Guest post by Sumaiya Karim
The holidays are here, and you may be putting together a lot of side dishes and food for parties and family gatherings!
If you want to try some easy yet nontraditional meal ideas (and feature them as a learning opportunity for your homeschool!), try these recipes I made recently:
Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Topping
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cover a baking tray with aluminum foil.
- Mix flour, sugar, garlic powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Add milk and butter with the dry ingredients and mix until it gets moist. Add cheese.
- Scoop the batter evenly with a measuring cup, ice cream scoop, or tablespoon onto the prepared baking tray.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.
- For the topping, whisk together butter and garlic powder in a bowl or cup. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Spicy Tangy Taco Salad

Ingredients
- 2 cups ground taco beef, cooked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced avocado
- 1 cup sliced bell pepper
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 1 ½ cups corn
- 1 ½ cups red kidney beans
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ cup scallions or spring onions
- 2-3 cups taco chips
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Put the first 7 ingredients one by one, side by side, on a big tray or plate, starting with the cooked taco beef in the middle. Reserve the cheese, cilantro, and scallions or spring onions for the topping.
- Arrange taco chips on every side of the tray.
- Brush the lemon juice on top of everything. If you want, you can also mix all the ingredients together.
- Serve immediately for the freshest taste!
Spicy Garlic Mushrooms

Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chili oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped scallions or spring onions
- Heat the chili oil or olive oil, along with the butter, in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add the topping of cilantro and scallions or spring onions. Serve immediately.
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Sumaiya Karim is from Bangladesh and has a university degree in media studies & journalism, with a major in public relations. She is a social media intern for MPE. Her hobbies include cooking, photography, videography, traveling, and exploring new things.