Sides
The sides on a plate of barbecue might play just a supporting role, but the meal is not complete without them. The sides are usually starch- or vegetable-based and complete the meal. Most people think of potato salad and coleslaw, but macaroni salad, barbecue beans (or pork and beans), macaroni and cheese, and variations of green salad are also very common at a meal of barbecue. You should fix at least two or three sides for your next barbecue, or ask your guests to bring their favorites.
The Kentucky Cookbook from Golden West Publishers is a small cookbook with some classic Kentucky recipes. Golden West Publishers specializes in regional US cookbooks. One of the side dishes included in this cookbook is for German Potato Salad by Nan Plenge of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, on which the following is based.1
German Potato Salad
12 servings
6 slices bacon
¼ cup flour
1 cup vinegar
1½ cups water
1½ cups sugar
6 medium potatoes
½ onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
celery seed, to taste
Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in a skillet until well done but not too crisp. Add flour to the bacon and drippings and lightly brown. Add the vinegar, water, and sugar. Let simmer for 30 minutes or more, stirring occasionally. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes (do not overcook; potatoes should be soft and cooked but still firm). Peel and slice the potatoes into ¼-inch slices, then place them in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the onion, salt, pepper, and celery seeds. Pour the warm bacon mixture over the top. Serve hot.
Those who like a mayonnaise-based potato salad might try this recipe, adapted from Welcome Back to Pleasant Hill: More Recipes from the Trustees’ House, Pleasant Hill, Kentucky by Elizabeth Kremer.2
Potato Salad
1 quart
6 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons thin French dressing (see just below)
1 tablespoon onions, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
1 teaspoon green pepper, chopped
1 egg, hard boiled and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon pickle relish
½ cup mayonnaise (or more if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes in their skins. When tender, drain and cool slightly. Peel and dice the potatoes. Add French dressing and toss; let stand about 1 hour. Add onions, celery, green pepper, egg, and relish and mix well. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Add mayonnaise. Serve at room temperature or chill.
Thin French dressing
6 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
sliver of onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon paprika
Put all the ingredients in a dressing bottle and shake well before using.
The basis for this macaroni salad is a dish from Recipes for History, Mystery & Southern Cooking: Springhill Plantation Bed and Breakfast & Winery by Eddie and Carolyn O’Daniel.3 The mayonnaise gives the salad a smooth texture and creamy flavor.
Macaroni Salad
6–8 servings
1 pound macaroni, cooked
1 green pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
3 carrots, shredded
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
Combine the macaroni, pepper, onion, carrots, and black pepper. Mix together the condensed milk, vinegar, mayonnaise, and sugar. Pour the mixture over the macaroni and toss well before serving.
A barbecue is not complete without baked beans. This recipe, based on the Kosair Cookbook from 1973, begins with canned pork and beans and then personalizes the canned recipe, something that home cooks can try by adding their favorite ingredients.4
Barbecue Beans
6–8 servings
36 ounces canned pork and beans
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup
¾ cup brown sugar
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, chopped
Arrange ingredients in layers (do not stir) as follows: Empty 1 can of beans (half of the total) into a 1½-quart casserole; combine the brown sugar and mustard and sprinkle half of this mixture over the beans. Top with half of the ketchup, onion, and bacon. Layer with the second can of beans and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture, bacon, and onion. Spread the rest of the ketchup over all. Arrange 3 or 4 additional bacon slices on top if desired; cook, covered, over slow coals about 1 hour, or bake in oven at 300 degrees F. for 4–6 hours.
The Claudia Sanders Dinner House of Shelbyville, Kentucky, Cookbook by Cherry Settle, Tommy Settle, and Edward Klemm Jr. is dedicated to Colonel Harland Sanders and his wife, Claudia. Cherry Settle’s Style Dilled Green Beans are described as “the best green beans in the world.”5 The following dish is based on that recipe:
Dilled Green Beans
8–10 servings
2 quarts canned green beans
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dill weed
In a large pot with a tight lid, alternate layers of green beans, onion, and bacon. Sprinkle each layer with salt and dill weed. Add just enough water to keep the beans from sticking. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for at least 1 hour.
The Kentucky Center for the Arts earmarked the proceeds from Center Cuisine to benefit special-needs children. The cookbook contains Dot Wadell’s bean salad recipe, from which the following is adapted.6
12 servings
1 16-ounce can green beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce can wax beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce can lima beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Combine all the ingredients and toss gently. Cover with dressing (see below), cover, and chill for several hours before serving.
Dressing
¾ cup sugar
½ cup vinegar
½ cup salad oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced parsley
½ teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. While still hot, pour the dressing over the bean mixture (see above).
Sacred Heart Academy has been part of the Kentucky landscape since it was founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1877. The purpose of the academy is to provide education for young women in the Louisville area. In 1997 a committee at the school put together Cooking from the Heart, a cookbook of more than four hundred recipes, among which is a recipe for a pasta salad, which inspired the following.7
Pasta with Fresh Basil, Tomato, and Parmesan
8–10 servings
16 ounces radiatori, farfalle, or penne pasta
½ cup olive oil
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1½ cups fresh basil, chopped
3 cups very ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
salt
pepper
Cook pasta in 4 quarts of boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with the oil and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, occasionally stirring the pasta so it is completely coated. Add the basil, tomatoes, and cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly but gently. Garnish with additional basil leaves.
This recipe for corn pudding is based on one from Cook’s Delight, a cookbook by the Plainview Pre-School.8 Corn pudding is found in most cookbooks related to Kentucky and Southern cuisine.
Corn Pudding
6 servings
2 cups corn, canned or fresh from the cob
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 cups milk, scalded
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat the eggs until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, and then pour into a greased baking dish. Set the dish in a pan of hot water and bake until firm, about 1 hour.
A Walking Tour and Cooking Guide of Saint James Court is a book published by the Saint James Court Association in 1976 for the twentieth annual St. James Court Outdoor Art Show. The book includes the recipe St. James—Memphis Tossed Salad from Mrs. B. L. Hargrove, a Tennessee native, who lived in an apartment at the south end of the court in a complex known as Parfett Flats.9 The following is an adaptation of her recipe:
St. James—Memphis Tossed Salad
8 servings
1⅓ cup carrot, grated
1⅓ cup celery, chopped
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1⅓ cup cabbage, shredded
1 cucumber, diced
Combine all the ingredients, then toss with a favorite dressing.
This recipe, for a cheesy bean and mushroom casserole, is based on one from Jane Jones of Henderson County, Kentucky. Jones shared her Lima Bean and Mushroom Casserole recipe with Favorite Recipes of Kentucky–Tennessee.10
Lima Bean and Mushroom Casserole
8–10 servings
2 packages frozen lima beans
2½ cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ pound Swiss cheese, grated
3 tablespoons onion, grated
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces
½ cup toasted bread crumbs, panko, or slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the lima beans until tender; drain. In a saucepan over low heat, combine milk, butter, and flour; slowly add cheese and onion until sauce is smooth. Mix in the lima beans, then immediately place the entire mixture in a casserole dish. Top with crumbs or almonds. Bake until finished about 30 minutes.
Sometimes a simple salad is the perfect side for a barbecue dinner. This one has few ingredients but makes up for that simplicity in flavor. This recipe features Kentucky Limestone Bibb, which is similar to Boston Bibb lettuce, and is adapted from The Cherokee Triangle Olde Time Cookbook, written by Mary Catherine Kirtley Young in 1975 for the Cherokee Triangle Association.11
Hearts of Palm, Avocado, and Lettuce Salad
8–10 servings
2 medium heads of Kentucky Limestone Bibb lettuce
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, chilled and sliced
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
Break the lettuce into bite-size pieces; then add the avocado and hearts of palm. Mix together the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper; add the dressing to the salad and toss.
Beans are a good side to barbecue. This recipe is based on The Best from the Blue Grass, a cookbook published by the Woman’s Club of Central Kentucky.12 With four different types of beans, this casserole has a nice tangy sauce.
Hot Bean Casserole
12 servings
½ pound salt pork or 8 slices bacon
4 large onions, chopped
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup vinegar
1 can green lima beans
1 can white lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pork and beans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Fry the salt pork or bacon until done. Remove from the skillet, and cook onions in the grease until they are transparent. Add the sugar and vinegar. Drain all the beans (except the pork and beans) and combine; and add the onion to beans along with the meat. Bake in a 2-quart casserole for 1 hour.
Not everyone likes eggplant, but sometimes people enjoy eggplant when it is part of a bigger dish. This recipe for eggplant casserole is adapted from Fannin Family and Friends Favorite Foods Often Fabulous! Always Fun! Many other Kentucky cuisine cookbooks have similar dishes.13
Eggplant Casserole
8–10 servings
½ cup mushroom soup
⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 egg
onion juice
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
¾ cup cracker crumbs
⅓ stick butter, melted, plus ⅓ stick butter, sliced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil the eggplant for 7–10 minutes. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Mix the soup, mayonnaise, egg, cheese, onion juice, melted butter, and some of the cracker crumbs with the eggplant. Put into greased 1½-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining crumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes.
Richard Hougen was the author of five cookbooks, including More Hougen Favorites.14 He included a simple dish that combines Kentucky mint and carrots, upon which the following is based:
Minty Fresh Carrots
6–8 servings
1 pound carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Cook carrots in boiling salted water. When tender, but not too soft, drain. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes to blend seasonings.
This simple salad is inspired by The Best of Beaumont: A Recipe Collection, which was compiled by the Beaumont Presbyterian Church. 15 An orange, beet, and spinach salad is perfect for a barbecue meal.
Orange, Beet, and Spinach Salad
6–8 servings
1 8-ounce can beets, drained and cut into julienne strips
6 cups fresh spinach, leaf lettuce, or romaine lettuce, torn in pieces
3 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
½ medium cucumber, thinly sliced
½ cup bottled low-calorie salad dressing (such as herb vinaigrette or Italian)
Top the greens with the beets, oranges, cucumbers, and dressing. Toss and serve.
The Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn Inc. is a Kentucky gastronomic landmark, serving dishes that are tried and true. The garden salad that inspired the following recipe is in both “Owensboro’s Very Famous” Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn Inc.: Collection of Recipes and Family Favorites from Moonlite: Recipes That Founded a Kentucky Tradition.16
Garden Salad
6 servings
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup vinegar
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Mix the vegetables together in large bowl. Cover with the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Serve immediately, or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Sweet and sour red cabbage is the perfect dish to accompany barbecue. This recipe is adapted from the Bicentennial Cookbook, 1789–1989, United Presbyterian Church, Lebanon, Kentucky: Favorite Recipes from Our Best Cooks.17
Red Cabbage
4–6 servings
1 quart red cabbage, shredded
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 sour apples, sliced
5 tablespoons bacon drippings
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until hot.
People who don’t like purple cabbage or who want to have their salad ready to go can make this sauerkraut ahead of time. This recipe is based on a sauerkraut salad found in Cookbook: Good Food Recipes, First Lutheran Church, Louisville, Kentucky.18
4–6 servings
1 No. 2½ can shredded kraut (drained)
1 medium green pepper, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 cup celery, chopped fine
1 cup sugar
¼ cup salad oil
¼ cup vinegar
salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients. Store in a closed jar in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
If you plan to go to a barbecue or a church picnic, this salad might be a good dish for you to take; after all, who doesn’t like bacon? This recipe is adapted from Heavenly Creations, a cookbook from St. Paul United Methodist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.19
Tomorrow’s Salad
6–8 servings
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 red onion, sliced
1 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
½ head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 small can very small peas
¼ cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
In a salad container, layer the ingredients as follows: lettuce, onion, bacon, cauliflower, peas. Prepare the salad dressing and pour over the top of the salad. Cover the container and refrigerate overnight. Mix well before serving.
A carrot and raisin salad works well with barbecue—and also takes me back to my childhood, since I always looked for the carrot and raisin salad at the church potlucks. This recipe is based on the Trigg County Cook Book.20
Carrot and Raisin Salad
6 servings
4 cups carrots, grated
½ cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon lemon juice
lettuce leaves
Combine the carrots and raisins. Mix the salad dressing, lemon juice, and cream; then pour over the carrots and raisins and toss well. Serve on lettuce.
This simple salad is adapted from Berea’s Best.21 Try mixing up flavors on this salad by using different onions—sweet onions, red onions, and even chopped green onions. The secret to this recipe is the vinegar-based marinade, which is made of equal parts sugar, water, and vinegar.
Cucumber and Onion Salad
6–8 servings
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced in rounds
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and sliced in rings
salt and pepper, to taste
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup vinegar
Combine the cucumber and onion, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix together the sugar, water, and vinegar; then pour the mixture over the cucumbers and onions. Toss well before serving.