Am I the only person who gets side-dish ennui? Every night, I face off with the inevitable question: rice, potatoes, or bread? Snooze.
The chicken and the salad give me the sad eyes, lonely on the dinner plate. They need a companion, a little jazz and snazz, something to punch up the interest level at the table. Because things are kind of dull around here, you know? Where’s the flair?*
Except rice, potatoes and bread aren’t really very interesting, are they? They’re filler. The brick foundation. Comforting lumps of solidity that keep your family from howling, one hour after dinner, that they’re starving to death. (actually, this does happen at my house, but only because my children’s eating patterns are eerily similar to locusts)
Sure, sure, I try to sexify the rice with some fresh herbs or maybe a sprinkling of toasted nuts. And the potatoes sometimes get a handful of chopped rosemary, and the bread takes a butter/garlic bath, but still, let’s face it, it’s not riveting stuff.
I am afflicted. I have full-blown side-dish ennui. Can you hear me yawning over here? Boredboredbored.
The other night, I just couldn’t bear the thought of another pile of pilaf. I had some lovely lamb chops marinating, some likable broccoli hanging around, and nothing else I felt like serving. Or eating, for that matter.
Then I remembered this recipe, which I’d spied a few months ago in Cooking Light magazine. Dinner was still an hour and a half away, so I had time to bake up some russet potatoes and give them the spinach/cheese treatment.
I tweaked the recipe just a bit, because I wanted things a little racier, and I was pleased with the results. If you’re feeling veg-head, you can even serve these up as a main course or lovely lunch. Feel free to amp up the spice count or the cheese ratio–I mean hey, nobody ever complained about extra cheese in a dish, right?
If you, too, are suffering from a case of the side-dish burnout, I encourage you to give these a try. And if you have a go-to side dish that doesn’t induce yawns, please (!) share your ideas with me. I need a jolt of inspiration.
Spinach-Stuffed Potatoes
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
serves 4
4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
splash of balsamic vinegar
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 shallot, minced
6 tablespoons crumbled feta or goat cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Prick potatoes with the tines of a fork and bake until done, 45-60 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and shallot and cook about 2 minutes or until softened. Add spinach; cook and stir 2 minutes or until wilted. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar; stir.
Split potatoes open, season with salt and pepper and top with spinach mixture and crumbled feta or goat cheese. I also doused mine with extra balsamic on top, because I’m an odd duck.
*Sorry about the Office Space reference. Actually, scratch that. I’m not sorry. That movie rocks.
**To answer your question, no. The girls did not eat these. The only green things those minxes eat are of the Skittle variety. They got plain old twice-baked spuds, with the American cheese blanket.
I’m creaking my way back in slowwwly this week, still awash in post-weekend laundry and unpacking. I hope you’ll pop in on May 5th, though, because there’s some mischief afoot!! And nope, I didn’t cavort with Wills and Kate, nor did I pull my wicked stealth moves on Bin Laden. But I could have, mind you. I have mad stealth. Mad.
Happy Monday, readers, and I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll take my carbs any way I can get them. With spinach and cheese you say? Sure.
Ennui? Yes. The solution to that? Right here.
YUM.
Hope you had a lovely weekend. I watched the Royal wedding from beginning to end and then I had a very strong craving for wedding cake but an angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries had to suffice. Lovely to see my kid hail a newspaper man from the car window this morning and hand him a dollar for a headline that read DEAD. Thankfully no pictures.
About those potatoes. Synchronicity as well as mischief must be afoot because Cole has become a spinach fiend and I have no idea how to use spinach in anything other than a salad. …so I tonight I will give these potatoes as try–I will just add extra cheese to mine…
Oh my gosh! I am so trying this. Thanks for dangling the veg head potato for me. Who can’t resist a starch decorated in cheese?
Oooooo, I’m going to scrounge in my kitchen for potatoes, garlic and spinach…
Mad stealth? Looking forward to it!
“Side-dish ennui”? That sounds like the kind of glamorous condition that calls for Belgian chocolates and Proseco! Hope you had a good weekend away!
Happy to see you back! I get the side dish ennui sometimes too replace rice with Pasta and we go through the same thing with pasta. Thanks for the excitement!
Blogging means never having to say you’re sorry for making an Office Space joke…EVER. Office Space is gold.
“No, there WAS nothing wrong with it, until I was about 12 years old and that no talent ass-clown became famous and started winning Grammys.”
TKW,
thx for recipe. Try “green rice’ with your many south american or mexican inspired dishes. It’s basically:
Long grain rice (I prefer brown for the starchy comfort)
salt
crapload of cilantro
handfuls of green onions
minced jalapenos
minced garlic
and crapload of lime juice
It’s peppy and you can pretty much add anything you want to it, actually. You could even add arugula i guess.
There’s also my favorite recipe for Lemon-Arugula potato salad. Look it up on the Cooking Light website. No mayo, and full on deliciousness. I make it at least once a month now ,and whenever we have company.
By the way we had that crazy-loco South American corn on the cob the other night, and it’s still a hit. I look forward to summer all year b/c of that stuff!
Siren,
Laughing at your use of “crapload” as a recipe measurement. You are my kind of girl.
That looks really yummy and it has a lot of my favorite things.
Sounds great. This is a must-try.
I am trying to trim the backside, so as luscious as this looks I’m not sure I’ll be trying it anytime soon. Oh…who am I kidding. Like every other time I try to shed a few, I usually give up within a week.
But I’m with on the side dish ennui, particularly since my children won’t eat ANY side dish beyond rice. And carrots. Bah!
Christine,
Your kids eat carrots?! What planet are they from?
I’m a side dish girl. Oh yes, I could live on rice, potatoes and bread. These potatoes are definitely going in to the rotation.
Paula,
I am carb queen. Which is why hubs’ Regime is killing me. Bring me a damn potato!
I will eat just about anything you can put goat cheese on. Yum
Llz,
Goat cheese=crack. At least for me. I am the girl who needs her own salt lick.
I love that you try to “sexify your rice”, lol! Can’t wait to try these potatoes, they look delicious!
Amy,
I think a lot of veg and starch could use a little sexification, ne ces pas? I still have not figured out how to sexify green beans, but I’m working on it.
I’m all over this recipe cuz’ I seriously suck at the side dish! I can make a mean dessert fit for Kings but lack complete creativity in the side dish department. Thanks for saving me, yet again!
I love stuffed potatoes for a side dish or a main course. Yum!
These look delicious! I too love the carbs and make these type of pots with goats cheese, chive and parmesan- spinach is a fab idea
Looks good…and good for you too!
Copy, paste and print.
Anything, ANYTHING, with Feta is wonderful. My personal mantra is that Feta makes everything Betta…Luckily I just bought some potatoes yesterday, I think I know what is on the lunch menu today!
My side dishes are generally veg (fewer calories) but if you get bored what about kasha, couscous, pasta or all those other grains?
those look and sound fantastic! thank you for the recipe!
A side dish for Mexican-style food that is popular here is Black Beans (from a can, keep it simple) with (also from a can) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can optionally serve that over rice that’s had a handful of cilantro and the juice of 2 limes thrown in.
If it’s potatoes you’re looking to spice up, cut some russets into “fingers” and wrap said fingers each in 1/3 slice of bacon. It’s simple, and I’m pretty sure your kids would eat it. You can serve it with sour cream, or make a special sauce. I like “fry sauce” which is simply ketchup, mayo, and cayenne pepper. It tastes way better than it sounds.
Lastly, instead of the basic potato, try mashed sweet potatoes! You can cook them in the microwave, peel them, and mash them with some butter and milk/cream. Add some salt, and you have a little pile of awesome to go on each plate.
I know none of these are fancy, but they’re well-received in my house and they’re super easy.
ennui? This sounds like twirling to me. It’s such a happy word. So, actually, now that you’ve fed me that word I’m not so much hungry.
Well, I mean except for bread. I eat bread all day. I bake it lots and lots.
Here’s an easy:
Dissolve about a tablespoon of yeast into warmish water. Do NOT fret about getting just the right temperature. It’ll forgive you if you are too cold. Go easy on too hot, but even then, it’s OK. We’re not Goldilocks here.
Add some honey. (Yesterday I was so impatient I squeezed the lid right off!) How much? If you have a honey bear, turn it upsidedown, squeeze and count to 8. That’s the right amount.
Add some salt. For those who like salt licks you can add extra. For non-lickers….add about …this is tough, maybe 1/2 teaspoon. (are you getting the idea that this is a forgiving recipe?)
stir that up.
Then add some flour. I add 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat, but it works with anything.
keep stirring the dough until it’s too stiff. Then add some more flour and get your hands dirty kneading that remaining flour in. It’s probably gonna take about 3-5 cups of flour. But I’ve never measured. I’m in desperate need of the grace this inprecision brings.
Then, when you’ve got something that has taken in all the flour it wants, and is no longer sticking to your hands, make balls of the stuff and set them on a buttered or greased cookie sheet. Paint a little egg yolk on the top, then sprinkle poppy seeds.
ennui? Oh yeah. And you can twirl if you want while they bake for 20-25 minutes in a 420 degree oven.
I am with you on the yawn for side dishes. I have a toddler so I try hard to get veggies on the plate – but I can’t stand plain vegetables. I love this recipe and will definitely use it.
I made creamed spinach the other night but added about a 1/4-1/2 cup of fresh grated parmesan at the end. So yummy.
A must try :)
sounds delicious!
Oh! You know how I feel about spinach. (Can barely type the word) But kale would substitute well, you think?
“Comforting lumps of solidity” — I know what you mean. This looks good enough to be the main dish! Will try it! Thanks.
(so you’re not a Navy SEAL…)
I really struggle with side dishes – but this sounds like a great way to serve up potatoes!!
My kids love stuffed potatoes…me too! I am definitely trying this recipe out on them. :)
Balsamic vinegar, huh? I’ll try that because I like your kind of odd. :) I must start thinking of side dishes to inspire you. Just the thought of inspiring you in the kitchen gives me the giggles.
I look forward to your May 5 surprise. In the meantime, as they say on Star Wars Day, May the Fourth be with you.
Mary Lee, you always crack me up!
A couple years ago I made twice baked potatoes with broccoli and cheddar, and they were super tasty! Similar idea to this. Another starch side dish I love is baked sweet potato fries. They won’t ever get as crisp as regular fries, but they are soooo good. What about some kind of couscous or quinoa salad on the side, too?
See, I’m not the one to turn to, because white rice NEVER bores me. Give me a bowl of plain white rice to eat every day, and I could be pretty darn happy.
Jenna,
My comfort food is a big bowl of white rice with butter and/or soy sauce, so I know what you mean. My family, however, thinks this is disgusting behavior.
I am the same say KW – sometimes I am like, potatoes, again??!!
Hope you are doing well as we get to the end of another school year – my daughters college finals are already next week! :D
Hugs to you, Biz
first of all, i love you for using the word ‘ennui’–it’s sooo underutilized! secondly, this is a fantastic and new tater dish for me. bravo.
That looks A-mazing! It’s so sad that side dishes get the staff. I’m usually worn out from making the entree that I couldn’t care less about the sides. And yet, I wish I did.
Dear Kitchen Witch,
THANK YOU for the disclaimer that your children did not eat these. ;)
p.s. try a little salsa in your rice – OR make polenta. We love polenta.
<3 ML
Carb, Veggie and Dairy in one – I think it’s genius! I’m adding this to my list of things to try.
I really don’t run into side dish ennui so often, but that may have to do with the carb addiction I’m working with. :P
Yum! Thanks for some inspiration!
Looks tasty! I bet you could play with the recipe and use all kinds of other greens and cheeses.
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