Category: Side Dish

Easy Skillet Cornbread

This skillet cornbread recipe will become your go-to! Bake it up in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet and prepare…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This skillet cornbread recipe will become your go-to! Bake it up in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet and prepare to be amazed.

Skillet Cornbread

A good cornbread recipe is a necessity for the home cook, we’ve found. Cornbread is easy, goes with just about anything and it always, always satisfies. Here’s a favorite of ours: this Skillet Cornbread recipe! It’s great in a cast iron skillet, though you can use any type of oven-safe skillet that’s on hand. Bake it up and it has just the right thickness, moist crumb, and savory sweetness you want in a great cornbread.

What’s in a skillet cornbread recipe?

Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal that has roots in Native American cuisine, as well as the cuisine of the American South. There are many spins on this concept, and whether it’s sweet, savory, thick or thin often depends on the region in the US. This recipe is on the savory side, hinted with just a bit of sweetness.

Often cornbread is baked in a cast-iron skillet, which makes it crispy on the outsides and moist on the inside. Most cornbread recipes have similar ingredients and method. (For this one we were partially inspired by Toni Tipton-Martin’s cookbook Jubilee: which we highly recommend!) Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Yellow cornmeal
  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt
  • Eggs
  • Whole milk
  • Salted butter
Skillet Cornbread Recipe

Use a cast iron skillet, or any oven safe pan

Why is cast iron skillet cornbread so delicious? You can preheat the skillet beforehand, and it becomes very hot to make a deliciously crispy exterior and soft interior. Here are a few notes on the type of skillet:

  • A 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet is preferable, if you have it. Some people like to preheat the skillet for the entire oven preheat time to get the bread even crispier. For our method we do just 5 minutes to melt the butter, but you can preheat longer if you wish.
  • Or, any oven-safe skillet works! Just make sure it’s around 9 to 10-inches in diameter to get the ideal bread thickness.
Cast iron skillet cornbread

Ways to serve this skillet cornbread recipe

Skillet cornbread is one of our favorite easy side dishes, because it goes with just about anything! Here are some toppings and ideas for making it into a meal:

Vegan and gluten free variations

Want to switch it up for dietary restrictions? Try these vegan and gluten-free substitutions:

  • Gluten free skillet cornbread: Substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour.
  • Vegan skillet cornbread: Make our Vegan Cornbread and cook it in a skillet following the recipe below.
Skillet Cornbread

More cornbread recipes

And that’s it! Let us know how you get on in the comments below. And if you’re craving other ideas, try these variations on the theme:

This cast iron skillet cornbread recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, see the recipe below. For vegan, go to Vegan Cornbread.

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Skillet Cornbread

Easy Skillet Cornbread

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 10
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This skillet cornbread recipe will become your go-to! Bake it up in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet and prepare to be amazed.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter (or neutral oil)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk in the eggs and milk until a smooth dough forms.
  3. Place the butter (cut into pieces) in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet. Place it in the oven until the butter melts, about 5 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove the skillet with a hot pad. Brush the melted butter up the sides of the pan. Then pour it into the batter and stir until fully combined. Pour the dough back into the preheated pan.
  5. Bake 20 minutes, until puffed and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then slice into pieces and serve.
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Skillet cornbread, cast iron skillet cornbread, skillet cornbread recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

old-school dinner rolls

I have a serious soft spot for dinner rolls: small, buttery, plush rounds that I have, to this day, never actually eaten with dinner, you know, warmed in a basket. (But I hear it’s great!) At the bakery where I worked in high school, the…

I have a serious soft spot for dinner rolls: small, buttery, plush rounds that I have, to this day, never actually eaten with dinner, you know, warmed in a basket. (But I hear it’s great!) At the bakery where I worked in high school, they’d come out of the oven in a big pan, fully kissingcrusted and that part where you pull two rolls apart and a few feathery filaments of bread that couldn’t decide which roll they’d like to adhere to when separated are absolutely my favorite part. A warm roll, split and spread with salted butter or jam or both was my breakfast so many mornings. When I make them at home these days, I’m equally likely to use them for small egg sandwiches for breakfast, slider rolls for pulled pork, or even alongside a bowl of soup on a chilly day like this.

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Lemon Pasta

This lusciously creamy lemon pasta recipe is the ideal balance of richness and acidity! It’s a comforting meal or stellar…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This lusciously creamy lemon pasta recipe is the ideal balance of richness and acidity! It’s a comforting meal or stellar side dish.

Lemon pasta

Here’s a lusciously creamy pasta that will become the meal of your dreams. Try this Lemon Pasta! It’s rich and silky, with just the right balance of sharp citrus from loads of lemon zest. Don’t consider this a health food or even a healthy spin: it’s here for when you need a properly indulgent bit of pasta. This one is modeled off of a favorite of ours at a fantastic local restaurant and let’s just say: it’ll be tough to put down your fork.

Ingredients in this lemon pasta recipe

This lemon pasta recipe is a mess of citrusy, creamy long noodles smothered in cream, Parmesan and lemon zest. While most of the recipes on this website fit under the umbrella of healthy, this one is all about being just plain amazing. If you prefer a healthy spin, go to Vegan Fettucine Alfredo! For this lemon pasta you’ll need:

  • Pasta: spaghetti or bucatini
  • Milk
  • Heavy cream
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Lemon zest
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
Lemon Pasta Recipe

Use any long noodle (bucatini is best)

You can use any type of long noodle for this lemon pasta recipe. If you have fresh pasta, this would be a great sauce for using it! Of course, it’s much more accessible to use dried long noodles. Here are some options:

  • Bucatini: It’s spaghetti with a hole in it! It lends a deliciously chewy texture to the pasta.
  • Spaghetti: The classic!
  • Linguine: A slightly wider noodle.
  • Fettucine: A flatter and wider noodle.

Of course, this sauce works well with a short noodle as well, if you’re looking for a short pasta! Some ideas: Rigatoni, Penne, Orecchiette and Cavatappi would be great contenders.

How to make lemon pasta: a few tips

This lemon pasta takes just a few minutes to whip up. Here are a few tips to keep in mind during the cooking process:

  • Consider cutting it in half! The recipe below makes 6 to 8 servings, so cut in half if you don’t want leftovers (though they do save well!).
  • Zest the lemons first. You’ll need zest from two lemons, which can take a while. We like using a microplane grater to make quick work.
  • Loosen the sauce with pasta water. Like with many Italian pasta recipes, save a bit of the pasta water after you’ve boiled it: you may need a few splashes to get the sauce to a creamy consistency.
Lemon pasta

Serves a crowd, or works as leftovers

This lemon pasta makes quite a big pot of noodles! You’ll use 1 pound of pasta here, which in our book makes enough for 6 to 8 servings. This might be less than you’re used to when it comes to pasta, but this one is so rich we recommend having smaller servings.

You may want to halve this recipe, or it works great as leftovers! The flavor is still fantastic after 3 days refrigerated. We even ate it cold! You can also reheat it in a skillet with a splash of milk to get it creamy again.

What to serve with lemon pasta

Here’s an important thing about this lemon pasta recipe: how to make it into a meal! The serving size is smaller than you might be used to, because it’s such a rich and fatty pasta. You’ll want to accessorize it with a crisp green salad or some vegetable sides. Here are some ideas:

Lemon pasta

Or, serve it as a simple side dish

Another great way to serve lemon pasta? As a side dish! It works very well with fish or chicken for an elegant meal. Here are a few mains we’d serve it with:

This lemon pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free or legume pasta.

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Lemon pasta

Lemon Pasta

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This lusciously creamy lemon pasta recipe is the ideal balance of richness and acidity! It’s a comforting meal or stellar side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound spaghetti or bucatini pasta*
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • Zest from 2 lemons
  • 5 tablespoons salted butter, sliced
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta (and save the pasta water!): Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set the timer for a few minutes less than the package instructions and then taste: the pasta should be just done, still with some firmness. The pasta should also taste salty from the salted water. Save out ½ cup pasta water using a glass measuring cup for the sauce, then quickly drain the pasta.
  2. Make the sauce: In saucepan, add the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. As it comes to a simmer, grate in the garlic. Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt, zest of 1 lemon, and 4 tablespoons butter and stir for 1 minute. Slowly sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until fully incorporated and the sauce thickens.
  3. Serve: Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Allow to sit 3 minutes. Add the remaining zest of 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon butter. Add a few drizzles of pasta water as necessary until nicely coated. Serve with fresh ground black pepper. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days (reheats nicely in a skillet with a splash of milk).

Notes

*This quantity serves 6 to 8: make sure to cut in half if you’re serving less eaters! Pair with a green salad or veggie side to round it out as a meal.

  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Pasta
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Lemon pasta

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Easy Succotash

This classic Succotash recipe is a great way to infuse vegetables into any meal! It’s a healthy side dish with…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This classic Succotash recipe is a great way to infuse vegetables into any meal! It’s a healthy side dish with a long history.

Succotash

Here’s a delicious veggie-packed dish with a long history: Succotash! Did you know this traditional pairing of corn and beans originated with the native Narragansett people in New England? (We didn’t.) While you might associate it with Southern American cooking, it’s even older than that. It’s a great way to infuse a colorful dose of veggies into any meal: an ideal healthy side dish! Here’s our spin on this classic and how to add it to your mealtime repertoire.

What is succotash?

Succotash is a dish of corn, lima beans and other vegetables that was introduced to American colonists by native Americans in the 1600’s. The Narragansett people in New England ate this dish featuring the “three sisters” or three crops that thrive and grow together: corn, beans, and squash. The colonists put their own spin on this dish, and Americans have been riffing on it ever since.

Succotash is most often associated with Southern cooking, but it’s served all over the US. Every cook has their own spin, like any great recipe from mac and cheese to potato salad! Often you’ll see tomatoes, peppers, onion, okra, or bacon in the dish.

Succotash recipe

Ingredients in a succotash recipe

What ingredients are in succotash? To achieve the name, corn and lima beans must be present. With those, you’ll see all sorts of other ingredients: tomatoes, onion, peppers, zucchini, okra, and often bacon or pork. This spin is a vegetarian succotash, and we’ve amped up the flavorings to get a deliciously savory flavorings evenly distributed throughout. Here’s what you’ll need for this succotash recipe:

  • Onion
  • Corn
  • Lima beans
  • Red pepper
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Seasonings: garlic powder, smoked paprika, sage, parsley, salt and pepper
  • Butter and olive oil, for cooking

Use fresh or frozen veggies

This succotash recipe is so quick and easy using frozen corn and lima beans! Contrary to what you might think, eating frozen veggies are just as nutritious as fresh. So stock up on some frozen corn and lima beans, for any time you need a delicious veggie-packed side dish!

If it’s corn season, succotash is incredibly flavorful with fresh corn! You can cut it off the cob and then use it fresh right in this recipe with the same cook time.

Succotash

A great option as a healthy side dish

Succotash is a side dish rounds out nearly any meal! It has lots of colorful vegetables and plant-based protein. The lima beans infuse 30 grams of protein into the recipe, and one bell pepper has 350% of your daily Vitamin C. We love adding this to any plate…because not only is it full of nutrients: it’s absolutely delicious!

Ways to serve this succotash recipe

This succotash recipe goes with virtually any dish, from vegetarian mains to seafood. Here are some favorite ways to pair it:

Succotash

This succotash recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Succotash

Easy Succotash

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This classic Succotash recipe is a great way to infuse vegetables into any meal! It’s a healthy side dish with a long history.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 white onion, minced
  • 4 cups frozen corn (or fresh corn cut off the cob)
  • 2 cups frozen lima beans
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (or olive oil)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage (about 6 medium leaves), minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, until translucent.
  2. Add the corn, beans, red pepper, tomatoes, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the fresh ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until all vegetables are tender and nearly cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Stir in the salted butter (or olive oil), chopped sage and parsley and cook 1 minute more, until the butter is melted. Taste and add the additional ½ teaspoon salt (or less if desired). Serve warm.
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Succotash, Succotash recipe, what is succotash

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Bang Bang Grilled Corn.

This bang bang grilled corn is delicious! Drizzled with a creamy, sweet and spicy sauce, topped with cotija cheese. So good! It’s finally corn on the cob season! WOOHOO!  There is nothing we love more than a good ear of corn on a hot summer day. This recipe is so easy but adds a ton […]

The post Bang Bang Grilled Corn. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This bang bang grilled corn is delicious! Drizzled with a creamy, sweet and spicy sauce, topped with cotija cheese. So good!

It’s finally corn on the cob season! WOOHOO! 

bang bang grilled corn

There is nothing we love more than a good ear of corn on a hot summer day. This recipe is so easy but adds a ton of flavor and is a fun way to take things over the top! 

Which of course, I have to do. Always.

At least it’s not as trashed up as hot cheetos grilled corn!

corn on the cob with braided husks

Bang bang corn just sounds like a thing, so let’s make it a thing! I promise you’ll be into it. 

bang bang sauce

First, the bang bang sauce! 

We absolutely love this bang bang sauce on so many things. I’ve done bang bang shrimp of course, bang bang cauliflower (tacos AND salad!) and there is a to-die-for bang bang salmon burger in Everyday Dinners too! 

The bang bang sauce is a slightly sweet, spicy creamy drizzle that really plays to your taste buds – it is SO good. It’s not overly spicy (I don’t like a lot of heat, and I love it) and has just the perfect amount of bite.

grilled corn with braided husks

This time of year, we consume so much corn from our local farms. It’s finally PERFECT and will only be this delicious for six weeks or so… maybe eight if we’re lucky. While, sure, we are corn purists most of the time – even eating the kernels fresh from the cob (so crunchy! so sweet!), sometimes it’s fun to switch things up!

grilled corn drizzled with bang bang sauce

This is a great recipe to make if you want a fancyish side dish or are having a BBQ with friends. I grill the corn as I normally do, then drizzle with the bang bang sauce.

Next comes a sprinkle of cotija cheese. We always have it on hand. It’s crumbly, tangy and so savory. A little bit goes a long way!

Then the corn is finished off with a sprinkling of herbs. I prefer cilantro but if you’re in the camp that think cilantro tastes like soap, you can totally do parsley or any other fresh herb you love! 

The herbs add this refreshing flavor that really takes things over the top. (more…)

The post Bang Bang Grilled Corn. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate. I don’t know about you, but we’re always in search of the perfect back pocket salad. You know, the one that’s easy enough to whip up on moments notice? The one that takes little effort but delivers massive flavor? Here’s one that’s on our new favorite back pocket concept: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Apples! It’s simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing. We couldn’t stop eating this one! It’s a riff on some of our other salads, but it might be the best of the lot. Ingredients in this arugula goat cheese salad Goat cheese is one of our favorite ingredients for a salad, because it adds a creamy richness to every bite! Here are the elements that come together to make this salad a symphony of flavor: Goat cheese: Soft goat cheese or chevre is best here, though you can use the pre-packaged crumbles as well Baby arugula: Make […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate.

Goat Cheese Salad

I don’t know about you, but we’re always in search of the perfect back pocket salad. You know, the one that’s easy enough to whip up on moments notice? The one that takes little effort but delivers massive flavor? Here’s one that’s on our new favorite back pocket concept: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Apples! It’s simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing. We couldn’t stop eating this one! It’s a riff on some of our other salads, but it might be the best of the lot.

Ingredients in this arugula goat cheese salad

Goat cheese is one of our favorite ingredients for a salad, because it adds a creamy richness to every bite! Here are the elements that come together to make this salad a symphony of flavor:

  • Goat cheese: Soft goat cheese or chevre is best here, though you can use the pre-packaged crumbles as well
  • Baby arugula: Make sure to get baby arugula; standard arugula is much too spicy
  • Apple: A crisp red apple is best, though you can use a Granny Smith as well
  • Shallot: A shallot is a milder version of a red onion, and completes the flavor
  • Pecans: Substitute in any nut you’d like, or see below on how to step up the flavor
  • Balsamic dressing: This creamy balsamic dressing is our go-to, but you can use others too (see below)
Arugula goat cheese salad

Best salad dressing, and a few alternatives

Our favorite vinaigrette for this goat cheese salad is our Creamy Balsamic Dressing. It’s got just the right sweet tart flavor and creamy, emulsified texture. All you need is balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and olive oil: and it comes together in a breeze! Memorize it and you’ll have a dressing for all of your future salads; it’s our best loved salad dressings in this house!

But looking to mix it up? There are a few other vinaigrettes we love that pair with a goat cheese salad. Here’s what we’d recommend:

Step up the pecans: toast them or glaze them!

Want to make this salad really pop? When we’re making this goat cheese salad with arugula on a weeknight, we use plain nuts. But for entertaining, there are two ways to really make this salad sparkle:

  • Toast the nuts. A quick toast in the oven or in a skillet makes a huge difference: it really brings out the nutty flavor. Try Toasted Pecans, Toasted Walnuts or Toasted Almonds.
  • Glaze the nuts. Even better: make Glazed Pecans! Throw them in a pan with maple syrup and caramelize them: when they dry, they’ll be sweet and crunchy on the outside. Also try Glazed Walnuts.
Balsamic dressing

Variations on this goat cheese salad

There are infinite variations on this goat cheese salad with arugula: just swap in different fruits, veggies, or nuts to make variations of all kinds! Here are a few options:

  • Use different nuts, like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios
  • Make a pear goat cheese salad with sliced pears
  • Make a beet goat cheese salad with roasted beets (it’s easiest with pre-cooked packaged beets from the store, or roast your own)
  • Use berries instead, like blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries
  • Swap fruit for veggies, like carrots (raw or roasted) or roasted sweet potatoes
  • Use different leafy greens, like baby mixed greens, spinach, or shaved Brussels sprouts

You readers always have the best ideas! So let us know the ways you’ve customized this salad.

Goat Cheese Salad

Goat cheese vs cows cheese

Did you know goat cheese is slightly healthier than a standard cow’s cheese, like Parmesan or mozzarella? Here’s a little breakdown on how it compares (source: Prevention):

  • More vitamins and minerals than cow’s cheese. Goat’s milk is richer in essential nutrients than cow’s milk. It has more vitamin A & B, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
  • Slightly less calories than cow’s cheese. Goat cheese has just 75 calories per ounce—less than cow cheeses like mozzarella (85 calories), Swiss (108 calories), and cheddar (115 calories).
  • May be easier to digest. Goat cheese has less lactose than cow’s milk and a slightly different protein structure, so people who are lactose intolerant many times can digest goat cheese.

This goat cheese salad with arugula recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Arugula Goat Cheese Salad

Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate.

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Balsamic Dressing (or Citrus Salad Dressing or Dijon Dressing)
  • 1 crisp apple
  • 1 shallot
  • 5 ounces (8 cups) baby arugula (not standard arugula*)
  • 1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped (toasted or glazed, if desired)
  • 2 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, make the dressing.
  2. Thinly slice the apple and shallot.
  3. Place the greens on a plate. Top with the sliced shallot, apple, pecans, and crumbles of soft goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing and top with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Notes

*Standard arugula has much too spicy of a flavor; look for the small baby arugula leaves like you see in the photo. It comes packaged in the produce section near the greens, or may be available at your local farmer’s market. 

  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Salad
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Arugula goat cheese salad

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes