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Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 (16- ounce) package of large
- elbow noodles
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar
- 2 cups shredded pepper Jack
- 3 cups milk
- 4 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- Salt and cracked pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Boil the noodles as the package directs. Drain and immediately return them to the pot.
- Add the butter and stir until it’s fully melted.
- Add 2 cups of the Cheddar, putting 1 cup to the side for the topping before it goes into the oven. Stir until almost all melted, then add the pepper Jack, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, and garlic and mix well.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Pour everything into a 2- quart baking dish or 9- by- 13- inch pan. Top with the remaining cheese and cracked pepper and bake until the cheese is bubbly and melted, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let it cool and set for 15 minutes before serving.
7UP Cake
Ingredients:
- Baking spray
- 1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
- 3 cups sugar, sifted
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted (sifted
- after it s measured)
- ¾ cup 7Up
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 10- inch Bundt pan with baking spray.
- Cream the butter with a mixer until fluffy; it should take 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and continue to beat until it’s well blended.
- Add the eggs and blend until it’s well incorporated.
- Alternately add the flour and 7Up, add one half, mix well, and then repeat with the remaining portion. Add the extracts. We’re using three different extracts because it builds an amazing flavor.
- Scrape the batter into the Bundt pan. Smooth the top and tap to even out the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan.
Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
- 8 pieces of chicken
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cups self- rising flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
Instructions:
- In a container, add the chicken, buttermilk, garlic, and salt and seal the container. Marinade overnight.
- Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet (or in a deep fryer) over medium- high heat. The oil is ready when you see ripples at the bottom of the pan or if a pinch of flour sizzles when you drop it in the oil.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, and spices in a shallow bowl. Remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk, shake off the excess buttermilk, and roll it in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and lay on a plate. Repeat the process until all the pieces of chicken are double coated. Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes (adjust the heat as needed). Drain on paper towels.
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried red beans
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 pounds andouille sausage
- ½ pound applewood bacon
- 1 smoked turkey neck
- 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 3 quarts stock (veggie, chicken,
- or pork)
- Cajun seasoning
- Cooked rice for serving (make whichever rice you like as the package directs)
Instructions:
- Prep the beans by soaking them in water overnight.
- In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the onions, celery, and peppers for 8 minutes until caramelized and set aside.
- Sauté the sausage and bacon at the same time on medium heat in the pot you will be cooking the beans in. Keep them moving by stirring them. (The objective is to get the fat from both in the pot early to influence the flavor and to get the sausage all nice and caramelized.) After 7 minutes, once both are sticky but not overcooked, remove the sausage and bacon and set aside.
- Add the beans to the pot along with the veggies, 2 quarts (8 cups) of the stock, smoked turkey neck, and garlic. You can add the bacon back in also, but that is optional.
- Let everything cook down for about an hour and a half uncovered over medium heat. The liquid will decrease. Stir sporadically. Add 2 cups more of the stock at this point, then the sausage (and bacon, if you have not done so already) and allow to cook for another hour. Begin to taste and season with Cajun seasoning to taste. The last 30 minutes is the perfect time to decide what your consistency will be. For thicker red beans, do not add extra liquid. For thinner red beans, add about ½ cup to 1 cup of stock at a time.