Easy Side Dish Recipe for a Fun Family Reunion
Hi everyone. Recently, I had a big family gathering coming up so I headed to the farmers’ market to pick up some great-quality and affordable ingredients to make a delicious and easy side dish.
So if you’re on the hunt for tasty family reunion meal ideas, keep on reading.
Exploring the farmers’ market
After a short drive, I arrived at the farmers’ market. It’s always a treat to shop there, not just because of the freshness of the produce but also because of the prices!
I ended up getting more than I initially planned, but I only spent about $23.50. Can you believe that? It’s such a bargain compared to shopping at regular grocery stores.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I picked up:
- Two packs of salt-and-pepper-cured bacon (which I’ll be using for my dish)
- Six ears of corn
- A head of cabbage
- Two sweet potatoes
- Squash and zucchini (my current favorites!)
- Three onions
- Two peppers
I also grabbed a jar of mild salsa for Winston, who’s become a big fan of chips and salsa lately. This salsa is a bit sweeter than I usually like, but Winston loves it, so it was a must-buy.
Once I got home, I started prepping for the dish I’d be taking to the reunion.
Family reunions are always packed with signature dishes from everyone, so I wanted to bring something a little different this year.
After some thought, I decided to make a cooked cabbage dish on the Blackstone grill. And let me tell you, it turned out to be a hit!
Cooking up a storm on the Blackstone
I began by heating up the Blackstone and chopping up the bacon into smaller pieces. The bacon went onto the grill first, just to let it render down a bit.
While that was cooking, I cleaned up from handling the raw meat, washed my veggies, and then moved on to chopping the onions and peppers.
After a rough chop, the onions and peppers joined the bacon on the grill to cook down a little. Next up was the cabbage.
I used a whole head, roughly chopped, and kept the seasonings simple with just minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
To keep things from drying out, I added a little avocado oil after the bacon grease had soaked into the onions and peppers.
This helped the cabbage cook down nicely without burning. The result? A delicious, flavorful dish that even non-cabbage lovers (like me!) could enjoy.
An easy family reunion side dish
This cabbage dish was not only easy to make but also versatile. You could easily turn it into a full meal by adding some smoked sausage or diced chicken.
Luke loved it so much that he asked me to make it again. Once the peppers and onions were cooked to my liking, I added minced garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then tossed in the cabbage.
The key was cooking it low and slow to avoid burning and to keep it warm for the reunion. I slightly undercooked the cabbage initially, so it wouldn’t turn mushy by the time we ate it. I kept it warm in a crockpot for a few hours, and it still tasted fantastic.
Family reunion meal ideas
The Dean Family Fun Day 2024 was a blast, as always. The food spread was incredible, and it was heartwarming to see everyone enjoying themselves.
I hope you all enjoyed following along with my trip to the farmers’ market and the preparation of this delicious dish. It was a joy to share it with my family, and I’ll definitely be making it again.
What is your favorite side dish to take to a gathering? Comment down below.
Next, check out these 4 Quick and Healthy Snacks to Make at Home.
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