Sometimes, finding a side dish is one of the more difficult decisions during dinner preparations. You want to balance an entree with other food choices that won’t make the diner too full, or leave them wanting more because they are hungry. Rice is a basic in our house. Here are two side dishes on one slip of paper, for your perusal. Unfortunately, much was left to the cook’s own knowledge and has been lost, so it’s a bit of a guessing game.

Beans

1/2 c water

1/2 c vinegar

Beans (perhaps 1 pound dry?)

4 T br[own] sugar

pepper & salt

Bacon chips on top after cooking

This appears to be for Boston baked beans. You would want to use dry navy or pinto beans, soak them overnight, then cook them on the stove until soft, 1-2 hours. Combine the rest of the ingredients with the beans in a Dutch oven. Bake in the oven at 300 for 1 hour. At that time, begin checking for the tenderness and doneness of the beans. If not fully cooked, add an hour. Once they are done, top with the bacon pieces and serve.

Rice

1 c raw rice

4 T butter

1 sm onion chopped

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1 t thyme

2 1/2 c stock

350 20 min +

Top with melted butter & chopped parsley

My take on this one is to melt the butter, saute the onion in it, add the rice, continue to saute until the rice gets a “glassy” look, add the rest of the ingredients and bake. You can do this all in one casserole dish that can go from stove to oven. I probably wouldn’t cover it. Stir before serving.