Stuffed Shells

We are back to celebrating Sunday Suppers in an effort to return to some sort of normalcy.  With only three weeks left to summer break, slowly but surely, we need to break some bad habits that we've embraced since being confined to our homes last March.  What better way to start than breaking bread as a family.

Sunday Supper: BC Easy Tomato Soup with Jalapeno & Cheddar Cornbread

It has been downright cold this past week here in the south.  I have a lot of friends who live up north and realize that I have little room to complain about the weather.  BUT, the south just doesn't do well when the temp drops to single digits......and doesn't snow!  We had a dusting covered in ice - ick.  Dump some snow on me if you are going to freeze me out.  I had to laugh the other day when I actually said how happy I was that it was 20 degrees.  So clearly, all this cold weather had me hankering for a big bowl of warm soup.

I opted for an easy, ol' faithful recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof - Easy Tomato Soup.  This is a super easy meal.  You saute onions in oil, add garlic, a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and then some orzo and heavy cream.  It is so, so, so very comforting on a cold night and surprisingly filling.  You can search the recipe on Food Network or just google Barefoot Contessa Easy Tomato Soup.

What I was most excited about was trying my hand at homemade cornbread.  Up to this point in my life, I have been a Jiffy girl.  I had seen a recipe for Crawfish Cornbread while I was researching Mardi Gras meals that I was hoping to give a whirl.  Sadly, our seafood shop is changing crawfish carriers and won't have any for the next few weeks.  So, I simply omitted that part of the recipe and figured cheddar and jalapeño cornbread would still be yummy.  In truth, this might have been good if I halved the jalapeño portion.  So I'll keep trying.......I have a few other cornbread recipes to try.  Would love you to share if you have a good one.  Here is the recipe I followed.

Have a great week!
xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper: Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom & Country Ham Grits

As a southerner, there are few things I love more than grits.  They are good ol' comfort food in their own right; but dress them up a bit and they can really make a meal.  Last night, they were certainly the star of our Sunday Supper.

The hubby has been traveling a lot lately so it was nice to gather around the table for one of our favorite traditions - Sunday Supper.  I simply cooked up a store bought peppercorn crusted pork tenderloin, steamed up some asparagus but then made it special by serving it all with creamy stone-ground grits with mushrooms and country ham.  This recipe came from Virginia Willis' cookbook, Bon Appetit, Y'all. 

Virginia Willis' Creamy Stone-Ground Grits with Mushrooms and Country Ham

2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1 cup stone-ground grits
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 ounces country ham, thinly sliced into strips
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms of choice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a large saucepan, bring water and milk to a boil over medium-high heat.  Slowly add the grits, whisking constantly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Decrease the heat to low and simmer until grits are creamy and thick - about 45 to 60 minutes (stirring occasionally).

Line a plate with paper towels.  While the grits are cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the ham and cook until lightly browned and some of the fat has rendered, about 3 minutes.  Remove the ham to the prepared plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms.  Season with pepper (no need for salt as the country ham will have released plenty in the skillet).  Cook until tender, about 2 minutes.  Add wine and cook stirring until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, about 5 more minutes.

Remove grits from the heat; whisk in the cheese, parsley and butter.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.  To serve, place a dollop of grits on each plate and top with the mushrooms and ham.  Garnish with the parsley.

I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful this is - make it today!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!
TSS

Sunday Supper - Strip Steak with Cornmeal Onion Rings and Spinach, Pesto & Pea Salad

I think this picture speaks for itself..........

Sunday Supper was in honor of the hubby who spent his birthday last week at a National Sales Conference in Connecticut.  He has been eyeing the steak and onion rings recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home, which worked out great since we had two strip steaks in the freezer.  The recipe calls for rib eye - but hey - use what you have. Are you starting to realize why I keep getting these cookbooks for presents???  He's a great taste tester and I am starting to think he is really buying them for himself.

I paired it with the Spinach, Pesto and Pea salad also featured in the cookbook.  It was amazing and my favorite part of the meal, which is saying a lot because it is hard to top steak and onion rings.  You toast up some pine nuts and mix it with spinach, peas, parmesan cheese and pepper.  To.Die.For.Yummsie.

You can get most of these recipes from Food Network. 

xoxo,
TSS

Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken/ Egg Salad with Smoked Salmon Tartines

We enjoyed Sunday Supper on a Saturday because Brian's mother (Grammie) had us over for dinner last night.  Today is my super sweet brother-in-law's birthday and Wednesday is the hubby's birthday so who can blame a mama for wanting to fuss over her boys???  

I am currently cooking through my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks because I am just slightly obsessed with her and have three new cookbooks of hers that I need to perfect.  Hubby got me  Barefoot Contessa At Home  for Christmas and I love it because it offers some light and refreshing meals (which is good since I am trying to work off the gluttony that was Christmas/New Year's).

On Saturday night, we enjoyed her goat cheese and sun dried tomato stuffed chicken. I am not wild for sun dried tomatoes so I substituted roasted red peppers. Wow!  Just wow!  I paired it with creamy parmesan rosemary polenta and parmesan roasted cauliflower from the same cookbook.  They are all keepers!

She has a lot of really good simple salads and sandwich recipes in this book that will come in handy on the weekends.  Since we were going to Grammie's for dinner last night, I wanted a light yet fulfilling lunch and her Egg Salad with Smoked Salmon Tartines were the ticket.  I used a multigrain flatbread and it was out of this world.  I served the hubby like a normal sandwich but made the tartines for myself and gobbled those suckers down like a Hoover on high. 

 

 

We don't eat this good during the week so I can't wait to try the next few recipes this weekend!
Stay tuned!

xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper - Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Woo wee!  I thought that when the holidays were over I would be able to sit back and relax.  WRONG!  2014 has started out with a bang and I don't even want to tell  you exactly how much eye concealer I have on this morning to cover the hideous bags under my eyes.  But - so far - 2014 has been a good year.

Starting week three of the year and work is off to a great start (though very, very, VERY busy), I have scratched three items off of my 21 item TO DO list, the household budget is in place and vacations for the year are booked.  Not bad for a week and half's worth of work!

So now - back to my main New Year's Resolution - to cook through my cookbooks.  Sunday supper last night was Mussels in Wine Sauce. This was in honor of my father who would have turned 71 last Monday.  Daddy loved mussel's.  We would go to Carabba's and order the big appetizer portion for our meal, gobble those suckers up and soak the bread in the sauce.  SO GOOD and I enjoyed every bite in honor of him last night.

This version comes from Barefoot in Paris (y'all know I love Ina Garten).  You can find the recipe here.  I did opt to serve it on a bed of linguini.  Deliciousness........

 

Look at that yummy sauce! 

It is so good over linguini and perfect to mop up with sourdough bread.

 

 

Have a great week!

 

xoxo,

TSS

Sunday Supper - Chili with Corn Bread and Peppermint Ice Cream

Truth be told, I am not cooking Sunday Supper tonight.  We have so much leftover food to work through so I thought I would share with you my recipes from Christmas Eve.

I make chili every Christmas Eve.  Christmas offers a HUGE holiday meal so we don't want to fill up for the big day.  Chili is quick and easy, which is nice since we have our Church service at 5pm.  I have been on the hunt for real cornbread since I received a loaf of homemade cornbread last Christmas.  But for the time being, we are a Jiffy family.  So all I have to do when I get home from Church is brown the meat, dump all the ingredients into the pot, bring it to a boil and then let it simmer while the cornbread cooks (20 minutes).  VIOLA - Christmas Eve dinner is done.

Growing up, Mother put spaghetti in her chili.  This is evidently a Kentucky tradition but it is not one I carry on.  I do however, put Frito's in my chili.  Don't laugh - it is amazing.  I learned this trick when I lived in DC.  There was this great dive called Hard Time Café that offered different styles of Chili from around the country.  Frito Pie was a southern variation that I fell in love with.....and so, it stuck with me.  The crunch and the saltiness of the chips add a nice yet unexpected touch.  Try it - you'll like it!

Frito Pie (aka Chili)
1 pound ground chuck
1 can (15 ounce) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (14/5 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 ounce) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 envelope chili seasoning mix (I use McCormick classic)
1 1/2 cup of water
*4-5 servings
**If you double the recipe, double everything BUT DO NOT double the chili packet unless you like it spicy enough to knock your socks off.  I personally like a hint of hotness to my chili but don't want my nose running and certainly don't want to break a sweat.

Layer a bowl with Fritos, ladle the chili over the chips and top with sour cream and shredded cheese.

For dessert we enjoy peppermint ice cream.  You can buy this in the store during the holidays but it is equally fun to make and festive for Christmas.  It accompanies the Hot Chocolate Bar wonderfully!

Peppermint Ice Cream
3 cups cold heavy cream

1 cup cold whole milk

1 cup super-fine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

4-5 drop red food coloring, if desired

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy, about 4 candy canes

*makes a pint

Whisk cream, milk, sugar, peppermint extract, food coloring and peppermint candy together in a large bowl until sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. It usually takes about 20 minutes. Ice cream will be soft set.

 

Pour into a large freezer proof container, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours.

 

Enjoy this chili recipe on the next cold night - you'll be glad you did! And the peppermint ice cream is a special treat that the kiddos love to help make.  Both are sure to be a hit at your house.

 

xoxo,

TSS

Sunday Supper - Mustard Marinated Flank Steak

Mustard Marinated Flank Steak

 

 

First off, let me just say that my late, two-time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize (photography) father is probably rolling over in his grave with my horrendous pictures.  Secondly, don't let the picture fool you - this meal was fantabulous!

 

I seem to be cooking my way through Barefoot Contessa recipe's lately and decided there were still some untried meals from my latest acquisition, Fool Proof. So when the hubby said he was in the mood for steak and potatoes, I tried her mustard marinated flank steak.  The Dijon Mustard marinade is so flavorful with the meat.  I paired it with her spinach with feta and pine nuts recipe also from the same cook book (and then cheated with the Country Crock carton of loaded mashed potatoes). 

 

After the 2 hour marinade (which took no time to assemble) the meal only took 15 minutes to whip together.  How's that for a super yummy and easy Sunday Supper?

 

Hope y'all have a great week!

 

xoxo,

TSS

Sunday Supper - Winter Minestrone

It is cold and rainy in these parts.  I was hoping to decorate the outside of the house this weekend and our tree but weather did not permit.  Hubby did put the wreaths on the windows and the candles in the windowsills but we have yet get to the garland and tree up. 

So, in an effort to warm up, we enjoyed Winter Minestrone last night for Sunday Supper.  I have been cooking a lot of Ina's recipes lately but this one was right on the money for a dreary, raining ol' day.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper - Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli

Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli was on the menu for Sunday Supper last night.

It was a last minute throw together as I had plans for supper with some girlfriends from Church.  However, my schedule isn't exactly going as planned lately so this was a quick and easy fix.  It also serves a bunch, which is helpful for this week.  We have our Wednesday night Church dinner and activities tonight so this dish will serve plenty of meals to tie us over until our guests arrive on Wednesday.

It is DELICIOUS but be warned - unless you like salt, you may want to use 1 teaspoon in the sauce.  I don't usually need to alter Ina's dishes but this one had way too much salt for our liking.  And I have to say, I knew in the back of my mind that two teaspoons of salt was waaaaay too much - but I doubted myself.  I have learned that when it comes to salt and red pepper flakes, I should never doubt myself.  Still - very yummy.

Bon Appetite!

xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper

I cheated again and bailed on Sunday Supper this week.  But this time I had a good excuse - the illness that has plagued our house finally got me yesterday. I felt rotten all day, got sick around 3 pm and was out cold in bed from 4pm - 8am this morning.  Sweet hubby swooped in and took care of the kids and me.  Every so often, he'd wake me up for more pepto pills (yuck) and ginger ale.  I love that man!!!

I was glad all this nonsense visited on Sunday as we had quite a fun-filled weekend.  My father-in-law came into town on Friday for a quick fishing trip to the Tuckaseegee River with the hubby and brother-in-law.  So Friday night's meal totally made up for me being out of commission last night.

It has been a cold, dreary week here in the Carolina's and I was in the mood for comfort food.  My original plan was pot roast but after chores and shopping, I simply didn't have four hours to prepare food.  So I opted for a quicker version with all the same flavors and served beef bourguignon with goat cheese crostini. 

 

 

H had a play date on Saturday that was so fun...........right up until the end when the driveway jumped up to kiss him.

 



 H wanted to show the driveway he was mad....

 

.....but his sweet nature prevailed.  My little trooper.

 

Never a dull moment!

 

xoxo,

TSS

 

 

Sunday Supper - Pumpkin Stew

Recipe photo

We have our Church's Fall Festival this afternoon so we enjoyed our Sunday Supper on Saturday this week.  I don't know about you but I LOVE making a big pot of homemade soup or stew when the temperature falls. It offers a hearty meal and then provides leftovers for me to nibble off for lunch throughout the week.  And since we woke up to a 27 degree morning yesterday, this stew was the perfect choice.

One of my college besties posted a picture of her pumpkin stew on Facebook a few weeks ago and I have been dying to try this idea out ever since.  This is the recipe I used and while it took four hours to cook, it was certainly worth the wait.  The only comment I would say is that we did find it a bit salty.  Since it calls for two beef bouillon cubes, I will probably just season the meat prior to browning and leave the two teaspoons of salt out next time.  But to each their own.  As a rule, I always follow the recipes to the letter the first time and then alter to taste until I have it just how I want it.

I will also say that if you don't like pumpkin (which come to find out, the hubby doesn't - whoops) don't let this recipe deter you.  It really just tastes like a beef stew.  You can scoop out some pumpkin, if you wish, as you serve the stew; but you certainly don't have to.  Another thing that shouldn't deter you is the time it took to make.  After you chop all the veggies, all you have to do is brown the meat, pour the veggies in and simmer for 2 hours.  Then you transfer the stew into the pumpkin and bake for another 2 hours.  Super simple and the house smelled amazing.

Simmering the stew

The final product

And even though I have an adorable pumpkin soup tureen, I just love the idea of serving the stew in a REAL, cooked pumpkin!  This will definitely be recycled for a Thanksgiving Eve meal.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper

As a result of the apple orchard field trip I took Friday with the wee one, apples were the star of the show for last night's Sunday Supper.  We started off with apple fritters and then had apple pork chops with cornbread stuffing and asparagus.  I was more excited about the cornbread stuffing as I was trying out a new recipe for Thanksgiving.  Ding, ding, ding........we have a winner!!!  It was SO yummy. 

While the hubby loved the pork, I have to admit, I was not a fan.  The maple syrup made it a bit too sweet for my liking.  I think if I halved the syrup it would have been okay.......or maybe if I hadn't eaten so many of those darn fritters before dinner.  hmm....oh, well, 20 extra minutes on the elliptical machine this morning justified every bite. 

The pork chops came from The Pioneer Woman and I am dying to try the grits that she pairs with her pork chops. How divine do those look? In fairness to my thoughts on the dish, I didn't have apple cider vinegar and forgot to add the wine, which would have undoubtedly cut the sweetness from the syrup.  Again, I'll blame my lack of attention on those darn fritters.....

We ended the weekend by finally watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  The kids loved it but I have to ask, was it always this weird and depressing???  I also found myself telling the kids, "okay, this isn't how we treat our friends" and, "No, Harrison, you may not call your brother a blockhead".......funny how I filter things differently now that I am a Mommy.

Have a great week!
xoxo,
TSS

Below are my recipes for the apple fritters and the cornbread stuffing.  Try them both today!!!

Apple Fritters
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 apples, peeled and diced
vegetable oil
powdered sugar

Pulse first 5 ingredients in a food processor 5 times or until crumbly.  Spoon mixture into a large bowl.  Stir in diced apple.  Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch overn; heat to 350 degrees.  Fry fritters, in batches, 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle fritters evenly with powdered sugar.  Yield:  22 fritters


Cornbread Stuffing
To start off, I should admit that I cheated and used the Jiffy cornbread mix.  I have yet to find a "to die for" cornbread recipe so until I do, Jiffy works just fine for me. 

2 packages of Jiffy cooked according to directions
1/4 cup butter
2 cups celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
5 cups crumbled cornbread
6 slices of whole wheat bread, crumbled
4 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups chicken broth

Melt butter in the pan and sauté celery, onion and bell pepper until tender.
Add parsley and seasonings.
Mix in crumbled cornbread and wheat bread (be sure to take the crusts off the wheat bread).
Add eggs and chicken broth; mix.  *Add more broth if consistency seems dry.
Place mixture in a 2 quart rectangular casserole dish and make at 350 for 45 minutes.
*You can also shape into individual dressing balls, which I plan to try next time around.

Sunday Supper

Horseradish Meatloaf and leftover open faced sandwiches

What a week!  I can't believe I am so late in sharing what the sideboard hosted for Sunday Supper!!!  I tried a new meatloaf recipe and was very thankful to have two hearty taste testers in my hubby and father-in-law.  They raved about it but to be honest, they are pretty darn easy to please. 

I am making dinner Saturday for a friend who is undergoing chemotherapy.  I was looking through the meal sign up list and most of my "go to" potluck dinners were already taken.  So I thought to myself - MEATLOAF!  If done right, it can be such a heartwarming meal.  But therein lies the rub......if it is done right.  And I have yet to do it right. 

Off to my cookbooks I went.  I only have a gazillion southern style cookbooks - surely I could find a decent recipe.  I narrowed my search down to three and went out on a ledge using a version with horseradish.  Now the recipe called for horseradish in the loaf AND the sauce.  I opted to try it only in the loaf.  A little horseradish goes a long way and I didn't want to knock the socks off my friend and her family.  I can proudly report that it was a big hit.  The horseradish gave the loaf a hint of flavor that I was missing in previous recipes without overpowering the dish.  It also helped keep the loaf moist for leftovers.  I served it with green beans, mashed potatoes and Sister Shubert yeast rolls.  I was so eager to eat the darn thing that I forgot to take a picture.  I promise to add a picture before I take it to my friend's house on Saturday.

The good news is that we got to enjoy the dish again last night.  I made an open meatloaf sammie (otherwise known as sandwiches).  I had to use regular bread because I didn't have Texas Toast in the freezer (quite uncommon).  So I reheated the loaf, plopped in on regular toast, put a slab of cheese over the top, set it in the broiler for a minute and drizzled it with some warmed ketchup.  I reused the leftover mashed potatoes and fried the left over green beans..........and then went for a walk around the block.  It would have been better with the Texas Toast but was still pretty darn yummy-in-the-tummy.

Here's the recipe:
Horseradish Meat Loaf
from Southern Living Home Style Cooking
which credits Maxine Johnston Scholtz from Pride of Gaithersburg, Gaithersburg Lioness Club

2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked regular oats
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

COMBINE first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well.  Form beef mixture into a loaf and place in a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

COMINE 1/2 cup ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon horseradish, and mustard in a small bowl, stirring well.  Spoon half of ketchup mixture over top of meat loaf.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Spoon remaining ketchup mixture over meatloaf and bake 10 more minutes.  Remove to a serving platter.  Yield 8 servings.

If you are a meatloaf lover, you should try this version.  I still don't know if I have enough guts to try the horseradish in the sauce.....but to each their own.

Till next time!!!  And don't forget about my Kelly's Kids give-away.
xoxo,
TSS

Sunday Supper

Chicken-Sage-Mushroom Casserole

 

The hubby came home late Saturday night and I knew after a week of bachelor food with his Dad and brother that he would be ready for a home cooked meal. I went with a fall favorite that I lifted from an old Southern Living.  Their chicken-sage-mushroom casserole is a bit tedious to make in that there are a lot of steps - but it is really easy and delicious!  I served it with steamed green beans and an artisan roll and we were set. 

While the casserole was cooking, we nibbled on the cheese plate I had set out for him as his welcome home surprise Saturday night.  More on that tomorrow.  In the meantime, check out this great recipe and whip it up for your loved ones.  It is a special, elegant meal that has the feel of down home comfort food.  The dish serves 6 so it is great for a dinner party.  Since it was just me and the hubs eating it last night, we have leftovers and I can enjoy a night off from cooking this week - HOORAY! A win, win.

How is it Monday already.............oie vey.  Here's to a great week!

Cheers,
TSS

Sunday Supper

The hubby left at the crack of dawn Sunday morning for his long awaited fly fishing trip to Montana.  So we enjoyed our Sunday Supper on Saturday.  I made some sweet potato chips with Gorgonzola sauce from Rebecca Lang's  Around the Southern Table cookbook, steamed some asparagus and sautéed crab cakes from our local seafood shop.  It was delicious!!!  I then spent the rest of the day decorating for fall, which I'll post tomorrow.  Hey - when the cat's away........

Have a great week!

Xoxo,
TSS

Crab Cakes with sweet potato chips and asparagus

My sweetie prepping his flies for his big trip to Montana

Sunday Supper - Pecan Crusted Flounder

Sunday Supper #2:  Pecan Crusted Flounder with Roast Asparagus and Hush Puppies

 

 

 

As I mentioned the other day, my sweet hubby has given me yet another yummy cookbook filled with recipes I can't wait to try.  So I have to cook my way through my current favorite kitchen companion by fellow Georgian, Rebecca Lang.

 

Here is my version of her Pecan Crusted Flounder.  It is delicious but I will admit that I halved the amount of pecans it calls for in the crust.  I personally don't like the taste of pecans to overpower the fish and a little pecan goes a long way.  But that all depends on personal taste.  My rule of thumb is to always follow the recipe the first time and then tweak to taste until you get it just right for your taste buds.

 

I then roasted some asparagus - preheat the oven to 375 degrees; sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes or until done.

 

Lastly, I fried up some hush puppies.  The hubs didn't think that was enough food so he whipped up some Pasta Roni noodles from the pantry and dinner was done!

 

TSS's Hush Puppies

2 cups white cornmeal

3 tablespoons flour (all purpose)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 egg white

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon bacon drippings (or vegetable oil if you are serving vegetarians)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced onion

Vegetable oil for frying

 

Combine first 5 ingredients and mix well.  Beat egg and egg white, then stir in buttermilk and bacon drippings.  Add to cornmeal mixture; add onion, and stir until blended.  Heat oil to 375 degrees.  Drop the batter by the spoonful into the oil for 2 minutes on one side and flip for another minute on the other side (or until golden brown).  Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

 

Happy Sunday Supper!

xoxo,

TSS



Not Your Mama's Tuna Cassie

Sunday supper is something my husband looks forward to all week.  After all, the way to a man's heart really is through the stomach!  The inquisitions about what will be served for Sunday supper usually start while getting ready for work on Monday morning.  They persist during the week until I make the big reveal on Saturday morning.  I like to keep him in suspense.

And just in case I haven't raved enough about this cookbook, there really is no place further one needs to look than Rebecca Lang's Around the Southern Table cookbook to get ideas for what to cook for your Sunday supper.

Unfortunately, we won't be cooking out of it this weekend because the hubs is traveling this week.  I like to cook up a big casserole for Sunday suppers when I know he will be away during the week.  That way I can enjoy it with him on Sunday and come back for more while he is away.  Since the 2 and 5 year old are still pretty particular about what they will eat - this is a perfect way for me to have a few nights off from cooking.

This week's Sunday Supper is the classic Tuna Casserole.  However, this version packs waaaay more flavor than what I remember from childhood (no offense, Mama).  And the kids even like it!  Serve it with a garden salad and some garlic bread and you are ready for the table.

Not Your Mama's Tuna Cassie

 

Ingredients:
(1) 8 ounce can of tuna, drained
8 ounces of elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter (I use unsalted)

half a small yellow onion - finely chopped

1 green pepper - finely chopped

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3/4 salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

1/2 cup frozen peas - thawed

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

buttered soft bread crumbs

 

Prep:

Cook macaroni according to package directions - drain and rinse

 

Melt butter in a large saucepan; add onions and bell pepper and sauté over low heat for 3-4 minutes, until tender.  Add flour, salt & pepper; cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbly.  Add milk and mushroom soup and stir over low heat until smooth and thickened.  Add macaroni,  tuna, peas and half of the cheddar cheese - stir to mix.  Pour the mixture into a 2 quart buttered casserole dish; top with remaining cheese then buttered bread crumbs (I use about a cup).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minute, or until nicely browned.

 

Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy of Diana Rattray post on Southerfood.com

Gather 'round the table, y'all!  

xoxo,
TSS