Sides for the holiday

This column has been put off for two weeks now and with the Fourth of July coming up this week I feel like maybe I should have done something about a holiday dessert or grilling but we all need side dishes to go along with the main course and before the dessert right?

Side dishes are actually one of my favorites. My family sometimes thinks I am a bit of an oddity when it comes to my taste in food. You see, they are mostly meat and potatoes kind of folks and while I can chow down on fries and a grilled hamburger like anyone else, I do tend to gravitate toward the side dishes.

I often make a meal, with perfectly good grilled meat but end up eating seconds of the vegetables or the pasta. I blame my mother, who can make a meal out of a bowl of rice with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a bit of salt and pepper.

Side dishes of course by name and nature are supposed to be just what you have "on the side" but you can put just as much effort and love into those as the main dish.

A really good pasta salad for example, is something I can eat as just a meal in itself or even a good potato salad.

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Here are a few favorites I have run across over the years that end up being what I get seconds of. For those of you who are the meat and potatoes type I have included potato recipes.

I have made this dish for years, I probably got it off the back of a packet of ranch dressing mix or from a magazine about 14 years ago and have since modified it to suit my tastes so I can't take all the credit for the recipe. All of the optional items are things I've added over the years to the dish.

Ranch Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes, quartered (red or white both work great or do a mix of both)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 packet dry ranch salad dressing mix

cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

cup chopped red onion (optional)

4 slices of bacon chopped and cooked (optional)

Heat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a 1-gallon size food storage bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat. Add salad dressing mix, Parmesan cheese and onions. Toss again until coated. Sometimes to add more flavor, I'll toss in a cup of chopped red onion. Bake in an ungreased baking pan for 30 to 35 minutes, or until potatoes are brown and crisp. Add the bacon at the very end to add that kick of extra flavor.

This is one my mom always made when we grilled, since it is grilling season and would make a great side dish for those doing steak for the upcoming holiday, I thought I would include this recipe. Maybe you've even had them or at least something similar before.

Potato Packets

3-4 medium potatoes

1 medium onion

2 slices bacon

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Wash and cube potatoes, chop onion, chop bacon, add garlic salt and cayenne, place on heavy foil add a single tablespoon of butter to each packet and seal foil. Place in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or on your grill.

This next side dish is a blend of a couple of different stuffed squash recipes. I had a difficult time finding a certain type of squash that went in one recipe so I "tinkered" with the recipe and found another recipe that sounded good and blended them together. I made this version several years ago as a side dish for Thanksgiving and my family loved it. I know it is a bit of trouble to make and is why it isn't in my set of regularly made recipes.

Stuffed Squash with Shrimp

1 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp

4 large yellow squash

1/3 cup minced onion

4 green onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

3/4 cup soft breadcrumbs, divided

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan choose

Peel shrimp, and devein, if needed. Set aside. Cut the "necks" off the squash and dice. Bring squash and water (just enough to cover) to a boil in a Dutch oven; boil about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut in half lengthwise; remove seeds, and discard. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shells; chop up the pulp, and set shells aside. Saut the diced squash necks, onions and garlic in hot bacon drippings 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in squash pulp, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, and Creole seasoning; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stuff mixture evenly into squash shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and cheese. Place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 375 deg for 15 to 20 minutes.