and pour through a strainer. Rinse well under cold water and repeat procedure twice. In a large stockpot, combine beans with cold water. Cover by about one inch. *I like ours thicker and with less water – You can add more water if you need to – just check on them. Stir in bacon, onion, chile pods, garlic, cumin and coriander. Bring just to a boil. Lower heat and partially cover the pan. Simmer for at least 2 hours. Add salt and simmer for another hour. * I simmered mine for quite a bit longer to reach the desired consistency – thicker and tender. I made them the day ahead and heated them up the next day. On the third day, I took the left overs and squished them with a potato masher. I layered them in pan with grated cheese on top. I heated them and served them with chips and sour cream!!!



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Mexican Rice Filed under ( Mexican, rice, Side Dish )

We made Fish Tacos again tonight and that yummy Lime Cilantro Creme. I made a visit to Kirsten at My Kitchen in the Rockies. Kirsten has great ideas and recipes. I made her Mexican Rice and we loved it. My family loves rice and they were very pleased with this.

Mexican rice:

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce
* 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

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Grilled Corn Mexican Style Filed under ( Mexican, Side Dish )

I was with my Baylor crew this summer and my friend Jennifer made yummy Carnitas and Grilled Mexican corn almost just like this. I LOVED it. Jennifer used the Cotija Mexican cheese and I thought that was the perfect touch. I found this recipe at www.Foodbuzz.com

What you need for Grilled Corn Mexican Style:
- 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) of grated Parmesan
- 4 ears of corn, husks and silk removed, cut each in half
- 1 tablespoon of butter, room temperature
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder (I like to use Chipotle)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

What to do:

1. Heat your grill to high. Place the cheese on a plate or in a shallow bowl and set aside.
2. Brush the corn with butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill it, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and slightly charred, usually for about 10 to 12 minutes. Take it off the grill and let the corn cool 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Brush the corn with mayonnaise, and roll in the cheese to coat. Sprinkle with chili powder.

Serve Grilled Corn Mexican Style with lime wedges and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Summer will not escape me yet! :)

Zucchini Bake Filed under ( brunch, Side Dish )

I so hope you will try this recipe. I first tried this recipe back in college with my roomies. Lya is a great cook and was often cooking for us - this is especially creative for college students. My girls don't just love zucchini but I think.... they think.....they don't like squash. I am working on it. When this came out of the oven, my oldest said, "that smells amazing!"

I remember when Chris and I were first married and I made this for dinner. He was very nice, ate it and enjoyed it. I remember him eating a piece of bologna when dinner was over - said he needed his meat. NOW, he enjoys it as is... with a side of watermelon.

Give this a try for a summer dinner with your favorite fruit or a side salad. You won't be sorry!

Zucchini Bake

1 tube crescent roll sheet

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

3/4 stick butter

3 large zucchini, thinly sliced or 4 cups

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 tsp minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper

1 egg

8 - 12 oz shredded Mozzerella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Unroll dough and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Spread with dijon mustard. Saute zucchini and onion in large skillet until tender. Add garlic and seasonings. In large mixing bowl, mix egg and cheese. add sauteed mixture and toss with egg and cheese. Pour on top of dough. Bake at 375 for 30 - 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

*this recipe calls for a stick of butter - I used less. Also, it calls for 12 oz of mozzerella cheese and I only had about 1 1/2 cups so I threw in some shredded Swiss I had and we loved it. Be creative with your cheeses and spices

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Corn Filed under ( Side Dish )

I got this recipe from two great friends - Shelley and Lori. Lori's family loves it and Shelley's family makes it almost every holiday. I decided to try it for a Sunday School 4th of July party and it was loved by all - kids and grownups. It is definitely comfort food! This recipe makes a perfect amount but I doubled for the part on the 4th. I know my friend Shelley 6x this recipe for her daughter's graduation party! You can't go wrong!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Corn
1 cup pasta – I used elbow macaroni
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, not drained
½ stick butter – cubed
8 oz Velveeta-cubed

Mix all together. Pour into a greased pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake covered for first 30 minutes, stir and continue to bake uncovered for another 30 min.

Enjoy!

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Zucchini Fries - so crispy and yummy! Filed under ( Side Dish )

I have been wanting to try zucchini fries and just knew my family wouldn't eat them. I studied several recipes trying to find that perfect combination. I ended up going with the Weight Watchers recipe and.......we loved them. I highly recommend trying these for your family. My girls are SO against squash of any type and all 3 girl enjoyed these. Chris and I couldn't stop eating them - I should have made more! I do think the key is getting them brown, extra crispy and seasoned well. You could even add other seasonings!

I just know I took a picture of My zucchini but I can't find it. Oh the joys of cooking, trying to take a picture and feeding my family all at the same time!

Please visit Weight Watchers ,see their picture and get the yummy details. I think the only thing I did differently is I put some of the salt/Italian seasoning in the Panko breadcrumbs. AND... my flour mixture and my Panko mixture both got a tad "goopy" so I had to add more to both.

I hope you will try these - perfect new side dish for your summer grilling!

Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Filed under ( potatoes, Side Dish )

I love Southern Living! I have always gotten the Southern Living magazine and this is usually my "go to" when I need a recipe. Very rarely to a cook something out of the magazine right when I get it. I usually collect the magazines and go back and look on occasion.

I found this recipe for Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes in the April magazine. I am always making Cheesy Potatoes so I wanted to try another potato side dish. These were heavenly. I wanted to cut calories a little so I used one cup of cream and 2 cups of half and half. They were amazing but next time - I may try using some skim milk too. I highly recommend trying these yummy potatoes!

I apologize for the poor picture! I need to work on this! I am always in such a hurry !

Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes ( adapted from Southern Living)

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ( I forgot to peel :)
3 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely ( i used 1-2 Tbsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Layer potatoes in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Stir together cream and next 4 ingredients and pour over potatoes. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, gently stirring every 10 minutes Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 more minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand on wire rack 10 minutes before serving. 8- 10 servings

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Roasted Green Beans Filed under ( Side Dish )

My friend Emily suggested I try these roasted green beans. I did a little research and gave them a try. The green beans weren't great this time of year - a little limp and not overly "snappy" but I gave them a try. We loved them. What a great new vegetable to add to our regular dinner routine. I feel like we eat steamed broccoli WAY too much. These will be staple from now on. They are quick, easy and healthy! Everyone with little children should try them - you could possibly pass them off as green french fries! :) I promise you will love them as a snack, an appetizer or as a side dish. I couldn't stop eating them - even ate them room temperature as they cool off pretty fast!

Beware - these are not overly attractive. They are shriveled with brown spots...... but looks can be deceiving! Enjoy!

Roasted Green Beans

1 -2 lbs. fresh green beans
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4-1/2 pepper

Wash the green beans and pat dry. Snap off the ends. Toss in olive oil - just enough to lightly coat. Add salt and pepper and toss. Spread out on a cookie sheet - bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes - turning once halfway through cooking. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

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Cheesy Potatoes Filed under ( potatoes, Side Dish )

I know everyone has a recipe for Cheesy Potatoes. I have tasted many and think this is the best one - tastes great, sets up nicely and looks so yummy. This recipe came from my friend Lori years ago. I made these this past weekend when my parents were here. I made these ... and the brisket before they arrived so meal time would be a snap!

Cheesy Potatoes

2 lbs frozen shredded potatoes (or diced), thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp onion flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup ( I like cream of celery too)
1 pint sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1/8 cup butter,melted

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Mix thawed potatoes and the next 7 ingredients stirring to mix. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Mix crushed cornflakes and melted butter - sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden. *can be prepared a day ahead - just refrigerate until ready to bake)

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Roasted New Potatoes Filed under ( potatoes, Side Dish )

This is a favorite quick/easy side dish. My Baylor friend Lya told my about it. I just buy the smallest red new potatoes I can find. I put them in a ziploc bag, added olive oil, sea salt and a favorite herb. I have done rosemary in the past but my girls don't love it so this time I sprinkled in some Herbs de Provence and they were so yummy. I cooked them at 350 for about 30 - 40 minutes or until done and slide right off a knife. My youngest said, "I just want to the outside of the potato -so good!" They are so good. You will have to give it a try!

Roasted New Potatoes

10-15 small new potatoes
olive oil
sea salt
favorite herbs

Toss in a ziploc bag and empty contents in a 9 x 13. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

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Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe and Dressing Recipe Filed under ( holiday, recipe traditions, Side Dish )

My grandmother always made the best cornbread. I make her recipe often - for soups, chili and of course - for dressing. I know every family has a favorite stuffing or dressing recipe but being from the south, ours is just a basic, yummy cornbread dressing. I highly recommend it - you can vary the amount of sage or other spices according to taste. I don't have a picture of the cornbread or the dressing just yet but due to a few friend requests, I couldn't wait to post the recipe.

Iron Skillet Cornbread

1 cup white corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk or enough to make mixture reasonably thin ( I usually need a little more)
* to make buttermilk if don't have any, use 1 tsp vinegar added to a cup of milk

bacon drippings or oil

Preheat oven to 400. Put 2 Tbsp bacon drippings in iron skillet and heat oil in skillet in oven until oil is hot. You can use any oil if you don't have bacon drippings. Mix other ingredients in bowl and when mixed, pour into hot skillet- will sizzle around the side. Bake in your 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown on top and around edges. The cornbread should just flip or slide right out of iron skillet. Serve with warm with butter.



My Grandmother's Cornbread Dressing (a tradition for us at Thanksgiving and Christmas)

Recipe for one 9 x 13

1 pan cornbread, crumbled
2 slices white bread, dried and crumbled
small onion, finely chopped\
2 boiled eggs, chopped
2 raw eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/8 tsp sage
1 small bag Pepperidge Farm Herbal stuffing mix
3-4 cans chicken broth
1 can milk (or sweet milk as my grandmother would call it)
salt/pepper to taste (check first)

Mix all together in a very large bowl. The consistency should be nice and moist. Use enough chicken broth to make it fairly liquidy. I taste mine to check the seasoning - I grew up tasting my grandmothers. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 for about one hour or until golden brown. Enjoy with your turkey, gravy and all the yummy side dishes!

Two 9 x 13 pans

2 pans cornbread, crumbled
3 slices white bread, dried and crumbled
medium onion, finely chopped
3 boiled eggs, chopped
2 raw eggs
3/4-1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 tsp sage
1 small bag stuffing mix
5-6 can chicken broth
1 can milk
salt annd pepper

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Swiss Vegetable Medley Filed under ( holiday, Side Dish )

I got this recipe years ago from my mother in law. Shelia is a great cook -anything she has ever made for us has been very tasty. I decided to finally try this recipe. With Thanksgiving approaching, I think this would make a great side dish - a little twist to the traditional green bean casserole.

Swiss Vegetable Medley

1 large bag of frozen veggies-carrots, cauliflower and broccoli medley, thawed and drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup ( 4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese (I used half gruyere - that was what I had :)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (4 oz) jar diced pimento (optional - I didn't use)
1 (2.8) can Durkee Fried onions

Combine veggies, soup, sour cream, half of the cheese, pepper and half of the Durkee onions; Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and Durkee onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

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Holiday Sweet Potatoes Filed under ( holiday, recipe traditions, Side Dish )

My family had been enjoying these as long as I can remember and probably before I was even around. I have tasted many different types -some with marshmallows, some with a pecan crumble topping, some sliced with brown sugar/butter, etc. Our variety is whipped and then baked with the large marshmallows on top. It is sweet but not too terribly rich. I have not always loved sweet potatoes but can't imagine Thanksgiving or Christmas without them. Even if you have a spoonful, it is the perfect taste to go with your turkey, dressing, cranberries, rolls, etc. ENJOY!

Sweet Potatoes

6 sweet potatoes - all about the same size for even cooking
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk (can use half/half)
3-4 eggs depending on size of potatoes
little cinnamon - to taste
dash nutmeg-to taste
1 tsp vanilla
large marshmallows

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 until you can stick a knife through the potato and it slides right off; If some of your potatoes are larger - make sure all of them are done/soft so not to have lumps in your sweet potatoes; using a mixer - start with potatoes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a greased baking dish and top with large marshmallows; Bake at 325 until marshmallows are golden on top.

* I have made these ahead of time and frozen - without the marshmallows. Just bring to room temperature before baking. I often just make the day before and refrigerate.

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Warm Pineapple Crunch Filed under ( brunch, fruit, Side Dish )

This is one of the recipes that sounds bizarre but it so good - the flavors just all come together. A family member who has since passed away shared this recipe with my over 20 years ago. Mellie was a great cook. I made this for my teacher luncheon today and it got rave reviews.

Warm Pineapple Crunch

20 oz pineapple in own juice, drained but reserving 3 Tbsp juice
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tube of Ritz crackers, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; Crush crackers in a ziploc bag; Mix flour, sugar and juice; Add cheese and pineapple; Spoon into a greased square pan; Melt butter and mix with crushed Ritz crackers and chopped pecans; Sprinkle on top of pineapple mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until golden brown.

Enjoy as a side dish with any meat entrees. We served it with turkey, ham, cheesy potatoes and bread.

**I doubled this and cooked in a larger rectangle casserole dish.

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Glazed Carrots Filed under ( carrots, Side Dish )

Lately, I have been primarily cooking a meat and one or two veggies for dinner. I never cook carrots-my family doesn't LOVE cooked carrots. I thought I would give this a try. I thought it was great - if you like cooked carrots. My oldest is always after me to cook healthy. These aren't necessarily healthy with the butter and brown sugar but very yummy! I think these would be great for a potluck - doubled or even tripled. Very easy and perfect for a crowd!

Glazed Carrots

1 pkg (16 oz) baby carrots
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 envelope ranch dressing mix

Place carrots in saucepan with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 8 or minutes or until desired texture-crisp but tender; Drain and set aside. In same pan, melt butter, with brown sugar and ranch dressing mix until blended - add carrots; cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until nicely glazed!

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Garlicky Accordian Baked Potatoes Filed under ( potatoes, Side Dish )

These are just a fun variety of a baked potato. I am always looking for ways to liven up the basic foods. My oldest and I thought they were great. My hubby and youngest just thought they were okay - good but nothing major. Our middle just doesn't eat potatoes - imagine that. Okay - she eats french fries! :)

P.S. My hubby is playing around with a new lens - we didn't love the picture but wanted to share it anyway!

Garlicky Accordian Baked Potatoes (Adapted from Dining by Fireflies, Charlotte Jr. League)

(I halved this recipe and only made 5 potatoes)

10 medium baked potatoes
1 cup butter, melted
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I forgot this but think it would have been even better)

Preheat oven to 375. Thinly slice potato 3/4 way through crosswise, carefully leaving the bottom whole. Combine butter, olive oil and garlic in shallow bowl. Roll potatoes in butter mixture and place in large, shallow roasting dish. Pour remaining butter mixture over potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bake, basting frequently, until tender and golden -about 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese just before serving. (Can be made earlier in the day and reheated just before serving)

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