Two Sides For All Things Grilled

I had SO much fun with the grill this weekend.

These sides were a big hit and I wanted to pass them along to you.

Grilled Creamed Corn

I was so excited to find this recipe in the June/July 2010 issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray.  Just grill fresh corn, cut it off the cob and stir it into a cream sauce that has been enriched with cream cheese.  Unbelievably rich and smoky!  Don't let the corn go too long on the grill; you want it toasty brown, not black.

This was terrific with burgers and grilled chicken.  The article also suggested stirring the leftover corn into mashed potatoes or as a burrito filling.  (Yum.)

KC-Style Pit Beans

Kansas City is famous for their rich and meaty beans, which are cooked low-and-slow in the smoker.  They soak up the flavor of the meat cooked in them, as well as the meat cooked over them in the smoker.  Fabulous.

This is a shortcut version.

4 slices bacon

4-8 oz. Polska Kielbasa (your choice), sliced into half-moons

1 large yellow or Vidalia onion, peeled and chopped

28 oz. can Bush's Maple Cured Bacon Baked Beans

1/2 cup tomato-based barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Dash liquid smoke

Garlic powder and black pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon and crumble.  Set aside.

Add the kielbasa and onion to the drippings.  Cook until the onion is tender and the kielbasa is nicely browned.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved bacon.

Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar is just a cute name for a marinated black-eyed pea salad.

It's quick to throw together and the flavor is fresh and spicy.  Try this as an appetizer with baked pita or tortilla chips, as a topping on beef tacos, in a low-carb wrap as a sandwich filling or as a side dish with any Southern or Southwestern-style meal.

2 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with chiles (such as Ro-Tel brand), drained

1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 English (hothouse, seedless--wrapped in plastic) cucumber, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Kraft Basil Parmesan Vinaigrette salad dressing to moisten the ingredients

Mix all the ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Yum!