This spicy deviled egg potato salad gets a Southwestern twist with chipotle peppers, capers, and a creamy mustard-mayo dressing. Ready in 35 minutes — perfect for BBQs and potlucks.
Side Dishes
Explore a collection of Southwestern and Sonoran-inspired side dish recipes perfect for weeknight dinners, backyard cookouts, and holiday gatherings. From spicy bean and potato dishes to fresh slaws, grilled vegetables, and classic American comfort sides, these easy recipes bring bold, flavorful accompaniments to any meal.
Caldo de Queso Recipe (Sonoran-style Cheese and Potato Soup)
Caldo de Queso is a Sonoran cheese and chunky potato soup with green chiles, onions, and tomatoes in a light broth. Recipe by Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
SouthWestern-style Cast Iron Roasted Mushrooms
Recipe for oven roasted mushrooms cooked in a cast iron skillet from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Southwestern-Style Chipotle Deviled Eggs With Caviar
These spicy, chipotle deviled eggs topped with caviar and capers are fancy yet simple. The perfect party food or indulgent yet healthy snack.
Sonoran Cowboy (Charro) Caviar
Super-lucky flavorful Sonoran Charro Caviar made with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, serrano chiles, and onions, served on tortilla chips.
Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls Baked in a Cast Iron Skillet
These dinner rolls which are baked and served in a cast iron skillet are right at home on the Dutton family table – a free bonus recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Arizona Cheese Crisp
Tucson’s Sonoran-style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.
Chipotle Lime Grilled Corn Recipe
Recipe for a lighter version chipotle lime grilled corn on the cob from the Sonoran Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers
Lentil Charro Caviar
Sonoran Lentil Cowboy Caviar made with is made with lentils, chile peppers and red onion in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. It’s similar to Texas Caviar made with black eyed peas and the lentils do resemble fish eggs.
The Greenest Spicy Mexican Rice Recipe
Spicy, Sonoran-style Mexican green rice (arroz verde) recipe made with tomatillo salsa verde, peas and cilantro from the Taste of Tucson cookbook.
Spicy Sonoran Coleslaw Recipe
This crunchy, salty, and spicy no-mayo Thai/Mexican coleslaw is an excellent companion to Sonoran style dishes. It’s inspired by Som Tum (green papaya salad).
Sonoran-Style Charro Beans
Vegan recipe for the saucy, whole Sonoran-style pinto beans that you see cowboys (charros) eating in old Western movies, from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
“Train Station” Funeral Potatoes Casserole Inspired by Yellowstone
A healthier recipe for the comforting cheese and hash brown potatoes casserole that’s covered in baked sour cream and cheddar potato chips, with a cowboy inspired spin from Yellowstone’s “train station.”
Sheet Pan Garlic-Butter Green Beans
After a hard day’s work at the 6666 Ranch in Texas, Jimmy devoured a plate of Country Fried Steak smothered with gravy and a side of green beans. I’m sharing my recipe for Sheet Pan Roasted Green Beans to whet your appetite… you’ll have to wait for The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook for the main course.
Dry-Fried Asparagus
Dry-fried asparagus is charred and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. It has direct contact to the pan without oil or butter. Asparagus grows wild in Montana where the Yellowstone TV series is filmed.
Tri-Colored Smashed Potatoes
These tri-colored smashed potatoes utilize heirloom varieties of produce, which help restore diversity to local agriculture. This recipe is an outtake, cut for space from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers
Campfire Corn on the Cob Recipe
The secret to perfectly grilled corn in the husk for campfires or cookouts is soaking the ears first.
The photos are gold winners of the London Photography Award for Food Photography.
Spicy Sonoran Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Because I’ve been known to eat a Thanksgiving meal that consists almost entirely of mashed potatoes and gravy, I replace the cream and some of the butter in the recipe with an aromatic garlic and chile infused broth that I cook the potatoes in, resulting in lighter mashed potatoes that are BIG on flavor.
Mexican Street Corn Cups (Elote en Vaso)
Recipe for Elote en Vaso, Mexican street corn in cups. Pan fried corn kernels tossed in a creamy sauce seasoned with chile and lime. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan
I’m fascinated by the idea of roasting an entire head of cauliflower, so when I came across these adorable baby cauliflower at the market the wheels started turning. They make a visually stunning side dish, perfect on cold winter nights. You can substitute one large cauliflower if you can’t find the little ones.
Sweet Pepper Poppers
MIni Sweet Mini Pepper Poppers stuffed with jalapeno cream cheese and topped with panko bread crumbs. Recipe development and food photography for the Food Network.
How to Marinate Baby Artichokes
Recipe for boiled baby artichokes in an easy citrus marinade.
Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette
Iceberg wedge salad with bacon bits topped with a smashed bleu cheese vinaigrette. Recipe and food photography by cookbook author Jackie Alpers. The Wedge salad is one of these very classic, simple recipes that’s accessible to everyone. One that’s been loved for generations and modified along the way to accommodate changing tastes. This version is topped with a lighter vinaigrette.
Northern Style Southern Biscuits
Until recently, the only biscuits I ever made at home came from a Pop n’ Fresh can, so when friends from overseas asked me for a real American biscuit recipe, I scoured every book I could find, starting with the biscuit tome Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart, and ending with Alton Brown’s always insightful analysis in I’m Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking.
Spicy Sonoran Potato Salad
Here in Southern Arizona, our famous Sonoran style Mexican food is often garnished with pickled red onions and Mexican limes. I’ve incorporated those flavors into this mayonnaise-free spicy potato salad tossed with a chile-lime vinaigrette.
Guacamole Recipe: Sonoran Style Chunky Guacamole with Cotija Cheese
This chunky guacamole recipe from the Taste of Tucson cookbook is spicy, salty and creamy – yet crisp and bright with lots of citrus and a tiny bit of crunch.
Green Papaya-less Salad Recipe
Here in Tucson it can be hard to get fresh green papaya, so I use packaged coleslaw mix instead in this spicy Thai cabbage salad inspired by Som Tum.
Chayote Recipe: Spicy Mexican Rice with Black Beans
Recipe for a hearty, spicy Sonoran style Mexican rice with chayote and black beans.






































