Crackling Cornbread

Crackling Cornbread 1/4 cup butter 2 cups self-rising cornmeal 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs 1 cup pork cracklings Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in a 9-inch cast iron pan. Place pan in oven until butter is melted. Watch carefully. The butter will burn if left in the oven too long. Whisk together cornmeal and flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Stir in cracklings. Pour into hot pan with melted butter. No need to mix the butter in. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Crawfish Spread

Crawfish Spread 2 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion 1 clove garlic minced 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning 4-5 dashes tabasco sauce 1/2 pound frozen crawfish tails defrosted and drained of liquid 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 green onions sliced 4 pickled okra thinly sliced Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cajun seasoning and saute for 1 minute. Stir in tabasco and crawfish tails. Cook 2-3 minutes to thoroughly warm the crawfish. Turn heat down to medium-low and add cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheeses are melted and everything is combined well. Remove from heat and stir in green onions and pickled okra.

Caramel Crispix

Caramel Crispix 2 small boxes of Crispix Cereal 2 cups of butter 2 cups of brown sugar ½ cup Light Karo syrup ½ tsp Vanilla ½ tsp Baking Soda Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Add Karo syrup, vanilla and baking soda. Put the cereal in a large bowl then pour mixture over the cereal.

Jalapeno Black-Eyed Pea Cakes

Jalapeno Black-Eyed Pea Cakes Jalapeno Black-Eyed Pea Cakes made with crumbled cornbread are a tasty treat for New Year's and will hopefully bring good luck and fortune in the new year! ) cans seasoned black-eyed peas, drained 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 medium sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped 4 green onions, sliced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs, from leftover cornbread 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil Jalapeno Sour Cream 1/2 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons diced pickled jalapenos Process one drained can of black-eyed peas in a food processor until fairly smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl. Pat the second can of black-eyed peas with paper towels to remove excess moisture and add to bowl. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add green onion and garlic and cook 1 more minute. Let cool and add to bowl with black-eyed peas. Add cornbread crumbs, egg yolk, and cumin to bowl. Mix everything together well. Form mixture into patties about 2 1/2 inches across. Lightly dredge in cornmeal. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat Vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add black-eyed pea patties and cook about 2 minutes per side. You will probably need to cook them in 2 batches. Drain on paper towels. Mix together sour cream and pickled jalapenos and serve with Black-Eyed Pea Cakes. Recipe Notes Seasoned Black-Eyed Peas can be hard to drain because the liquid is quite thick. I do the best I can to drain the can that I process, and the can that I leave whole I dump on paper towels to blot up as much of the moisture as I can. If you can't find seasoned black-eyed peas, use regular canned Black Eyed Peas and add Season salt to taste. They will be easier to drain than the seasoned Black-eyed Peas, so add a full egg instead of just an egg yolk if the mixture is a little on the dry side.

Fried Onion Petals with Dipping Sauce

Being a big fan of the Bloomin Onion, I found that this is much easier to make and taste just as good. Fried Onion Petals with Dipping Sauce 1 large Vidalia onion, or any other sweet onion 1 egg 1 C. milk 1 1/2 C. flour 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper Oil for frying Cut onion into petals, beat together egg and milk. In another bowl combine flour and all remaining ingredients. Dip each petal into the egg mixture then into the flour, back into the egg mixture and then again into the flour. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining petals. Place cookie sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once the oil is heated to 350 degrees, carefully place each petal into the oil and fry, turning occasionally for 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Dipping Sauce 1/2 C. Mayo 1/4 C. Ketchup 1 T. prepared horseradish 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper Whisk all ingredients above well, keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies Makes 2 1/2 Dozen 1 cup flour 1 cup old fashioned oats 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1⁄2 cup butter, softened 1⁄2 cup peanut butter 1 egg 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla 6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat sugars, butter and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until well blended after each addition. Stir in chopped chocolate. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2" apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets to wire rackes. cool completely.

Crock Pot Bow tie Casserole

Crock Pot Bow tie Casserole 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 (15 o) can stewed tomatoes 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. Italian seasoning salt/pepper 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (can also use fresh spinach) 16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crock-pot to high. Add fresh spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and mix well. Add the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.