When you have a bunch of beautiful produce on hand, you have to be creative in finding ways to use it all before it’s overripe. Making nutritious meals for the family can require a little bit of effort. Healthy dinner and side dish ideas can help you make the most of your entire produce harvest. There are lots of ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your hearty, delicious dinners. Let's talk about some creative ways you can use your ripe produce for a family dinner. These ideas will help you make delicious dishes that everyone will enjoy.
Frittata or Quiche
If you have a few produce items you need to use quickly, making a vegetable frittata or quiche is a delicious brunch or dinner idea. Chopped onions, mushrooms, peppers, and more are delightful in the egg and cheese delight you end up with. They're quick and easy to make. Casseroles are also heartier and more flavorful when you chop extra vegetables in.
All Vegetable Soup
A lovely vegetable soup can be made with just a few simple ingredients and the vegetables you have on hand. Sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, almost any vegetables work well in a good vegetable soup. The more the merrier. Vegetable broth and a bit of white wine make a great base. Adding some oregano, thyme, and parsley gives the soup a bit more flavor. Saute and simmer your produce to perfection with a good broth and serve it up with dinner tonight.
Veggie Burgers
Making veggie burgers usually involves a lot of beans. You’re trying to make a vegetable version of something that is usually made entirely of meat. Mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, spinach, and onions can all be ground into veggie burger recipes. You can upgrade any kind of burger with fresh sliced vegetables, a little avocado, a fried egg, or chop the burger into a salad instead of using a bun.
Sweet Potato Fries or Desserts
A super easy, yet delicious dessert is a sweet potato casserole. You can trim and cut up the sweet potatoes in a heavy casserole dish, add a little butter and brown sugar, top with marshmallows, and bake until brown. A sweet, gooey sweet potato dish with perfectly golden marshmallows is irresistible. Sweet potatoes can also be cut into french fries or slices to season and be baked or whipped as a side dish.
Lettuce Leaves as Wraps
Large, broadleaf lettuce is pretty flexible and you can fit quite a bit of food inside. You can spoon taco filling onto large Boston bib lettuce leaves and roll it up tightly for a carb-free tortilla alternative. Tons of different fillings would be good in a lettuce cup or wrap. You can use large lettuce leaves to scoop up your tuna or chicken salads instead of eating them with bread or crackers.
Use Produce in Your Meal Tonight
Vegetables are great additions to pasta dishes. Sautéed or grilled vegetables can be added to many classic recipes for a little flavor. They can also be used as toppings for sandwiches, entrees, and sides. There are tons of great recipes for vegetable salads available. There are cucumber and onion salads, broccoli salads, corn salads, and more. The combinations are endless. Try The Farmers On Wheels for all of your farm-fresh produce needs. Get creative and try some new recipes and variations in your family’s dinner menu.