Suggestion for a Starchy Side Dish to Bring to a Dinner Party

Hi Anita,
This recipe for potatoes au gratin is AMAZING -- and impressive. Very simple to make, too, and I have made it the night before an event.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/scallop...

I don't know the recipe for this but my mother in law makes us great butternut squash. I think she just boils it and then when it's done she mashes it up with butter and brown sugar. I think it's pretty easy but I don't cook. You can probably look up the recipe on line.

I AM a foodie and here is our new family favorite.

2 cans Del Monte corn (I don't use store-brand on this one as I like the crispyness of the Del Monte brand

1 can cream of corn (store brand)

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 cup light sour cream

1 stick butter

Melt butter, add everything together. Bake at 350 for two hours, first one covered, second, uncovered.

Delish!

Mashed garlicky sweet potatoes, add fresh herbs, load up with butter, sour cream, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Easy, delish and unexpectedly good. To make it even easier on yourself, slice the potatoes in the food processor, boil the slices for a quicker cook time. strain, and then back into the foor processor to pulse with the rest of the ingredients.

Good luck to you and yours.

What is the main dish? Makes a difference.

This recipie for Yummy Potatoes is easy and perfect for making ahead of time and heating later.
30 oz hashbrown potatoes
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
chives (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (one cube) margarine or butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
top with crushed cornflakes or potato chips
Put grated potatoes in a casserole dish or 9 x 13 cake pan; add grated cheese, chives, seasonings, mix together. Combine butter, soup and sourcream; pour over potatoes and mix well. Top with crushed cornflakes. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Twice baked potato cassarole is pretty easy and always a favorite.
Make mashed potatoes (you DON"T need to peel them for this dish). When you mash them, in addition to the milk and butter, add some sour cream or ranch dressing. Put the potatoes, skin and all, into a cassarole dish. Top with bacon, green onion slices and shredded cheese. I will use a spatula or fork to lightly mix these in (not blended). Cover until ready to cook. When you cook them, you can either bake them at 375 for half hour or so to warm through (uncovered so the cheese gets browned) or you can also broil it on low for 10-15 minutes until warm and browned.

Why doesn't your H make something? :) Maybe Potato Gratin. Look up an easy recipe. You should be able to make it ahead of time and just reheat it at the dinner.

http://busycooks.about.com/od/sidedishrecipes/r/cpapplesq...
That's a link to a slow cooker b-nut squash ans apples dish. yummy.

The Pioneer Woman has fantastic mashed potatoes...make them 2-3 days ahead. Use her reheating instuctions...FAB!

I also recently had a corn casserole like the recipe Charlotte posted here. It was soooooo good!!!

Good luck!

I say go to Walmart and get a lot of the cheese pasta salad. Our Walmart runs out of it within minutes of it being put out. They can't keep it in the store.

I has Rotini pasta, shredded cheese, broccoli, red onions, some sauce, etc...I am not sure if it has other stuff in it or not. It is so good, I can get a pound of it and that will make 2 meals for me alone.

They also have broccoli salad, potato salad in 2-3 different styles, baked beans, etc...there are so many choices. If you need to make it your self to be happy do a pasta salad. It gets made, tastes much better after a day in the fridge, gets carried and then served all straight from the fridge. No reheating or spilling.

I think there are many different options available. When I make one I always get the bacon ranch suddenly salad in a box. Yummy!

Knowing what the main entree is/are going to be would be helpful. But here goes:

Twice baked potatoes
Southwest-style roasted corn
Scalloped Corn
Scalloped Potatoes
Potatoes Au Gratin
Classic Macaroni and Cheese or Gourmet it up with tomato, seasoned bread crumbs, and bacon, or use alternative cheeses such as Asiago, Fontina, Parmesean instead of cheddar. Mushrooms and an alfredo sauce might be an interesting twist also.
Gourmet up white beans, red beans, or black beans with interesting seasonings or sauces. Louisiana (cajun) style red beans and rice is fantastic.

Small twice baked potatoes would be really nice. You will need small Yukon gold potatoes or any other small potatoes. It would be very easy and can be made ahead.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/tiny-twice-baked-potat...

Foodies - I would suggest couscous, rizotto, or maybe a long grained wild rice pilaf.
The rice is probably the easiest of all. If you want to look super awesome and talented, get a couple boxes of Uncle Bens and prepare that, but use chicken broth and throw in some sliced green onions, mushrooms, maybe walnuts or slivered almons. Use the cheat method, but make it your own by adding a few flares.

I have not looked at the other answers, but here is a really easy dish that so many people love. Bake yams in the oven, with the peal on. I have been cooking them at 350 for about an hour and 15 minutes (or more) (one time I forgot them and was out and got home at 1 1/2 hours and they were perfect. Then take them out. Then cut them into slices. Put them in a pan. You can put this in the fridge overnight. The night you will be serving, warm them up, and then take Pecans, put them in a cup with maple syrup. Then pour them over the hams. I just make sure I just brush a little on each yam. You do not need tons of the syrup. As long as the pecans are fully covered with the syrup. Then cook at 350 for about 10 minutes. This is where you can burn the pecans, so you have to stay on it. Keep checking them (start checking at 5 minutes, cause I am not really sure the time since I always just check), and then test one to see if the texture is perfect for the candied pecans. Then you can serve. Good luck.

Pasta dishes are quick and easy; you can choose any of the "simple" pastas and just make a sauce/salsa to go with it. If it's gonna be pretty intimate, I might ask if anybody has any allergies to consider. Otherwise, you might make a couple of sauces. Keep them separate until the party and it'll taste fresher.

Make a tomato sauce with roasted tomatoes (roma or cherry or something flavorful), jalapeno peppers (just enough to flavor, not to heat it up), onion, garlic, salt. All roasted. Grind it up.

You cannot go wrong with this one. Basic ingredients: garlic, sea/kosher salt, olive oil, basil, rosemary, thyme. Mix this up good, and it goes with EVERYTHING--pasta, potatoes, bread, vegetables, meats.... When you have time, prepare enough to store for future use. It's great for an impromptu dish--unexpected company, want to give the husband a treat, you're just feeling like you want "something good to eat". This is my favorite go-to, and my baby loves it, too!

ETA: If you want to impress, don't get a saucy or cheesy finished product from the store. Do not show up with a store-bought tub o' anything. If you don't do it from scratch, at least buy something that you have to mix. Also, don't get anything that you can't break down if someone asks what's in it. Always know your ingredients, and keep the list simple.

Here is one you can try, it looks beautiful and is fairly simple
1 1/2 to 2 lbs sweet potatoes scrubbed
1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
1/4 c. chopped hazelnuts (I used sliced almonds)
2 c. arugula
1/4 c. cider vinegar (again, use what you have)

Preheat oven to 400. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut into wedges. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in preheated oven 15 minutes, toss, then roast 15 minutes more or until tender. (you could do this while getting ready. Sprinkle with chopped garlic and nuts and return to the oven for 5 minutes more or until nits are toasted and garlic is softened. Remove from oven. When you get to your dinner party, you can either reheat in oven or microwave, then place on a platter in a single layer, sprinkle with arugula and vinegar. The colors are beautiful, it's very tasty and healthy!

I say:

- pasta w/shrimp & peas
-mashed potatoes
-twice baked potatoes
-Theres a potato & veggie dish from Barefoot Contessa that is delicious. Just google that. I will post recipe as soon as I find it.

Green Bean casserole -

Scalloped Potatoes (prepare the night before and the day of just throw in the oven ??)

Have fun!