After Hours

Ask something
Question Locked

Potluck dinner, need a "Warm side dish" - edited

0 helpful
96 replies

by jdclyde 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Next week is my boys banquet, and I am responsible for bringing a "Warm side dish".

Won't have a lot of time between work and the banquet, so needs to be something quick or something that can be prepared the day before.

Got any ideas? I would love to find something that is unusual, yet tasty. After all, you can only eat so much green bean casserole. :0

HELP!

And no, I am NOT afraid of making from scratch, provided the ingredients are something I am able to get locally.

Thanks everyone!

jd

EDIT to add: This is for my boys sport banquet. Over 50 kids, and their parents. Does not have to feed everyone, but the kids will be the first into it. It is also about 30 minutes from the time I leave my house with the dish till it will be setup and ready to chow. Forgot to add that restriction. Oops! B-)

Thanks for all the great ideas so far, even the ones that won't work for this occasion. With the holidays coming up, some of them will get used. 30 minutes till my quiche is done.... ;\ I took it upon myself to add some spinach.

96 replies

by jdclyde

The hour cook time would be a problem, unless it is a dish that is just as good the next day as the first.

That, or I will check the site to see if they have a version for the slow cooker.

Thanks.

by delbertpgh

You can have a pie crust ready the night before, uncooked and covered and kept in the fridge. All the other ingredients do not require any prep; you just throw them all into the pie shell and bake at 400 for 50 or 60 minutes.

* pie shell
* 2 cups milk
* 3 eggs
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 4 ounces shredded swiss cheese
* 4 ounces ham, cut into chunks or strips,
or 4 ounces bacon, browned and crumbled
* pepper
* nutmeg

Turn on the oven to 400. Whisk eggs and milk.
Spread the cheese, onion, and ham/bacon in the pie shell.
Sprinkle with a little bit of pepper.
Pour the egg/milk mixture over the top.
Sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top.
Put in the oven for up to an hour. Test by sticking a knife in the center. If it comes out milky, it's not done.

If not quiche, easy chili. Requires the talent of opening cans. Cooks in an hour, reheats easily.

* 1 pound (or more) ground beef
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, sliced
* 1 28-oz (large) can diced tomatoes
* 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
* 1 4-oz can tomato paste
* 8 oz water
* 4 16-oz cans beans (kidney or other kinds)
* black pepper (1/2 tsp or more)
* generous amount of chili powder
* red pepper, if you like it hot

Empty the beans into a strainer and rinse. The thick liquid in the cans is flavorful, but holds most of the farts.

In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium flame, breaking it into small chunks. Add onion and garlic, season with pepper and a tablespoon of chili powder, cook until onion shines. Add all the other cans and the beans and the water, heat until bubbles start, reduce flame. Start by adding 2 tablespoons of chili powder, taste periodically, add more chili powder to taste. Throw in a light dash of red (cayenne) pepper for a little heat; more if you want it actually hot. Partially cover the pot as it cooks, because it spits.

You can cook this the day before, leave it out overnight, and reheat it in 15 minutes.

Women generally like a quiche, and the man who makes it, unless they are heavily tattooed, in which case, chili. Kids all go for chile.

by jdclyde

but I think you just solved what is for dinner tonight, quiche. B-)

Thanks.

And yes, I do cook a lot. Even before my divorce, I was the primary cook in the house.

I try to find recipes that don't use a lot of canned or frozen ingredients.

by jdclyde

that has always kept me from having other peoples quiche, the onions. Can't eat them.

Made this for dinner. Thinking bacon would make it better than ham.

I made two, and one is already gone.

Thanks.

by shasca

Layer sliced potatoes, and sliced cooked smoked sausage(Bratwurst,Polish, hotlinks etc.) in a crockpot. add about a cup of milk, and a cup or two of shredded cheddar. Precook until potatoes are still firm and that it won't over cook when left on all the next day.
Way too simple

Heat and forget.

by jdclyde

to precook?

The next day would be just a warming and blending of flavors, so on low, I assume?

Thanks.

I wonder how it would differ using bulk sausage instead?

by shasca

I like to put sliced potatoes in a large frypan and crumble bulk sausage and about a qtr to half inch of water on med heat. When the water is boiled off the potatoes are done, and the sausage taste incorporates into them really well.
The othe rec. is for a Crockpot the sausage doesn't have to cook which makes it quicker,its cheap and the whole dish can be prepared in about 20 minutes then just watch the potatoes to not over cook or they turn into mashed potatoes (Still taste great anyway tho).

by ic-it

The first abbreviated version, I just do on the stove top first. Then I dump them into a slow cooker, transport, and plug in on low.

by jdclyde

cook it the day before and throw it in the slow cooker on low as I leave for work.

For a joke, I may take a can of corn and set that on the table..... ;\

by jiminpa

My wife makes these when we go to covered dish affairs. The family loves them.

Take 2 bottles of chili sauce (apparently they only come in one size... who knew?) and one regular size jar of grape jelly. Mix them together in a sauce pan and heat and stir until smooth. Take one large bag of frozen meatballs and throw them in a crockpot. Pour the sauce over them set the crock pot and walk away. You could set the crock pot on low and let them cook while you are at work. They will be done when you get home. You do have a crock pot right JD???

by jdclyde

but will be hitting up my mom for one of hers because she has a huge crockpot.

wouldn't meatballs be considered a main dish though?

by jiminpa

but I'm from the dutch country dontcha know... We've had them as a side for pig roasts and chicken bbq's

B-)

by churdoo

Do quesadilla's count as a warm side dish? There's nothing mexican or spicy about these, and any time I've brought these anywhere, they disappear among oodles of compliments.

INGREDIENTS
Onions
Bell Peppers, Green, Red, whatever
Crushed Garlic
Monterey Spice if you can find it
Boneless Chicken Breast
Swiss Cheese, sliced thin
Marie's Bleu Cheese dressing
Assorted 8-10 inch Wraps -- Holiday season coming up so I usually get a Spinach wrap and a sundried tomato wrap and alternate red and green.

PREPARATION
1. Onions and Peppers, something a little larger than diced; Caramelize Onions and Peppers and some crushed Garlic with Olive Oil and your favorite spices, I usually add Monterey Spice, i.e. Roasted Garlic and Red Bell Pepper spice, though I'm having a tough time finding this spice anymore at my local shops.

2. Grill boneless chicken and cut into 3/16" strips (that's about 4-5mm for non-US). I suppose you can bake the chicken in the oven too, but I pretty much grill any meat.

GET JIGGY WITH IT:
Skillet on medium heat or flat grill on 300 deg F; butter one side of the wrap and lay butter side down on heat surface. Place single layer of Swiss Cheese on wrap, covering the whole surface (you don't need to fill in the holes).

On one half of the circle, spread out a thin layer of the Onion/Pepper mixture and on the other half, space out about 4 strips of the Grilled Chicken, then spread a small amount of the Bleu Cheese dressing on the chicken. If you like a little more Blue cheese, you can sprinkle Blue cheese chunks or Gorgonzola as well.

Grill to what would be golden brown if you weren't using colored wraps, and fold the wrap between the chicken side and the onion/pepper side. Let cool till the next one's ready to come off and cut into finger-manageable wedges.

Alternate colors and layer on serving dish with wax paper between the layers

I do the prep part the day before, or even days before, and then set up all of the components around the flat grill and bang out 1 every 2 minutes, slice into 4 wedges each and layer onto the serving plate. Bring as is and no need to reheat, though they do reheat ok if you need to -- Mic NOT on full power, and wrapped so they don't turn into hard rubber.

by jdclyde

but I won't have access to any heating apparatus because the banquet is at the school and it is 20 minutes from home to the school.

This is something to tuck aside for the next gathering though. Thanks! B-)

by Member 25348569

Here's the recipe for some mushrooms that I had as an appetiser but they would work well as a side. The original recipe had a small amount of chilli to "lift" the dish but you can leave it out.

Ingredients - scale up as required

One pound medium-sized mushrooms
8 cloves of garlic
75ml (extra virgin if you can get it) olive oil - that's three ounces by the way
2 oz butter
4 tablespoons dry Fino sherry (or dry white wine will do)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Half teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Wipe and quarter the mushrooms. Do NOT wash them! Peel and crush or finely chop the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan and saut? the mushrooms on high for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. You should try and keep the heat up so that the mushrooms fry and don't release too much juice and start to stew. They should emit small squeaks if you cook them right!

Add in the butter and stir for a few seconds.

Lower the heat and add the garlic, lemon juice, sherry and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes until the garlic is cooked and has softened.

Take off the heat, season to taste and stir in the chopped parsley.

Neil

by jdclyde

do they soak up extra water?

Thanks for the idea. Will have to tuck it away for next dinner party when I can serve them up fresh. It would be minimum 30 minutes from time of cooking to time of serving because of travel time.

by Member 25348569

OK, here's the recipe for Spanish Omelette (tortilla) which is usually served at room temperature but you can warm it up in a microwave. Serve it in wedges. I cook it for barbecues, Bonfire Night, picnics, everything...

6-7 medium potatoes, peeled. You need a waxy potato that stays firm when cooked.
1 large onion
6 large eggs (you may neeed 8 as US eggs are smaller than ours)
2-3 cups of (basic) olive oil. Yes, I know that's a lot but that's the way to do it.
Salt to taste

Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise and then, flat side down, slice the potato into 1/8" thick slices - no thinner. Make sure that you separate the pieces that stick together. Place in cold water to rinse off the startch and then dry throughly.

Peel and chop the onion into 1/4" pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Add a good half teaspoon of salt to the mixture.

In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. Watch carefully and adjust the heat so that they are just frying gently. they should not brown.

Leave in pan until the potatoes are cooked (test by poking with something). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and put in a colander to drain. You can reuse the oil for other frying.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Put in the potato onion mixture. Mix gently together with a large spoon. Avoid breaking up the potato pieces.

Choose a non-stick pan so that the resulting tortilla will be at least 3/4 inch thick. Pour 2 Tbsp of olive oil into it and and heat on medium heat. When hot, stir the potato onion egg mixture once more and pour into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges for a few minutes. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly browned. The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.

OK, now the fun bit! Take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate upside down over the frying pan. Then, holding everything together, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will fall onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on the heat and put another tablespoon of oil in. Let the pan warm for 30 seconds and slide the tortilla into the frying pan. If any egg mixture runs out, just squish it back down the sides and then use a spatula to shape the side nicely so the finished tortilla will look good. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes.

Turn out when the bottom is brown using the same plate trick as above. Allow to cool and slice like a pie.

You may add some thinly sliced garlic to the potato onion mixture if you wish.

Neil :D

by jdclyde

So meatballs are one of the main dishes.

mmmmmmm. B-)

by rob miners

Mushroom & Spinach Cottage Loaf

Serves 4

30g butter

1 tablespoon of oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

124g mushrooms, finely sliced

1 cup of shredded english spinach

1 x 300ml carton of sour cream

1 cup shredded tasty cheese

1 cottage loaf

1. Heat butter and oil together in a frying pan. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.

2. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until tender. Stir in spinach. Cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt.

3. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly. Blend in sour cream and 1/2 the cheese.

4. Cut a deep cavity in the top of the cottage loaf. leaving a 1cm border. Spoon mushroom mix into cavity. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake in a moderate oven at 180 degrees celcius or 356 fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and loaf and filling are heated through.

Encourage your guests to break off pieces of the bread and dip in the filling. That is how you eat it.

Unfortunately it doesn't last long so get in quick.

by jdclyde

even if I had to google what a cottage loaf is....

Think I will make this for Thanksgiving to take to mums house.

It would probably not work out well in a buffet format with 30 teen boys and 25 teen girls ravaging it before the parents even get close...... B-)

What I have seen is to have the bread already cut up into bite size portions, and a bowl in the center with a spoon, so people can take some onto their plate.

Thanks Jacky! :D

by rob miners

are anything like mine you would be lucky to get out of the house with it intact. ;)

by jdclyde

Seems in the "New World", sour cream is not sold by the ml unit. :0

So I had to call my boys and have them look up the conversion from 300 ml to 10 oz. :p

As we are not fans of fungus, I vetoed them and doubled the spinach (fresh, of course).

So, going to get two loafs of sour dough and fill each, with a third loaf cut into pieces. As on a buffet, tearing the bowl apart isn't a good option, ya know?

I think I am also going to tripple the amount of spinach to three cups of finely diced (don't have a shredder) spinach. Probably ad a little bit more garlic as well to make up for the lack of onion (don't like them either, sorry).

Thanks Jacky! Will post back Friday to let everyone know how it was received. The one I made last night got torn up!

by jamesrl

...But in the new world country I live in, sour cream is indeed sold by the ml.

I would suggest that the sourdough bowls will get torn, as the dip sinks lower. Thats inevitable.

James

by willcomp

JD --- sounds like you wound up with a spinach dip recipe :)

by jdclyde

hmmm, will have to research that.

So, you take the spud and the slices will cook together to make almost a potato pancake? [i]( If I am picturing this correctly in my head ) [/i]

by Member 25348569

This one has parsley in it (acceptable).

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2738/images/2738_MEDIUM.jpg

They serve it in Spanish bars. Along with the beer you sometimes get a small (free) snack, a Tapas. A small wedge of tortilla is very nice indeed when unexpected.

:D

Edit to add. I don't know much about US spud varieties. I would use either salad (new) potatoes - ideally Jersey Royals but you won't get them - or a potato such as Charlotte, Nadine or Maris Peer. Waxy potatoes don't lose their shape on cooking and it would be a potato that you wouldn't use for mash or fries.

by jdclyde

I had it looking more like a larger hash brown or something.

A potato omelet!

Some spinach in that would probably be good too!

by jdclyde

I live in a heavy German settled region.

I would be terrified to try a german potato salad and have it "not be as good as mom makes"....

Something people aren't used to, ya know? B-)

Thanks for the idea and link!

by boxfiddler Hot topic

there is that.
Call it JD's Famous Hot Potatos. :D

by jdclyde

:D

I suppose I would have to give it a shot "as-is" before making any changes to it. B-)

Off to make a quiche for dinner that Delbert posted! Sounded good, and will add some variety to our meal plan.....

by captbilly1eye

Macaroni & Cheese!?!

Always popular!

Here's a quick & chEasy recipe:
http://tinyurl.com/5vgeu3

Or... if your as lazy as I am... you could always just pick up some boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese.

You can always 'make it your own' by adding bits of ham and/or peppers.
:)

by jdclyde

but using rice and chicken. I made a lot, but there wasn't anything for leftovers for tonight.... :D

by captbilly1eye

The idea of 'em is that you'll have left-overs.
How come I never do?

Another popular combo 'round here is mac., cheese, and weiners.

[oink]

by jdclyde

I am definitely going to have to make some different bean meals. I would think that would be good for dear camp next week.

B-)

by captbilly1eye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dm9rN6oTs
I laughed 'til I cried when I first saw that scene at the theater.

I love a big bowl of baked beans with chunks of bacon in it with molasses and brown sugar!
Hot or cold... doesn't matter.

Then...
give me some deviled eggs, a burger with onions and a few beers to wash it all down... and you better make sure you're in the next county a few hours later!
:D

by bfilmfan

I made this the other night for my extended family and I don't know who was fighting over thirds more, the kids who had never tasted Big John's Beans or their parents who remembered them:

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/511/BigJohns_Beans_N_Fixins42599.shtml

That is a really good camp dish as you really don't need to refigerate the "fixins," just mix them all together and wait about 30 minutes is all.

Mix it with some ground beef and it makes a good chili too.

by ic-it

Do a Google check for Omelettes in a freezer bag.
It also works grat when there are a handful of visitors.
Basically you use 1 quart freezer bags with a sealable top.
Write each guests name on the bag.
Crack two eggs into each one.
Layout the extra ingredients i.e. ham, onions, peppers, etc in small bowls or plates.
Let each guest add their mix to the bags and gently squeeze out any air.
Refrigerate (or toss into the cooler) until you are ready to prepare breakfast.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil.
Place the bags in the water for 8 - 14 minutes (depends on the number of bags, but basically until the eggs are not runny.
Use tongs to remove the bags.
Slice the tops off and roll your omelette onto your plate.
In the woods you could just use the bag as a serving container.

by tony hopkinson

Bag of mixed salad leaves, may be a bit of onion, and other bits and pieces

Dice lean bacon quick whiz round the wok or frying pan, into the salad, toss adding favourite dressing.

Jazz it up a bit by throwing some mild chopped chillies in with the bacon.

Ten minutes, if you tidy up and dice the bacon the night before.

Salty bacon goes with greens real well, and it's not going to turn them all in to chubbies.

by jamesrl

Spinach
Bacon
Chopped egg
Croutons
red onion(optional)
Cesear/Ranch dressing

James

by jdclyde

I will be taking that to mums for Christmas dinner. B-)

I normally make a shrimp platter, but it might be time for a change.

by rob miners

also use a french onion soup mix or one of your preference. Just mix it with the sour cream. We normally have a cottage loaf with every BBQ. It won't be long till Christmas it gets sooner every year. ;)

< typo >

by jdclyde

I have seen powder ranch dressing available, but never looked for powdered soup mixes...

Will have to pay attention to that next time I am at the store (which will be tomorrow).

by jdclyde

Will probably do a test run of whatever I decide, this weekend. Never turns out quite right the first time, ya know?

Still hoping for more ideas though... :D Leftover ideas will be for dear camp, thanksgiving, and christmas. B-)

by shasca

Thats what makes it fun. Eating the mistakes. then trying again. Some of my favorites personal dishes are (whooops')

by jdclyde

Wasn't aware there were so many bean luv'ers around here! B-)

by cmiller5400

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms:

A Large Portobello Mushroom for each person.
1-2 Cloves of Garlic smashed and chopped
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Butter/Margarine
Pesto
sliced mozzarella
kaiser rolls

Clean mushroom with a damp papertowel.
Cut mushroom stem off and brush olive oil over entire mushroom. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the mushroom fin side down for 5-6 minutes. Flip. Add a touch more olive oil, a pat of butter, and smashed garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add a heaping tablespoon of pesto to cover the fin side of the mushroom (IMHO, the more the merrier :) ) Cook until the mushroom is tender. Add a slice of mozzarella on the top and serve in a kaiser roll. YUM!!

by jdclyde

grilling recipes after grilling season has ended? :0

by cmiller5400

I grill year round. Just like the post office, Rain, Sleet or Snow, I grill. I have an umbrella setup so that I can cook outside without getting wet; if the rain is horizontal it doesn't do much good though :0

Edit: Damn emoticons...

by delbertpgh

Fattening, though. A slice of tortilla is maybe 400 calories, if it's not too big.

If Southern culture had discovered the olive oil/potato/egg omlette, their men would be fatter and dying even younger than they already are.

A wedge of cold tortilla is great for breakfast with coffee, or for an evening snack with wine. The Spanish don't start eating dinner until 10 or 11 PM, so their cuisine is full of substantial hors d'ouvres that you eat around 6. It's a party culture, and a great place to be a young person.

by Member 25348569

Little dishes of stuff, salad, fish, vegetable or meat washed down with cold, cold San Miguel or a glass of Rioja.

Sardinas a la plancha...

:D

by larryd4

Its quick, its easy, its oh so good, and its bad for you ;)

feed 3 to 4
3 baking potates, about 2 pounds
1 and half cups of heavy cream
half to three quarters of a cup of milk.
Garlic 4 cloves
ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
Montery Jack cheese or whtever you like

Take your potates and slice them thinly, you can use food processor, slicer, or hand cut.

Put them in a quart size pot and add the cream, milk, 3 of the garlic cloves crushed, dash of nutmeg, and dash of salt and pepper.

Bring the whole thing to a simmer and simmer for about ten minnutes or until things start to soften.

Mean while get out a baking dish, cut the last clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side all over the baking dish. Then coat sides with butter.

Pour the mixture in pot in to baking dish, be sure to submerge the potato, by pusing down.

Layer a generous portion of your cheese on top and bake for an hour uncovered at 400 degrees.

Results the creamiest yummiest potato graten ever!

by jdclyde

having twin boys, I would have to double that recipe... ;\

Mmmmm, add in some broccoli....

by Member 25348569

Except the French don't add the cheese.

Whenever I've cooked it, I've layered the potatoes into a buttered dish salting each layer as I go, added the cream up to just below the top layer, lots of butter on top and then straight in the oven.

It is bloody good but you can feel your arteries narrowing as you eat...

:D

by larryd4

I put a really thin layer of sweet potato in their once and it came out great.

by larryd4

This thread alone makes me realize we could put together a TR Member Cookbook.

Of course available as a free PDF download!

Who would want to figure out those percentages if TR tried to sell it! :)

Someone kick Sonya and see if we can have an online version. I have plenty of one pot wonders for the single IT type. ;)

by jdclyde

If you get the recipe from another cook book or off a website, (at least in the US) I think that is illegal.

For our personal use though..... I like to come here for ideas because you get ideas from other cultures.

by Member 25348569

And then add "cheese" to them...

:p

OK, so Monterey Jack isn't completely disgusting but I'm hoping that Barack Obama will do something about your "American Cheese".

by tig2

In hopes of putting together a cookbook that I could sell as a
fund raiser for the 3 Day. JD got more recipes in this thread
than I did. So I'm stealing them.

I have some great smoothie recipes. It's the first part of the
recipe that makes people not want to try them though.
"First, walk twenty miles..."

by jdclyde

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=8&threadID=188382&start=0
Need asian recipe 01/23/2006

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=257702&start=0
TR's Cooking Club 03/16/2008

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=8&threadID=185016&start=0
What's your favorite Christmas food?

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=242805&start=0
My very favourite food recipe... and a 3 Day fund raiser

I know I had another one out there when I was looking for a low cal option for a Christmas party, but you know how TR search is......

by jdclyde

mild is like byting into butter...... :0

by cmiller5400

I haven't found a cheddar that was too sharp yet. The sharper the better.

by jdclyde

ThingOne now likes to go into the specialty cheese section and pick something randomly to try.

mmmmmmm, cheeeeezzzzeeeeee.

by jdclyde

it is to hard to get a grill up to the correct temp to do a proper job of grilling here in the winter.

by jdclyde

I am going up north to prepare the cabin for dear season, so it would be a perfect time to give that a shot.

Will let you know how it works out.

by ic-it

close friend did during a sleep over (for his girls and their friends). Claimed it turned out great.
One caution; don't use the non-freezer type ziplocks, apparently the sandwich bag types can start to soften and melt in the 190 degree range.

by shellbot

My granny used to make the most awesome homeade baked beans with bits of weiner in them (and molasses and brown sugar!!
And my mom made the best deviled eggs..

I remeber one year at a family bbq i ate large amounts of both..not pretty ]:)

by jdclyde

And was going to ask how long you have been excited by flatulating cowboys..... ;\

by willcomp

This is an easy recipe that goes well with pork and poultry. It's a departure from the pot luck norm and very good.

Pineapple Casserole

2 cans (15 oz) pineapple tidbits
1 cup sugar
5 Tb SR flour
1 cup shredded Velveeta cheese
1 stick melted butter
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1 can (6 oz) pineapple juice
8? x 8? baking dish

Butter baking dish
Pour tidbits in dish
Mix sugar and flour, pour over pineapple
Spread cheese on top
Sprinkle crushed crackers on top of cheese
Pour can of pineapple juice over
Pour melted butter over
Stir slightly
Bake in 375? oven for 30 min or until bubbly and lightly browned

Pineapple tidbits are a size between chunks and crushed and are available in most larger grocery stores including Wal-Mart.

by jdclyde

And is this something you eat with a spoon, or does it "set up" to be cutable?

Something to stand out is what I am looking for, and this might be the winner! B-)

Gunna have to make it this weekend and find out. Heck, might make it tonight. ;\

Thanks.

hmmm, have you ever actually tried to shred velveta? It is so soft. Half freeze it first?

by willcomp

But it does fine cool as well. Not cold though, it would be too "sticky" and hard to serve with cold cheese.

I haven't tried, but don't see why Cheddar (mild or medium) wouldn't work as well. Edam or Colby would probably work also. Sharp Cheddar may be a bit too hard.

by jdclyde

or "won't"? :0

It doesn't taste as good as real cheese, but it is a lot easier to work with because it melts easily.

Cheese in a box does sound as strange as meat in a can..... ;\

by jdclyde

[i]"2 cans (15 oz) pineapple tidbits"[/i]

Is that two 15 oz cans, or 2 cans that give you 15 oz?

Made this, and it was very soupy. Was good, but soupy.

Is it suppose to set up more? This is one I would like to try again, and use in a future dinner.

ThingTwo was taken by surprise. Looking at it, he thought it was potatoes and cheese.... :D He liked though.

by willcomp

I had been having problems with casserole being too dry and added the 6 oz can of pineapple juice to original recipe. Just back off on the extra pineapple juice until you get the desired consistency.

It may depend on brand of tidbits used -- I use Dole. Some may have more liquid.

Should not be soupy, but not too dry either.

Also, you can add some cooking time if it's too moist.

by Member 25348569

I've read that Velveeta is processed to be structured differently to other cheeses so that it can melt easily. What else have they put in it? No WAY am I eating that...

I can't get past (fresh grated) Parmesan to stick on top of stuff - expensive but the taste is so different. I'm a real traditionalist so Mozzarella goes on my pizza and Davidstow Cheddar in my sandwiches.

Tonight I'm having spaghetti with a sauce of olive oil, anchovies, garlic and tomatoes and there will be a heap of Parmesan on it.

:D

by jamesrl

Ok, I actually don't like it. But it reminds me of when I was a child and Kraft Canada would sponsor TV shows, and have recipes demo'd during the commerical breaks. They of course highlighted Kraft products and Velveeta was in many of them.

Velveeta has lots of additionalm ingredients, both as preservatives and to make it melt easier.

James

by notsochiguy

If you have a crock pot (for a few cans of chili) and have the space to set it at the location, this could be an option.

You'd just need to boil up the potatoes and load them into an insulated cooler or a large container lined with foil for the transport.

Provide a couple of bags of shredded cheese, some chives, some bacon bits, some sour cream, and let the families do the rest.

I did this once for a baseball banquet (about 1/2 as many people as you're expecting, though), and it went over really well.

by jdclyde

We like spinach, a lot.

Heck, we even use raw spinach for our salads. Sure, your Number2 is green for a day or so, but wtf, right? :D

by jdclyde

and when I hollow them out, just won't leave as much bread as normal, so will not be a reason to tear the bowls.

Got to keep the line moving, ya know? B-)

Took half the day off, so I will have plenty of time to make this and get it out. Will probably wrap the bread in aluminum foil to help hold in the heat, and then peal it back when it is time to serve.

Now, I need to go through and see what kind of serving dishes I have.

Is there a unit of measure, and a language that is NOT included on the label in Canada?

by jamesrl

We've been metric since the late 70s.

I do recall the protests in the early 80s, the gas vendors who complained about going metric. It still cost the same to fil the tank though....

Some imported foods seemed to have missed inspections and don't have french on the labels. Doesn't bother me.

James

by jdclyde

but they didn't have 15 oz cans, so I used a 20 and an 8, so was actually under for total pineapple tids.

Will try it without the can of juice next time. I had expected it to be about the consistency of a cobbler?

Hmmm, throw some whipped cream on top would be good....

I had thrown it back in for an extra 5 minutes, and then waited to see if it would set up or not.

The big question, what will it be like when I get home tonight and warm it back up? A lot left because I made both this and the cottage loaf.

by willcomp

It reheats well - either oven or microzapper.

I should have warned you that an 8 x 8 casserole serves 12 or so.

by jdclyde

about if it will have thickened up or not.

And yeah, that 12 serving thing might have come in handy...... ;\

by willcomp

It will be much thicker when cold :)

Should thicken some when reheated but not a lot.

From the repeated questions, must have been a success of sorts. It is definitely not run of the mill fare that you find at every pot luck dinner.

I cook for church functions and small gatherings (less than 20) regularly -- complete meal prep, not covered dish. Pineapple casserole is the most requested side dish because folks like it and it's different fare.

by rob miners

of a few off the top of the head. I don't know what is available in your supermarkets but over here there is always a Packet Soup section with various makers brands. You arn't limited to pactets either as you can also use tinned soup in place of the sour cream. Did I say that it is versatile.

Chicken and noodles

Chicken and sweet corn

Tomato

Beef and vegetables

Experiment and Enjoy

This discussion is closed to new replies.