Scratch Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Homemade cut biscuits featuring cheese and garlic, but also onion, parsley, freshly ground pepper and even a touch of Cajun seasoning.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I know canned biscuits are pretty darned good and mighty convenient - heck I have a general purpose can of them in my fridge right now.  Let's face it. They put some biscuits on your plate pretty quick.

That aside, who doesn't really love a homemade biscuit?  And everybody seems to be super crazy about copycat Red Lobster garlic cheese biscuits.  Well, I haven't exactly had one of those in ages, so I won't even try to say this resembles those, but tell me, how can you not love a homemade biscuit combined with garlic and cheese?  I know I sure do and the other night I just decided I had to have some! 

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Spicy Maple Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

The inspiration from this came from repeatedly seeing maple-glazed-something-or-another all over the place here lately! Well, I guess it is that time of year.  I ended up serving these chops with Shortcut Red Beans and Rice as a side, since I already had the chops thawed out when I decided I also had a taste for red beans. Yep, that's how I roll when I cook!

This is a wonderful glaze with just a bite of Cajun spice to kick things up just a bit. Be sure to spoon some of that delicious sauce over each pork chop before you serve them - you won't want to miss that. And remember, chops cook pretty quick, so keep an eye on 'em. Nothin' worse than a chewy, tough pork chop.

I'm pretty sure that this sauce would be excellent on baked chicken. I'll be tryin' that soon enough!

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Spicy Maple Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Glaze:

1/4 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup of real maple syrup
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of Slap Ya Mama, or your favorite
   Cajun/Creole seasoning, or to taste

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce to just slightly over medium and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to about half; set aside.

Pork Chops:

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
4 to 6 pork chops
Lawry’s seasoning salt
Chili powder

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Season one side of chops with seasoning salt and chili pepper. Place chops into skillet with seasoned side down and season the top. Sear, turn and brush with the balsamic maple reduction. Continue brushing and turning until chops are cooked through. Time will depend on the thickness of the chops. Pork chops cook fairly fast, so take care not to overcook them! Spoon remaining sauce over chops before serving.

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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Shortcut Red Beans & Rice

Quick Red Beans & Rice you'll never believe they're a shortcut version!

Red beans and rice made from dried beans are delicious, but of course, like any dried bean, take a bit of time to stew on the stove top. When I was living in New Orleans one of the gals that I met through my then boyfriend was a true born and bred New Orleans gal who had lived there all of her life. We hung out with them regularly, and one evening she and her husband invited us over to watch a movie and eat red beans and rice for dinner. She and I were in the kitchen chatting and I noticed that she was only just then beginning to sweat down The Trinity and I didn't notice any beans going on the stove yet either.  This was gonna be some late supper!  Then, I saw her reach into the cabinet and much to my surprise, pull out cans of kidney beans. What??

Now ... even over here in Mississippi, I always knew red beans and rice to come from dried beans, and though the process of preparing the beans can be shortened with the quick boil method, it is still, well, a process that takes a few hours to complete. I had never seen anybody make red beans and rice from a can, never mind somebody from New Orleans!

Well, yesterday, I was in the mood for red beans and rice but when I went to the pantry, I didn't have any dried beans. Now I've been wanting to do a shortcut version of my homemade red beans, and since I do keep the pantry stocked with canned beans, this was the perfect opportunity to experiment.  I grabbed some cans of kidney beans and knew with some simple conversions, I could turn those cans into a respectable red beans and rice.

The seasonings are pretty much the same as my regular homemade red beans and rice, though some of the methodology is a bit different. You can't just dump some canned kidney beans in a pot and call them red beans and rice, so you've got to build up some layers of flavor, since you're missing the nice, long stewing time. I gotta say, despite the shortcuts, these taste pretty darned close to homemade from dried beans y'all.

One thing. DO NOT add salt to these beans! There is plenty of sodium in the canned version of beans that you likely will not need any salt at all, but definitely do not add salt before you taste them.  In fact, if you're watching your sodium, be sure to drain and rinse the beans, use low sodium chicken broth, and use a bit extra as needed. Rinsing canned beans before use removes most of the sodium.

Blue Runner brand kidney beans are excellent for this shortened version of red beans and rice, but any brand kidney bean and yes, even generic work very well. If you can't get your hands on the cream style kidney beans, just use three cans of regular.

I still have peppers coming in the garden so I used a couple of green chilies that I had picked the other day. I seeded and removed the ribs, and used them in place of some of the green bell pepper.  It provided a nice gentle spicy tingle to the lips and taste buds, and did not disappoint. You can substitute jalapeno peppers to punch that up even more, or just use regular green bell pepper to keep it on the mild side.

I served our red beans and rice this time as a side dish with some yummy Maple Balsamic Glazed pork chops.  Give those a try sometime!

For Lent:  Make this Lent friendly by omitting the smoked sausage and bacon, substituting vegetable stock or plain water for the chicken broth, and bumping up the vegetables and seasonings.

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Shortcut Red Beans & Rice
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 pound of smoked sausage, coarsely chopped
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup of onion, chopped
1/4 cup of green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of celery, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of Slap Ya Mama, or your favorite
   Cajun/Creole seasoning, or to taste, optional
5 turns of the pepper grinder
1 bay leaf
2 cans of Blue Runner red beans, undrained*
1 can of Blue Runner cream style red beans*
2-3 cups of chicken broth, as needed

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet or pot, over medium high heat, add the smoked sausage and cook until browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the bacon and cook until soft, but not browned. Add the onion, green bell pepper and celery, cook until soft. Add the garlic, basil, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and bay leaf. DO NOT ADD SALT! Canned beans contain plenty of sodium, so you won’t need to add in salt. If you are watching sodium, rinse the beans well, and use lower sodium chicken broth, adding in a bit more if necessary. Stir in the beans and enough of the chicken broth to reach the consistency desired; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through, and slightly reduced and thickened. Serve as a main dish over hot, cooked rice with a mixed garden salad or green veggie, or as a side dish with meat and a veggie.

Serves 4 to 6 - depending on appetites

*Note: If Blue Runner is not available, substitute regular light kidney beans.

Leftovers:  Substitute leftover ham for the sausage, or use both ham and sausage.

Source:  http://deepsouthdish.com

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Cajun Cabbage Au Gratin Casserole

Had some cabbage on hand so decided to do an au gratin for y'all. I am happy that it is "casserole season," but I hate the way that casseroles photograph - the pictures just do not ever do justice to the dish - but don't let that lead you.

There's really nothing to this recipe, but it's delicious if you love cabbage like I do.  Just microwave the cabbage with some Cavender's seasoning and butter to precook it a little.  Saute the celery and onion and thicken with a little flour and half and half, toss in Velvetta and a little Cajun seasoning, stir it all together, top with some bread crumbs and bake. Easy.

Good and buttery, as it should be, if you love cabbage, this is for sure comfort food.

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Cajun Cabbage Au Gratin Casserole
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Precook:

1 head of cabbage
Generous sprinkling of Greek seasoning, like Cavenders
3 tablespoons of cold butter, sliced

Casserole:

2 tablespoons of butter
1 stalk of celery
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 to 1-1/2 cup of half and half
1-1/2 cup of Velvetta, cubed
1/2 teaspoon of Slap Ya Mama, or your favorite
   Cajun/Creole seasoning, or to taste, optional
1/3 cup of dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut cabbage into bite sized chunks and place into an oven and microwave safe covered casserole dish. Sprinkle all over with Greek seasoning, toss, sprinkle again. Cut butter into slices and scatter on top. Cover and microwave for 15 minutes; set aside and keep covered.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and saute the celery and onion until tender. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the half and half and continue cooking for another 3 minutes until mixture is smooth adding additional half and half to make mixture thick, but pourable. Add in the cheese and Cajun seasoning and stir until cheese is melted and fully incorporated.

Pour cheese mixture evenly over the cabbage. Add the Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs and place evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and topping is lightly browning.

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com


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Fresh Fruit Cobbler - Apple

Super easy fresh apple cobbler made with cinnamon sugar, fresh apples, pecans and a simple butter batter.

Fresh Homemade Apple Cobbler

It's fall, and that mean apples are both plentiful and cheap right now and even though Mother Nature cannot seem to decide whether we are in full blown summer or fall down south, I thought that an apple cobbler sounded so good. I've mentioned before that I'm not really much on "seasonal" cooking anyway because I like to cook what I have a taste for, when I have a taste for it, and my taste buds don't seem to have a calendar.

Anyway, I had leftover Golden Delicious apples that I needed to use up, so that is what I used here.  This is just the way I like a cobbler to be - soft, fluffy and cake-like in the center, and a little crunchy on top. And... in the spirit of all things southern, this cobbler contains pecans.  You can of course leave those out if you like, but I can't imagine why on earth you would want to do that! You can also make this with other fruits - like our popular peach cobbler down south.

I served mine this time with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream made in my Cuisinart ice cream maker. I purchased this little jewel back in early August and I just LOVE this thing. It is so easy to make ice cream on the fly that you barely have to even think about it. You can read my review here and the photo at the top of that review are all of the ice creams I made right in the Cuisinart - chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan and vanilla. Now I realize that many of you are in the midst of near winter where you live, but for us down south, ice cream is still king. A dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of a little bit of cream are mighty good too.

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Recipe: Recipe: Fresh Apple Cobbler

From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 55 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 4 cups of sliced apples (about 5 apples)*
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts, divided
• 1 cup of self rising flour
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of butter, melted
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon and half of the pecans. Peel, core and slice apples, tossing with about 1 tablespoon of lemon. Place apples into the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour and sugar. To that, add the butter, milk and egg and mix together until well blended. Pour over the apples and sprinkle the top with the other half of the pecans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes to one hour or until golden brown. Serve warm with a dollop of cream, whipped cream or homemade ice cream.

~Cook's Notes~

Tip: If you prefer to not have the lemon flavor, peel, core and slice the apples in half, placing them into a large bowl of cold water. Then go back and slice each half into thin slices, returning them to the water. When you are ready to put them in the baking dish, drain them and then wrap them in a clean dishtowel to pat dry. This keeps them from oxidizing and turning brown while you are getting everything else together.

Variations: Make it a Peach Cobbler by substituting an approximate equal amount of fresh peaches (peak season for peaches in June through September), frozen peaches (thawed and drained) or very well drained canned peaches. Just fill the dish with the amount of fruit that looks right to you, but you'll probably need roughly a pound and a half. One pound of sliced frozen or canned peaches is equal to about three medium to large peaches. Can also make it Pear, or Mixed Berry (use about 2 pints of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or any combination of fresh berries, or substitute frozen), Nectarine, or whatever fruit you like!

Click here for the Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com/

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Easy Fresh Peach Cobbler
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Posted by Mary on October 23, 2009

Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Do not repost elsewhere without explicit permission. All rights reserved.
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Chap Chae - Korean Mixed Vegetables with Beef and Cellophane Noodles

The first time I tasted this I loved it.  My neighbor, right across the street from me, was born in Korea. She married a military man and has been living in the states for many years now, but most of her family are still living in Korea.  She is such a sweet and delightful person, and I love her to death. She has the most beautiful yard and is the only person I have ever seen, who can dig around in her garden putting in new plants, while fully dressed in street clothes, and not break a sweat or get a speck of dirt on her! You'd understand the significance of that better if you saw what I look like when I dig in the garden. It's not pretty.

Every once in awhile when she makes this dish, she comes across the street and brings me a plate of it, and even if I've already had dinner, I cannot help but to get into it right away. I've mentioned several times to her that I would love for her to show me how she does this, but she sort of brushes me off and I think it's because she really enjoys making it and bringing it to me. According to her, her girls don't like it, but she knows I love it! Every once in awhile in between those visits though, I would have a taste for this dish, so I set off trying to recreate it. I can't seem to quite get the sauce right, so while it doesn't taste quite the same as hers, it is an acceptable substitute. Sometimes she'll use shrimp or chicken in her version, but most times it is thinly sliced beef. This is her version she brought me once, made with chicken. Looks a lot different than mine, huh?  I don't know how she gets the flavor without all that soy color. Eh... I'll keep trying and maybe I'll get there one day.

I know the directions look daunting - but don't be afraid! Like my stir fry, I've just separated them into the steps, and really this is like a stir fry dish but with noodles. First you marinate the meat, then reconstitute the bean thread noodles and then you stir fry the vegetables and put it all together. The bean thread noodles I buy come with 3 bunches in a package. They are unusual looking noodles - sometimes called cellophane or glass noodles, because they are a clear noodle.  For this recipe, I use 2 of those bunches, so I'd say do about one bunch per serving. Just like any other stir fry, get all of your veggies cut up and ready to go before you start cooking them and this will take no time to come together.

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Chap Chae - Korean Mixed Vegetables
  with Beef and Cellophane Noodles
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

About 2 servings

Meat Marinade:

1/2 pound of sirloin steak
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove of garlic, finely minced

While the steak is still slightly frozen, slice it into thin strips. Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame seed oil, sugar, and garlic. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Two bunches of bean thread noodles

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir fry:

1-2 tablespoons of peanut oil
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 carrot, julienned
1 red or yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 cup of chopped fresh spinach
2 stalks of green onion, sliced
1/4 cup of straw mushrooms
Toasted sesame seeds
Dried pepper flakes, optional
Sprinkle of dried parsley

Prepare a small pot of boiling water.  Place the noodles in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let the noodles soak according to the package directions. When ready, drain well and set aside.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Prepare all of the vegetables and set aside.

Heat a heavy stainless skillet or wok over medium high heat, add the peanut oil and heat.  Add the meat strips and quickly stir fry about 2 to 3 minutes until cooked.  Remove and set aside.

Add the onion; stir fry 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger, then the carrots, bell pepper and spinach; stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the green onion.

Stir the sauce into the wok and add the drained and dried noodles. Stir fry until most of the sauce is absorbed, then add the beef back to the skillet and warm through.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and parsley; stir and serve.  Good warm or cold.

Note: Eliminate the meat and add extra vegetables, to make this dish Lent friendly.  

Source:  http://deepsouthdish.com

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Thin slices of seasoned potatoes, layered with onion and baked in a buttery milk sauce.

Scalloped Potato Casserole

I grew up with two basic potato casseroles. One that was made with milk that my Mama called scalloped potatoes; the other made similar but adding in cheese, that we called potatoes au gratin. I used to love it when Mama made them.  Both are just simply heartwarming and delicious and a perfect potato side dish for cooler weather.

I'm not talking about those dehydrated packaged potatoes here, though I won't knock those either because I've used a few of them in my lifetime too. They come in handy sometimes.  But these are made from scratch and really not all that time consuming to be honest, but worth every minute. They are perfect for a weekend fall or winter side dish with dinner.

To save a lot of work, slice your potatoes in a food processor, or pick up an inexpensive mandolin. They are worth it, and besides you can't really make homemade potato chips without one and you know you want to.  You will speed through these potatoes like nobody's business, they'll all be uniformly thick, plus the mandolin is much less hassle to clean.

I make mine in the way of Julia, so there is lots of butter, but of course! You can adjust that as you like, but as it is, well, it is totally roll-your-eyes-back-decadent.

This recipe makes about 4 servings so if you need to feed 6 or more people I recommend doubling it to make a multi-layered casserole.  To make this recipe au gratin, see notes at the bottom of the recipe - you'll be layering in one cup of grated Swiss cheese, or use your favorite cheese. You can also check out my recipe for Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin while you're here too!

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Recipe: Scalloped Potato Casserole

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds of potatoes, about 6 medium
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup of milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly smash and peel the garlic; rub all over a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Butter the dish and set aside. Peel the potatoes and slice thin, about 1/8 inch. A mandolin works fantastic for this. Hold the potatoes in a bowl of cool water to keep. Once you are ready to layer the dish, drain the potatoes and then transfer them to a clean dish towel to thoroughly dry. Heat the remaining butter with the milk until the butter is melted and the milk hot.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion until cooked, but not browned. Layer 1/4 of the onion in the bottom of the baking dish. Add 1/2 of the potatoes on top of the onion. Split the remaining onion in half and set aside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; top with half of the onion. Add the remaining potatoes, season with more salt and pepper; add remaining onions.

Pour the hot milk and butter combination evenly over the top of the casserole and bake at 425 degrees, for about 30 minutes or until top is browned, the milk has been absorbed and the potatoes are soft. Serves About 4 - double or triple for larger servings

~Cook's Notes~

Tip: If you like your potatoes sliced thicker, or you don't have a mandolin, cut them about 1/4 inch thick, place them into a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, remove pot from the burner, and let them sit in the water for 5 minutes. Drain well.

To Make This Au Gratin: For potatoes au gratin, add 2-1/2 cups of shredded Swiss, sharp Cheddar cheese, or use your favorite cheeses or any combination of cheeses. Omit the onion if desired, divide the cheese into thirds, setting aside one third for topping the casserole. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle about 1/3 of the remaining cheese on top. Repeat the layer of potatoes, salt and pepper and another 1/3 of the cheese. Reserve the last 1/3 of the shredded cheese for the last few minutes of cooking when you'll return the casserole to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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©Deep South Dish

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Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin
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Posted by Mary on October 18, 2009

Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Do not repost elsewhere without explicit permission. All rights reserved.
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Bone-in chicken breasts seasoned with garlic powder and Cajun seasoning are wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar. Served here with a side salad and steamed broccoli.

Spicy Sweet Bacon Chicken Breasts

This idea for chicken breasts came about one night when I had chicken, but could not figure out what I wanted to do with it.  A quick tweet and a friend mentioned this concoction of sweetness she'd seen on another blog, Full Bellies, Happy Kids. Well, y'all know she had me at bacon, and as a plus, it sounded quick and easy and that is what I was in the mood for.

Her original recipe called for seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper, garlic powder and chili powder, which sounded great, but I decided to go with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder and (what else but) my favorite Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning. Then you wrap the chicken with strips of bacon and get this... like you do with Pig Candy, you coat the bacon and the chicken with brown sugar!  What you end up with is this wonderful, sweet, slightly caramelized coating. I was at the tail end of my brown sugar, so I just sprinkled what I had evenly over the chicken. More certainly would have been even better, but use as little or as much as you like.

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A diner classic and a southern favorite, seasoned ground beef patties cooked with caramelized onion and gravy is a belly-pleaser.

Hamburger Steak with Creamy Onion Gravy

Hamburger steak should be in everybody's go-to recipe box and this one is the best ever. Seriously! I know that's a bold statement, but to be honest, it always gets a boatload of compliments, and isn't that what we're all after in this anyway? Hamburger steak is a common southern meal because it's fast and easy and a super delicious comfort food when you put an onion gravy in the mix. This recipe uses fresh ground chuck to form into the hamburger patties, but certainly pre-made hamburger steak patties, would make an easy go of this dish, and for a speedy transition to dinnertime during the week.

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My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are truly one of the best chocolate chip cookies, producing a chewy textured cookie due to the higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar. If you like more crisp to your cookie, exchange those ratios so you have more granulated sugar than brown sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that they think is the best. Well, this one is my go-to recipe and the only one that I have used for years. Would I go so far as to say that these are The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever??  Well, in my opinion, and solely mine, a resounding YES! These are truly at least, One of The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!! It produces a chewy textured cookie due to the higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar, but if you like more crisp to your cookie, try exchanging those ratios so you have more granulated sugar than brown sugar.

As flavor goes, butter is a superior fat for cookies, but can also create too much spread and often burned cookies.  I like to use a combination of butter with shortening, which has a higher melting temperature and keeps the spread minimal. I also use a small cookie scoop which helps to keep these cookies a bit thicker. If you prefer more spread to your cookie, try upping the baking soda a bit. I also bake on parchment paper, because rather than leaving the cookies on a hot baking pan while they set, you can slide the whole sheet of parchment directly off of the baking pan to cool and then once set, transfer them to a cooling rack and reuse the parchment sheet.

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A traditional gumbo made with shrimp, spicy andouille sausage and okra. Pass hot sauce at the table, add some hot, buttered French bread and a side salad to round it out.

Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo with Okra

Delish. But, admittedly, homemade gumbo can take a bit of time between planning and preparing, though there are ways that you can save some time and make it an easier process when you get in the mood for gumbo. Next time you are chopping an onion, go ahead and chop an extra one or two and bag it in a zipper freezer bag.  When you make rice for one dinner, double up on it and then bag and freeze half. All it needs is a sprinkle of water, cover and microwave to freshen it up. For okra, pre-sliced frozen okra works fantastic.

And if you don't have in-shell shrimp or just don't feel up to making a stock from the shrimp shells, next time you bake a whole chicken, save the carcass and make homemade stock, cool it and bag it in freezer bags by 1 or 2 cup measurements. Chicken stock works great for gumbo, as does plain ole water.

When I do a recipe that requires a caramel or lighter roux, I cook my roux on the stovetop or in the microwave, and that is definitely a time saver. But I like my seafood gumbo to be rich and dark - think Mary Mahoney's or McElroy's if you're from around here - and frankly to accomplish that on the stovetop is just too time consuming for me. Plus I have a short attention span. Plus I always get burned.

One of the biggest time savers I use now for making gumbo is pre-made, refrigerated dark roux - yes, just like you see on the grocery store shelf - and you can certainly use those here too. But I'm talking about making your own dark roux ahead, right in your own kitchen, and then storing it in your fridge. And, get this. You make it in your oven. Yes! It really does work. The oven method works fantastic, you don't have to keep standing over a pot of hot oil and stir your arm off, and you can make up a big batch and store it in your fridge. If you like to make up a pot of gumbo frequently, whether it be seafood or chicken, try the oven method sometime to put up your own roux, you will love it!

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A roux based gravy made with tomatoes is traditional served over biscuits, but can be served with meatloaf, over rice, or spooned on grits, alongside fish and with some hushpuppies.

Southern Homestyle Tomato Gravy

Southern Tomato Gravy is another one of our classic southern recipes, that goes great with those Sour Cream Biscuits I just posted a little earlier.  Totally different from what our Northeastern Italian neighbors call Sunday Tomato Gravy {what we Down South call Tomato Sauce, or Creole Gravy, or more often, just Spaghetti Sauce} meant for pasta.  This tomato gravy is the kind of gravy that us Southerners most traditionally love to eat over hot, and preferably homemade, southern buttermilk biscuits, like we do with our sausage gravy.

As with most southern gravy, this one starts off with a roux. Now don't freak out about the tomatoes and cast iron thing. I cook everything, including tomato, in my cast iron... with just a couple of "rules." Here, we just need a nice light roux, but you'll still need to keep a close watch over it and stir constantly, making sure to also take in from around the outside edges of the skillet so it doesn't burn.  You're going for a nice beige coloring.

Click Here to Read More & to Get Recipe »

A jazzed up shortcut, baking mix biscuit, that uses lemon-lime soda and sour cream, resulting in the lightest most tender, delicious and easy biscuit.

Sour Cream Biscuits

These are a super tender, light, and melt in your mouth biscuit perfect for a slather of butter, wrapping around slices of salty ham, or spooning over with sausage gravy or tomato gravy. The texture of these are just a bit different from old fashioned buttermilk biscuits, more soft & creamy. My favorite baking mix to use is Pioneer Buttermilk Baking Mix, though any good baking mix will work. This is a great way to jazz up those baking mix biscuits. The use of soda - as in Coca Cola, 7-up, Dr. Pepper, Sprite - in baked goods has been around for years, well at least it has in this part of the Deep South, as has this recipe. I have no idea scientifically what the components do, but what I can tell you is that these biscuits are fantastic!

Place the biscuits on a half sheet baking pan just slightly touching each other for soft sided biscuits, or spread them slightly apart for crispier sides. I prefer them with softer sides, and I am especially partial to those perfect little ones that are right in the middle. Let's make some! Here's how.

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Apple Upside Down Cornmeal Cake

From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Published: October 7, 2009

Pretty much everybody is familiar with Pineapple Upside Down Cake, but when I saw Sunny Anderson do an upside down cornmeal cake on one of her episodes, I knew I'd eventually get around to trying one of these. I had all but forgotten about it though until I saw one featured in the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Their version used apples, and I have plenty of apples from my Angel Food Ministries boxes, so between these two resources, I came up with my own version. Well, I loved it!

The cornmeal cake is much less sweet than the regular sweet cake versions of upside down cakes, especially those using boxed mixes, and I really loved the texture - perfect for a skillet cake. I'm sure I'll keep tweaking on this recipe but I can definitely say I will be making this again, though next time I'm thinking pineapple ... with some maraschino cherries!

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Apple Upside Down Cornmeal Cake
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons of sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried mixed berries
1 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In an iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan on both the bottom and sides. Add the sliced apples and cook and stir until slightly softened. Remove the apples from the skillet and set aside.

Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar to the skillet; stirring until the butter is melted and fully incorporated; bring up to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the milk, pecans and mixed berries. Evenly arrange the apples on top.

To the cornmeal mixture, add the milk, melted butter, eggs and vanilla, and gently combine. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Check the sides and loosen with a silicone spatula if needed. Carefully invert skillet onto a serving plate, slice into wedges and serve warm, with a dollop of whipped topping, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Suggested Apples:  Granny Smith, Rome, Golden Delicious, McIntosh should all work well.

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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Images and Content ©2011 Mary Foreman/Deep South Dish. All rights reserved.
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Roasted Balsamic Chicken Thighs

I had a large, 5 pound package of chicken thighs in the freezer, though unfortunately they were the kind frozen into one big blob and not individually so I pretty much had to thaw and bake the whole package.  Whatever isn't eaten up in leftovers will be deboned and frozen to use in casseroles or maybe some chicken salad.

This recipe was inspired by one I saw in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine for October, though I've made quite a few changes with both ingredients and methodology.  I only wanted potatoes since we were having a side salad with dinner, but you could certainly add to or change out vegetables to what you prefer. I loved the balsamic vinegar here with the chicken. It adds a rich tone, just slightly sweet. If you don't have balsamic on hand, try apple cider instead.

If you don't have a full 5 pounds of chicken, just use one whole chicken cut up, about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds, reduce the potatoes to 1 pound and the balsamic to 2 tablespoons. Enjoy!

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Roasted Balsamic Chicken Thighs
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

5 pounds of chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 onions, cut into wedges
1-1/2 pounds of potatoes, unpeeled & cut into chunks
Several sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the bottom of a large roaster or baking pan and add chicken. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt & pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon & garlic. Add the onion and potatoes and toss. Pour over the chicken. Strip thyme off of a couple of springs & sprinkle on the top; add remaining sprigs to the roaster.  Bake at 450 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until juices run clear and potatoes are tender. Spoon a bit of the pan juices on top of the chicken before serving.

Note:  If you don't have a full 5 pounds of chicken, just use one whole chicken cut up, about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds, reduce the potatoes to 1 pound and the balsamic to 2 tablespoons.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken
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Southernized Baked Ziti

While a authentic baked ziti may not be traditional southern fare, it's a popular dish that goes a long way to feedin' a crowd of folks and y'all know I'm gonna southernize it!  Actually, I grew up along the coast of Mississippi where not only do we have amazing access to Gulf fresh seafood, but because of our history and our military bases, bringing people here from literally all over the world, we are so fortunate to also have a large influx of a variety of cuisines in our area.

Coming up, many of my friends were in Air Force families and I spent a lot of time on the base with them - at the teen clubs {and later the NCO and Officer's Clubs ... hello handsome pilots in USAF flight suits!}, the base swimming pools, marina, bowling alley, and stomping around base housing  - even though I was a "civilian." I might as well have had a military issued dependent ID! Of course that was bittersweet too, because friends would come and go as their dads would get orders for the next base and the next town. Not impossible to believe I ended up marrying a military man is it? 

I managed to wrangle up more than a few invitations to dinner back in those days too since I often found myself away from home at supper time.  I can remember one of my friends having this dish pretty regularly at the hand of her Italian mama and boy did I love it!

I don't pretend by any stretch of the imagination for my version to be authentic Italian Baked Ziti - it's just my slightly Southernized version of ziti seasoned with The Trinity.  I keep it pretty mild from here though - a little Italian seasoning, salt and pepper is all I use. A lot of ziti recipes use ricotta, but I don't like it in ziti so I don't. The sausage flavor and all of the cheesy goodness is here though. Enjoy!

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Southernized Baked Ziti
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds of Italian sausage
1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound of ziti pasta
4-5 cups of shredded mozzarella, divided
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook until softened but not brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove and set aside.

Remove the sausage from the casings and add to skillet, breaking up the meat to fine crumbles. Cook over medium to medium high heat until lightly browned; drain off excess fat.  Return the sauteed vegetables to the skillet and using kitchen shears, roughly chop the whole tomatoes in the can.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to the skillet, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes. Remove 2 cups of the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt. Cook the pasta just to al dente according to package directions; drain. Add the ziti to the remaining sauce and combine well.  Taste, add salt and pepper, and adjust seasoning as needed.

In a large oblong baking dish, add half of the ziti mixture. Sprinkle top with 1-1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of that. Dot top with 1 cup of the reserved tomato sauce mixture. Continue layers adding the remaining ziti mixture, top with another  1-1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella (reserving the remaining cup), sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of that.  The casserole will be well to the top of your dish - press down a little on the top and then dot the top with the remaining cup of the reserved tomato sauce mixture.

Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and place the dish on a baking sheet as insurance for any spillover.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover, sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Beef, Andouille and Mushroom Lasagna
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