Hot Wing Dip

After discovering a version of this recipe in the Moms League of Birmingham cookbook, I altered it to suit our family's tastes. It's become one of my most-requested recipes, even from one friend who works in the hotel and restaurant industry! If you're as big a fan of hot wings as we are, this dip is sure to quickly become one of your favorites.

1 12.5 oz. can chicken in water, drained
1/2 cup hot sauce (We use Frank's or Crystal)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a small skillet, combine the drained chicken and hot sauce and heat over medium. Break the chicken up with a fork, and cook until thoroughly combined and heated through. Meanwhile, soften cream cheese in the microwave. When chicken/hot sauce is hot and bubbly, pour it over the cream cheese and stir in ranch dressing and shredded cheddar. Mix to combine, and turn into a small crock pot (dip size). Serve with celery sticks or assorted crackers.

Pimento Burgers

I never liked pimento cheese until I started making it myself. For some reason, the consistency and flavor of the store-bought stuff just repulsed me and I began to take matters into my own hands. I have no idea why it took me so long to discover how good pimento burgers can be, but I saw on a website today that it was a fave among many so I tried it out for myself tonight. And let me just tell you, after 1 bite TJ asked me to make him his own serving so he didn't eat all of mine! Y'all, this is really, really good - even if you don't like pimento cheese.

To make a batch of pimento cheese, stir all the following ingredients together and refrigerate overnight:
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 4 oz. jar chopped pimentos, drained (could use 2 if you want)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
several good shakes of ground red pepper
1-2 T. lemon juice

Feel free to adjust seasonings to your taste, this is just what I use and what we like at our house.

Take 1 frozen hamburger patty and cook it on the George Foreman grill until it's not bloody anymore. Place cooked patty on a microwave-safe plate and top with a good dollop of pimento cheese. Microwave 20 seconds on high to melt the cheese a little, and serve on hamburger buns or just by itself.

Joelle's Spicy Chicken with Spaghetti

A friend of mine from work passed along this recipe with the warning that it is SO GOOD, but makes a ton of food. WOW, I thought – that’ll make it a lot easier when I make casseroles for my pregnant friends this spring! BTW, frozen casseroles are one of the BEST gifts to give a pregnant woman – she won’t have to cook when she gets home from giving birth, and if hubby can turn on the oven and timer they’re set! Anyway, here’s the recipe from Joelle:

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¾ of the big block of Velveeta (you can use Lite, but not fat-free)
4-6 Chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
garlic salt and black pepper, to taste
1 can EACH regular and spicy Ro-tel (or 2 cans regular if you prefer)
1 pkg. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

Combine all ingredients in a gigantic bowl, then divide into 2 9x13 casserole pans or several 9x9 square pans for freezing. When ready to cook, thaw overnight and bake for 45 minutes on 350.

"Sandwich"

Yes, this wonderful delicacy was simply dubbed “sandwich” by my adorable husband, who professes that this is one of his favorite things in the world. Perfect for feeding friends during a spirited football game, “sandwich” is easy to prepare and really good!

1 lb. hot bulk pork sausage
1 lb. ground beef/chuck/whatever’s on sale
1 onion, chopped
2 T mustard (or more, depending on how much you like mustard)
16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 baguettes or twin loaves of French bread (we use Pepperidge Farm)
spray margarine
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet, cook sausage, beef and onions until done, making sure to break up the meat into little bits, and drain. While meat is cooking, cut the loaves in half and hollow out the middle on both sides, leaving a shell similar to how you’d hollow out a twice-baked potato. Place the loaves on a large sheet of aluminum foil. When meat is cooked and drained, pour it into a big bowl and add mustard, cheese and eggs. Mix to combine, and spoon mixture into the hollowed out bread loaves. Do the next steps for both loaves: Use the foil to help roll the top of the loaf onto the bottom, and push any mixture that has “escaped” back into the bread. Spray the top with spray margarine and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Form the aluminum foil around the sandwich to help hold in the stuffing, making sure to leave the top open so the sandwich can brown on top. Bake for 35 minutes and cut into fourths. Serves 8.

Betty's Dip

TJ’s mom acquired this recipe many years ago, and passed it on to me because it’s one of his favorites. When I mentioned making it for a party last night, his eyes lit up and he was actually excited about going grocery shopping.

1 jar Armour dried beef
1 small can chopped black olives
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces
1 bunch green onions, green part only
3 tsp. Accent
3 8 oz. tubs whipped cream cheese

Put beef, mushrooms and onions in food processor and chop VERY fine. Put chopped ingredients in a large bowl and add olives, cream cheese and Accent. Stir to combine thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight. This dip is very thick, so choose a sturdy chip (Fritos Scoops are great) or toasted baguette slices, carrots or celery sticks.

Summertime Tomato Pie

In the summertime, it seems like everybody you know is trying to give you homegrown tomatoes. But what do you do with them? This pie is a great way to use up the sackfuls of tomatoes that I end up with every summer, and is great as a side dish or for brunch. Caution! It’s VERY rich!

1 deep-dish pie shell
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
¼ c. chopped green onions of a few snipped chives
12-14 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt & pepper
1 c. light mayonnaise
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
½ lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

Put the tomato slices over a plate or colander lined with paper towels and lightly salt. Let the tomatoes drain for 15 -30 minutes, then layer them in the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle basil, onions and half the bacon over the tomatoes and season with salt & pepper to taste. Mix mayonnaise and cheeses together and spread over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until crust is lightly browned. Top with more bacon pieces and serve warm.

Laura's Green Game Day Dip

What a great dip for game days! When you don’t have tickets and it’s just TOO dang hot to tailgate, have a tailgate party in your own living room with yummy dip, hot wings, and a big screen TV. After all, it counts as a veggie, right?

1 small box frozen chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts, packed in water – NOT OIL
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened - reduced fat is fine
1-2 c. shredded Italian-style cheese blend
½ c. mayonnaise
1 T. minced garlic
¼ to ½ lb. crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

Cook spinach according to package directions and drain. Wrap several thicknesses of paper towels around the spinach and squeeze or press out as much moisture as you can. Put the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Drain the artichokes and add them in. Add the cream cheese, Italian cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic. Mix thoroughly, making sure to break up the artichoke hearts as you mix. Turn into a 9 x 9 casserole pan or pie plate. Bake until cheese melts and mixture is hot & bubbly, and then top with crumbled bacon. These are excellent with white corn tortilla chips.

* If you wanted to be really fancy, you spoon the mixture into hollowed-out peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or mushroom caps, top with toasted breadcrumbs and serve as an appetizer or side dish.

Hot Rhonda's Hot Vegetable Casserole

I got this recipe from mom several years ago (I won’t say how many!) and it’s always been a hit! It’s another recipe from Aunt Tene - a GREAT casserole and has never failed to impress both kids and adults. I like to serve it with ham, and it’s even good cold and leftover the next day. . . seriously! TJ’s Uncle Johnny ate about half the pan by himself at the Joseph family Christmas party one year.

1 8 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, etc.)
1 c. mayonnaise (you can use light, but NOT fat free – yuck!)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. finely chopped celery
Salt to taste
1T. or more black pepper
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350. While oven is heating up, microwave the vegetables according to package directions and drain. Place into the bottom of a 9 x 9 casserole pan. In a bowl, combine, mayonnaise, cheese, celery, salt and pepper. Spread mayo/cheese mixture over the vegetables. Now for the “tastes really good, bad for you” part – mix the melted butter with the crushed crackers and spread evenly over the top. Yep, add more butter to buttery crackers! Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or so until the top of the casserole is browned and the innards are bubbly. Even confirmed vegetable haters will ask for seconds – I’ve seen it in real life.

Aunt Tene's Mac N Cheese

TJ surprised me one night by calling to ask for my mom’s mac and cheese recipe. Seems he’d told his co-workers he made the best mac n cheese ever, so Kraft in the blue box simply wouldn’t do. Mom said she got this recipe from her Aunt Tene (Mac’s sister), who is well known for being an AWESOME cook. By the way, TJ said he had NO leftovers the next day, and I can promise that you won’t either!

1 box macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
1 block Colby cheese, shredded OR 2 c. shredded Colby Jack in a pinch
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste (we use LOTS of pepper)
coupla good shakes of red pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar
¼ stick of butter, cut into very small pieces (dots)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cooked noodles, shredded Colby or Colby Jack, egg, milk, and seasonings in a bowl and turn into a greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. Top with shredded cheddar and butter dots and bake until bubbly around the edges. If you really want to get MaMaw with it, throw a good handful of buttered breadcrumbs on top before you pop it in the oven.

Fake Mashed Potatoes

1 c. chicken stock (check carb count) or 1 cup water w/ a bullion cube dissolved
1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets
¼ stick butter, softened
Garlic salt
Pepper

Cook the cauliflower in the bullion until you’ve cooked it into submission! It should be VERY mushy. Drain off the bullion and put the cauliflower in a bowl. Mash together with the butter, or process cauliflower and butter in a food processor until smooth. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. It’s also good with a little shredded cheese and crisp, crumbled bacon stirred in.

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

What a great discovery! The grocery had some great-looking mushrooms on sale and buy one-get one free sausage, so I thought – what can I do with this? It’s a cross between TJ’s favorite game day sandwich and stuffed mushrooms, plus it’s Atkins-friendly at only 3 carbs per serving.

1 lb. hot bulk pork sausage (If you count carbs, check the carb count – some are made with sugar/fillers)
½ medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
5-6 white button mushrooms, chopped
2 T. mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 slices deli-style provolone cheese
4 Portobello mushroom caps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, cook the sausage, onion, pepper and mushrooms together until the sausage is cooked through. Make sure to break up the sausage into small chunks as you cook it. Drain off the fat and mix in the mustard, egg and mozzarella. Place mushroom caps gill-side up in a glass baking dish and pile sausage mixture on top. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, top each mushroom with 2 slices of provolone and continue cooking 7-10 minutes until cheese is good and melty on top.

Parmesan-Puffed Tilapia

For someone who professed a dislike for fish, TJ sure fell in love with this tilapia recipe. It’s easy, quick, and really looks impressive! (Feel free to church it up even more and sprinkle some chopped parsley on top – whoo, fancy!) But don't be tempted to make this without the lemon juice - it adds a citrus "zip" that balances out the creamy parmesan sauce.

1 pkg. tilapia filets
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice, plus extra for garnish
½ tsp. dill
½ c. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to broil. Thaw the tilapia, rinse in cold water, drain and place on a broil pan. Mix the mayo, cheese, lemon juice and dill and spread a little dollop on top of each fillet. Broil until the sauce puffs and turns golden brown. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top right before serving for a light, fresh finish.

Mike's Chicken Veggie Casserole

Our friend Mike comes to visit and work on TJ’s various vehicles every so often, and knows first-hand my love for a good southern casserole. One day, he’s sent me a text message requesting a casserole with “chicken, vegetables and bread”. This was the result – a cross between chicken divan and Hot Rhonda’s Hot Vegetable Casserole!

1-2 lbs. chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts, cut into 1” pieces
2 bags frozen vegetables (I used Roma variety mixed veggies from Publix)
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. sour cream
1 tsp. red pepper and/or 1T. Black pepper
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¾ c. Italian breadcrumbs, Italian style Pando breadcrumbs, or combination of both

Preheat oven to 350. While oven is preheating, boil chicken pieces until thoroughly cooked, drain, and place in the bottom of a 9” x 13” casserole pan. Cook vegetables according to package directions, drain, and layer on top of the chicken. Mix mayo, sour cream, pepper and cheese in a bowl and add a layer on top of the veggies. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbly, and the kitchen smells good!