Sides for Holiday Entertaining

(Family Features) The holiday season means it’s time for gathering family and friends for food and celebration. To make the process easier, incorporate recipes that can feed a crowd without lots of exotic, hard-to-find ingredients or long, laborious prep and cook times.

These recipes for Hearty Roasted Winter Vegetables featuring Aunt Nellie’s Whole Pickled Beets and Caprese Bean and Salami Salad with READ 3 Bean Salad, for example, are ideal side dishes for holiday gatherings with enough to go ’round for everyone at the table. Plus, if you’re heading to a holiday potluck, they’re perfect for bringing along to share with the whole crew and versatile enough to be paired with a variety of main courses. Plus, the Caprese Bean and Salami Salad can also stand in as an appetizer.

Find more holiday recipes at auntnellies.com and READsalads.com.

Hearty Roasted Winter Vegetables

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45-55 minutes

Servings: 6

1          jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Whole Pickled Beets, drained

1          small red onion, cut into 12 wedges

2          cups baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed

2          cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

3          tablespoons olive oil

1          clove garlic, finely chopped

2          teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2          teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/4       teaspoon salt, plus additional, to taste (optional)

1/8       teaspoon pepper, plus additional, to taste (optional)

2          cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and scored with cross-cut

Heat oven to 400° F. Place beets, onion, mushrooms and squash on rimmed 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by-1-inch baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Roast 15 minutes.

Add Brussels sprouts, stir and continue to roast until vegetables are tender and browned, about 30-35 minutes, stirring once. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste, if desired.

Caprese Bean and Salami Salad

Recipe courtesy of “The Reluctant Entertainer”

Prep time: 25 minutes

Servings: 16

5          cans (15 ounces each) READ 3 Bean Salad (3 cans drained, 2 cans undrained)

1          pint grape tomatoes, halved

1          pound small marinated mozzarella balls, drained

3/4       cup (1 ounce) fresh basil, chopped

8          ounces dried salami, sliced

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

2          whole-wheat baguettes (13 ounces each), sliced

In large bowl, stir together bean salad, tomatoes and mozzarella balls.

Before serving, add basil and salami. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine.

Serve on large platter surrounded by baguette slices.