Mom’s No. 1 Best Side Dish–Fancy Vegetable Medley

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This great side dish will make your holiday entrees pop. It goes with everything and even the pickiest eaters love it. Best of all, fancy vegetable medley is so easy!! And it looks so bright and fresh and cheerful, you’ll be taking food pictures at your own table this next holiday–or just an everyday way to get your kids to eat their vegetables!

Why add Fancy Vegetable Medley to your next main course?

It’s a winner, plain and simple –just like the ingredients. Chop your own fresh veggies or buy them pre-cut, most grocery stores have some great labor saving versions of carrots and broccoli! As a kid, I was not exactly one to volunteer to clean my plate of veggies, but I always finished my portion of Fancy Vegetable Medley. I don’t know if it was the great flavors or the “Fancy” title that sold me, but there you go. I still love this dish years later! When we make it for family meals, there is rarely much left for leftovers–but it does taste great the next day too!

I don’t know what it is about carrots and broccoli, but when you cook them in butter, it’s the perfect veggie marriage. Tangy, fragrant, and slightly sweet, it’s not too dominant when paired with the main course. The onions and basil gives it a unique pop too!

At our house, it usually shows up at Thanksgiving dinner, and wow! does it go great with turkey!! However, it’s definitely not just for holidays, as I remember Mom making it with plenty of ordinary meals also. I think it’s best with poultry, but roast beef or pork are also great with it!! And don’t forget it goes nicely with potatoes too.

The right Dutch Oven for the job!

This is a very important piece of the puzzle. This works in other types of cookware, but my favorite is a big ceramic-coated dutch oven like this one from Lodge , because the ceramic coating keeps things from sticking. Plus they come in such pretty colors!! The outsides are enameled, and I’m rather fond of the bright blue one like my mom’s shown here….

A good dutch oven also should have some little bumps or spikes on the inside of the lid–this doesn’t apply to this recipe, but if you are using it for boiling liquid, it pops all the bubbles so it can’t boil over. That’s a really great feature if, like me, you always forget to turn things down…

And on that note, in a shoutout to Viking stoves, they are the BEST for searing and sautéing just about anything, including Fancy Vegetable Medley. My old kitchen has a giant 6-burner gas Viking range with a commercial vent hood, and it opens up a ton of possibilities for cooking and high heat!! I’d love this beast with the two ovens!

Ingredients for Fancy Vegetable Medley:

• Onion
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Butter
• Basil
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

How to Make Fancy Vegetable Medley

First, chop your onions, carrots, and broccoli, if you didn’t buy the pre-cut versions.

In a large dutch oven, melt your butter and saute the onions in it until a bit soft.

Next, add in the carrots and saute these for 5 minutes.

Then, add broccoli and saute together for 2 minutes.

Finally, mix in your seasonings, cover, and simmer 3-5 minutes. And you’re done!!

This is a really quick dish to put together, other than the chopping, and it’s super easy and no-fail as a side dish (as long as you don’t burn anything!). So, this is probably the last dish you prepare before your meal is ready.

How about dessert? Try these rich buttery Date Crumble Bars!