This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Cooking with sour cream is a great way to add extra richness and flavor to so many dishes. Sour cream adds a depth of flavor to almost any dish. When used as a condiment or in something like Beef Stroganoff, it adds a great creamy tang, and when used in baking, it creates a lovely texture that can’t be beat. When I cook with Hood Sour Cream, it brings back so many happy childhood memories of cooking with my family around the holidays.
Family Memories and Hood Sour Cream recipes
For most of us, cooking is more than just putting ingredients together and heating them up. Cooking is also a trip down memory lane. I can’t tell you how many dishes I cook that spark memory of my childhood or birthdays, holidays, and the like. I always helped in the kitchen, and now when I cook, I remember those times with my mom and grandmother.
My grandmother was an amazing cook, and Hood Sour Cream was one of her favorite ingredients. Whether it was a cake or a savory dish, she was all about the sour cream. Now I associate it with her, which is probably one reason that I love to cook with it so much.
In addition to that, so many of my favorite dishes from childhood call for sour cream, so many of the dishes I make, whether it’s for a random weeknight or an extra special holiday dish, bring those memories flooding back.
So even though cooking with sour cream is about flavor for me, it’s also about memories. The dishes I make fill my belly and my heart, especially when the holidays roll around.
A Classic Family Recipe for the Holidays
One of my favorite holiday dishes was always my grandma’s green bean salad with pecans and cranberries. It was a miraculous combination that got all the grandkids to eat our veggies. Unfortunately, I never got a copy of the recipe, so I was so excited to find a nearly identical one on the Hood website!
This dish has all the flavors I love about the holidays and that creamy goodness of sour cream too. The nuts and cranberries make it a classic holiday dish that everyone always loves. It’s perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Green Beans Salad with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans
A version of this recipe can be found here on the Hood website, but I tweaked it a bit to be closer to the one my grandma used to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup Hood Sour Cream
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. They should be tender, but still crisp.
In large skillet set over medium heat, heat oil and butter; cook garlic for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add green beans, salt and pepper; toss well. Cook, stirring often, until heated through and well coated. Remove from heat; let cool completely.
While you can buy toasted pecans, I like to toast my own pecans on the stove top. I use a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavor. Simply stir and brown over a low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
Add sour cream, Parmesan, pecans and cranberries to skillet; toss well. Transfer to serving dish and wait for the rave reviews from everyone at the table.
Why I Use Hood Sour Cream
There are several sour cream manufacturers out there, so why do I always use Hood Sour Cream? That’s easy. It’s delicious, high quality and the one my family has always used. I also appreciate supporting a brand from my local area in Boston, MA.
In addition to being an easy addition to recipes and a great condiment, Hood Sour Cream is made with only the best ingredients including real Hood Milk and Cream from farmers who pledge to not use artificial growth hormones.
That commitment to quality and wholesome ingredients makes me feel good about using Hood Sour Cream. I know that I’m cooking with sour cream that is delicious and filled with all the good stuff my family wants and none of the bad stuff we don’t.
On top of that, Hood makes it easy to use their sour cream. I love to use their tub containers so I can simply scoop out what I need. I bring out my Hood Sour Cream Squeeze Bottle to easily top tacos, potatoes, and more and add it as a garnish to my soups.
Cooking with Sour Cream this Holiday Season
Cooking with sour cream adds so much flavor to dishes. If you’ve never tried cooking with sour cream, I encourage you to go snag some Hood Sour Cream in the tub and squeeze bottle for cooking and topping. It’s so good.
If you liked my recipe, head to the recipe section of Hood’s website to find your own inspiration!