Sauces Archives - Vegetable Recipes

Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

Mary Younkin — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 08:30:00 +0000

This simple mushroom spaghetti sauce trumps anything you can buy in jars or cans at the grocery store. After a few minutes of hands-on effort, you’ll be free to walk away while this sauce simmers on its own, making your house smell fantastic in the process.

Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce

I should probably write a love song to mushrooms at this point. If you’ve been hanging out with me online for any length of time, you know exactly how often I cook with mushrooms.

You might even be thinking, good grief, there are four mushroom pasta recipes on this site already. Do you really need a fifth? Glad you asked, because yes, we do.

Mushrooms in Spaghetti Sauce

Mushrooms add a rich and savory depth of flavor to spaghetti sauce. Their meaty texture makes this a hearty sauce that my meat-loving family devours whether or not I make it with ground beef.

This sauce works well as a vegetarian or vegan meal when made without ground beef. For a low-carb variation, or simply because it’s delicious this way too, scoop the spaghetti sauce over a bowl of roasted broccoli or sauteed cabbage ribbons.

If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, feel free to skip them here and double the ground beef. The sauce will still be delicious. You’ll just miss out on the mushrooms we love so much.

I have to resist the urge to add mushrooms to half the dishes I make. Mushrooms are a staple on both our regular grocery list and our Costco list. When I don’t have them in the fridge, it’s a sad day around here.

Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

ground beef
onion
bell pepper
garlic
mushrooms
diced tomatoes
tomato puree
tomato sauce
Italian seasoning
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
optional crushed red pepper flakes

The crushed red pepper in this sauce is technically an optional ingredient, but I highly recommend it. It serves both to add a hint of heat and to boost the flavors in the sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce with Mushrooms

Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large deep sized skillet, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Drain any excess grease, if necessary.

Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, and tomato sauce. Add the oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the sauce along with the mushrooms. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan before serving, if desired.

Looking for an easy vegetable side to bolster your meal? These slow cooker caramelized onions come together quickly and taste amazing in any mushroom recipe.

Stroganoff is the definition of comfort food, isn’t it? This easy mushroom stroganoff is a vegetarian delight, perfect on its own or as a side dish.

Broccoli mushroom casserole starts with a mixture of rice, sautéed mushrooms, and broccoli florets in a creamy, cheesy sauce. It’s enticing and fragrant straight out of the oven, making it hard to wait for it to cool enough to avoid burning my mouth with the first taste.

Cajun chicken with mushrooms is an addictive combination of spicy and irresistible little bites. What is that commercial where they say, “Bet you can’t eat just one!”? That is what comes to mind when I make these chicken and mushroom bites.

Simple and savory mushroom rice comes together as the perfect side dish or serves as a meal all on its own.

This steak stir fry with mushrooms is everything you love about steak smothered in mushrooms and onions but quick and easy, made in a single pan.

Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

This simple mushroom spaghetti sauce trumps anything you can buy in jars or cans at the grocery store.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 176kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

1½ pounds ground beef
1 medium onion chopped small, about 1 cup
1 green bell pepper chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 cup
3 cloves garlic minced
16 ounces mushrooms sliced
15 ounces cans petite diced tomatoes
14 ounces can tomato puree
8 ounces tomato sauce
2½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
1½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped OPTIONAL
freshly grated Parmesan for serving OPTIONAL

Instructions

Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large deep sized skillet, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Drain any excess grease, if necessary.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, and tomato sauce.
Add the oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the sauce along with the mushrooms. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan before serving, if desired.

Nutrition

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Mary Younkin — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 09:35:00 +0000

Butter and garlic – is there a better, more popular, classic food pairing? Garlic butter dipping sauce is fantastic on steak, seafood, chicken or pork, vegetables, bread, pasta, or rice.

If there is a savory food that you enjoy eating, the odds are good that melted butter and a bit of garlic just might make it even better.

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

If I was ever forced to choose only 5 flavors or seasonings to cook with for the rest of my life. Garlic and Butter would be two of the things I could never give up. Ever.

I’ve talked at length about my love of butter. As we all know, butter really does make everything better, right? However, butter with garlic? That’s a special kind of awesomeness.

I used six large garlic cloves for this recipe. This is a very garlicky butter sauce. If you happen to be a little bit leery of the garlic, feel free to use less.

If you simply can’t have enough garlic in your life, use more. I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. Can you tell I LOVE garlic?

Dipping Sauce for Artichokes

I made this batch of garlic butter sauce as a dipping sauce for artichokes. There are any number of sauces you might stir together to serve with steamed artichokes.

In the past, I’ve stirred together a simple lemon aioli or chipotle aioli, mayonnaise with balsamic and pepper, warm lemon butter, and even a minty Greek yogurt sauce for artichokes.

However, garlic and butter are a classic combination for a reason. It doesn’t matter how many other sauces I try, I always come back to this one.

Are you someone who struggles with peeling garlic? I have tried everything from the put it in a jar and shaking it to those silicone peeling sleeves. You name it, I’ve probably tried it. My go-to though? I just grab my chef knife and give it a whack.

It quickly comes apart from the skin and since you are mincing it anyway, that process is jump-started for you. Using that same knife, or my beloved garlic press, I mince away to my heart’s content.

Once your garlic is minced super fine, you’ll saute it with a bit of butter for about a minute, until it’s fragrant. Add the rest of the butter and a bit of pepper, if you’d like. You’ll have a delicious dipping sauce for vegetables at your fingertips in minutes.

If you’re lucky enough to have any butter sauce leftover, or if you were wise enough to make extra to begin with, spread it on french bread to make garlic toast.

If you ever find yourself with an abundance of garlic I have found that it is actually quite easy to preserve. Preserving garlic, also called pickling garlic, is one of the easiest ways to save your garlic harvest. There’s nothing better than having fresh garlic ready to use all year long.

How to Make Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Three ingredients are all you need for an easy garlic butter dipping sauce:

butter
garlic cloves
freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Seasonings and sauces make vegetables so tasty and delicious. You really should try some of our favorites.

Roasted vegetables dipped in Bang Bang Sauce, dare I say it, are better than vegetables with homemade ranch dip. I didn’t think that was possible but it IS! (And yes, this homemade ranch really is incredible.)

Cheddar cheese sauce was meant for vegetables. This cheese sauce for vegetables is creamy, flavorful, and rich. It is a staple in our home. We love it best on broccoli!

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Garlic butter dipping sauce is fantastic on steak, seafood, chicken or pork, vegetables, bread, pasta, or rice.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 102kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

½ cup butter divided
6 large garlic cloves minced, about 2 tablespoons
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper OPTIONAL

Instructions

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the remaining butter and pepper, if desired. Remove from the heat when the butter has melted. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Bang Bang Sauce

Mary Younkin — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 09:30:00 +0000

What is Bang Bang Sauce?

Bang Bang Sauce and Yum Yum Sauce are often confused as they have the same creamy mayonnaise base and a similar list of ingredients. However, this sauce is slightly sweet with the addition of the sweet chili sauce.

Traditionally, this sauce is served with shrimp. However, my family went absolutely crazy over this sauce with roasted vegetables. They devoured the Brussels sprouts with it and then started dipping their broccoli in the sauce.

I even caught one of my boys scraping the bowl clean after dinner. To say this sauce was a hit doesn’t even begin to describe how fantastic it is.

Wondering how to make bang bang sauce that isn’t quite as spicy? I’m happy to tell you that the heat here can be adjusted to your preference for spiciness. This sauce is great when made both with and without a lot of heat.

I make ours with 4 teaspoons of hot sauce, and it’s pleasantly sweet and spicy with just a teeny bit of lingering heat. We have a fairly high heat tolerance though, so you may want to start with 2 teaspoons, taste the sauce, and adjust accordingly.

The beauty of this sauce is you simply stir everything together and it can be served immediately. Two minutes or less to make and your family will be scouring the refrigerator to find things to dip in it!

Bang Bang Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

mayonnaise
sweet chili sauce
Sriracha hot sauce
rice vinegar
garlic minced
kosher salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, Sriracha, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Taste the sauce. Add additional salt, only as needed.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Vegetable Seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are all you really need for perfectly seasoned vegetables. However, glazes, seasoning blends, and sauces help change the flavors up and entice the entire family to enjoy more vegetables.

Cheese is a perfect pairing for vegetables. This cheddar cheese sauce is creamy, flavorful, and rich. It is a staple in our home. We love it best on broccoli!

Bang Bang Sauce

Roasted vegetables dipped in Bang Bang Sauce, dare I say it, are better than vegetables with homemade ranch dip. I didn't think that was possible but it IS!

Course Condiments

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings (1 tablespoon) servings

Calories 75kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
2-4 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, Sriracha, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Taste the sauce. Add additional salt, only as needed.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Plain white vinegar may be substituted for rice vinegar.

Nutrition

Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

Mary Younkin — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 04:30:00 +0000

Did you know that you can make a pasta sauce from canned tomatoes that is so flavorful, your family will think it simmered all day?

You can have this homemade pasta sauce on the dinner table faster than you ever thought possible.

Pasta Sauce from Canned Tomatoes

If you’d told me ten years ago that a pasta sauce this flavorful is possible without simmering for hours, I likely wouldn’t have believed you.

At first taste though, you will understand why this sauce receives rave reviews every time I make it. You’ll notice that the lemon in this recipe is optional, but friends, please try it.

It elevates the sauce with an unexpected brightness that is unforgettable. Is the sauce truly delicious without the lemon? Undoubtedly, yes. But, is it even better with the lemon? Yes, yes, and YES.

Sauce would be amazing with meatballs or sausage added to it. You could use it as your sauce base in lasagna and other dishes. Stir in some steamed or sauteed broccoli and sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Easy Pasta Sauce

The ingredient list is short and sweet and you are likely going to scratch your head and say, “That is it.” Trust me just go with it.

olive oil
garlic
red pepper flakes
kosher salt
can crushed tomatoes
can tomato sauce
lemon zest OPTIONAL

Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe

Combine the olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt in a cold saucepan. Warm over medium heat. Stir while it warms and when it is fragrant add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Bring to a simmer for just about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and taste the sauce. Add additional salt, if needed. Stir in the lemon zest and taste again. Serve warm.

FREEZER TIP: While I don’t typically freeze this sauce, (as it’s so simple to make as needed) it can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.

This sauce is perfect when the garden is producing in high gear and you want to make vegetable spaghetti. Al dente works for your vegetables as well as your spaghetti!

Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

Quick and tasty, you will have this easy homemade pasta sauce on the dinner table faster than you ever thought possible.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 84kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest OPTIONAL

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt in a cold saucepan. Warm over medium heat. Stir while it warms and when it is fragrant add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Bring to a simmer for just about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and taste the sauce. Add additional salt, if needed. Stir in the lemon zest and taste again. Serve warm.

Notes

FREEZER TIP: While I don’t typically freeze this sauce, (as it’s so simple to make as needed) it can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.

Nutrition

Cheese Sauce for Vegetables

Mary Younkin — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Cheddar cheese sauce was meant for vegetables. This cheese sauce for vegetables is creamy, flavorful, and rich. It is a staple in our home. We love it best on broccoli!

Cheese Sauce for Vegetables

I’ve tried a lot of different cheese sauces over the years and I always come back to this one. With just a few added spices, you’ll have a whole lot of flavor that makes this Cheddar Cheese Sauce a memorable addition to a vegetable side dish.

The spices here are easily adjustable to your tastes. We like a bit more cayenne, but feel free to skip it if that isn’t your thing. A little extra garlic is always good as well.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Cheddar cheese sauce has to be one of the easiest and tastiest things to make to go with vegetables. One of my must-do’s when making cheese sauce is to grate my own cheese.

Store bought shredded cheese usually has a starchy coating of some sort to keep it from clumping in the bag. However, that also keeps it from melting into a smooth creamy sauce. Always add your cheese slowly stirring and melting it completely each time.

I do like to splurge on my cheese. Quality dairy products are a major vice of mine. Sharp cheddar brings a really good flavor to mild vegetables like broccoli.

Different brands of cheese can contribute to different levels of saltiness. Don’t skip the tasting step at the end of the cooking process, adding enough salt is key to this sauce.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe

Warm ¾ cup of milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of milk with the flour, garlic, mustard, onion, and cayenne.
When the milk begins to steam, add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
Add the cheese gradually, stirring to melt the cheese. Remove from the heat when the cheese has fully melted into the sauce.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Pour the warm sauce over vegetables or serve on the side for dipping.

Note: The spices here are easily adjustable to your tastes. We like a bit more cayenne, but feel free to skip it if that isn’t your thing. A little extra garlic is always good as well. Different cheeses can contribute to different levels of saltiness. Don’t skip the tasting step at the end of the cooking process, adding enough salt is key to this sauce.

This sauce is awesome on roasted vegetables, sauteed vegetables, and boiled or steamed vegetables. There isn’t a wrong way to enjoy this cheese sauce for vegetables!

Our favorite way to enjoy this sauce is poured over cauliflower or any kind of broccoli. We have been known to use it as a fondue type of dip for air fryer potatoes.

We do love our cheesy vegetables like Cauliflower Gratin which begins by layering fresh cauliflower with a sprinkling of cheese and a light cream sauce. Then it’s topped with crispy buttery bread crumbs to coat each piece.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce was meant for vegetables. This broccoli with cheese sauce will have everyone eating and loving broccoli.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 124kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
1½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon granulated onion
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper OPTIONAL
4 ounces freshly shredded cheddar cheese about 1½ cups
½ teaspoon kosher salt only as needed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper only as needed

Instructions

Warm ¾ cup of milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of milk with the flour, garlic, mustard, onion, and cayenne.
When the milk begins to steam, add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
Add the cheese gradually, stirring to melt the cheese. Remove from the heat when the cheese has fully melted into the sauce.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Pour the warm sauce over vegetables or serve on the side for dipping.

Notes

The spices here are easily adjustable to your tastes. We like a bit more cayenne, but feel free to skip it if that isn’t your thing. A little extra garlic is always good as well. Different cheeses can contribute to different levels of saltiness. Don’t skip the tasting step at the end of the cooking process, adding enough salt is key to this sauce.

Nutrition