Chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and rosemary, cooked with mushrooms and onions, and slow braised on the stovetop.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Onions and Mushrooms

This is a pretty standard recipe for braised chicken, although I based my version on Emeril's recipe he shared on Good Morning America some time ago.

While bone-in chicken thighs are most traditional, other pieces of chicken may also be used, simply by adjusting times accordingly.

 

Slow cooked pork roast in an incredibly tasty gravy, using a classic cola soft drink and an envelope of onion soup mix. Great for chicken and beef roasts as well!

Slow Cooker Cola Pork Roast

This pork roast uses that same combination of good ole cola soft drink and dry onion soup mix we love on a beef roast, and the same as that beef roast that is so delicious, so is a pork loin done the same way.

Yes, Southerners like to cook with cola - which of course includes things like 7-up and Dr Pepper and root beer, of course - because we all know that the word cola covers all beverage bases in the South.

Spicy Baked Jumbo Shrimp

Spicy Baked Jumbo Shrimp - shrimp marinated in a spicy hot sauce and baked.

Spicy Baked Shrimp

This recipe was intended to be somewhat of a take on classic New Orleans BBQ shrimp, but with a barbecue flavor infusion instead, which is exactly what New Orleans style BBQ shrimp is not.

I know. Confusing isn't it? You can read more about the New Orleans style version on this post, which explains it a bit more.

CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce

Hot pepper sauce is no secret to the Deep South and many Southerners are well familiar with the North Carolina based Texas Pete® family of wing and hot sauce products. While Sriracha hot chile sauce may be a bit more elusive here in the Deep South, though some of us certainly are familiar with it and do use it, it is certainly highly popular all over the world, including here in the United States.

Texas style chili, made with a roast, loads of sweet and hot peppers, stewed and Rotel tomatoes and beef stock and beer if you like, heavy on cumin and chili powder and thickened with a slurry of masa harina.

Texas Style Chili

I think the major differences in Texas style chili over what most of us know as chili, is that it is most often made from chopped beef off of a whole roast, like a braising roast, or even venison, rather than ground beef, or heaven forbid, chicken. There are more chilies, whether they are reconstituted dried, powdered or chopped fresh, and it's heavier in cumin and chili powder for heat and never, ever beans cooked in.

Books of Southern Poetry by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Update! Congratulations to Patsy who said...

"I'm from Mississippi too. I live in Laurel. I would love the book of poems of Mississippi." ~Patsy H.

Patsy left me her email so she's already been contacted. Thanks so much everybody for participating!

Except for the distinct connection between poetry, romance and food, this post today isn't directly related to food, but with Valentine's Day approaching us, I wanted to share these books of poetry by one of our Mississippi treasures, Patricia Neely-Dorsey. You may recognize Patricia by her widely popular poem entitled "Southern Life" that has often been shared around the net.

Enchilada Casserole, layered with crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and a sauce of ground beef, onion and garlic, cream soups, green chilies and enchilada sauce.

Ground Beef Tortilla Enchilada Casserole

I would imagine there must be a thousand different ways to make this Tex-Mex style casserole that uses tortilla chips instead of corn or flour tortillas, and I've tried quite a few of the variations myself. This recipe was shared by one of our readers Cindy, who gave me permission to share it on our recipe sharing Facebook page. Cindy's version of this popular casserole was the best tasting of all that I have tried.

Hot Pintos and Cheese Dip (Texas Trash) - made from refried beans and onion, sour cream, cream cheese, taco seasoning, red sauce and both pepper jack and cheddar cheeses.

Hot Pintos and Cheese Dip (Texas Trash)

There's a dip that's being passed around Facebook called Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip. I have no idea why it has that name, but it passed by my timeline so many times that I decided to give it a whirl. I mean if you love beans, and especially refried beans and bean dips, how can you lose with beans and cheese, right?

 

Peach Cobbler, made with canned peaches and a sugar and flour crumble topping.

Canned Peach Cobbler

When I went to make some spiced peach halves recently, I accidentally opened a large can of sliced peaches, so I thought it would be a great time to put up this version of peach cobbler. As if any Southerner would need an excuse for a comforting pan of warm peach cobbler, even if slap in the middle of winter, right?

I usually refer to this as a winter cobbler because it's intended to be made when peaches are out of season, though I see no problem with using canned peaches or frozen peaches any time of the year frankly. It is especially excellent when made with peaches you've home canned yourself, though store bought canned peaches are delicious too.

An unstuffed casserole form of all the ingredients you love in stuffed cabbage, Cabbage Patch is made with a layer of cabbage, topped with a blend of veggies, tomato, rice and sausage or beef, finished, if you like, with a layer of shredded cheese. Perfect for cabbage lovers!

Cabbage Patch Casserole

This recipe is a very slight adaptation of one that was shared a few years back by Linda, a reader on our Southern recipe sharing page on Facebook. It's essentially a casserole form of deconstructed cabbage rolls, often called Cabbage Roll Casserole, Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls or simply Lazy Cabbage Rolls, and it's just simply delicious and perfect for anytime, but especially on these cold days.

I used breakfast sausage because I really like the flavor, but you may substitute an Italian sausage, removed from the casings, a good ground beef with a nice fat content, or even a combination.

Just a quick reminder.... if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips, product recommendations and such on a blog, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!

Here's what you'll need to make my Cabbage Patch Casserole:

• 1 pound breakfast sausage, Italian sausage or ground beef
• 2-1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup beef stock/broth or water
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, such as herbes de provence
• 1/2 teaspoon Cavender's or other all-purpose seasoning
• 3 tablespoons uncooked long grain rice
• 6 cups coarsely chopped, raw cabbage
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, optional

As always, the full recipe text with measurements, instructions and a handy printable is a little further down the page. Just scroll or swipe past the pictures!

Here's how to make it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Add the sausage or beef to a large skillet and cook until lightly browned. 

Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in the beef broth.

Add tomatoes with their juices, Worcestershire, herbs and Cavender's (or your favorite all-purpose seasoning).

Add rice. Stir together; set aside. You will note that the recipe calls for only 3 tablespoons of uncooked rice. That is the amount used in the photos, and no, it's not a misprint!

Scatter the cabbage evenly in the bottom of the prepared casserole. 

Pour the meat mixture all over the top, seal tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1-1/2 hours. I didn't add any, but I can't imagine this casserole wouldn't be even better with a nice layer of cheesy goodness on top, so I've included it as an option. If using cheese, uncover, sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven until cheese has melted.

This recipe isn't a very heavy rice dish although I'm sure you could make it so, but understand you'd have to use additional liquid to compensate for any rice you increase. 

For more of my favorite cabbage recipes, visit my page on Pinterest!

Unable to view the printable above on your device? Tap/click here for a backup printable.

Posted by Mary on January 9, 2013

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

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