Category: Side Dishes


May
2020

Air Fryer French Fries

categories: Air Fryer Recipes, Appetizers, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Grab 2 russet potatoes and your air fryer, and get ready to make some delicious, crispy air fryer french fries to munch on with your favorite meal!
Grab 2 russet potatoes and your air fryer, and get ready to make some delicious, crispy air fryer french fries to munch on with your favorite meal!

I don’t know about you, but we sure love french fries! I love ’em dipped in ketchup, my husband dips them in BBQ sauce, and one of our sons enjoys them dunked in ranch dressing!

Normally I deep fry homemade french fries in hot oil, but we also enjoy making air fryer french fries. When we air fry them, they are cooked in super hot air, and require a lot less oil to crisp them up! Less calories, but equally delicious. They’re also very easy to make. Here’s how to make them:

NOTE: The key to this recipe is this: Remember to allow an extra 30 minutes before cooking to soak the potatoes in water to remove excess starch. The fries themselves don’t take much time to cook, but pre-soaking them will yield the best results!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Potatoes

We like the taste of air fryer french fries with the peel left ON the potatoes, but that is your choice. To prepare the potatoes, take 2 medium russet potatoes, and scrub them really well, to remove any dirt. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2″ slices, then cut each slice into fry sized “sticks” (as shown below).

Raw potatoes are cleaned, then sliced into fry shapes before cooking.

Potatoes have a lot of starch in them, so it is best to remove some of that starch before cooking. This will help the potatoes get crispy when cooked. Place the raw potatoes into a large bowl. Cover them with water, and let them soak for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, drain the water off of the potatoes, and give them a rinse. Lots of starch has now been removed from the potatoes. Place the potatoes onto paper towels and pat them dry. Now we’re ready to go!

French fries are soaked in water for 30 minutes before draining and cooking.The fries are patted dry before oil and seasoning are added.

Season The Air Fryer French Fries

Before you season the potatoes, turn on the air fryer and preheat it to 380°F. While it preheats, place the dry potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle them with vegetable oil (or your choice of oil) . Gently toss to coat them with oil, and then season with salt and pepper. Add any other seasonings you want at this point (garlic powder, seasoning salt, etc.). Stir to combine.

Fries are seasoned with oil, salt and pepper before cooking.

Once the air fryer has preheated, place the seasoned potato fries in the basket of your air fryer. Try to place them in a single layer, for the best results. This will allow the super hot air to circulate around the fries, which is how they cook well.

The air fryer basket holds a single layer of seasoned fries.

Cook The Air Fryer French Fries

Cook the air fryer french fries at 380°F for 5 minutes. Pause the machine, and give the fries a good shake. Cook another 5 minutes, and then shake them once again. If “shaking” isn’t your thing, move them around a bit using tongs. Try to put them back into a single layer after each “shake”. Now they’ve cooked for 10 minutes.

Air fryers tend to have temperature variances, so keep an eye on them from this point on. Cook the fries for 3-4 more minutes. Check them to see if they have reached a desired crispness. If not, pop ’em back in for a couple more minutes. By now they should be done. The final cooking time will also depend on the thickness of your fries.

Air fryer french fries in basket of machine after cooking.

Serve The Air Fryer French Fries

Once the fries have fully cooked, they should be golden brown, slightly crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice, and dig in! They really are quite simple to make, and taste delicious.

If making a large quantity, repeat the process with the rest of the potatoes, while the air fryer is still hot! Hope you enjoy these fries… we sure do.

A plate full of air fryer french fries, and dipping ketchup on the side.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you taking the time to do so, and hope you will consider making air fryer french fries for those you love. Take care, and have a great day.

Looking For More AIR FRYER Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite Air Fryer recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: The recipe booklet that came with my Cosori air fryer.

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Air Fryer French Fries
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
14 mins
Soaking Time (inactive)
30 mins
Total Time
49 mins
 

Grab 2 russet potatoes and your air fryer, and get ready to make some delicious, crispy air fryer french fries to munch on with your favorite meal!

Category: Appetizer/Snack, Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer french fries
Servings: 3
Calories Per Serving: 193 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 medium russet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil , or oil of choice
  • ½ teaspoon salt , or more to suit your taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper , or more to suit your taste
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Scrub potato skins well, to remove any dirt. Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/2" slices, then cut each slice into fry sized "sticks". Place raw potatoes into a large bowl, cover with water, and let them soak for 30 minutes (this removes a lot of starch). After 30 minutes, drain water , then give potatoes a rinse. Pat potatoes dry with paper towels.

  2. Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Place dry potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons oil. Gently toss to coat, and then season with salt/pepper, and stir to combine. **Add any additional seasonings you want (garlic powder, seasoning salt, etc.). Once the air fryer has preheated, place seasoned fries in basket of air fryer, in a single layer, for best results.

  3. Cook at 380°F for 5 minutes. Pause machine, and give fries a good shake. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, and then shake once again or move them around a bit using tongs, keeping them in a single layer after each "shake". Because air fryers tend to have temperature variances, set the timer and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Check to see if they've reached your desired crispness. If not, pop 'em back in for a couple more minutes. By that time they should be done (final cooking time will also depend on the thickness of your fries!). Taste, and add more salt/pepper, if desired. Remove, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer French Fries
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/3 of total))
Calories 193 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Sodium 395mg17%
Potassium 592mg17%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Grab 2 russet potatoes and your air fryer, and get ready to make some delicious, crispy air fryer french fries to munch on with your favorite meal!


Apr
2020

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)

categories: Salads, Side Dishes
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Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!
Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!

Today I want to share with you this recipe for beet and goat cheese salad. It’s delicious, easy to make, and tastes great! A couple of years ago we enjoyed a fairly similar salad. I took the original recipe and made a few minor changes, and this salad is the result. Even though I’ve made this salad a few times, I finally got around to taking photos of the preparation, to share on my blog.

The salad has romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and chopped kale (from our garden) in it, but you can EASILY substitute a bag of spring greens instead (for convenience). Salad flavors are enhanced with the addition of creamy goat cheese crumbles, earthy tasting chopped beets, sweet mandarin orange slices, and crunchy, quick-candied pecans.

The beet and goat cheese salad is topped with an easy to make citrus dressing for a final pop of flavor, right before serving. YUM! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Citrus Poppyseed Dressing

Making the salad dressing is a cinch. Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into a small bowl. Mix these ingredients together with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended.

NOTE: You can also use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add the poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended.

You can make the salad dressing early in the day if that is convenient. Store, covered, in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve. Give it a final whisk before dressing the beet and goat cheese salad. P.S. This dressing is delicious on other green salads, too!

Ingredients are gathered to make a citrus dressing for the salad.The citrus dressing is whisked together for the beet and goat cheese salad.

Make Quick Candied Pecans

The candied pecans can be made ahead (to save time), and set aside until ready to assemble the beet and goat cheese salad. To make the quick-candied pecans, melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a medium skillet on medium low heat. Add 15-20 pecan halves (about 1/2 cup), 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir together until the pecans are fully coated.

Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated in the skillet. This typically takes 4-5 minutes total. Remove the pecans using a fork, and place them onto foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky at this point. Let the pecans sit at room temperature, and they will harden up as they cool.

Pecan halves are cooked and candied with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.The candied pecans are dried until glaze firms up, then added to salad.

Assemble The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad

To build the salad, place chilled mixed salad greens in bowl, and top them with the mandarin oranges and beets. I even got to use some of my home-canned mandarin oranges! By the way… you can also use oven roasted beets for this recipe, OR you can use half of a can of beets, cut up. Whatever type is most convenient for you to use is the best way! I happened to have had some home-roasted beets (leftover) in my freezer, so I thawed them to use.

The next thing to add is goat cheese crumbles and the (hardened) candied pecans. This salad is best, if assembled just before serving. Once the salad has been assembled, do not mix it up until dressing has been added, and you’re ready to dish it up! The reason for this is so the beets don’t discolor the rest of the salad ahead of time!

NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without mixing).

Spring greens in bowl are topped with chopped beets and mandarin oranges.Candied pecans and crumbled goat cheese are added to the salad.

Dress The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad, And Serve!

When you’re ready to serve the salad, give the citrus dressing a final whisk or stir, and then pour it over the prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine (the less tossing the better so the beets don’t discolor it all!). TIP: If you don’t want to use all of the dressing, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Serve, and enjoy this delicious salad.

A citrus dressing is poured over the beet and goat cheese salad before serving.

We enjoyed the beet and goat cheese salad, served alongside a baked potato, and our old standby, Traeger roasted chicken! It was really a great meal, and even though the photo below didn’t do the fully mixed and dressed salad justice, it sure tasted great!

Roast chicken and baked potato are served with the tossed beet and goat cheese salad.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit. The printable recipe card is below, and I hope you have the opportunity to make this yummy side salad. There’s enough for 4 servings (or maybe more if they’re small). Have a wonderful day. Take care.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few salad recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/beet-and-goat-cheese-salad/

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Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beet and goat cheese salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 424 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces mixed Spring greens
  • 15 ounces mandarin oranges (canned) , drained
  • 7½ ounces canned beets (or oven-roasted) , patted dry, then chopped in 1" pieces
  • ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese , can substitute feta
For Candied Pecans:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 15-20 pecan halves
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Citrus Dressing:
  • ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 3 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1½ Tablespoons honey
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ Tablespoon poppyseeds
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make Salad Dressing: Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into small bowl. Mix with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended. NOTE: You can use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended. Store (covered) in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve.

  2. To Make Candied Pecans: Melt butter in skillet on medium low heat. Add pecan halves, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until pecans are coated. Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated (4-5 minutes). Remove pecans with a fork; place them on foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky. Let pecans sit at room temperature. The glaze firms up as they cool.

  3. Assemble Salad Right Before Serving: Place chilled salad greens in bowl; top with mandarin oranges and beets. Add goat cheese and candied pecans. Once salad is assembled, do not toss until dressing has been added, and you're ready to serve! This is so the beets don't discolor salad ahead of time! NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead, cover with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without dressing OR mixing).

  4. To Serve: When ready to serve salad, give dressing a final whisk, and pour it over prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 424 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 20g125%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 406mg18%
Potassium 428mg12%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1718IU34%
Vitamin C 55mg67%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!


Apr
2020

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

categories: Breads, Side Dishes
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Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, (with corn kernels, sliced jalapeños, onions and grated cheddar cheese), is an EASY to make, flavorful side dish for 8!
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, (with corn kernels, sliced jalapeños, onions and grated cheddar cheese), is an EASY to make, flavorful side dish for 8!

Do you enjoy cornbread as a side dish? We do, especially when it is paired with a big bowl of hot soup! A lot of times I use a recipe I’ve posted for Marie Callender’s cornbread, which is a traditional flavored, high-rising cornbread. It is a family favorite, especially when I make my recipe for chicken and dumplings!

Sometimes, however, I want to make cornbread with a bit more kick! My mom occasionally made “Mexican Cornbread” when I was growing up, which tastes very similar to this recipe (which I’ve had for over 20 years). This recipe for jalapeño cheddar cornbread is not too spicy at all, and has whole kernel corn, onions, and grated cheddar cheese in it, which adds texture, color, and flavor! It’s DELICIOUS, and today I want to share the easy recipe with you.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Skillet Or Pan For The Cornbread First!

Generously grease or spray a 9″ oven-proof skillet, square baking dish, or pie pan on the bottom and sides (I use a cast iron skillet). Place the pan on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F, and let the oven preheat WITH THE SKILLET STILL IN THE OVEN. You want the skillet for the cornbread to be really hot when you add the batter, because this helps the edges to get crispy!

While the oven (and skillet) are heating, prepare the batter for the cornbread. Since the oven will typically take about 10 minutes to preheat, you have plenty of time to whip up the easy batter!

Prepare The Batter

Making the cornbread batter is REALLY easy! The first thing you need to do is measure the yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients together, until fully combined, and then set the bowl aside.

The dry ingredients for cornbread batter are added to a large mixing bowl.Flour, cornmeal and other dry ingredients are whisked together to mix.

In a SEPARATE mixing bowl, combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, oil, corn, onion, grated cheddar cheese, and sliced, de-seeded jalapeños. Stir these wet ingredients very well, until fully combined. **(See note in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for easy substitutions for buttermilk, jalapeños or the whole kernel canned corn).

Pour the bowl full of the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir the cornbread batter well, just until the batter is moistened and fully mixed. Now the batter for your jalapeño cheddar cornbread is ready to go! (See how easy that was?)

Onions cheddar cheese, jalapenos, eggs, etc. help flavor the cornbread batter.The wet ingredients are poured into the dry ingredients to make a batter.

Time To Bake The Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread!

Once the oven is preheated, CAREFULLY remove the skillet or pan from the oven. IT WILL BE HOT! Immediately pour the cornbread batter into the skillet. You might even hear it sizzle when it hits the hot pan!

Bake the jalapeño cheddar cornbread (on a middle oven rack) at 350° F. for 30-35 minutes. When done, the cornbread should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean! Since ovens vary in temperatures, be sure to check it at the 30 minute mark to ensure you don’t overcook the cornbread!

Batter for jalapeño cheddar cornbread is poured into a heated skillet before baking..

Remove the finished cornbread from the oven, and let it cool for 2-3 minutes before attempting to slice and serve it.

When ready to serve, slice the jalapeño cheddar cornbread into 8 wedges (or pieces, if using a square baking dish). Lift each piece out of the skillet using a spatula, serve, and enjoy! We enjoyed our cornbread along with a bowl of my hubby’s favorite pinto beans and ham. This yummy cornbread was a perfect side dish (smeared with butter, of course!).

Baked jalapeño cheddar cornbread is golden brown on the top.A slice of the finished jalapeño cheddar cornbread is ready to eat!

Hope you are staying safe and well, during this month of “stay at home” guidelines. I pray you and those you love will soon have a chance to share a meal together, and enjoy each others company and hugs once again. I know we sure are looking forward to that day!

Take care, stay strong, and look for opportunities to serve or support others during this time, in whatever way you safely can. Have a GOOD day, and may God bless you with His love and presence!

Looking For Other BREAD Recipes?

You can find all of my bread recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few you might want to try, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (wrote it down many years ago on a 3×5″ recipe card – original publication not noted)

0 from 0 votes
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Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, (with corn kernels, sliced jalapeños, onions and grated cheddar cheese), is an EASY to make, flavorful side dish for 8!

Category: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: jalapeño cheddar cornbread
Servings: 8 pieces
Calories Per Serving: 315 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs , beaten
  • 1 cup buttermilk , see NOTES for substitution
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces canned whole kernel corn , drained - See NOTES for substitution
  • ⅓ cup brown onion , finely chopped
  • 2 small fresh jalapeños , seeded, diced - See NOTES for substitution
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Generously grease or spray a 9" oven-proof skillet, square baking dish, or pie pan on bottom and sides. Place pan on middle rack in oven. Preheat oven to 350° F, leaving skillet in oven while it preheats. While oven (and skillet) are heating, prepare cornbread batter.

  2. Measure cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together, until fully combined; set bowl aside.

  3. In a SEPARATE mixing bowl, combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, oil, corn, onion, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. Stir well, until combined. Pour into bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir well, just until batter is moistened and fully mixed.

  4. Once oven is preheated, carefully remove skillet or pan from oven. IT WILL BE HOT! Immediately pour batter into skillet. Bake on a middle oven rack at 350° F. for 30-35 minutes. When done, cornbread should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean! Since ovens vary in temperatures, be sure to check it at 30 minutes, to ensure you don't overcook it! Remove finished cornbread from oven. Let it cool for 2-3 minutes before attempting to slice. When ready to serve, slice into 8 portions. Serve, and enjoy (with butter, if desired).

Recipe Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS -
No fresh jalapeños? You can substitute canned OR 2 Tablespoons chopped green bell pepper.
No buttermilk? Add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar to 1 C. milk. Stir, let stand for 5 minutes.
No whole kernel canned corn? Add 8 ounces canned cream style corn.

Nutrition Facts
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 315 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 57mg19%
Sodium 501mg22%
Potassium 289mg8%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 221IU4%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 137mg14%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, (with corn kernels, sliced jalapeños, onions and grated cheddar cheese), is an EASY to make, flavorful side dish for 8!


Mar
2020

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

categories: Air Fryer Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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It’s EASY to make absolutely delicious air fryer sweet potatoes! Topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, this filling veggie tastes amazing!
It's EASY to make absolutely delicious air fryer sweet potatoes! Topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, this filling veggie tastes amazing!

Do you enjoy sweet potatoes? We’ve been enjoying them recently, especially since I began cooking them in our Cosori air fryer. Sweet potatoes are incredibly high in Vitamin A, and loaded with beta carotene and fiber, so they’re not only filling, but delicious, too!

Sweet potatoes taste wonderful just the way they are… plainly cooked and unadorned. BUT we like to “spruce ’em up” with a couple of “add-ons” (butter, cinnamon and brown sugar) after they cook for even more great flavor! YUM!

My Grandma And Her Sweet Potatoes!

When I think about sweet potatoes, I ALWAYS think of my Grandma Viola. My grandma lived in Texas until her death, but used to come spend a couple months at a time at my parents home in California in her later years.

I remember my mom telling me that my elderly Grandma would eat a baked sweet potato or yam every night for dinner. She did that because she’d take out her dentures each evening, so a baked sweet potato would be soft enough to eat “without her teeth”. Ha Ha! True story!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Preparing Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes For Cooking

Making sweet potatoes in an air fryer is SUPER EASY and a bit quicker than baking them! NOTE: See the NOTES section of the printable recipe card below for instructions for baking them, if you do not have access to an air fryer.

Pick out sweet potatoes that are medium-sized, and both similar in weight. I made two, since I was only making them for my husband and myself. Scrub the potatoes very well, to remove any dirt. Once you’ve finished washing them, pat them dry with paper towels or a dish towel.

The sweet potatoes are washed, dried, and pieced with a fork before cooking.

Preheat your air fryer to 390°F. This typically takes 4-5 minutes. While the machine is preheating, lightly spritz or rub each sweet potato with vegetable or olive oil on all sides. Pierce the potatoes in several places (top and bottom) with a fork, because this helps them not to burst open during cooking!

When the air fryer is finished preheating, place the oiled and fork-pierced sweet potatoes into the basket.

Each sweet potato is rubbed or spritzed with oil lightly, before cooking.

Time To Cook Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes!

Cook the air fryer sweet potatoes at a temperature of 390°F for 30-35 minutes. Your cooking time may vary, due to differing weights of potatoes used. Each of the potatoes shown weighed about 9 ounces, and ended up taking 35 minutes to fully cook. If using larger or smaller potatoes, your cooking time will need to be altered slightly to adapt.

Check them at the 30 minute mark by pausing the machine and inserting a butter knife into the middle of the potatoes. When the knife meets no resistance, and the sweet potatoes are soft, they are fully cooked. If not quite done, place them back in the air fryer and continue cooking until ready.

Cook air fryer sweet potatoes at 390°F for 30 minutes, then check for doneness.

Once The Sweet Potatoes Are Fully Cooked

Once the potatoes are fully cooked, the skins will have darkened considerably, and be slightly crispy on the outside. Some of the juices may have also oozed out of the fork-punctures. Transfer the HOT potatoes directly to your serving plates.

When done, the skin on the sweet potatoes is very crisp and darkened in color.

Slice the sweet potatoes from top to bottom, and squeeze both ends of the potato to fluff up the insides.

Cut the sweet potato open, and fluff the insides with a fork.

Add 1 teaspoon butter and 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar to each of the air fryer sweet potatoes, and then sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Mix the toppings into the fluffed sweet potato, and then dig in! They are SO GOOD!

Two of the air fryer sweet potatoes, filled with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.Mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon into the sweet potato and serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for air fryer sweet potatoes! We sure do. Have a wonderful day, friends, and thank you for taking the time to visit. Come back soon!

Looking For More AIR FRYER Recipes?

You can find all of my Air Fryer recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Air Fryer Sweet Potatotes
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

It's EASY to make absolutely delicious air fryer sweet potatoes! Topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, this filling veggie tastes amazing!

Category: Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer sweet potatoes
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 288 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Potatoes:
  • 18 ounces sweet potatoes , approx. 9 ounces each
  • vegetable oil or olive oil , to rub on sweet potato skin before cooking
To Serve:
  • 2 teaspoons butter , or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar , a heaping teaspoon
  • cinnamon , a light sprinkling over each potato
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Pick sweet potatoes that are medium-sized, and similar in weight. Scrub potatoes well, to remove any dirt. Pat them dry with paper towels or a dish towel.

  2. Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Lightly spritz or rub each sweet potato with vegetable or olive oil on all sides. Pierce potatoes in several places (top and bottom) with a fork. When machine is preheated, place sweet potatoes into air fryer basket.

  3. Cook at 390°F for 30-35 minutes. Your cooking time may vary, due to differing weights of potatoes used. Check them at the 30 minute mark. Insert a butter knife into the middle of the potatoes. If knife meets no resistance, they are fully cooked. If not done, place them back in the air fryer and continue cooking until ready. Transfer potatoes to serving plates.

To Serve:

  1. Slice potatoes open lengthwise, and squeeze both ends of the potato to fluff up the insides. Add 1 teaspoon butter and 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar to each potato, and then sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Mix the toppings into the fluffed sweet potato, and then dig in! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculations and cooking time for this recipe were made using one 9 ounce sweet potato per serving. Please note: As the weight of potatoes can vary widely, calories per serving and cooking times will tend to vary, as well.

NO AIR FRYER? NO PROBLEM! Follow all directions, but place prepared sweet potatoes on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for between 45-60 minutes, time dependent on the weight of the potatoes.

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Sweet Potatotes
Amount Per Serving (1 potato + toppings)
Calories 288 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 177mg8%
Potassium 860mg25%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 36322IU726%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!It's EASY to make absolutely delicious air fryer sweet potatoes! Topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, this filling veggie tastes amazing!

 


Mar
2020

Orange Glazed Carrots

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Orange Glazed Carrots are a simple but delicious side dish, featuring buttery, marmalade coated carrots, pecans, fresh ginger and cinnamon!
Orange Glazed Carrots are a simple but delicious side dish, featuring buttery, marmalade glazed carrots, pecans, fresh ginger and cinnamon!

Most of my life I have not been a huge fan of cooked carrots. We enjoy them in casseroles, or cooked with a pot roast, and have occasionally oven-roasted them (see here for my recipe). I think they taste pretty good cooked or roasted, it’s just not my favorite way to eat them.

Well, my opinion of cooked carrots changed recently because of THIS recipe for orange glazed carrots! The recipe uses frozen carrots, which is really convenient, too!

Oh. My. Goodness. These little orange things are so good I could have eaten the entire bowl of ’em by myself! But I didn’t (thank goodness!).

Cooked sliced carrots are coated in a simple marmalade glaze that also has cinnamon, butter, pecans, and finely grated ginger. Whoa… this veggie side dish is a treat for the taste buds! Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

First Things First – Cook the Carrots!

Cook the frozen sliced carrots, according to the package instructions. Using frozen sliced carrots makes this recipe sooo easy! When done, drain the water out of the pan. Set the carrots aside while you cook the marmalade glaze.

Frozen carrots are cooked before adding them to a marmalade glaze.

Making The Orange Marmalade Glaze Is EASY!

Melt the butter in a skillet on low heat. Add orange marmalade to the melted butter (I used my homemade!), and stir to combine. Continue to keep the heat on very low while you make the orange marmalade glaze.

Once the two ingredients are combined, grate fresh ginger into the glaze. Use a micro-plane or the very small section of your hand held box grater to do this.

Orange marmalade and melted butter are combined in skillet.Fresh ginger is finely grated and added to marmalade and butter in skillet.

Now add the chopped pecans, and stir everything to combine, while still cooking on low heat.

Add the cooked, well-drained carrots to the skillet. Stir well, to coat the carrots with the sweet, sticky orange glaze.

Chopped pecans are added to marmalade glaze in skillet.The cooked carrots are now added to the orange glaze in skillet.

Final Step!

The last thing you need to do is sprinkle the cinnamon over the carrots and stir well, to combine all the ingredients with that wonderful glaze.

Cook the orange glazed carrots until everything is fully heated through, and then it’s ready to eat! The glaze should be covering all the carrots, and be really hot at this point!

A light sprinkling of cinnamon adds to the flavor of the orange glazed carrots.

Time To Serve The Orange Glazed Carrots!

Carefully transfer the hot, orange glazed carrots to a serving bowl. Now this simple side dish is ready to dig into, alongside your favorite dinner entree! We enjoyed it alongside juicy pork tenderloin slices.

The buttery carrots will be tender, slightly sweet from the orange marmalade, and those yummy pecans give them a bit of crunch! Fresh ginger and cinnamon provide extra flavor to this yummy vegetable dish!

The orange glazed carrots with pecans are served in a white bowl.A close up view of a bowl of orange glazed carrots, ready to eat!

This Recipe Can Also Be Made In A Slow Cooker

This recipe can also be adapted to prepare in a slow cooker, using fresh, sliced carrots. I have included those instructions in the NOTES section of the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page, for your convenience!

Well, I trust you enjoy making and eating these yummy orange glazed carrots. They compliment many main dishes, and I hope you (and those you love), will really like them. Have a wonderful day, and may God bless you.

Looking For More VEGGIE SIDE DISHES?

You can find all of my side dish recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite veggie side dishes include:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: Unknown (found handwritten on a 3×5 card in an OLD recipe box)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Orange Glazed Carrots
Prep Time
8 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
13 mins
 

Orange Glazed Carrots are a simple but delicious side dish, featuring buttery, marmalade glazed carrots, pecans, fresh ginger and cinnamon!

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orange glazed carrots
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 180 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces frozen sliced carrots
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Tablespoons orange marmalade
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cook frozen sliced carrots until tender, according to package instructions (usually 6-8 minutes). When done, drain water from pan. Set carrots aside.

  2. Make The Glaze: Melt butter in a skillet, on very low heat. Add orange marmalade, and stir to combine. Continue to cook on low heat. Add finely grated fresh ginger, followed by the chopped pecans, stirring to combine.

  3. Now add the cooked, drained carrots to the skillet. Stir well, to coat carrots with glaze. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir to combine, and heat on low until the carrots are fully heated through. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. Place 6 peeled, sliced FRESH carrots with other ingredients into slow cooker, and cook on LOW HEAT for 2-3 hours, or until carrots have become tender.

Nutrition Facts
Orange Glazed Carrots
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 23mg8%
Sodium 142mg6%
Potassium 294mg8%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 14471IU289%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Orange Glazed Carrots are a simple but delicious side dish, featuring buttery, marmalade glazed carrots, pecans, fresh ginger and cinnamon!


Feb
2020

Broccoli Corn Casserole

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Broccoli Corn Casserole is a delicious, easy to prepare, baked veggie side dish, with corn, broccoli, onions, spices, and a buttery crumb topping!
Broccoli Corn Casserole is a delicious, easy to prepare, baked veggie side dish, with corn, broccoli, onions, spices, and a buttery crumb topping!

Over 40 years ago I got a recipe box, and started keeping track of ideas I found in magazines, books, etc. I would quickly scrawl them out on a 3×5 index card, and then file them away to cook “someday”.

Well… this recipe for broccoli corn casserole is one of those recipes! Recently I went rooting around in this very old recipe box, looking for ideas, and found this one.

Now it didn’t have the recipe source on it (had no idea so many years ago that I would blog about food), so I don’t know where it came from.

What I CAN tell you is that this broccoli corn casserole is EASY TO MAKE AND YUMMY. Cream-style corn, frozen or fresh broccoli, onion, egg, and simple spices are the foundation of this simple side dish!

The ingredients are mixed together, then the casserole is topped with a buttery topping and baked until done. It’s delicious! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A Little Bit Of Prep

Two things need to be done before assembling the casserole. I found it easy to do both at the same time, which shaved some time off the prep.

Cook broccoli florets whether you will be using frozen or fresh. EASY. Once cooked, you can cut them into smaller pieces.

In a separate skillet, cook the chopped onions for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through (no need for oil or anything!). Set broccoli and onions aside.

Broccoli and chopped onions are cooked before assembling casserole.

Assemble The Broccoli Corn Casserole

Okay… now it’s time to put this simple casserole together! Grab a medium sized mixing bowl, and add a can of cream-style corn, the cooked broccoli, onions, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Stir these ingredients together until fully combined. Once combined, add a well-beaten egg to the mixture, and stir, to incorporate.

NOTE: The reason to add the egg AFTER everything else is combined is so the onions and broccoli have cooled a bit, so the egg won’t scramble when added.

Creamed corn, onions, broccoli and spices are combined in bowl.Beaten egg is added to the broccoli corn casserole ingredients.

Spray a 1½ quart oven-safe dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the broccoli corn casserole ingredients into the dish.

The casserole is poured into a greased oven-safe dish before baking.

Add The Buttery Crumb Topping

Place crackers in a resealable plastic bag, and finely crush them using a rolling pin or mallet. I used Ritz crackers, but you can certainly use what you have available.

Once the crackers are crushed well, mix the crumbs with melted butter until a nice topping comes together. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the surface of the casserole.

Crackers are smashed into crumbs and combined with melted butter for topping.Buttery crumb topping is added to top of broccoli corn casserole before cooking.

Bake The Bacon Corn Casserole

Place the dish onto the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven, and let the veggie casserole bake for 30-35 minutes. When done, the crumb topping should be light golden brown and any liquid should be bubbly around the edges.

If you want the topping to be more deeply browned, leave the dish on the middle rack and turn the oven broiler on for just a couple minutes. Keep an eye on it!

After baking, the casserole cools for a couple minutes before serving.

Time To EAT!

Once the broccoli corn casserole is finished baking, remove it from the oven. Place the dish on a wire rack and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows time for the casserole to firm up just a bit after cooking.

The veggie casserole will pair nicely with chicken, pork beef or fish. I served it with some simple Cajun chicken strips this time, and it was a wonderful side dish!

Leftovers can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for several days. The casserole can be reheated in the oven or the microwave.

A peek at the insides of the broccoli corn casserole.Chicken strips are served with the broccoli corn casserole.

Hope you enjoy this simple side dish! We really did, and love the fact that it is so very easy to make! Have a wonderful day, and thanks for visiting. Come back soon!

Looking For More Vegetable Dishes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy vegetable recipes for you to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (recipe found on a 3×5 index card in an old recipe box).

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Broccoli Corn Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Broccoli Corn Casserole is a delicious, easy to prepare, baked veggie side dish, with corn, broccoli, onions, spices, and a buttery crumb topping!

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli corn casserole
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 143 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 14.75 ounces cream style corn (canned)
  • 10 ounces broccoli, cooked , fresh OR frozen
  • 1 large egg , beaten
  • 1 small brown onion , chopped and sauteed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 Tablespoons butter , melted
  • ½ cup crackers (crushed) , I used 10 Ritz crackers
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cook broccoli florets (frozen or fresh). Once cooked, cut them into smaller pieces. In separate skillet, cook onions for 4-5 minutes until cooked through (no need for oil). Set broccoli and onions aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, add corn, broccoli, onions, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir these ingredients together until combined. Add a beaten egg to the mixture, and stir until incorporated. NOTE: Add egg AFTER everything else is combined so onions and broccoli have cooled a bit, so the egg won't scramble when added. Spray a 1½ quart oven-safe dish with non-stick cooking spray, and then pour casserole ingredients into dish.

  3. Place crackers in a resealable plastic bag, and finely crush them using a rolling pin or mallet. Once crushed well, mix crumbs with melted butter to combine. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over surface of casserole.

  4. Place dish onto the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes. When done, crumb topping should be golden brown and casserole should be bubbly around the edges. TIP: If you want topping to be deeply browned, leave the dish on middle rack and turn broiler on for a couple minutes. Keep an eye on it! Remove dish from oven. Place dish on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. This allows time for the casserole to firm up just a bit after cooking. Serve, and enjoy! Store leftovers (covered) in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

For the cracker topping, I used Ritz crackers, but almost any type of cracker will work.

Nutrition Facts
Broccoli Corn Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 143 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 499mg22%
Potassium 279mg8%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 514IU10%
Vitamin C 46mg56%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Broccoli Corn Casserole is a delicious, easy to prepare, baked veggie side dish, with corn, broccoli, onions, spices, and a buttery crumb topping!


Nov
2019

Thanksgiving Salad

categories: Holidays!, Salads, Side Dishes
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Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, with pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus dijon vinaigrette.
Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.

How I Came Up With This Salad’s Name

When I first made this delicious salad, my husband and I LOVED it! I knew I HAD to share the recipe on this blog, but really struggled to come up with a blog title for it. Pretty sure I didn’t want to call it a “Pearl Couscous Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, in a Citrus Vinaigrette”. That was more of a mouthful than a bite of this yummy salad! Hmmm.

Both my husband and I agreed that THIS beautiful salad would be absolutely PERFECT to serve for Thanksgiving! We both said it would be a perfect Thanksgiving salad. That is exactly how the easy to remember name “Thanksgiving Salad” came into existence!

The colors, ingredients, and flavors… everything about this salad screams Fall, and would wonderfully compliment any Thanksgiving feast. So… guess what? This salad will be served proudly at our family Thanksgiving dinner this year, along with all of our traditional dishes! By the way- this is an absolutely delicious salad that can be served all year long, as a side dish, or a main dish salad! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Roast The Butternut Squash

The first thing you will need to do is get the butternut squash roasted! The process is fairly simple. You can multi-task and get the prep work done on the other ingredients while the squash is roasting in the oven! Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Use a vegetable peeler, and peel the skin off the squash. Cut a thin slice off both ends of the squash. Next, slice the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Cut the butternut squash into bite-sized cubes, trying to get them all about the same size.

Put the squash cubes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the squash cubes out into a single layer, and then roast the squash at 425° F. for 20-25 minutes. Flip the squash over, half way through the roasting time.

A butternut squash is peeled, sliced, and cubed before roasting.

Prepare Pearl Couscous And Toasted Pecans While Squash Bakes

While the butternut squash is roasting, prepare the pearl couscous. Follow package directions, omitting any butter if called for. The couscous will take between 8-10 minutes to finish cooking. When done, remove pan from the heat, and set couscous aside to cool down, for later.

You can also dry toast the pecans while the squash (and couscous) are cooking.  Place the pecans in a dry skillet, and “toast” them over medium heat, stirring often. Toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes, and then remove pecans from the skillet. Set the toasted pecans aside to cool down, for later.

Pearl couscous is cooked according to package instructions.Pecans are lightly toasted in a dry skillet on medium heat.

Once the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the squash to a plate or bowl to cool. Set the squash aside to cool down, for later.

The roasted butternut squash is baked, then set aside to cool.

Make A Simple Vinaigrette For The Thanksgiving Salad

Making the citrus and dijon vinaigrette is so easy!  Place orange juice, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic powder in a bowl. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Whisk these salad dressing ingredients together until fully blended. The dressing goes PERFECTLY with this salad, and adds another layer of flavor! TIP: You can also mix the dressing up in a canning jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake the jar well, until the ingredients are fully mixed together.

A citrus dijon vinaigrette is made for the Thanksgiving salad.

Time To Create Your Thanksgiving Salad!

Okay… now the prep work is done and you are ready to build a delicious Thanksgiving salad! Gather all the ingredients together. You will have (clockwise) roasted squash, cooked couscous, dried cranberries, baby spinach, toasted pecans, thinly sliced red onions, and the citrus Dijon vinaigrette.

TIP FOR MAKING SALAD AHEAD OF TIME: If you wish to make the salad several hours BEFORE serving time, cover everything at this point with plastic wrap… and wait! All the work is now done, and you can EASILY put the salad together right before serving.

All the ingredients for the salad are prepped and ready to.

Time To Serve This Delicious Salad

Right before serving, place all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the Thanksgiving salad, and toss the salad well, to fully combine everything. Isn’t it beautiful with all the pretty Fall colors?

Vinaigrette is poured over the Thanksgiving salad, and salad is tossed before serving.

Once fully combined, arrange the salad on a pretty serving platter, or into a salad bowl for serving! (P.S. Only part of the salad is shown in the photo below). This is one pretty good looking Thanksgiving salad, right?  YUM!

You’re gonna enjoy the sweet chewy cranberries, the crunchy pecans, the soft (and creamy) roasted butternut squash, and that pearl couscous, all covered in a flavor-filled citrus vinaigrette!

A pretty platter is the backdrop for yummy Thanksgiving salad.This is a closeup photo of the pretty Thanksgiving salad, ready for serving.

I really hope you enjoy this gorgeous and DELICIOUS Thanksgiving salad. Even though it has an unusual name, this pearl couscous salad can be prepared and enjoyed any time of the year. The leftovers hold up really well, also. Place any leftovers in a well-sealed container, and the salad will keep for 2-3 more days! That’s a win-win, in my book!

If you’re looking for more recipes for Thanksgiving be sure to check out my blog post for “9 Easy Recipes For Thanksgiving Day”. Hopefully you’ll find a delicious recipe or two there to make for those you love. ENJOY, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: https://littlespicejar.com/autumn-pearl-couscous-salad-with-roasted-butternut-squash/

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Thanksgiving Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: thanksgiving salad
Servings: 7 small servings
Calories Per Serving: 430 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad
  • 1 butternut squash , peeled and cubed
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to lightly season squash
  • 1½ cups dry pearl couscous , cooked according to pkg. directions
  • 4 cups baby spinach leaves (heaping cups)
  • ½ cup pecans , lightly toasted
  • ½ cup red onion , thinly sliced
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
For Vinaigrette
  • 3 Tablespoons orange juice
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash. Cut a thin slice off both ends. Slice squash in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut squash into slices, then into bite-sized cubes, trying to keep them about the same size. Put the squash cubes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt/pepper. Spread squash out in a single layer; roast at 425° F. for 20-25 minutes. Flip squash over, half way through roasting . When squash is done, remove from oven; transfer squash to a plate or bowl to cool. Set aside.

  2. Make Couscous: While squash cooks, prepare the pearl couscous. Follow package directions, omitting any butter (if called for). Couscous will take 8-10 minutes to cook. When done, remove pan from heat, and set couscous aside to cool.

  3. Toast Pecans: Toast the pecans while squash (and couscous) are cooking.  Place pecans in a dry skillet, and "toast" them over medium heat, stirring often. Toast for 3-5 minutes, and then remove pecans from skillet. Set pecans aside to cool.

  4. Make Vinaigrette: Place orange juice, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic powder in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until fully blended.

  5. Right before serving, place the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the salad, and toss the salad well, to fully combine everything. Serve, and enjoy! (Any leftovers can be stored for 2-3 days in covered container in refrigerator).

Nutrition Facts
Thanksgiving Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 430 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 53mg2%
Potassium 594mg17%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 13011IU260%
Vitamin C 32mg39%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.


Oct
2019

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

categories: Side Dishes
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Creamy Parmesan Polenta is a delicious, EASY to make (10 minutes) dish that’s full of flavor, and a perfect side dish for a variety of entrees.
Creamy Parmesan Polenta is a delicious, EASY to make (10 minutes) dish that's full of flavor, and a perfect side dish for a variety of entrees.

If you are looking for a flavor-filled side dish that goes GREAT with a number of main dishes, may I suggest this easy (and quick) recipe for creamy parmesan polenta? I’ve made it several times, and it always has turned out wonderfully, and compliments our meals very well!

It’s so easy, it can be made in about 10 minutes, so how can you go wrong? The polenta tastes so buttery and is flavored with freshly grated Parmesan cheese… so there’s that! YUM! Today I want to share just how easy this polenta is to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Parmesan Polenta (It’s EASY)

Measure out the milk, water and salt into a medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat.

Milk, water and salt are brought to a boil in saucepan.

Now it’s time to multi-task! SLOWLY add the cornmeal to the boiling liquid, whisking continually while you add the cornmeal. You need to do BOTH at the same time (it’s important)! Continue to whisk while you cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes, just until the polenta begins to thicken.

Cornmeal is slowly added and whisked into boiling milk, water and salt in pan.The polenta begins to thicken as it is whisked and cooked.

Once the polenta begins to thicken, turn the heat down to SIMMER. Cook the polenta, whisking or stirring often, until it becomes thick (but still creamy!).

Creamy polenta in pan has thickened and is ready for the final ingredients.

To Finish The Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Add the butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the thickened polenta. Fresh grated parmesan adds the BEST flavor! Stir the parmesan polenta well, until all ingredients have become fully combined.

Once combined, the creamy parmesan polenta should be very thick, very delicious, and is now ready to serve!

Parmesan polenta is finished, once butter and grated Parmesan cheese are mixed in.

Time To Serve The Parmesan Polenta!

Once the parmesan polenta is ready, simply dish it up as a perfect side for a number of main courses! The cheesy, creamy side dish goes very well with chicken, pork, fish, and beef dishes. As you can see in the photos below, I have prepared it to serve with a chicken and broccoli meal, AND to serve with my delicious recipe for beef short ribs.

Here the creamy parmesan polenta is served with chicken and broccoli on top.Beef short ribs, served on top of the creamy parmesan polenta.

I hope you will consider trying this easy and delicious recipe for parmesan polenta, and trust you will enjoy serving it with a variety of meals! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SIDE DISHES?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite side dish recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source for polenta: https://inquiringchef.com/braised-red-wine-beef-short-ribs-parmesan-polenta/

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Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Creamy Parmesan Polenta is a delicious, EASY to make (10 minutes) dish that's full of flavor, and a perfect side dish for a variety of entrees.

Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: parmesan polenta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 217 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup cornmeal (or polenta)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Measure out milk, water and salt into a medium saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil on medium high heat.

  2. SLOWLY add cornmeal to the boiling liquid, whisking continually while you add it. You need to do BOTH at the same time! Continue to whisk while it cooks for 2-3 minutes, just until polenta begins to thicken. Once polenta starts to thicken, turn heat down to SIMMER. Cook, whisking or stirring often, until it becomes thick (but still creamy!).

  3. Add butter and fresh grated Parmesan cheese to thickened polenta. Stir polenta well, until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Once combined, the creamy parmesan polenta is ready to serve, while hot! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6th of total))
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 224mg10%
Potassium 270mg8%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 413IU8%
Calcium 249mg25%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Creamy Parmesan Polenta is a delicious, EASY to make (10 minutes) dish that's full of flavor, and a perfect side dish for a variety of entrees.


Sep
2019

Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Use your leftovers to make yummy Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters, filled with bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese, & coated with crispy panko crumbs!
Use your leftovers to make yummy Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters, filled with bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese, & coated with crispy panko crumbs!

I love potatoes! We always enjoy baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, chili and cheese stuffed spuds, potato hash with rosemary, loaded hash browns-waffle-style, au gratin potatoes, and our family favorite, potato salad!

The question is… what can you make with mashed potato leftovers? We usually have a small amount left over after a big meal. Well, I was wondering the same thing when I had some leftovers a while ago. I put on my thinking cap, and came up with this recipe for mashed potato loaded fritters, made them, and thought they were fantastic!

Here’s how easy it is to make this tasty side dish using leftover mashed potatoes. I even used leftover cooked bacon, too! The results were worth it, because the fritters turned out to be quite delicious!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters

Place mashed potatoes, crumbled bacon, green onions, regular bread crumbs, flour, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cheddar cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir these ingredients together until all have been fully blended into the mashed potatoes.

Bacon, cheese, onion, egg,bread crumbs and mashed potatoes ready to make fritters.Ingredients are combined before forming into fritter patties.

Pour the panko crumbs out onto a dinner plate. Divide the potato mixture into 4 equal sized balls, and then shape and flatten them out in your hands to form a patty.

Place the potato patties, one at a time in the panko crumbs on plate, and gently cover all sides with the crumbs, lightly pressing them onto patty to adhere. Once fully coated, set aside and repeat until all 4 potato fritters are covered with panko crumbs.

The loaded potato fritters are shaped into patties.Each fritter is coated in panko crumbs before frying.Four mashed potato loaded fritters ready to be fried.

Time To Cook The Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters!

Now you’re ready to cook them until crispy! Pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom with about 1/2″ of oil. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot (but not smoking!).

Carefully (use a spatula) place each of the mashed potato loaded fritters into the hot oil. You should hear it sizzle when the fritters go into the hot oil. Do not move them once they hit the skillet, to ensure a good pan-searing.

Let the fritters cook for approximately 3 minutes in the hot oil, until the bottom side is deep golden brown and crispy! Carefully turn the fritters to the other side, and continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the bottom side again.

They cook for 3-4 minutes in hot oil before turning to other side.You can see how golden brown the fritters are, after turning to other side.

Once done (and crispy brown on all sides), transfer the mashed potato loaded fritters to a wire rack to drain off any remaining oil. I placed a sheet of aluminum foil under the rack for easy cleanup. Let them drain for just a minute, and then they are ready to serve!

Mashed potato loaded fritters draining on wire rack after removing from hot oil.

Serve The Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters

To serve these delicious, crispy potato fritters, transfer them to a platter or individual plates. This recipe makes 4 fritters total (1 fritter per serving). Serve hot, and dollop the fritters with sour cream and chopped chives or green onions before serving, if desired.

I definitely recommend topping them with sour cream and chives, because that adds more delicious flavor to this veggie side dish! Grab a fork and dig in! These mashed potato loaded fritters are delicious! They’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!

Dollop the mashed potato loaded fritters with sour cream and chopped chives to serve.Cut into the crunchy outside of the fritter to see inside this delicious side dish!

TIP: Be sure to serve these fritters immediately after making them, because they are BEST, when served fresh! They still will taste good, but will lose their crispy crunchiness if allowed to sit for hours or are refrigerated.

Hope you will consider trying these mashed potato loaded fritters! They are a GREAT way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More POTATO Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring potatoes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Total Time
16 mins
 

Use your leftovers to make yummy Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters, filled with bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese, & coated with crispy panko crumbs!

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mashed potato loaded fritters
Servings: 4 fritters
Calories Per Serving: 290 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups mashed potatoes (prepared)
  • 2 slices bacon (pre-cooked) , crisp and crumbled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 stem scallion (green onion) , sliced (green & white parts)
  • ¼ cup cheddar cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs (regular)
  • 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt, pepper, and garlic powder ( ⅛ tsp. each)
  • vegetable oil , enough to cover skillet with 1/2 inch
  • 1 cup PANKO bread crumbs , to roll fritters in
  • sour cream and chopped chives (OPTIONAL, for garnish)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place mashed potatoes, crumbled bacon, green onions, regular bread crumbs, flour, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cheddar cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir together until all ingredients have been fully blended into mashed potatoes.

  2. Pour panko crumbs out on a dinner plate. Divide the potato mixture into 4 equal sized balls, and then shape/flatten them out in your hands to form a patty. Place patties, one at a time in the panko crumbs, and gently cover all sides, turning and lightly pressing them onto patty to adhere. Once fully coated, set aside. Repeat until all fritters are covered with panko crumbs.

  3. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom with about 1/2" of oil. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot (but not smoking!). Carefully (use a spatula) place each of the mashed potato loaded fritters into the hot oil. You should hear it sizzle.. Do not move them once they hit the skillet, to ensure a seared crust on the outside. Let fritters cook for approx. 3 minutes, until the bottom is deep golden brown and crispy! Carefully turn the fritters to other side, and continue cooking an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the bottom. Once done (and crispy brown on all sides), transfer fritters to a wire rack to drain off any excess oil. I placed a sheet of aluminum foil under the rack for easy cleanup. Let them drain for just a minute, and then they are ready to serve!

  4. Place potato fritters on a platter or individual plates. Serve hot, and dollop each fritter with sour cream and some chopped chives or green onions, if desired (recommended). Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation does not include optional garnish of sour cream and chives.

Nutrition Facts
Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters
Amount Per Serving (1 fritter)
Calories 290 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 390mg17%
Potassium 290mg8%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 147IU3%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 105mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one to pin on your Pinterest boards!Use your leftovers to make yummy Mashed Potato Loaded Fritters, filled with bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese, & coated with crispy panko crumbs!


Sep
2019

Mango Avocado Salsa

categories: Appetizers, Side Dishes
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Make delicious mango avocado salsa in 10 minutes! It’s a perfect topping for fish, chicken & pork, or can be served as an appetizer w/ tortilla chips!
Make delicious mango avocado salsa in 10 minutes! It's a perfect topping for fish, chicken & pork, or can be served as an appetizer w/ tortilla chips!

Do you enjoy salsa? We sure do! I always keep jars of home canned salsa in our pantry, including traditional salsa and peach salsa. It’s also very easy to whip up a batch of fresh peach salsa in the summer for a quick appetizer, when peaches are ripe and plentiful.

If you have never tried fresh mango avocado salsa, then hopefully this post will show you how easy it is to make, in just under 10 minutes! This salsa tastes wonderful as an appetizer or snack (served with crunchy tortilla chips!). It also is fantastic as a topping for chicken, fish and pork, because it adds so much flavor to the meat! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Mango For The Salsa

If you have never cubed a fresh mango before, have no fear… it’s easier than you might think! There is a huge pit (seed) in the middle of a mango, so you will not be able to cut straight through the middle. Instead, slice the mango from top to bottom on all sides of the pit.

Once that is done, take a sharp paring knife and make gridline cuts from top to bottom on each mango section, and side to side, forming small cubes. Be careful not to cut all the way through the peel (or your fingers).

Mango is sliced into cubes before adding them to salsa.

Repeat with all sections. To remove the cubes easily from the mango peel, use your hands to hold both ends of the section and “flip”, pushing up from the bottom peel in the middle, until the mango cubes are fully exposed (see photo below).

Run a knife along the bottom of the cubes, along the peel to cut them away. Repeat this until all sections of the mango are cubed and cut away from the fruit. See the huge pit in the mango, seen below in the upper left corner?

The mango is flipped to expose the cubes, and then they are cut away from the peel.

Prepare The Mango Avocado Salsa

Place chopped cilantro, red onion, and a finely chopped jalapeno (seeds removed) into a medium mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice of half of a large lime into the mixture. Add the cubed mango and stir to combine. NOTE: If you will be making this mango avocado salsa several hours ahead of serving time, cover and refrigerate (without adding the avocado) until just before serving!

Salsa ingredients are stirred together before adding the avocado.Cilantro, red onion, mango, jalapeno and lime juice are mixed together for salsa.

Add Avocado Just Before Serving!

Right before serving, cut and cube the avocado. The avocado is best cut and cubed at this point because, it will have less time to turn brown in the salsa.

Cubing the avocado is done almost the same way as the mango. Slice the avocado in half, and remove the seed. Slice from top to bottom and side to side in small gridline cubes, without cutting all the way through the peel.

Avocados are halved, then cut into cubes to add to the salsa.

Take a large spoon and guide it all along the the inside of the avocado peel, which will remove the cubes easily. You can place the chunks of avocado directly into the bowl with the rest of the mango avocado salsa!

Once all avocado cubes have been added, gently stir the mango avocado salsa to combine ingredients. Ta Da! You just made a really great tasting salsa.

Once cubed, a spoon is used to remove the cubes from the avocado.Ingredients for the mango avocado salsa are gently combined before serving.

Serving Mango Avocado Salsa

You’re now ready to serve the salsa! Enjoy it with crisp tortilla chips to your heart’s content OR use it to top a nice piece of grilled chicken, fish or pork! The creamy avocado and the sweet mango (and other ingredients) add so much flavor to dishes like this seafood dish below (Dover Sole).

The mango avocado salsa is used as a topping for grilled fish fillets.

I truly hope you will have the opportunity to make this delicious salsa for those you love. It’s fresh, tastes delicious, can be doubled easily, and is super easy to make!  Have a wonderful day! Don’t forget to check out ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon.

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Mango Avocado Salsa
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Make delicious mango avocado salsa in 10 minutes! It's a perfect topping for fish, chicken & pork, or can be served as an appetizer w/ tortilla chips!

Category: Appetizer, Topping
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mango avocado salsa
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 112 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 large mango , cut into cubes
  • ⅓ cup cilantro , chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion , chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh jalapeno , seeds removed and finely chopped
  • ½ large lime (juice of)
  • 1 large avocado , cut into cubes
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place peeled and cubed mango, chopped cilantro, red onion, and jalapeno in a medium sized mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice of half of a large lime over the ingredients and stir to combine.

    NOTE: If preparing this salsa a few hours before using it, cover and refrigerate the salsa at this point (without adding the avocado).

  2. Just before you plan to serve the salsa, add the avocado cubes, and "gently" stir, to combine salsa ingredients. Serve, and enjoy, as an appetizer or as a topping for various main dishes!

Tips For Cubing Mango and Avocado:

  1. Mango: Cut from top to bottom on all sides of the pit. Take a sharp paring knife and make cuts from top to bottom, and side to side, forming small cubes. Be careful not to cut all the way through the peel. Repeat with all sections. To remove the cubes easily from the mango peel, use your hands to hold both ends of the section and "flip", pushing up from the bottom peel in the middle, until the mango cubes are fully exposed. Run a knife along the bottom of the cubes, along the peel to cut them away. Repeat this until all sections of the mango are cubed and cut away from the fruit.

  2. Avocado: Slice the avocado in half, and remove the seed. Slice from top to bottom and side to side, in small cubes, without cutting all the way through the peel. Take a large spoon and guide it all along the the inside of the avocado peel, which will remove the cubes easily.

Nutrition Facts
Mango Avocado Salsa
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 112 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 5mg0%
Potassium 342mg10%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 670IU13%
Vitamin C 29mg35%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make delicious mango avocado salsa in 10 minutes! It's a perfect topping for fish, chicken & pork, or can be served as an appetizer w/ tortilla chips!