Side dish help

[Renthead Mommy]

My Spouses group volunteers to do dinner once a month for the Fisher House on base.  My 12yo son and I are doing it for next week.  He is using this as a part of a Scout merit badge so he will be doing a large part of the cooking.  With that in mind I had planned a taco bar.  Hard and soft shells, ground meat, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, taco sauce.  All things he can cook and prep ahead of time.  I will let him pick what kind of dessert he wants to make. 

 

What can I make for a side dish? 

 

Would bake potatoes be too weird? He can make them ahead of time, they would travel well and stay warm.  And there would already be sour cream. Mexican is one of the few things we don't eat out (we just don't really like out Mexican, it is always sort of 'wrong'.)  I thought about taco salad, but that seemed like the same thing all over again but on lettuce, minus the meat.  And thinking about it, I don't every recall a vegetable side with Mexican food.

 

We will be cooking it at our house and then taking it to the Fisher House on base.  The people staying there have family members recovering or getting treatment at the base hospital.  The house has a number of hotel style rooms, but a common kitchen where different groups provide the nightly dinners.

 

[Sherry in OH]

Refried beans and Spanish rice would be more traditional sides.  If he doesn’t want to make pinto beans, he could find a black bean dish.  

[Renthead Mommy]

Refried beans and Spanish rice would be more traditional sides.  If he doesn’t want to make pinto beans, he could find a black bean dish.  

 

This is one of the main reasons we don't eat Mexican out.  I think those are so disguisting.  And I hate the smell of refried beans.  It just looks so gross and not like real food.  

 

Aren't there any vegetable traditional sides? I think aside from a taco salad, all I have ever seen is onions and peppers to go on fajitas, and the lettuce and tomato to go on tacos.

[Miss Tick]

Penzey's Spices has a great Pepper Bean Salad recipe online that would go well if you want something else. Very colorful and do-aheadable.

[unsinkable]

This is one of the main reasons we don't eat Mexican out. I think those are so disguisting. And I hate the smell of refried beans. It just looks so gross and not like real food.

 

Aren't there any vegetable traditional sides? I think aside from a taco salad, all I have ever seen is onions and peppers to go on fajitas, and the lettuce and tomato to go on tacos.

What about squash or zucchini?

[KungFuPanda]

I'd do beans and/or rice. They can be kept warm in a rice machine and a crockpot. Chips and salsa would be nice too.

[Annie G]

At first I thought, baked potatoes? No way. But then...yeah, that might work. There are several toppings to put on them, and someone might just want a potato with some cheese or sour cream. I think that would work. If someone doesn't feel like Mexican food, the potato could take care of that. 

[Sherry in OH]

Stuffed jalapenos

Salsa of various types

Tortilla soup

Black bean soup

Grilled vegetables (strips of zucchini, peppers, onion, mushrooms)

Rice and beans

Corn salad

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

You could add as toppings stuff like corn, black beans, avocado, various types of peppers, etc.

 

 

 

[Nemom]

What about cheesy cornbread casserole? I think the recipe is something like can or cream corn, box of Jiffy cornbread mix and some cheese.

 

I think baked potatoes would also be good because the ingredients you have listed are what we traditionally use for a baked potato bar. I think a simple side salad would also be fine.

[Renthead Mommy]

At first I thought, baked potatoes? No way. But then...yeah, that might work. There are several toppings to put on them, and someone might just want a potato with some cheese or sour cream. I think that would work. If someone doesn't feel like Mexican food, the potato could take care of that. 

 

 

I actually started the whole idea with a baked potato bar, then changed it to tacos.  We have no idea who will be in the house.  Could be young families, could be older parents of an older airman.  I can see my grandfather eating everything on a taco, dumped on a baked potato easier than I can see him putting it all into a taco shell. 

[Evergreen State Sue]

Once a year we do a luncheon for a church group and we serve either a baked potato bar or a salad bar with tortillas.  In both cases we have salad greens (bag salad usually), taco seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, olives, green onions, and sour cream.  Those toppings go great on a potato, for a taco salad, or in a tortilla.  With dessert and a beverage, you don't necessarily need anything other side dish.

[snickerplum]

What about a flavored cheese ball?

[Chris in VA]

I don't think tacos need sides. If you are concerned about the people not liking taco shells, you could put soft tortillas out also, and then an extra amount of lettuce in case someone wants a taco salad instead of tacos. I would do lots of toppings, like Wendy said.

[Amira]

I agree with having lots of fillings. Tacos are served all the time at group events here in Mexico and there aren't side dishes, just lots of fillings. Melted cheese, roasted poblanos with Mexican sour cream (crema), zucchini and corn in crema, roasted potatoes cooked with salsa verde, beans of several types, avocados, scrambled eggs, and simmered squash flowers are all some traditional meatless fillings.

[ScoutTN]

 

I agree with the rice and beans.

Fresh fruit is always nice and healthy too.

[zoobie]

I'd do some kind of beans for a vegetarian option if nothing else.

[skimomma]

I would roast up a mix of chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, brussel sprouts, etc...) that had been tossed in a little mid chili powder, lemon juice, and olive oil.  They can be roasted ahead and reheated in the oven right before serving.  This can go IN the tacos or eaten on the side.  As a vegetarian myself, please please please bring a small can or two of refried beans.  They don't have to be from scratch or fancy.  A handful of lettuce and some cheese on a taco shell does not take you very far.....

[cjzimmer1]

I don't like refried beans either.  They remind me of paste in my mouth.  On the other hand I don't mind whole beans, like Chipotle serves.  So I would cook up some beans and leave them whole in a little bit of sauce so they don't dry out.  Spanish rice or a knockoff version of Chipotle cilantro lime rice.  Then there is the ChiChi's like Corn cake

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chi-Chis-Corn-Cake/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=chi%20chi&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i3. I don't know how well this works as a make ahead but it's delicious and my kids inhale it.

 

Potatoes could work but I would think of them as an alternate main dish rather than a side.

 

Fruit would make a nice side as well.

[Ottakee]

If you want beans, a very simple, traditional side (at least according to our guest students from Guatemala) is black beans.  I just took a 2 pound bag of black beans, rinsed and check for stones.  Put in a crock pot with 1 onion chopped, and  a few cloves of garlic chopped.  Add a LOT of water and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  These can easily be made ahead and reheated.  They add the cooking water/broth with a touch of soup cream as more of a soup as well.  Easy and cheap.

[Jenny in Florida]

I would strongly encourage you to consider a bean-based something, since you otherwise have no significant protein source for the vegetarians/vegans.

 

When my family makes tacos, we use seasoned black beans as filling. If you added something like that to your spread, it could be a side dish for thos who eat meat but the main dish for the veg follks.

[marbel]

I agree with those who say add some beans.  Black or refried would be what people expect.   I've also done pinto or red kidney beans simmered in salsa. 

 

Once a Mexican friend made a simple veggie dish of steamed yellow and green squash (cut into chunks), with chopped tomatoes added toward the end of steaming time, just so they were warmed through.  A little Monterey jack cheese over top.  Just salt and pepper as seasonings, though a little cumin would be good too. 

[MeAndTheBoys]

I actually started the whole idea with a baked potato bar, then changed it to tacos.  We have no idea who will be in the house.  Could be young families, could be older parents of an older airman.  I can see my grandfather eating everything on a taco, dumped on a baked potato easier than I can see him putting it all into a taco shell. 

 

Even if they don't eat it on a taco shell, they will expect beans with taco food.  I'm not a huge fan of restaurant refried beans, but some nice black beans would do--

 

B

 

[J-rap]

I would have refried beans and baby carrots.  You can find a recipe for homemade refried beans that are easy to make in a crockpot.  I use pinto beans.  Throw them in a slow cooker with a whole onion (you can slice the onion in half) with just enough water to cover.  Let them cook like that all day.  Near the end, start mashing up the beans and onions, and throw in a half to a whole jar of salsa.  (Check throughout the day in case you need to add a little more water.)

 

 

[alisoncooks]

I think the baked potato idea could work!

 

I would probably cook some yellow rice (sometimes I just taco stuff on that), black beans and a fruit salad of some sort.

[Lawana]

Black bean and corn salad? http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe.html