You may think they’re unnecessary or even a waste of time and money. Say what you will about side dishes, but they can carry a meal. Side dishes are important to entertaining as they provide guests with a variety of tastes that compliment the main dish. They can inspire, entertain, and introduce your guests to a new flavor. Below we’ve outlined a few side dishes to turn it up a notch, easy to pair with almost any main dish and sure to please the crowd.
Mashed Potato Souffle
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Farmstead Bacon
- 2 pounds potatoes (any kind)
- 1 cup half and half
- 8 Farmstead Eggs
- 8 ounces Farmstead Emmentaler Cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook Farmstead Bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard drippings.
- Boil your potatoes in a large pot with one tablespoon of salt, until potatoes are soft. Drain, then spread onto a baking sheet to dry. Either use a ricer or a fork to mash potatoes in a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk half and half with Farmstead Egg yolks, add a teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Add Farmstead Bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of Farmstead Emmentaler. Pour over potatoes, then combine.
- Use the Farmstead Egg whites to beat into soft peaks, then fold into potato mixture.
- Pour into baking dish, add remaining Farmstead Emmentaler, then bake for around an hour. Serve warm.
Cheesy Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup Fair Oaks Farms Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 3 cups shredded Farmstead Havarti Habanero
- 10 slices Farmstead Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- salt and pepper
- chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix cream cheese, Fair Oaks Farms Whole Milk, heavy cream, flour, paprika, and garlic powder, until evenly combined.
- Fold in corn, 2 1/2 cups of Farmstead Havarti Habanero, and Farmstead Bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining Farmstead Havarti Habanero on top to taste, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle chives on top and serve.
French Onion Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 8 ounces shredded Farmstead Lacy Swiss Cheese
- 1 envelope onion soup mix, prepared according to package instructions for soup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange sliced bread on baking sheet and bake until bread is dry and crispy.
- Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Use cooking spray to line baking dish.
- Place half of the sliced bread on baking dish, sprinkle with Farmstead Lacy Swiss then place the second slice on each bottom slice. Pour onion soup mix over bread, then sprinkle with more Farmstead Lacy Swiss.
- Bake around 30 minutes, or until soup has been absorbed and cheese is golden.
Cheesy Mushroom & Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Farmstead Butter, and more for lining baking dish
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
- 2 cups shredded Farmstead Calico Cheese
- 3 cups cooked rice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line casserole dish with Farmstead Butter.
- Over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons Farmstead Butter and flour to create a roux, until medium-beige in color. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, stock, broccoli, 1 cup of Farmstead Calico, and rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour into baking dish, sprinkle remaining Farmstead Calico on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.