Browsed by
Category: Gluten Free

Artichoke Green Chile Dip

Artichoke Green Chile Dip

Comments 1 comment
Artichoke Green Chile Dip

Raiders of the Lost Artichoke…

This fast and delicious Artichoke Green Chile Dip combines the ease of canned artichoke hearts with a hot and creamy cheese blend replete with plenty of diced green chiles. Mmmmm…

Be still my (artichoke) heart…

If you asked me how I feel about artichokes in general, I would probably say that they seem like a lot of work for very little nutritional value, or something about them being not exactly a taste sensation. And yet, the artichokes in this recipe transcend all that, and manage to combine with the other ingredients into what is, absolutely, my favorite hot dip ever.

On the other hand, I know a few people (my dear mother-in-law is one of them) who would probably list “artichokes” on their “Top Five Foods” list… in which case, I won’t have to convince you to give this sensational Artichoke Green Chile Dip a try.

My offspring — even my non-picky eater — tend to look askance at some of the more exotic vegetables (of which, artichokes are, apparently, considered to be one). And my husband (also not usually picky) claims to be permanently burned out on them due to a childhood with his aforementioned artichoke-loving mother. But none of them have any problem wolfing down copious amounts of this amazing dip. Although, honestly, they’d probably eat a bale of hay if I mixed it with enough cheese and green chiles.

A Word of Thanks…

While I’ve seen a few variations of this dip posted over the years, mine was originally given to me by my good friend, Jennifer — although I may have perverted it a bit along the way.

My Artichoke Green Chile Dip combines chopped, canned artichoke hearts (make sure you get the UN-marinated variety, or you’ll end up with a pickley mess) with a creamy, melty blend of cheddar, jack, and parmesan cheeses, along with plenty of diced green chiles. And best of all, it comes together in minutes and utilizes pantry items with things you most likely keep on hand (mayonnaise and cheese). So try it out for your next Game Day or backyard fiesta!

Print Recipe

Artichoke Green Chile Dip

This creamy dip combines artichoke hearts with a melty blend of cheeses, along with plenty of diced green chiles! So good!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 – 8 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 can (13 3/4 oz.) artichoke hearts important: un-marinated
  • 1 can (7 oz.) diced green chiles
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup Monterey jack OR pepper jack cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

  • Drain and chop artichoke hearts, then mix all ingredients together.
  • Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until bubbly and just slightly browned.
  • Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Aunt B’s Chicken Salad

Aunt B’s Chicken Salad

Comments 2 comments
Aunt B's Chicken Salad

Poultry in Motion

The ingredients may be simple, but the flavor are anything but! Aunt B’s Chicken Salad features succulent rotisserie chicken tossed in a light sour cream sauce along with juicy chunks of Fuji apple and crunchy pecans — a fresh, updated take on an old-fashioned favorite!

(Butcher) Block Party

It seems as though everyone has a preferred version of chicken salad, with some opting for the classic savory, celery and onion only method, and quite a few others paying homage to the 80’s by adding halved grapes and toasted walnuts. The purists use mayonnaise only for the dressing, while some folks like to add yogurt, sour cream, or even a little cream cheese.

But, while I like many versions, this one is my favorite. Sometimes I add additional ingredients if I’m needing to serve a crowd, but I find that the combo of sweet apple and pecan is what really does it for me. If I don’t have any sliced cheddar on hand to eat it with, I also like to throw in a very little bit of crumbled feta or bleu cheese.

I’ve gone ahead and listed a few other complementary optional add-ins on the recipe card. I don’t usually use them, but they’re offered just in case you’re having a party, or just want to play around and find your own favorite combination!

‘Tis the Seasoning…

For my chicken salad recipe, the seasoning that I greatly prefer to use is a blend called “Chip & Dip” seasoning available from Penzeys Spices. It really does make a difference, but if you can’t get your paws on any, just use your favorite seasoning salt, to taste.

Creamy and satisfying, Aunt B’s Chicken Salad is a delightful thing to have made up in a bowl in the fridge, just waiting to be made into lunchtime sandwiches, nibbled on before-dinner crackers, or just eaten by the bowlful whenever a fresh, hearty snack is in order… so go ahead, and get choppin’!

Chicken Salad Ingredients

Print Recipe

Aunt B’s Chicken Salad

Rotisserie chicken tossed in a light sour cream sauce along with juicy chunks of Fuji apple and crunchy pecans — a fresh, updated take on an old-fashioned favorite!
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 – 12 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 3 – 4 cups rotisserie chicken chopped
  • 1/2 large sweet onion finely chopped
  • 3 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1 Fuji apple chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp Penzey's Chip & Dip Seasoning OR your favorite seasoning salt to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, and Chip & Dip Seasoning until smooth. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine remaining salad ingredients. Top with mayonnaise mixture and stir well to combine. Salt to taste, if needed.
  • For low carb or gluten free: Serve on a lettuce leaf with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled bleu cheese.
  • For appetizers: Serve alongside crackers, or on mini bread rounds.
  • For a sandwich: Serve 1/2 cup of prepared salad on a split croissant or your favorite bread, with a slice of cheddar cheese, and a side of lettuce & tomato.
  • Optional add-ins: 1/2 c. of crumbled feta, halved grapes, dried cranberries, or crumbled bacon. Or all of the above.

Chicken Salad Croissant

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Friday Night Nacho Bar

Friday Night Nacho Bar

Comments 0 Comment
Plate of Nachos, text "Hey, that's nacho cheese!"

This fast and easy dinner idea is perfect for a family movie night or a lazy weekend, but is also easily expandable to include unexpected guests. And, since it’s served buffet-style, it’s easily customizable to suit individual dietary needs; it can be vegetarian, gluten free, a keto-friendly taco salad, or that giant cheese-covered plate of chips favored by teenagers. Viva the Friday Night Nacho Bar!

If you’re like many folks these days, you may find yourself at home and cooking dinner a lot more often than you’ve become accustomed to in the past. Whether it’s because you’re short on funds from lack of work during the shelter-in-place orders so many of us have been under, or you’re paranoid about eating take-out that’s been less-than-meticulously prepared by bored teenagers*, cooking to stay alive (as opposed to cooking for health or recreational reasons) has become the latest cooking trend. (*Don’t get me wrong, teenagers are some of my favorite people – I have several of my own – but they do have a tendency to feel immortal in the face of danger, be it pandemic, arbitrary land-speed suggestions, or what-have-you.)

So when 6:00pm rolls around, it’s easy to find yourself staring at the inevitable pound of thawed ground beef and wondering what new and exciting thing you can do with it to keep from inciting a family riot by serving yet another night of spaghetti, meatloaf, tacos, or that final bastion of desperation – Hamburger Helper.

Enter the Friday Night Nacho Bar!

Most of the items needed to pull this together are always lurking in my pantry or freezer anyway. In addition to the obvious bag of tortilla chips, I like to start with a pound or so of ground beef, spiced up with a packet of taco seasoning according to the package directions, and just build from there. But, to make it truly deserving of the name of “Nacho Bar”, it requires nacho cheese sauce — that warm, slightly spicy, and oh, so ooey-gooey vat of naughtiness that we achieve by melting together Velveeta and ready-made salsa (both excellent pantry items).

Nacho Bar Ingredients

To these items you can add whatever you and your family like — such as canned refried beans (heated and thinned out with a little water to a dip-like consistency — I also add salt and shredded cheese) or canned black beans (rinsed, drained, and heated), sliced jalapenos, shredded Mexican-blend or cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomato. My husband is fond of canned garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained), so I try to remember them. Speaking of sliced jalapenos, I like to use the slightly milder type that come in a glass jar — that way I can put them all over my nachos without succumbing to a spiciness-induced bout of hiccups. But if you prefer fresh, go for it!

And definitely include several classic toppings such as fresh or bottled salsa (bonus points for homemade, such as Tammi’s Salsa), sour cream, and guacamole or chopped avocado. Chopped green onions, finely diced red onion, and sliced black olives are all great ideas. Just choose your favorites, and let the whole family have fun with it!

Plate of Nachos

Nachos
Print Recipe

Friday Night Nacho Bar

This fast and easy dinner idea is perfect for a family movie night or a lazy weekend, but is also easily expandable to include guests.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 – 12
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 brick Velveeta any size
  • 3 cups salsa divided
  • 1 large bag tortilla chips
  • 1 jar sliced jalapenos
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned, seasoned with taco seasoning
  • 1 can refried beans (optional) drained, heated, water added to dip-like consistency. Add salt and shredded cheese, to taste
  • 1 can black beans (optional) rinsed, drained, heated
  • 1 can garbanzo beans (optional) rinsed, drained
  • 1 lb. cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese (optional) shredded
  • 1 bag shredded lettuce (optional)
  • 2-3 large tomatoes (optional) chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro (optional) chopped
  • 2-3 large avocados (optional) chopped
  • 8 oz guacamole (optional)
  • 1 large red onion (optional) finely chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions (optional) sliced
  • 1 can black olives (optional) any size, chopped, sliced, or whole

Instructions

  • For Nacho Cheese Sauce: Cut Velveeta into 1" cubes; heat over medium-low heat along with 1 cup salsa, stirring often, until smooth. May add up to 1 additional cup of salsa to taste, heating until melty and hot. Serve immediately. Reserve remaining salsa to use as a topping.
  • Arrange chips, nacho cheese, taco meat, and all other desired toppings buffet-style. Hand out plates!

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Tammi’s Salsa

Tammi’s Salsa

Comments 2 comments
Tammi's Salsa

Instructor: Welcome to salsa class! Who’s ready to learn how to dance?

Me, hiding a bag of tortilla chips: There’s been a misunderstanding…

Now, this recipe for Tammi’s Salsa is my kind of “salsa class!” It’s bursting with juicy tomatoes, sweet red onion, crisp red pepper, flavorful cilantro, and a hit of zesty lime for fresh and easy, south-of-the-border flavor! And the heat level is easily adjustable to suit every palate. Muy picante, por favor!

Let’s taco ’bout ancient history, and geography, and… my childhood:

My mother did not make salsa. In fact, wonderful cook that she is, I don’t remember her having much in the way of a Mexican repertoire at all until I was a teenager. Perhaps because, as hard as it is to imagine these days, the influence of Mexican cuisine has not been around in our corner of Southern Oregon for all that long. Until my father joined the Marines back in the 50’s and was sent to basic training down near L.A., he had never heard of “tacos.” Until my aunt married a gentleman from Guadalajara (which must, I think, have been in the very late 50’s), my mother had never heard of “enchiladas.”

By the time I was in grade school, my mom occasionally made a very basic taco, a “stacked” enchilada (which, while they tasted more like beefy spaghetti sauce layered with corn tortillas and cheddar cheese, go figure, were still delicious), and a taco salad — differentiated from everyday salad by the addition of seasoned taco meat and Fritos. There was a Mexican restaurant in town, but we didn’t eat out much.

About the time I started junior high, one of my older brothers married a girl from California who introduced us to making homemade salsa (hence “Tammi’s Salsa”), as well as tamales, and chili verde, and all manner of Mexican and Southwest tastiness. They’re still happily married 34 years later — I, personally, credit the great Mexican food! Just kidding. (Or am I?)

We’ve Come a Long Way, Mis Amigos!

These days, my mother can whip up a last minute pan of enchiladas out of just about anything — they’re her go-to casserole — and they’re always delicious. There’s a Mexican place on just about every corner in town, it seems — and we frequent several of them. And probably about 75% of my everyday cooking has some sort of south-of-the-border influence, helped along by my father-in-law’s Santa Fe heritage.

I’ve also branched out in my salsa making. I absolutely love fresh salsa — not just the more traditional salsas, but also Roasted Tomatilla Salsa, Pineapple Salsa, Avocado & Mango Salsa, and even a seasonal Cranberry Salsa Spread.

Mi Salsa es Su Salsa

But no matter how many excellent and exotic salsa recipes I add to my recipe file, like so many pom-poms on a sombrero, my favorite will always be that first, simple pico de gallo recipe that I learned from my sister-in-law so long ago and that we christened, simply, “Tammi’s Salsa.” Provechito!

Print Recipe

Tammi’s Salsa

It's bursting with juicy tomatoes, sweet red onion, crisp red pepper, flavorful cilantro, and a hit of zesty lime for fresh and easy, south-of-the-border flavor!
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 8 – 10 large tomatoes
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 – 2 jalapenos or to taste
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a food processor or blender, combine (seeded, if you're worried about heat) jalapeno, cilantro, one of the tomatoes (roughly chopped), and the juice of the lime. Process until finely minced. Place in serving bowl.
  • Finely dice all remaining ingredients and stir into serving bowl, salting generously.
  • Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.

Tammi's Salsa on a Grilled Chicken Avocado Flatbread

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme

Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme

Comments 0 Comment
Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme

Say “Cheese!”

Smothered in sharp, melty cheese and a tangy mustard sauce, this Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme is a sure-fire way to make anybody happy to eat their vegetables!

When I was a small child, my mother once hosted a Tupperware party. I don’t really remember much about it, but I remember being greatly impressed when the sales lady showcased how to cook this Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme in our microwave. (The first one we ever owned, and still a pretty new thing at the time.)

Of course, she utilized a large, sturdy, microwaveable bowl with a deep lid / tray. Inverted, it was just perfect for cooking a head of cauliflower, and must have impressed my mother, too, because she bought one, along with its matching oval twin. (The oval one was, incidentally, perfect for cooking a whole chicken. I was not nearly as impressed by this, probably owing to the corpse-like pallor of the finished product — which no amount of cosmetic paprika could quite disguise.)

I should state for the record that these did, in fact, prove to be worth whatever inflated price my mother no doubt paid for them, as evidenced by the fact that she’s still using them on a regular basis thirty-plus years later.

“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” — Mark Twain

Since I am not fortunate enough to own my own ancient and sacred cauliflower-cooking-vessel, I improvise by cooking my head of cauliflower on a microwaveable plate with my eight-cup Pyrex mixing pitcher inverted over the top of it. If you do not own one, then two things: 1. You need to buy one. Stat. They are seriously handy to have around. And, 2. You can, instead, use a microwaveable bowl and a couple of oven mitts. This set-up may not be elegant, but it gets the job done.

A cauliflower by any other name…

Incidentally, the name, “Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme” is my own invention, as I don’t remember what, if anything, Tupperware-lady called it. And it didn’t seem right to go with “Cheesy Bwainz,” as my daughters always called it when they were little.

So, without further ado, let’s introduce our simple cast of characters:

Ingredients

Now, simply wash and trim up your head of cauliflower, and place it on your microwaveable plate. Cover it with your Pyrex pitcher (or bowl) like so:

Cooking Setup

Microwave on high for 8 – 12 minutes depending on the size of your cauliflower, and how powerful your microwave is.

Meanwhile, mix together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 3 tsp of mustard until it forms a creamy sauce. Shred 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Set aside.

When the cauliflower is tender, remove from microwave (caution: plate may be hot!), and remove pitcher — taking extreme care not to get steam burns!

Immediately slather prepared sauce all over cauliflower and top with the entire 1 cup pile of shredded cheddar. Place pitcher back over cauliflower, and allow to stand a few minutes until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme

As you can see, Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme is fast and easy enough for everyday, and elegant enough for a fancy “company” dinner. And, if you’re a cheese addict like me, it’s a great way to cheese up an otherwise cheese-less dinner. Now you can enjoy cruciferous vegetable night like never before!

Print Recipe

Cheesy Cauliflower Supreme

Smothered in sharp, melty cheese and a tangy mustard sauce, it's a sure-fire way to make anybody happy to eat their vegetables!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 – 8 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower washed and trimmed
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 3 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 c cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

  • Place cauliflower on microwaveable plate. Cover with inverted 8-cup Pyrex pitcher or microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 8 -12 minutes, or until tender. (Wear oven mitts when checking — do not get steam burns!)
  • When tender, immediately slather prepared sauce all over cauliflower and top with entire 1 cup pile of cheddar. Replace lid, and allow to stand 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad

Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad

Comments 6 comments
Mrs. Amelia's Broccoli Salad

Crack the (Miracle) Whip!

With just a few simple ingredients, this classic potluck stand-out tastes much more complex than it is. Fresh, green broccoli combines beautifully with the richness of bacon and the sharp notes of cheddar and onion in a creamy dressing with just a hint of sweetness. This harmonious medley of flavors makes Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad an all-time favorite that’s sure to please your friends and family.

A note about taste… or lack thereof:

For whatever reason, most people seem to fall into one of two categories: Those who love Miracle Whip (the minority), and those who absolutely hate it. We’re talking Hatfields-and-McCoys, pineapple on pizza, and whether-those-squishy-orange-circus-peanuts-even-qualify-as-food level conflict.

I am actually one of the few people alive who seem to not mind eating either one. (My claim to fame!) Although I consider myself primarily a mayonnaise sort of girl, I buy a small jar of Miracle Whip now and then because I have a few favorite recipes (like Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad) that call for it.

And when I see the remainder of that Miracle Whip jar sitting wistfully in my fridge, I can’t resist having a sandwich with a skiff on it, just because, as I used to innocently say, “it tastes like Grandma.” I was especially close to my Grandma Gladys (an amazing cook), whose sandwiches always seemed to me to have a somewhat exotic hint of something wonderfully different about them — much later identified as Miracle Whip.

These days, the lovingly nostalgic memories do more for me than the actual taste of the stuff (which, I swear, tasted so much better when Grandma did it), but I still enjoy it on occasion. Perhaps more people these days would have acquired a taste for it if children were still taught to politely eat whatever was given to them when they were guests — even of Grandma.

That being said, if you absolutely can’t bring yourself to use Miracle Whip, go ahead and substitute mayo — it’s your salad, after all. And if it’s missing a certain mysterious ‘je ne sais quoi’… well, don’t come crying to me.

A small side note having to do with Grandmas…

The green bowl that the salad is pictured in belonged to my great-grandmother on my mother’s father’s side. She used it to make a loaf of bread by hand every week for her and Great-Grandpa back in the day. Now, back to our regular program:

A note about provenance…

This particular recipe was given to my mother by the mother of my first bff way back in first grade. Jamie and I are still friends, and I still think of her mother as “Mrs. Amelia,” instead of just “Amelia” — partly because of being taught as a child not to call adults by their first name unless it was preceded by “Aunt”, “Mrs.”, or the like, and partly because I just like the way it sounds.

There was about a five year stretch where I didn’t have to make this salad for myself because a coworker of mine, at everyone’s urging, almost always brought it our monthly office potlucks. (Miss you, Pamela B!) Sadly, I no longer work with Pam, so I have to make my own salad, which I don’t do nearly as often as I’d like, since my children are all strangely anti-broccoli. Seriously, I thought broccoli was supposed to be the one vegetable that even kids like (see the cute little trees!) — but my kids seem to be broken in the broccoli department.

However, apart from the rare weirdly picky child, this broccoli salad has been universally loved ever since a version of it was introduced at the Piggly Wiggly way back when. And it’s certainly never failed to disappear in its entirety from any function I’ve taken one along to.

Although they did not appear in the original recipe, I have, on occasion, added a few craisins and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds to this salad, if I happen to have them on hand, but it’s absolutely delicious with or without them.

So, whether you’re feeling nostalgic, have a block party to attend, or are just looking for a fabulous salad to go with dinner, try Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad tonight!

Print Recipe

Mrs. Amelia’s Broccoli Salad

Fresh, green broccoli combines beautifully with the richness of bacon and the sharp notes of cheddar and onion in a creamy dressing with just a hint of sweetness.
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 – 8 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 head broccoli cut up
  • 1/2 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1 red onion diced or slivered
  • 4 oz cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/4 c craisins (optional) did not appear in original recipe
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional) did not appear in original recipe

Dressing

  • 1/2 c Miracle Whip
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad, tossing to coat.

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad

Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad

Comments 2 comments
Auntie Barb's Jell-O Salad, photo credit Amy Bode

It’s the Fluff of Legends…

This Jell-O salad is not only the easiest and fastest Jell-O salad I’ve ever made, but it’s also easily the best tasting of the creamy Jell-O salads, in my opinion. I think it’s that little bit of a tang from the cottage cheese that keeps it from being too sweet and combines perfectly with the pineapple. Whatever the reason, my Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad is always a crowd-pleaser!

I am on fire! And not in a good way…

I almost didn’t post a recipe today. Because my world’s on fire. And I’m not speaking metaphorically. It’s, literally, on fire. I suppose it’s just a story on the 5 o’clock news to most people out there, but here in Western Oregon, unusual wind conditions have paired up with a dry fire season to blow wildfires in the Cascade Mountain Range down into the western valleys.

The one burning fifteen miles east of my house started out as two fires yesterday (reported last night to be 6000 and 8000 acres respectively), and has now explosively merged into a 115,000 acre monster known collectively as the Archie Creek Fire. It seems to be pushing relentlessly westward (me-ward), and it seems surreal to be under a Level 1 Evacuation Notice, here in an area touted for its lack of natural disasters and “things that can kill you.”

Adding to the surreal effect is the ever-changing color of the sky, and the light in general. Yesterday, an ominous blood-red haze hung over the region all day long, making everything eerily dark and red-tinged, even inside at midday.

This photo was taken by my sister-in-law yesterday at 9:00 a.m.:

Fire in the Sky

Today the light is only faintly pink at my house. A heavy blanket of grey smoke has enveloped every inch of the sky, mercifully (I suppose one must always look at the bright side) insulating us from what was supposed to have been a triple digit day — it is only 74F so far (2:00 p.m.)

I’m starting to feel like Scarlet O’Hara when Atlanta burned, caught between Sherman’s troops and the sea. Unfortunately, without Vivien Leigh’s good looks. Here’s hoping that we won’t have to pack up our wagon, errr, travel trailer and head towards the ocean.

In the meantime, we all have to eat…

And Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad is the fastest thing I can think of to take to a potluck — which we’re having many of here, in an impromptu sort of fashion, for evacuees and firefighters.

It’s also named for my dear Auntie Barb, a legend in herself, who invented it, and who lived on French Creek Road in Glide, Oregon for around thirty years — where another wildfire has been raging. So, enjoy Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad as we strive to keep our chins up during whatever life throws our way during these unprecedented times. And, remember, legendary times call for The Fluff of Legends!

Print Recipe

Auntie Barb’s Jell-O Salad

With a bit of a tang that combines perfectly with the pineapple, creamy Auntie Barb's Jell-O Salad is always a crowd-pleaser!
Prep Time5 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 tub Cool Whip any size
  • 1 pint cottage cheese
  • 1 package Jell-O fruit gelatin any flavor and size
  • 1 can crushed pineapple do not drain

Instructions

  • Combine Cool Whip, cottage cheese, and pineapple. Add dry Jell-O mix and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate.

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Comments 0 Comment
Oven Roasted Potatoes, text "This spud's for you".

These Oven Roasted Potatoes may be simply dressed in good olive oil and sea salt, but don’t let that fool you — with crispy golden edges and creamy innards, these decadent potatoes are truly the stuff dreams are made of. If you dream about potatoes. I know I do.

“What I say is that, if a man really loves potatoes,
he must be a fairly decent sort of fellow.”
— A.A. Milne

Have you ever played that game where you pretend you’re stranded on a desert island and you can only choose one food to eat for the duration? While I can’t pretend that I wouldn’t shed a few tears bidding farewell to bread and cheese and eggs, I really think that the humble potato is the clear winner.

What other food can you eat every day, in some form or other, and just never get tired of? Maybe it’s because there are so many varieties and delicious ways to prepare them. At any rate, it seems like we just can’t get enough of this creamy, filling veggie. Whether it’s hashbrowns, French fries, mashed, baked, steamed, or scalloped — it’s the epitome of comfort food.

And, believe me, as the perfect side to just about any main dish, or even with breakfast or brunch, these Oven Roasted Potatoes are the cream of the (potato) crop!

Print Recipe

Oven Roasted Potatoes

These Oven Roasted Potatoes may be simply dressed in good olive oil and sea salt, but with crispy golden edges and creamy innards, they're truly the stuff dreams are made of. If you dream about potatoes. I know I do.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. fingerling potatoes or any thin-skinned baby potatoes
  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • Flakey sea salt to taste

Instructions

  • Chop potatoes into roughly 1"-1 1/2" chunks. Toss in olive oil and salt generously.
  • Spread potatoes out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzling the oil over the top.
  • Bake at 450F for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.


Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Comments 2 comments
Peanut Butter Brownie Bars, text "go head, bake my day"

These Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are so easy, you’d never expect them to taste so decadent, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich peanut butter flavor. With hints of coconut and butterscotch caramel, these crowd-pleasers will be gone as fast as… well, as fast as a batch of cookies in a room full of teenagers.

“Necessity is the mother of taking chances.”
— Mark Twain

The day I first invented these cookies, I needed a bar cookie that I could whip up quickly and get in the oven in the few minutes left before my cafe opened. One of my cookie racks was pretty much empty, and I had several customers who I didn’t want to disappoint by not having something peanut-buttery. I was also out of gluten free goodies, so I thought I would kill two birds with one cookie, so to speak.

After skimming through several peanut butter bar recipes and several gluten free bar recipes, my Peanut Butter Brownie Bars were born. If you need them to be gluten free, just make sure to use gluten free flour and check that whatever chips you’re using are gluten free.

It turns out that Reese’s brand peanut butter chips are gluten free, as are Ghiradelli caramel chips. Unfortunately, the Ghiradelli caramel chips can be ridiculously hard to find in my neck of the woods, except for sometimes around the holidays, but Hershey’s brand sea salt caramel chips or butterscotch are both gluten free as well (as of this writing).

And these Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are so insanely delicious, you’d never guess they’re gluten free!

What I love about these cookie bars, is that they’re only gluten free incidentally — there is absolutely no sacrifice in taste or texture! The first batch seemed so unbelievably delicious, that only about half of them made it out to the display rack, thanks to myself, my barista (Jolie), and a couple of strategically-timed coffee breaks.

In fact, these fabulous Peanut Butter Brownie Bars will forever remind me of Jolie and all of our wonderful, loyal customers who loved them — and that just makes them that much sweeter.

Print Recipe

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

These Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are so easy, you'd never expect them to taste so decadent, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich peanut butter flavor, along with hints of coconut and butterscotch caramel.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 bars
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour gluten free, if desired
  • 1/2 c almond flour
  • 3/4 c butter melted
  • 1/4 c peanut butter
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 c peanut butter chips gluten free, if desired
  • 1 c caramel or butterscotch chips gluten free, if desired
  • 1 c sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

  • Stir ingredients together in order given, until well combined. Press evenly into lightly greased or parchment lined 9"x13" baking dish. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Jolie next to a suspiciously empty cookie rack...
Jolie, next to a suspiciously empty cookie rack…

Click Here and Scroll to Comment

Bacon Potato Corn Chowder

Bacon Potato Corn Chowder

Comments 0 Comment
Corn chowder, text "Immaculate Cornception"

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and I must say that was certainly the case with this Bacon Potato Corn Chowder, chock full of smoky bacon, sweet corn, and hearty potatoes. Although I appreciate the art of making delicious, perfectly seasoned soups entirely from scratch, I can also appreciate the art of making so-called “shortcut” soups that simply taste as if you’d been slaving over a hot stove… err, crockpot, all day.

“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Back when I owned a small coffee shop, I made soup every morning, and I often relied on frozen soup bases to shorten my prep time.

One particularly hectic Monday, I realized belatedly that I had neglected to thaw my frozen soup base and I only had about an hour left before patrons began descending in hungry, soup-demanding hordes. In a panic, I quickly rifled through the cupboards, like Old Mother Hubbard, only to discover, to my chagrin, that the only thing I had any real quantity of was, inexplicably, canned corn.

Armed with this, along with an old bag of hashbrowns I found in the bottom of the freezer, and a few odds and ends, I managed to throw together a corn chowder that would go on to become my best-selling soup of all time, and a favorite I offered on a near weekly basis. Try my Bacon Potato Corn Chowder today!

Print Recipe

Bacon Potato Corn Chowder

Easy homemade Bacon Potato Corn Chowder is full of smoky bacon, sweet corn, and hearty potatoes, & only takes minutes to get started!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Author: The Country Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 6.6 oz. pouch Idahoan brand soup mix "Creamy" or "Loaded" flavor
  • 3 15 oz. cans sweet corn
  • 3 15 oz. cans cream-style corn*
  • 1 c bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1 bag frozen Potatoes O'Brien 18-24 oz. size
  • 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken or vegetable flavor
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp Johnny's Garlic Spread & Seasoning
  • 8 c water

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in large (at least 6 quart) crockpot, cover and heat on high 3-4 hours, or low 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Soup will thicken as it cools. To reheat, thin with water or broth as necessary.
  • *This recipe is gluten-free when prepared as stated, just make sure that the brand of creamed corn you purchase doesn't contain gluten (it usually doesn't).

For More Weekend Recipe Ideas, Click HERE

Click Here and Scroll to Comment