Whether you are planning a meal for a special holiday or just for family and friends, keep in mind the importance of the side dishes you serve.
Asparagus can add a healthy and gourmet touch to any meal. When I was growing up, we never had asparagus. In fact, I had never tasted asparagus until many years later, and, to be honest, I really didn’t put it on my list of favorite vegetables.
Several years ago while teaching cooking classes, I found a recipe for an asparagus casserole that I decided to add to the class menu. I can’t remember where I got the recipe, but it quickly became a favorite with the class members and with me. I think it is the white sauce made with cream cheese that adds the memorable flavor. An extra bonus is that it is so easy to make.
When buying fresh asparagus, I like the small stems because they are more tender. If you buy the larger stems, it might be necessary to remove the tougher portions. You can do this by holding each stem in your hands and bending them until they break. The tougher part is usually the lower part. Discard these.
Another interesting side dish is a green bean casserole that my boss and friend, Frances Allen, shared with me when I worked as an accountant at a John Deere dealership. The Mayan salt gives this dish a wonderful flavor. You will probably think that there is an error in the amount of flour called for in this recipe, but the cup of flour is correct.
Once you have tasted these side dishes, I think you will want to serve them often.
CREAMY ASPARAGUS BAKE
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
Salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese
1 pound fresh asparagus, cooked and drained
1/2 cup bread crumbs (best if buttered)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a white sauce by melting butter and blending in the flour, salt, milk and lemon juice. Then blend in cream cheese. Put asparagus into a buttered casserole dish and pour sauce over it. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. If needed, brown crumbs under broiler.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
3 cans French-style green beans
1 1/2 tablespoons bacon grease
2 teaspoons dill seed
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
9 tablespoons grated onions
2 teaspoons black pepper
Dash Tabasco sauce
Large pinch Mayan salt
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
Buttered bread crumbs
Drain juice from beans. Set aside beans. Add grease and dill seed to juice. Simmer for 45 minutes. Pour over beans and marinate overnight.
In medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Add juice from beans and cook until thick. Add onions, black pepper, Tabasco sauce, Mayan salt and water chestnuts. Add to beans, pour in casserole dish and top with crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont has won more than 30 national cooking awards and written several cookbooks, including, “Simply Southern and More.” Write her at prudencehilburn@aol.com or visit www.prudencehilburn.com.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HILBURN: No matter the occasion, side dishes are important