So, I decided to whip up some Italian beef sandwiches the other night. Man, those things are good, but they definitely need something on the side. You can’t just eat that mountain of beef and bread alone, right? Your stomach needs balance, or something like that.
Getting Started: The Sides Situation
First thing I thought was, okay, what goes with rich, juicy beef? You need something to cut through it. My mind immediately went to coleslaw. Gotta have that crunch and tang.
Making the Coleslaw
I grabbed a head of cabbage – just a regular green one – and a couple of carrots. Started shredding. My knife skills aren’t exactly pro-level, let me tell ya, but I got it done. Made a bit of a mess, shredded cabbage flying everywhere. Then I just whisked up a simple dressing. Nothing fancy: some mayonnaise, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. Mixed it all up with the cabbage and carrots. You gotta let it sit in the fridge for a bit, let the flavors get friendly. I like mine more tangy than creamy, cuts through the richness of the beef better, I think.
Next Up: Potato Salad
Then I figured, coleslaw is good, but maybe something a bit more hefty too? Potato salad came to mind. It’s always a crowd-pleaser, even if the crowd was just me and the family this time.
- Boiled up some potatoes. Used Russets, peeled and chopped ’em first so they cook faster. Waited for them to get tender, but not mushy. That’s the trick.
- While they cooled off a bit, I chopped up some celery and a little bit of onion. Adds that nice crunch.
- For the dressing, again, kept it simple. Mayo, a squirt of yellow mustard, some sweet pickle relish, salt, pepper. Mixed it gently with the potatoes, celery, and onion. Didn’t want to mash the potatoes into baby food.
Honestly, making potato salad always takes longer than I think. Boiling potatoes feels like watching paint dry sometimes. Nearly forgot them on the stove while I was messing with the slaw dressing.
The Easy Way Out
And you know what else? Pickles. Just plain old dill pickles. Did I make them from scratch? Heck no. Pulled a jar right out of the fridge. Sometimes you just need that quick, sharp, vinegary bite without any extra work. Let’s be real, making everything from scratch sounds nice, but life gets in the way. Sometimes a good quality jarred pickle is your best friend in the kitchen.
Wrapping It Up
So there we had it. The Italian beef sandwiches were the star, obviously, but having that cool, crunchy coleslaw and the creamy potato salad alongside? Perfect. And the pickles for that extra zing. It just worked. Made the whole meal feel complete, you know? Like putting socks on before shoes. You just gotta do it.
It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, just simple sides done the way I like ’em. Sometimes the simple stuff is the best, especially after a long day. Nothing fancy, just good food.
