Sides

Southern Style Green Beans

These are the green beans that I grew up eating.  My mom was from Tennessee and boy did she know how to cook!  I swear she never followed a written recipe (except when making 'German Butter Cookies' or another thing she made once a year.  

Ingredients
  • 1 kg frozen cross-cut green beans
  • 1 litre beef broth
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt (found at Martha's Backyard or other American food store)
  • 3-5 strips streaky bacon (Sweet and Smokey is my favorite!)

Directions
Place and mix the first four ingredients in a slow cooker. Cut up bacon into small strips or pieces and mix into the beans.  Turn cooker on low and cook for 4-6 hours.  Add salt or pepper to taste..  
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Barbecue Baked Beans

Another one of my mom's recipes.  My son can't get enough of these.  He even fixed them for breakfast for our German exchange student on his first day in the US.  These are not your traditional "Baked Beans' for toast, but hmm.....  maybe we'll give it a go!

Ingredients
  • 2 - 410 g cans baked beans in tomato sauce (1 can drained)
  • 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy (or your favorite) BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2-4 slices of streaky bacon (Sweet and Smokey is my favorite!)

Directions
Mix together the first three ingredients in an oven-proof bowl.  You can adjust BBQ sauce and brown sugar amounts to your liking.  Lay strips of bacon on top.  Bake in 175 degree Celcius oven, uncovered, for 1 hour.  If the sauce is still runny, bake for an additional 30-60 minutes.

You can add chopped beef brisket or pulled pork instead of bacon.  Switch it up and find your favorite!

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Macaroni and Cheese

To be honest... this is something I've struggled with since moving to New Zealand.  I miss my Velveeta cheese.  I don't use much of it, but it helps with the creamyness of the mac and cheese I loved back home.  Here is a recipe from Gregg's that looks to be close to what I made back home.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups macaroni elbows
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup grated tasty cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese, extra
  • 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 200?C.

Cook the macaroni following the directions on the packet. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, until blended. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Cook for a further minute then remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of grated cheese. Season to taste with Gregg's Natural Sea Salt Grinder and Gregg's Black Peppercorn Grinder. Stir in the macaroni.

Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, extra grated cheese and Gregg's Paprika.

​Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the macaroni and cheese is golden brown.
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Corn Pudding

How to describe Corn Pudding...... a sweet, moist corn-type bread.  This is one of my absolute favorite sides!  You'll need to visit an American food store to find Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix or you can make it from scratch from here.

Ingredients
  • 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
  • 1 (300 g.) can cream-style corn
  • 1 (300 g.) can whole kernel corn
  • 2 eggs
  • 110 grams butter, melted
  • 1 cup sour cream
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Directions
Mix Jiffy corn bread mix, cream corn, kernel corn, melted butter, eggs and sour cream. Mix all together. Pour into 3.7 litre baking pan. Bake in 190 C degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 10 servings.