Creamy Cucumbers

When I grill I either like to have sides that can be put on the grill at the same time, or are prepared earlier in the day. This recipe is a Creamy Cucumber Salad that NEEDS to be made at least 4 hours earlier so it can marinade. It is so simple to make Little Chef D was a little bored making it herself! The first step is to mince the onion and slice cucumber. Half your cucumber lengthwise and then cut it thinly across. Little Chef D did not want to do this task today so I helped her out. She ...

Fried Rice

  I'm Co-Hosting The Cure for the Common Monday. Link up here. Come back on Thursday for Five Little Chef's very own first linky party and a fabulous giveaway! Many times I plan the meat but not the sides for dinner. Fried Rice is one of our favorite go to sides. We always have the ingredients and the Little Chefs eat it without complaints. The recipe is better if you cook the rice earlier in the day so it has time to cool in the refrigerator. But often times I am not that ahead of ...

Southern Baked Beans

    Last summer we went to my Aunt's ranch for a mini family reunion. One night we had a catered dinner where we ate some very delicious beans. My mom has tried duplicating the recipe. Paula Deen's Southern Baked Beans does not have all the same elements as the ones we loved, but we thought it looked great to give a try. The ingredients are very simple. Little Chef D diced the onion with our Vidalia Chop Wizard. I love how fast this tool is, but it is not very easy for her to use. I ...

Refried Beans

Refried Beans is a staple in our home. I learned how to make them from my sisters in law, but  there is something they do that makes them taste better then mine. Robert Irvine has a refried bean recipe Little Chef C wanted to try. She got the full approval of Little Chef A who 'felt like having bean burritos tonight!' Little Chef A was more then willing to start the beans while Little Chef C was still at her play date. The beans were rinsed then dumped in the boiling water for 15 minutes.  ...

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  Are potatoes a staple in your home? They sure are in mine including; Bacon and Pancetta Potatoes, Market Street Au Gratin Potatoes and Pommes Anna. Why? Potatoes are cheap and versatile. We are always willing to try a different potato recipe. Paula Deen has a great recipe to try, Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Peeling potatoes is an amusing event in our home. Little Chef D picked out the potatoes. She lined them all up next to each other and said, "The baby one is so cute. I want to do the ...

Broccoli Florets with Olive Oil

  For our easy Sunday dinner we we already having Beef Stroganoff that had been cooking all day in the crockpot. We were trying to decide what sides to have, a weak part of our menu planning. We picked up some broccoli the other day! Our next task was to find a recipe using broccoli. The catch was we needed to have all the other ingredients. No shopping today. We found a Giada recipe, Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, that Little Chef A thought would be good to try. We did not ...

Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Mustard Sauce

Five Little Chefs - Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Mustard Sauce Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Mustard Sauce was a request from Little Chef A. She came home from school recently and said most of the kids in her class hate brussels sprouts. "I don't know if I like them or not. I haven't tried them." I was impressed with her indecision because of her lack of knowledge. We were going to need to do something about that! Little Chef C found in her Impossible To Easy cookbook by Robert Irvine ...

Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

Five Little Chefs - Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles Little Chef D did a wonderful job cutting off the ends of the beans. She used a steak knife because that is all she is able to use safely. She HAD to cut both ends off!  While she was cutting she said, "Excellent, excellent I love it!" This was our first time blanching. All the Little Chefs gathered around as I explained blanching is only partially cooking the beans and then we take them out and put them in an ice bath to stop the ...

Market Street Au Gratin Potatoes

Five Little Chefs - Market Street Au Gratin Potatoes This was the first time Little Chef C peeled the potatoes without having one drop into the sink! We both were very excited! We have used the mandolin many time to slice potatoes. It works with limited success. This time I had a different idea for cutting, the food processor! Little Chef C had a great time dropping the potatoes into the hole and watching them shoot out the bottom into the bowl. She also grated the cheese in the same ...

Basil Chive Red Potato Mash

Five Little Chefs - Basil Chive Red Potato Mash   We were SO excited to find out we were featured today at The Lady Behind The Curtain for our Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn experience! The Little Chefs were watching a cooking show and saw red potatoes. They were very curious about them.They have eaten them before, but then I realized I was doing the cooking and they did not realize what they were eating. We went shopping and brought home some red potatoes. We found Basil Chive Red ...

Vegetarian Skillet Chili

Five Little Chefs - Vegetarian Skillet Chili After reading the ingredients I thought this was going to be an interesting meal. I wasn't sure how this could be a chili, but we were soon to find out.   Little Chef C peeled the sweet potato. It never fails, every time we peel a potato something drops in the garbage! This time it was the peeler! That was a first! Little Chef D used the chopper for the onions and zucchini. My first thought was go ahead but I don't think you will ...

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Five Little Chefs - Southwestern Black Bean Salad   We have been browsing other food blogs and came across Skinnytaste.com. We love food blogs because they have pictures of the final product which is how my Little Chefs choose their recipes like Southwestern Black Bean Salad.  The ingredients are very familiar so I knew we would not have a problem that way.   It was pretty difficult for Little Chef C to use this juicer for the lime. She tried squeezing the two handles together ...