With potlucks, open houses, and holiday gatherings rapidly approaching, it doesn’t hurt to have a signature dish. Stuffed mushrooms are a no-fail crowd favorite, so if you don’t already have a recipe stashed away, I promise this one will become a greatest hit! ...Continue reading at The Kitchn
Recipe: Grilled Peppadews with Smoked Mozzarella
Haven't jumped on the Peppadew bandwagon yet? Well it's time to hop on board! The fabulous Amelia Saltsman introduced me to the zippy peppers a few years back, and this preparation continues to be one of my favorite summer snacks. With only two ingredients, how could it not be?!
Check 'em out at The Kitchn: Grilled Peppadews with Smoked Mozzarella
Entertaining Ideas: How to Style a Crudité Platter
Let's talk about how to style a crudité platter. I serve some form of veggie appetizer at almost every party I host (like this Caesar Dip I made last week) and I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to arrange them. It doesn't take much to go above and beyond the typical store bought spread, I swear—just a cupboard raid and a quick stroll through the produce department...
Read moreRecipe: Cowboy Corn Dip
Hey y'all, I've got a story up today at The Southern Coterie, all about the fabulous Emerald Coast along the Gulf of Mexico! I'm headed to Rosemary Beach for my bachelorette party next week, so it seemed like the perfect time to reflect. Give it a read, and check out my recipe for Cowboy corn dip (a family beach favorite) below:
Cowboy Corn Dip
Yields: 2 cups
For some reason, my family tends to lower our food standards when at the beach; it's the one time of year when the grocery cart becomes filled with all sorts of "junk"—cheap white bread, American cheese, gummy snacks, s'mores supplies, and sodas all become fair game!
Every day at lunchtime we drag ourselves away from the water just long enough to devour a ham sandwich and wash it down with an ice cold glass of Coke (or Corona). There’s always an appetizer on hand for snacking, too. Chips & salsa are no-brainers, but this corn dip is a Dozier family favorite. It’s quick, delicious, and just trashy enough to belong on the Redneck Riviera.
2 (7 ounce) cans Mexicorn, drained
4 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 - 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (or jalapeno relish, to taste)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. (I use my stand mixer fitted with the beater blade.) Refrigerate for a minimum of four hours but preferably overnight to let flavors blend. Taste before serving and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve with Fritos corn or tortilla chips.
Kitchen note: This recipe is open to plenty of variation. Use fresh corn and red bell peppers if you prefer. I always have a jar of Wickles Sub Relish on hand and find it works perfectly for spicing up any dip, not to mention it’s much easier than dicing a jalapeno. Also, this recipe tastes best when you grate the cheese yourself—the waxy packaged shredded cheese just can’t compare.
Yields: 2 cups
For some reason, my family tends to lower our food standards when at the beach; it's the one time of year when the grocery cart becomes filled with all sorts of "junk"—cheap white bread, American cheese, gummy snacks, s'mores supplies, and sodas all become fair game!
Every day at lunchtime we drag ourselves away from the water just long enough to devour a ham sandwich and wash it down with an ice cold glass of Coke (or Corona). There’s always an appetizer on hand for snacking, too. Chips & salsa are no-brainers, but this corn dip is a Dozier family favorite. It’s quick, delicious, and just trashy enough to belong on the Redneck Riviera.
2 (7 ounce) cans Mexicorn, drained
4 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 - 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (or jalapeno relish, to taste)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. (I use my stand mixer fitted with the beater blade.) Refrigerate for a minimum of four hours but preferably overnight to let flavors blend. Taste before serving and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve with Fritos corn or tortilla chips.
Kitchen note: This recipe is open to plenty of variation. Use fresh corn and red bell peppers if you prefer. I always have a jar of Wickles Sub Relish on hand and find it works perfectly for spicing up any dip, not to mention it’s much easier than dicing a jalapeno. Also, this recipe tastes best when you grate the cheese yourself—the waxy packaged shredded cheese just can’t compare.
Recipe: Pimento Cheese
Pimento Cheese-3
(My pimento cheese photos circa 2009 needed a little update. The excerpt below is taken from the recipe archives.)
I do not have fond memories of pimento cheese. When I was a child, we always had a carton of the unnaturally bright grocery store brand in the fridge, which my dad used to scoop onto anything he could get his hands on. Sometimes he would wave a day-glow orange sandwich under my nose, and I would run away screaming my little head off.
It wasn’t until college that I found an appreciation for this Southern staple. Every time my roommate Ben went home to Raleigh to visit his grandmother, he would return with a vat of from-scratch pimento cheese—you know, the real thing. I didn’t even know it could be homemade! I had always assumed it could only be processed in a mysterious factory off the New Jersey Turnpike, along with Twinkies and Moon Pies and other synthetic foods.
My roommates and I would stand blissfully around the kitchen counter slathering slices of Wonder Bread with the chunky spread, barely swallowing before attacking the next bite. That pimento cheese got us through quite a few Boone ice storms and continues to show up in vats in my refrigerator today. All I can say is, thank God for grandmas!
Pimento Cheese-1
PIMENTO CHEESE
Yields: 2 cups
I've been tweaking this pimento cheese recipe over the years and finally have it just the way I like it. Mine may have some ingredients that certain purists may snark at, but they're the ones missing out. Serve with crostini, saltines, or in a (white bread) sandwich.
1 (8 ounce) block sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated
1 (8 ounce) block white cheddar cheese, grated
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Duke's or Hellmann's only)
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
A few big splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat the shredded cheeses, cream cheese, pimientos, mayonnaise, pickle juice, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce until completely combined. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to marry, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Yields: 2 cups
I've been tweaking this pimento cheese recipe over the years and finally have it just the way I like it. Mine may have some ingredients that certain purists may snark at, but they're the ones missing out. Serve with crostini, saltines, or in a (white bread) sandwich.
1 (8 ounce) block sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated
1 (8 ounce) block white cheddar cheese, grated
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Duke's or Hellmann's only)
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
A few big splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat the shredded cheeses, cream cheese, pimientos, mayonnaise, pickle juice, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce until completely combined. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to marry, but bring to room temperature before serving.