Comfort Food Sides

I can't believe I haven't posted some of the most basic food on this blog in the 15 years I have been blogging, but I have missed a few essentials and I have have been looking at what we eat lately and asking myself, have I ever posted this? I have not posted these three sides ever. We eat the mashed potatoes and green beans with every Sunday dinner type meal I serve. The corn is more of a summery side, best with fresh corn from a local farm.

Basic Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot)

1 1/2 -2 pounds of potatoes of choice (usually for us it is russet)

1/2 cup -3/4 cup whole milk 

(sometimes, like on special meals I have been know to use heavy whipping cream instead.)

3-4 tablespoons of real butter

salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Peel and cut in half your potatoes, placing them directly in the instant pot. When they are ready pour in 1 1/2-2 cups of water. Lock the Instant Pot and cook on Manual for 6 minutes. When finished you can quick release or wait till they have depressurized and pour the water off into a colander. Place the potatoes back in the pot and pour in your milk, add butter, and seasonings. Whip with a hand held mixer till creamy. If more milk is needed add it slowly not to make them soupy. I always add an extra tablespoon of butter on top of finished potatoes to melt. It is not called comfort food for nothing! 

Green Beans

1 pound of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

enough water to cover the beans 

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Place your green beans into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to cook. How long? Now this is where it gets controversial. I like to cook my beans where they are still crisp, but a lot of people want them cooked a lot more than that. So you can cook them as little as 6 minutes or up to 30 minutes. At 30 minutes they will be falling apart but still look like a green bean. Ha! Drain off the water and season with salt pepper, and the butter.

These can also be made in the Instant Pot. Place beans in the IP and cover with water. I set the Instant Pot on Manual for 6 minutes and again some people will want them cooked longer. Drain off water when done and season with salt, pepper, and butter. Serve hot.

Southern Fried Corn

Now if you thought my green beans were controversial, you haven't seen anything yet. My grandmother made this corn and I make it like she made it. I grew up in a southern state of mind. We had southern meals all the way. The food was always fresh from the garden even in the winter because "she put food up." This would have been corn stripped off the cob and flash frozen for the freezer.  I don't grow corn but, I will start with frozen corn. It is the freshest way to get it. 

12 ounces of frozen corn

2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup sugar (A lot of recipes say 1 tablespoon of sugar, but I put 4 tablespoons; which equals 1/4 cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the butter in a 9-inch hot skillet and let it melt. Place the corn in the melted butter and stir till coated. Add salt, pepper, and sugar as desired and cook 15 minutes on simmer. Serve hot.

Comfort food should comfort you and be the foods you love most, and probably grew up eating. I am saddened to see that many people have gotten away from the hot home-cooked meal. A hot meal is comforting. You need a hot meal. 

What is your favorite comfort food?

*Disclaimer: If you have been on a certain diet. Please feel free to substitute; for example: stevia for sugar.  I would never cook this way for a person with a medical condition. I would use appropriate substitutes for the medical condition. I have cooked that way also and will continue to do so.

In Victory,

Sherry