Corn Casserole for a Crowd

Corn casserole, corn pudding, whatever you call it, it's a staple in our house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Trust me, you'll love this corn casserole recipe because it's so easy to make-- pour, stir, bake. It's all in one pan!

Seasons come and go, but one thing that stays the same in my family is corn casserole. It’s a treat during the holidays, but it’s also a perfect duplicate for a delicious end-of-meal bite served at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Jose Peppers, so we make it year-round. Sometimes called corn pudding, this corn casserole is beyond easy to make– seriously, you dump, stir, and bake… the end. That’s why it’s a staple in our house, because there’s no hassle!

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Cracker Barrel Fried Apples (In the Slow Cooker!)

In the fall, nothing beats fried apples like the ones you get from Cracker Barrel. Luckily, they're incredibly easy to make in your slow cooker! These slow cooker fried apples are perfect for serving at a fall party or enjoying with a warm winter's meal. Perfect side dish for comfort food! | crock pot | baked apples | cinnamon apple | slow cooker side |

There’s just something special about going to Cracker Barrel for lunch. No, it’s not the checkers outside or the store in the front of the restaurant. It has to be the epic side dishes you can get with your meal. It never fails… my order is the same every time I go there. Chicken and dumplings with fried apples, mac and cheese, and the hashbrown casserole. For the longest time, Cracker Barrel was my choice because I couldn’t get those darn apples anywhere else. Want to know a secret, though? I learned how to make a spot-on copycat so I don’t have to drive quite as far for that heavenly cinnamon apple goodness… without further ado, here’s how to make Cracker Barrel Style Fried Apples (in your slow cooker!)

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Pulled Pork Pasta Salad

Okay, I've got your perfect Tailgating recipe right here. Trust me, if you have a tailgate party or a homegate party, this is the pasta salad to make. It's got pulled pork in it, in honor of the Capital of Barbecue, Kansas City. Tender pulled pork adds flavor to these perfectly cooked noodles in a pasta salad that's packed with flavor. Don't need a tailgating recipe? This is great all summer and fall long! | 4th of July recipe | Labor Day recipe | Picnic recipe |

Tailgating season is upon us. Here in Kansas City, that means barbecue season. I mean, a Chiefs game, a Sporting KC game, they’re just not the same without some delicious shredded pork, drizzled with Kansas City style barbecue sauce, and slapped on a bun… thinking about the fall, tailgating season, pulled pork… it makes my mouth water! So when it comes to making the perfect side dish in KC, well, it needs to pair well with barbecue. This pasta salad works because not only does it pair well with barbecue, but it contains delicious, slow cooked pulled pork right there in the recipe. Now, I can’t tell you that this pulled pork pasta salad is a miracle or a lifesaver, but I can tell you that every member of my family went back for a 4th helping, so… well, you do the math.

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Mushroom Noodle Bake

Ever have those nights where you have the perfect main dish planned out, but can't think of a side to go with it? This easy mushroom noodle bake is the perfect side dish for pretty much any meat, or can be served on it's own for a delightful vegetarian casserole. Plus, since it's only got 5 ingredients, it's a great option for throwing together-- fast!

I love a good side dish. You know, those sides that can take an average dinner of chicken breasts thrown on the George Foreman from good to, well, great. I like a side dish that is hearty, that helps stretch a meal (because come on, guys, you have to eat more than just meat, right?) and, most importantly, takes very little time, effort, and crazy ingredients to make. Luckily, this mushroom noodle bake has only 5 ingredients, takes just a few minutes to throw together before popping it in the oven, and pairs well with literally any meat dish. And hey, if you’re not a carnivore, it actually makes a pretty great vegetarian casserole option, too!

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Texas Style Potatoes

Want the perfect potato recipe with only 5 ingredients? You'll love this side dish-- Texas Style Potatoes that can be customized to your taste! If you like shredded hashbrown potatoes, crunchy topping, and sour cream, you'll love this loaded potato recipe.

I LOVE potato recipes. And, from what my pageviews suggest, you guys sure love them, too. After all, you have told me again and again how you love Mississippi Mud Potatoes, a recipe I shared from my family’s recipe box that has been pinned over 100,000 times. But if you’re bored of Mississippi Mud Potatoes, I’ve got another recipe for you that’s also only a few ingredients– and equally delicious. These will make the PERFECT side for Christmas, Thanksgiving, summer cookouts, or even just a weeknight meal because they are so easy and so delicious.

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Just-Like-Freddy’s Fry Sauce and Seasoning

Craving some Freddy's Fry Sauce? Maybe you tasted some fry sauce but aren't close enough to Freddy's Steakburgers to get one, or maybe you're close, but need the Fry Sauce at home because it's SO addicting, but this is the most spot-on recipe for Freddy's Fry Sauce! Made with the same ingredients the restaurant uses, this is as close as you can get at home... and it's SO good, just like at the restaurant! Plus, this steakburger seasoning is perfect on fries, burgers, everything-- it's the perfect seasoning blend for any meal.

Oh, Freddy’s… if you haven’t been to Freddy’s, you are SO missing out. A steakburger and frozen custard chain started in Wichita, Kansas, Freddy’s has great food all around… but there’s one thing that they’re known for. Fry sauce. In fact, the first time my mom and brother went, they didn’t grab fry sauce from the counter, and an employee physically brought them some. My mother, a tried-and-true ketchup hater, was skeptical… but like everyone else, she quickly converted to the “fry sauce is basically tasty, tasty crack” camp. This stuff? It’s irresistible. And because our trips to Freddy’s were becoming all-to-frequent thanks to Fry Sauce, I had to do something… and by something, I mean learn to make it at home. Not only is it the perfect recipe for enjoying with family, but it’s also great for serving at cookouts– you’ll be the star of summer if you make this sauce for your summer party!

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Mississippi Mud Cheesy Potatoes

Mississippi mud cheesy potatoes are the best thing to happen to potatoes, well, ever. These are packed with flavor. Why? They've got cheese, bacon, and delicious potatoes, baked to perfection. Plus, it's gluten free! Perfect for any holiday gathering or pot luck. | family recipe | gluten free recipe | potato recipe | bacon recipe | side dishes for pot lucks |

Note: This is a republication of a post that I shared in March. With the Thanksgiving season upon us, I thought a few of you might want to see it again. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bacon? Check. Cheese? Check. Tons of flavor? Absolutely. See, these are the easiest potatoes I think I’ve ever made, and they’re a hit with everyone. I mean, who doesn’t love cheesy potatoes with bacon?

One of the many recipes that came from the family recipe box, this handwritten recipe with an unknown source simply stated “They’re named for the famous river because they’re LONG on taste and MIGHTY good!” Well, they didn’t disappoint, anyway! Cheesy potatoes get a big punch with this recipe because of the added bacon, the creaminess, and the green onions.

These Mississippi Mud cheesy potatoes only take a few ingredients (5 ingredients or less!) and are delicious for any holiday or family gathering. Plus, gluten free!

Start with some ingredients you may already have– 8 to 10 cups of potatoes, diced, 1 cup of Mayonnaise (the real deal, not salad dressing), about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, a 16 ounce block of cheddar, diced (or the equivalent in shredded cheddar), 1/2 a cup of green onions, chopped, and a package of bacon. You can add half a cup of olives if you’d like to, but why ruin perfectly good potatoes? (Unless you’re an olive fan, in which case, you probably don’t see that as ruining them).

Start by slicing your bacon into pieces. Don’t look at me with that shocked face that I get every time someone sees me do this… you can TOTALLY bacon your bits instead of bitting your bacon. This method gets a lot less grease on your hands because there’s no tearing it up post-fry… if you do the cutting first, your bacon will be in perfect bite sized bits when you’re done. I promise. Just trust me– cutting bacon is NOT bacon blasphemy, no matter what anyone tells you.

Put that in a pan and cook it, trying not to eat too much bacon as the smell fills the air. Seriously, bacon is so hard to resist. That’s why there is bacon everything. While the bacon cooks, start peeling and dicing your potatoes, dicing your cheese, and chopping your green onions.

Delicious! Finish getting your other ingredients chopped and ready.

Mississippi mud cheesy potatoes contain bacon, cheese, green onions, potatoes, and mayonnaise... and that's it! Only 5 ingredients in this recipe. Perfect for holidays or family gatherings, and great for a pot luck gathering. Plus, they're gluten free!

In a 9×13 pan or a 3 quart casserole dish, mix the green onions, cheese, bacon, and potatoes. If you’re adding olives, now is the time to do that, too.

5 ingredients in this cheesy potato dish with bacon, and it's SO good! Great pot luck recipe or family gathering holiday recipe. So delicious!

Toss the ingredients with mayonnaise, coating well. Bake for an hour and a half, or until the potatoes are tender, in a 325 degree oven.

These Mississippi Mud cheesy potatoes are "long on taste and mighty good," according to the woman who passed the recipe down in this family. They're only 5 ingredients and perfect for a pot luck, plus, gluten free!

Enjoy that bubbly, bacon-y, cheesy potato side dish. You could even add in some hamburger meat or chicken and make it a main dish, if you wanted to.

Mississippi Mud Cheesy Potatoes
Serves 10
These 5 ingredient potatoes came from an old family recipe box with the note that they were named after the Mississippi River for being "long on taste and mighty good." It's so easy, it may just become a holiday staple!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
Ingredients
  1. 8-10 Cups potatoes, diced finely
  2. 16 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
  3. 1 Cup mayonnaise (real)
  4. 1 package bacon, cooked and torn into large bits
  5. 1/2 Cup green onions, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a 9x13 pan or 3 quart casserole dish, mix potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions.
  2. Stir in mayonnaise.
  3. Bake at 325 for an hour and a half or until potatoes are tender. Top with additional cheese if desired.
Mama Plus One https://www.mamaplusone.com/
If you’re making this for Thanksgiving and want to know a great way to use up turkey after the holiday, try this delicious Chicken Potato Pot Pie recipe, perfect for those picky eaters who don’t like green stuff in their pot pie! And don’t forget to finish your Thanksgiving meal with Better than Pumpkin Pie Dessert!

If you love the combo of cheese and potatoes, you will want to check out the cheesy potatoes in this Hearty Cheeseburger Soup!

Did you originally see this post on Pinterest with this image? Trust us, it’s still the same recipe! DigitalEraMom.com is now MamaPlusOne.com, and has a whole new look. As we update our whole new look, we’re working hard to update our photos, also. Don’t forget to take time to poke around our site and see what else is new– we think you’ll like what you see!

These mississippi mud potatoes are delicious and easy-- only 5 ingredients and gluten free!

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Quick and Easy Beans and Rice

This quick Beans and Rice takes only minutes to make. It's so delicious and easy-- a great side dish for any meal!

I love easy meals. Anyone who has been reading for long knows a quick and easy meal is definitely the way to my heart! When I was fixing dinner the other night, I took a look and… oh no. No sides. I had nothing to pair with the chicken I had already started boiling! So, I took to the pantry to see just what I had inside… and out of my pantry findings, this very flavorful, very easy beans and rice came to be!

You’re going to start with 4 cups of minute rice, a bag of frozen corn, a can of kidney beans (drained), a can of diced tomatoes (also drained), a finely diced bell pepper, a can of chicken broth, and a package of ranch dressing mix. But here’s the best part: if you don’t have one or more of those ingredients, sub them out! These beans and rice are totally flexible!

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

It seems like every family has it’s staple foods that are a must-have at every big family gathering, like Thanksgiving and Easter. For my family, that was always Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I’m not entirely sure why we call it a salad, because it doesn’t have any of the traditional characteristics of a salad, but we always called it a salad, and it never, ever found it’s place at the dessert table, despite it being oddly dessert-like. No, Strawberry Pretzel Salad’s place was on the main buffet of food, alongside potatoes and deviled eggs and ham.

Over the past few years, I’ve seen similar recipes float by. Some with pineapple, most with more or less cream cheese or Cool Whip, some with powdered sugar instead of granulated, but it seemed that I had no chance at finding THE Strawberry Pretzel Salad I grew up eating. However, after hours of searching through old church cookbooks, I finally found the Strawberry Pretzel Salad that I knew and loved. And now, I’m sharing it with you.

The ingredients are quite simple: Strawberry Jello, Strawberries, Pretzels, and a few others. I’ve found that Philadelphia cream cheese works better than store brands, but that’s a personal preference and you can use what you have on hand. It’s just my preferred brand. When buying the Strawberry Jell-O, make sure you’re buying the 8-serving large box, rather than the small box.

You’re going to start by making the pretzel crust. For those of you who love sweet and salty, this crust is made for you. Start with 3/4 Cup melted butter or margarine, and stir in 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar. Then, crush enough pretzels to make 2 cups (it took me 3-4 cups of whole pretzels to get 2 cups of crushed pretzels) and spread them into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Pour the butter mixture over the crust, making sure the pretzels are coated and packed into the pan.

Just like this!

Bake the crust for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Be sure to let it cool completely before moving on to the filling.

For the filling, you’ll take your package of Philadelphia (8 ounces) and a cup of sugar and cream them together until they’re well combined and a bit fluffy. You can use a beater if you’d like, but a fork will work just fine.

Add in an entire tub of Cool Whip and combine that very well, also.

Spread it over the cooled crust and refrigerate as you prepare the topping.

For step 3, start by boiling 2 cups of water. It will look like… uh… boiling water. In a separate bowl, go ahead and open the package of Strawberry Jell-O.

When your water boils, stir it into the Strawberry Jell-O until the gelatin is dissolved.

Add in 20 ounces of thawed frozen berries. I personally love the pre-sliced Dole strawberries, but they come in a 14 ounce package. You’ll use about 1 1/2 packages, so you’ll have half a package leftover for smoothies later. After adding the berries in, you’re going to stir and wait until the Jell-O mixture is cooled, but not fully set.

Carefully pour it over the cream cheese layer, then refrigerate for several hours until the Jell-O layer is firmly set.

This dessert is just perfect, especially for Easter, because it tastes light and fresh, not too heavy, and has a great sweet-salty consistency, and a bit of crunch from the pretzels. It’s a great choice. But if you serve it, don’t forget, it’s a salad, not a dessert, which means if you over-indulge on the desserts this Easter, well… at least you ate your salad, right?

 

What’s your must-have food for Easter? Let me know in the comments below!

Three Ingredient Soda (or Beer) Bread

For years, I’ve been buying beer bread mix from companies like Tastefully Simple or Wildtree. I’m not going to lie, they’re expensive. But I’ve always been under the impression that they were so much easier than if I were to make it myself. I mean, you can’t exactly get much easier than opening a package and pouring a can of soda in, can you?

Except you can.

http://i.imgur.com/jsA0c.jpg

This bread literally has only three ingredients. Measure, pour your soda in, and bake.

Put some self-rising flour in a bowl and add a little sugar. Then grab your can of choice… because my family does not drink or purchase alcohol at all, we use soda, but you can make this a traditional beer bread if you prefer.

http://i.imgur.com/T8fIs.jpg

This time around, I used a can of Pepsi.

Pour it into the bowl with the self-rising flour mixture.

http://i.imgur.com/qhOV3.jpg

Barely mix it, just until it’s combined, and you get a thick dough.

http://i.imgur.com/HTNvI.jpg

Then, pour it into a greased loaf pan.

http://i.imgur.com/jv1f4.jpg

Bake it, and just about 15 minutes before it’s done, take it out of the oven and spread some margarine on top.

http://i.imgur.com/o4cpL.jpg

Pop that back in the oven for 15 more minutes, and it’ll develop a nice golden brown crust.

http://i.imgur.com/LuNfZ.jpg

This is awesome served warm… and it really goes well with the lasagna soup I posted recently!

This recipe is so easy, and it came to me in a handwritten note in the recipe box. I love that it was such an easy bread and it didn’t require any weird ingredients… three things. That’s it. It’s much cheaper than buying a box mix all the time, and it tastes just as good, if not better. While you’re at it, make up a few loaves to take to friends and neighbors. I know they’ll love it!

Soda/Beer Bread
 
3 cups self rising flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 can beer- room temperature (I substituted Pepsi)
Mix together in bowl, put into greased bread pan. Bake 350 for 55 minutes. Take out and put Oleo (margarine) on top and bake 15 minutes more.