Not quite a cook out without sides

I think my husband and his male friends would be perfectly content with the a few racks of ribs at a BBQ. But it is not quite the same for me without the potato salad, baked beans, and such. Here are a few recipes I got from Cuisine at Home to spice up your cook out.

Bourbon Beans


Saute 3 strips bacon, diced, until crisp
Add 1 cup diced onion and cook until soft
Off heat, deglaze the skillet with 1/4 cup bourbon. Simmer til bourbon nearly evaporated
Stir in:
2 cans red bean, drained and rinsed (15 oz. each)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes.

This is one of the best homemade baked beans I have ever had. The bourbon is subtle, keeping your guests guessing what's so special about your baked beans.

Potato Salad

Boil 12-15 minutes:
1.5 lbs. white potato, cubed
2 large eggs.

Drain the potato and let the eggs cool.
Toss the potato with 1/4 cup pickle juice and let cool to room temp.
Peel, chop, and add the egg to the potato.
In a separate bowl combine:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped sweet gherkins
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over the potato and stir gently to coat. Serve salad chilled.

Deviled Eggs


There are a few tricks to making deviled eggs.
1) Use 7-8 day old eggs, they peel a lot easier that fresh eggs.
2) The night before making these eggs, put your egg carton on it side so that the yolk gets moved to the center, making your deviled eggs look more even and pretty.

Put 12 eggs in a saucepan covered with cold water. Bring eggs to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, turn off heat, cover pan, and let stand for 12 minutes. This will ensure your yolk is cooked just right, not too runny and not to turn blueish from over cooking. Run cold water in the pan, then peel and halve lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the yolks, set whites aside.

Mash yolk with:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. each pickle juice, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar.
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into egg white halves.

Grilled Vegetables
While your grill is hot, why not throw some vegetable on there and have yourself some healthy sides? It's so simple and really enhances the flavor while keeping in all the juices. Toss them in oil, salt, and pepper before throwing them on the grill.

Green beans: grill over direct high heat for 3-5 minutes
Sweet potatoes: peel and slice into 1/2" wedges, grill over direct medium heat, turning often, 15-20 minutes
Summer squash or regular zucchini: Bias-slice into 1/2" planks. Grill over direct high heat 5-7 minutes.
Whole baby zucchini: Grill over direct high heat for 7-10 minutes
You can also grill other varieties of vegetables, such as asparagus, corn, peppers, tomatoes, onions, ect.

These sides go great with ribs, BBQ chicken, or even just burger and hot dogs. They really make any gathering so much more filling and festive. Enjoy!