lunaticsinge.com - Southern Cuisine Church Suppers

Deviled Eggs - (Makes 12 stuffed eggs)

Ingredients:

6 large hard-boiled eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

Accent, to taste (optional)

1 shake Texas Pete or other hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Paprika, for dusting

1. Peel the cooked eggs and slice them lengthwise in half. With a spoon, scoop the yolks out into a small bowl. Mash the egg yolks with a fork and then mix in all the remaining ingredients except the paprika. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

2. Stuff each egg white half with about 3/4 tablespoon of the yolk mixture. Dust the finished eggs with paprika.

3. Cover the eggs loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate if you're not serving right away.

*** NOTE: Try adding bacon or shrimp to the deviled egg filling for a tasty change.

Baked Spaghetti - (Serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients:

3 cups tomato sauce (canned or jarred)

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons sugar

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon sherry

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Dora's Savannah Seasoning (Recipe on Basics page)

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 lb. spaghetti

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Olive oil, for the casserole dish

1. Combine the tomato sauce, tomatoes and their juice, all the vegetables, the herbs, butter, sugar, bouillon cubes, sherry, Worcestershire, and most of the Savannah seasoning in a large pot. Stir well to mix everything and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring regularly so nothing sticks.

2. Meantime, add the beef and the rest of the Savannah seasoning to a skillet or large saucepan and cook stirring, over medium-high heat until the meat's crumbles and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the fat and set aside.

3. Add the cooked beef to the pot with the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 30 minutes.

4. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until it's tender-firm. Rinse and drain it.

5. Mix together the two cheeses.

6. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or brush the bottom of a 9-x-13-x-2-inch casserole dish with olive oil.

7. Add a little sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of pasta, then more sauce, then 1/2 cup of the combined cheeses. Top with another layer of pasta, then sauce, and then cheese. Repeat making 2 layers of pasta, sauce, and cheese, ending with sauce. You will have a small amount of cheese left, 1/2 cup or more. Set aside.

8. Put the casserole dish in the oven, with a baking sheet under it just in case it bubbles over, and bake until it's heated through, about 30 minutes.

9. Take out the casserole and top with the remaining cheese, then put the casserole back in the oven just until the cheese on top is thoroughly melted and bubbling. Serve hot.

Three Cheese Mac "n" Cheese with Sour Cream - (Serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients:

Salt

1 lb. elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups mixed shredded mozzarella & Monterey Jack cheese

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1 to 1 1/2 cups milk, as needed

Ground black pepper, to taste

4 large eggs, beaten well

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch casserole dish.

2. Set a large pot of water on to boil. When it boils, add a little salt and then the macaroni. You want the noodles to cook until they're just soft all the way through; firm-soft. When the noodle are firm-soft dump them into a colander in the sink and drain thoroughly.

3. Put the macaroni in a large bowl and stir in the cheddar cheese. Mix well, then stir in half the mozzarella and Jack mixture. Stir well, add the sour cream, and mix well again. Stir in 1 cup of the milk - if the noodles are a little undercooked, they'll gobble up most of the milk and you'll need to add more.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, Stir in the eggs.

5. Pour the macaroni into the casserole dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella/Jack over the top. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Gone-to-Glory Potato Salad - (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

6 to 8 medium russet potatoes, peeled

Salt

5 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped into 1/2 inch piece

1 celery rib, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 teaspoons Dora's Savannah Seasoning (Recipe on Basics page)

1 teaspoon Accent, (Optional)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon plus 2 dashed Texas Pete or other hot sauce

1. Have a bowl of cold water ready. Cut the potatoes lengthwise in half, the cut each half in thirds. Slice the cut-up potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks and put them in the bowl of cold water as you go, then drain them.

2. In a large pot, cover the potato chunks with cold water and bring to a boil. Add a little salt once the water boils and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are just tender through, but not soft. Dump the potatoes into a colander and let them cool.

3. When the potatoes are cool, put them in a large bowl and add everything else. Mix the potato salad with your hands, gently, but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and correct if necessary.

4. Cover the potato salad and chill for at least 30 minutes and overnight is fine. Serve cold.

Black-eyed Peas - (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (1/2 lb.) dried black-eyed peas

6 slices smoked how jowl or thick-sliced bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 cups hot water

Pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon Dora's Savannah Seasoning (Recipe on Basics page)

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 garlic clove, chopped

1. Pick over the peas and remove any stones or broken peas. Rinse and soak them, completely covered in cold water, until you're ready to cook hem.

2. Fry the hog jowl or bacon pieces slowly in a deep heavy pot with a lid. When they're golden brown, scoop them out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside; Leave the cooking fat in the pot.

3. Add the hot water and everything else, including the drained peas, to the pot and raise the heat. When the water comes to a rapid boil, add the hog jowl or bacon pieces, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the pot beginning at 1 hour and 15 minutes to see if the peas are firm-tender, as soon as they are, take them off the heat.

4. Serve the peas hot with their potlikker, save for the next day, or use to make a dish of Hoppin' John.

Squash Casserole - (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. crook-neck squash, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices

1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Dora's Savannah Seasoning (Recipe on Basics page), to taste

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

1/2 cup canned fried onions, crushed

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Put the squash slices in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook just until the squash is tender, a few minutes. Drain well and when it cools a little, squeeze the squash dry and set aside.

3. Melt 4 tablespoons butter of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook until soft, 6 to 7 minutes.

4. Scrape the onion and peppers into a large bowl. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, sour cream, cheese, and seasoning. Put the squash mixture into a 9-x-7-inch or an 8-x-8-inch casserole dish.

5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and fried onions with the melted butter and mix well.

6. Spread the cracker mixture over the casserole and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Broccoli Casserole - (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

3 quarts water

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Dora's Savannah Seasoning (Recipe on Basics page)

8 cups very coarsely chopped broccoli

2 1/4 cups canned condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

1 long sleeve Ritz crackers (26 crackers)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Set the water to boil with teaspoon of the Savannah seasoning in a large pot over high heat.

2. Meantime, set the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust a rack position to the top third. Butter a 2-quart (9-x-9-inch) shallow baking dish and set aside.

3. Once the water is boiling, drop in the broccoli, bring back to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli in a large colander and put it in a large bowl.

4. Add the cream of mushroom soup, cheeses, onion, eggs, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon Savannah seasoning and mix well. Scrape the broccoli mixture into the baking dish.

5. Crunch up the crackers inside their sleeve and scatter the crumbs evenly on top of the casserole, making sure to cover all of the top. Drizzle the melted butter on top of the crumbs.

6. Bake the casserole until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or reheat later (about 10 minutes in a 325 degree F oven).