Recipe: MoonPie Banana Pudding

There's really not much to say about the wonders of good ol' Southern banana pudding. Everyone's got a favorite recipe, and it's usually straight from the back of the Nilla wafer box. And there's good reason, too. It's delicious!

I found my favorite version in the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook a few years back (I know, I know. They're Yankees. But the recipe is said to be born in Texas. That's Southern enough for me.) It truly is the best I've ever had. Some people may turn their noses up at it since it uses pudding from a box, but I say don't knock it 'til you've tried it. And this is coming from a girl that usually turns her nose up at powdered mixes!

So here is where it gets interesting. I was recently going to make Magnolia's tried-and-true banana pudding for a friend, but while perusing the cookie aisle at the grocery store I happened upon a large box of chocolate MoonPies. You might be able to guess what happened next. Twelve empty plastic wrappers and a pile of chopped up MoonPie's later, and the recipe to end all recipes was born. Don't you love it when that happens?

Later that day, while picking up barbecue at my favorite local joint, I struck up a conversation with the very cool owners. This led to that, and next thing I know we were discussing my MoonPie banana pudding. They exchanged intrigued glances. Hmph. Hey, if it ends up on their menu in the future, I better get free banana pudding for life!!

I'm not going to lie, y'all. This recipe has earned Dixie Caviar the most rave reviews to date. It's been ravaged two times in as many weeks, and with barbecue season upon us, I see many more in my future. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

MoonPie Banana Pudding
Source: Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
Serves 12 - 15

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding (preferably Jell-o)
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12 pack) box chocolate moonpies, cut into eighths
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 4 cups)

In a medium bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and ice water with an electric mixer until well-combined. Add vanilla pudding mix and continue to beat, about 2-3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate pudding until completely set, about 3-4 hours (or overnight).

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla with an electric mixer until thickened and stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until well blended and no remaining yellow streaks are visible.

In a large trifle dish (or glass bowl), layer 1/3 of the sliced bananas followed by 1/3 of the chopped moonpies. Cover with 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat until the entire dish is filled. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but no longer than 8 hours (or the bananas will start to darken).

Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches

It's Masters week! It's Masters week! My father is an avid golfer, so I grew up watching the tournament each and every year. When I was young, it was an excuse to sit in my dad's lap; when I was older, it was an excuse to ogle cute golfers (Camilo Villegas who?!). I've never attended the exclusive event, but I'm just itching to try their famous $1.50 pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches. Um, is it bad that I'm just in it for the food?

In the meantime, I'll just have to enjoy this classic version, washed down with a cold beer. Happy putting!

EGG SALAD SANDWICHES
Yields: 4 sandwiches

8 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's)
2 tablespoons snipped chives
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Bring the eggs to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cook for 12 minutes. Rinse with cold water (or place in an ice bath) to stop the cooking. Peel and chop.

Combine chopped eggs, mayonnaise, chives, cider vinegar, mustard, salt, and bacon crumbles. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve on cheap white sandwich bread (don't even think about getting fancy here!).

Recipe: Sloppy Joes

Sometimes it seems as if I am dating a 2-year-old. Ladies, do you feel me? Just the other day Walt asked if from now on we could put a Lego man in my food photos - somewhere subtle, like in the background, and it has to be a different one every time. This question came with a cute impersonation of him standing tall like a Lego man, arms waving high in the air. (If Lego Darth Vader appears in my next blog post, you'll know why.) It keeps me young, I tell you.

And with having a toddler -- at least so I've been told -- comes food phobias, tantrums, and force-feedings. Not much different than Walt if you ask me. If Walt could have his way, he would live off Spaghettio's, Beanie Weanies, and canned tomato soup. Not a green (or orange or purple) vegetable in sight. Well, except for peas. He loves peas. And corn. He loves corn, too.

Lately we've both been working odd hours, so our meal time together has been a little hit or miss. I do try, however, to make sure we share some sort of breakfast, lunch, or dinner together each day. In addition,  I've been adding some "man food" to my cooking arsenal to keep him happy. By "man food" I mean boy-approved meals that I can make in large batches and store in the fridge, so when I'm not home he's not left to his own devices. (Twenty piece McNuggets, anyone?)

Take Sloppy Joes, for instance. The perfect "man food." I served these with potato chips and a side of steamed broccoli. Then I watched Walt giddily shove a pile of broccoli into his mouth, quickly followed by a fistful of potato chips. Apparently the salt and crunch make the vegetables taste better? And then, with all of the enthusiasm of a small child learning to ride his first bike (or poop in the potty), Walt opened his mouth far and wide to reveal his wonderful accomplishment to the world. I beamed with pride and joy. Oh well, at least he ate his veggies.

SLOPPY JOES
Yields 6 - 8 sandwiches

I loaded this Sloppy Joe filling up with extra vegetables to make these a healthy and satisfying meal -- suitable for both toddlers and boyfriends alike. The Heinz Chili Sauce adds a nice kick as opposed to regular ketchup, as does the addition of Italian sausage (but feel free to use whatever you have on hand). Hands down the best Sloppy Joes I've ever eaten!

1 onion, finely diced
1 celery stock, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 each small red and green bell pepper, finely diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (mild or spicy)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup Heinz Chili Sauce (or ketchup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mustard (yellow or Dijon)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Hamburger buns or Texas toast

Warm a few tablespoons of canola oil in a large fry pan or braiser over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 - 7 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the beef and sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low/low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Serve with steamed hamburger buns, potato chips, and pickles. And don't forget the napkins!

Recipe: Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I've made a lot of pancakes in my day. Mainly because Walt loves pancakes and I love Walt. Which means I'm always trying to find the perfect recipe to please him. Over the years I've attempted blueberry and buttermilk, and I even convinced him to like oatmeal when I made these. And you know what? They were all good. But (and there's always a but). They weren't great.

Little did I know that the cottage cheese pancakes I'd been enjoying every Christmas morning since I was a little girl would end the search. (Talk about right under my nose!) This recipe comes from my Grandmother Hagler and was included in a family cookbook compiled by my Aunt many years back. It's been a Dozier family tradition ever since. And when Walt tasted his first bite, it became a Thompson tradition, too!

I do go back to the others on occasion, because this girl needs a little excitement in in her life, but these will always be the perfect pancake. In Walt's humble opinion, at least.

COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES
Source: Grandmother Hagler
Yields: 6 - 8 pancakes (feeds 2)

This recipe easily doubles to feed a crowd. I use light sour cream and low-fat cottage cheese to delicious results, but I'm sure full-fat would work just fine.

2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat griddle to 325 degrees and lightly grease with cooking spray or butter.

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Pour batter in 1/4 cup portions onto the hot griddle. Cook until pancakes are covered with bubbles. Flip and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown (only turn pancakes once).

Recipe: Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

Poor Walter. It seems that whenever he goes out of town, I go totally cooking mad. Take last year for example. He was working in Atlanta on a production job while I was still living in Los Angeles. I was finishing up culinary school at the time and had a month of finals to prepare for, which meant practicing new recipes almost daily.

My roommates were lucky enough to be on the receiving end of all of those culinary delights. Unfortunately for Walt, he had to resort to commenting on mere pictures of Chicken Fricassee, Steak Dianne, and Sole a la Meuniere, with promises to make them again in our future. (I know it sounds like torture, but I had to make him realize what he was missing.)

Now we're living pretty much in reverse. Walt is in Los Angeles working on a Lowe's commercial, and Goose and I are holding down the fort in Atlanta.  While I've been enjoying Chocolate Chip Cookies and Ham and Linguine Casserole, Walt has been subsisting on craft services, fast food, and takeout. (Now he better know what he what he is missing!)

I'm headed out to Tinsel Town on Sunday to catch up with old friends, and perhaps I'll grab a baked hand crab roll at Katsuya if I'm lucky. (Okay, okay, I'm really just going for the food. My friends are just a sorry excuse for sushi.) Oh, and did I mention it is a crisp 72 degrees? Please don't be jealous.

In the meantime, I'll just wrap my blanket tighter and have another bowl of these delicious meatballs. As for Walt, I just emailed him a picture -- and a promise to make them again in the future. Yep, poor guy.

MEATBALLS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

This stick-to-your-ribs dish is a bit like Beef Stroganoff, but not quite. The meatballs are light and fluffy and also taste great with spaghetti and tomato sauce, or all on their own. This recipe yields quite a few (about 45-50), but you can freeze half or just save them for meals later in the week. You can really never have too many meatballs, right?

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
Canola oil
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
4 slices white bread (dipped in the buttermilk and squeezed out)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous amount of kosher salt and pepper
Fresh dill or Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)

FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup sour cream
Kosher salt, to taste

FOR THE MEATBALLS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place ground beef and veal into a large bowl. Add bread, eggs, onion, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and combine thoroughly. Using a small spring action scoop (and your hands), form meat mixture into small round balls. Place meatballs on a large baking sheet. Once all meatballs are rolled, place in freezer for 10 - 15 minutes to set.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil on medium to medium-high heat. Brown meatballs in small batches for approximately 2 - 3 minutes, flipping once, but do not allow to cook all the way through. Place browned meatballs on baking sheet. Once all the balls are completed, put them in the oven for 6 - 8 minutes, then turn the oven off. Keep meatballs in the oven (to remain warm) while preparing the mushroom sauce.

FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE: In a sauce pan, melt butter at medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until dark and tender, approximately 10 minutes. Add flour and cook until none is visible. Pour in the beef stock and increase to high heat. Reduce stock by half (it should be bubbling away), approximately 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the pan). Add the red wine and reduce a bit longer. Remove from heat. Season with salt to taste. Stir in sour cream and check again for seasoning.

Add the meatballs to the sauce (I used 1/2 of the batch and saved the rest for later). Simmer on low to warm meatballs if necessary. Serve over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.