Name: Skillet Chicken and Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups crumbled cornbread (half of a full-sized batch); 3 cups crumbled biscuits (about 5 biscuits); 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil; salt and pepper; 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I had the butcher do this for me); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 medium yellow onion - finely chopped; 1 stalks celery - finally chopped; 1/4 cup fresh sage - julienned; 1 egg; 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Mike’s Smokehouse (Chattanooga BBQ)

March 23, 2016

Mike’s Smokehouse on South Broad Street in Downtown Chattanooga serves great barbecue in a cozy setting!
March is almost over, y’all! Let me fill you in on what I’m doing in April…I’ve challenged myself to eating in for the month of April. That’s right – no dining out! I’m going to focus on freezer meals, make-ahead meals, and creative ways to use leftovers. Don’t worry, though – spring break is next week and I plan on getting ahead on restaurant reviews before April hits!

Okay, on to Mike’s Smokehouse. I’ve been meaning to try it ever since we ate at Mike’s Pizza and Burgers in Fort Oglethorpe, when our server told us that Mike was the Mike of Mike’s Hole in the Wall and Mike’s Smokehouse, where all of the smoked meats for the pizzas were prepared. I had a bit of a craving for BBQ this weekend, so we headed down to South Broad.

The log cabin that Mike’s Smokehouse is in has been a barbecue restaurant for as long as I can remember…most recently, I believe it was Sweeney’s, but I think it’s been others in the past (don’t quote me on that, though). When we arrived around 2:00 on Saturday, the parking lot on the side of the building was full, so we parked in the back. There was a family waiting to be seated, and we waited about five minutes to be seated. They seemed to be a little short-staffed in the dining room, as it was basically full and there were only two servers working.

We perused the menu and decided to order the pulled pork egg rolls ($7.99) with pulled pork (obvs) and spicy slaw wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, fried, and served with Alabama white sauce. These were fried to a perfect crisp and the flavor of the pulled pork and slaw was awesome, though the spicy slaw eventually got to be a bit much for me. The white sauce was a little thicker than what I make, peppery and with just a bit of a bite. By the way, if you want to make pulled pork egg rolls at home, I might know someone who has a recipe…

Since a BBQ stuffed potato is my standard barbecue joint order, I decided that I had to order the pulled pork potato ($6.99). This potato is topped with pulled pork, butter, sour cream, cheese, and sliced green onions. The potato itself was actually coated with the house dry rub, which I thought was a nice touch that set this potato apart from those served at other BBQ restaurants where I’ve had a stuffed potato. The pulled pork was extremely well seasoned with the rub and honestly didn’t need any sauce. It was excellent – very tender and flavorful, some of the best I’ve had. The potato was well cooked and the toppings ample. This potato was huge, as barbecue stuffed potatoes tend to be…I only ate half.

Philip decided to go for a barbecue plate. He wanted pulled pork but decided to get a combo plate ($11.49) with the brisket as well so we could give it a try. He also got macaroni and cheese, which I had read rave reviews of on Yelp, and fried okra, of course. We couldn’t decide if the fried okra was frozen (my guess is yes) but it was pretty decent. The macaroni and cheese, on the other hand, was obviously house made, as prepackaged mac and cheese always has a suspiciously creamy sauce with no sign of actual cheese. This was like what you’d be served at a Sunday family dinner, though I would have liked a little more cheese and seasoning on it. The brisket, which they refer to as “Texas-style”, was well-seasoned with the dry rub and extremely tender. Again, the pork was pretty much perfect. They know how to smoke some meats.

As I mentioned, the servers seemed a bit slammed so the service was a little slow, but they were very friendly and were obviously doing the best they could do. The food did come out pretty quickly, though. The atmosphere is cozy, as the dining area is divided up into three separate spaces in the log cabin. The prices are about average…our total for our meal was $28 and some change pre-tip. This was some of the best barbecue I’ve eaten in a restaurant around here, so I’d recommend that you give them a try soon!

Mike’s Smokehouse is located at 3147 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. They are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can call them at (423) 668-8341. Check out Mike’s Smokehouse’s website, mikessmokehouse.com. You can also like Mike’s Smokehouse on Facebook.

Chicken and Dressing in a Skillet

March 21, 2016

Chicken and dressing in a skillet transforms a fussy Southern dish into an easy meal you could turn out on a weeknight – with minimal clean-up!

When it comes to food, I’m happy to eat food that isn’t “Southern”, but if I’m going to eat Southern food then I’m going to do it right (you guys know that about me, right?). That means (as I’ve mentioned before) that in my house there’s no such thing as chicken and stuffing. That bread-based stuff that you eat at Thanksgiving is called dressing. Most Southerners I know would never put it inside of the bird (we bake it in a pan) and we make it with cornbread (and, if you’re me, biscuits). Still, Northerners know that cooking the stuffing in the turkey (or chicken) adds flavor because the juice infuses the stuffing (you can call it stuff if it’s stuffed in the bird). That’s a little bit of a food safety nightmare, though, because odds are that by the time the stuffing (with said juices) is cooked through the bird is going to be pretty dang dry.

Dressing is just as good at Easter, though, and a lot of us Southerners eat chicken and dressing for our Easter family meal (though ham definitely takes the top honors, served with deviled eggs alongside, of course). The thing is, chicken and dressing can be quite a production. Too many pans! And how on earth do you get that blasted chicken cooked through???

So…I decided to turn chicken and dressing into a one-pot meal (well, a one-pan meal). Truth be told, it took me a couple of times to get the chicken cooked through. I tried spatchcocking the chicken and cooking it on top of the dressing but the parts of the chicken that were touching the dressing didn’t cook through. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until I had already cut up the chicken. Not cool. Not at all. I had to sear the chicken in a pan to make it edible.?

What did the trick? We had the butcher cut the chicken into pieces. I seared the chicken in the pan before adding the vegetables and mixing the dressing up in the pan. I then cooked the chicken on top of the dressing. You guys, it was perfect. Chicken and dressing can be an easy meal…I made it on a Tuesday after my workout and took a shower while it was in the oven. Pretty much perfect.
What will you be serving for Easter dinner? What’s your favorite way to make chicken and dressing? Comment below and let me know!

For other great recipes, check out Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings

Skillet Chicken and Dressing

15 minPrep Time:

1 hr, 30 Cook Time:

1 hr, 45 Total Time:

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Ingredients

4 cups crumbled cornbread (half of a full-sized batch)
3 cups crumbled biscuits (about 5 biscuits)
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
salt and pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I had the butcher do this for me)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion - finely chopped
1 stalks celery - finally chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage - julienned
1 egg
2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the crumbled biscuits and cornbread on a sheet pan. Bake for about 40 minutes to dehydrate. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I used cast iron), preheat one tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Place half of the chicken in the pan and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken pieces. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Wipe out the skillet. Add the butter and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions and celery until softened. Add the sage and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the biscuits and cornbread. Add enough chicken stock to completely moisten the crumbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg and stir until thoroughly combined. Smooth the top and place the chicken pieces skin-side-down on top of the dressing.
Bake the chicken and dressing for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and return the pan to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Return the dressing to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Prep/cook time does not include time to make the biscuits or cornbread.

https://chattavore.com/chicken-dressing-skillet/

Chicken and dressing in a skillet transforms a fussy Southern dish into an easy meal you could turn out on a weeknight - with minimal clean-up! | recipe from chattavore.com

Comfort Foods (Top Ten)

March 18, 2016

What are the foods that you crave when you need some soothing? Here are my top ten comfort foods!

When I’m feeling sick, tired, or otherwise low, there are certain comfort foods that just sound better to me than anything else. I don’t consider myself an emotional eater – that is, I don’t eat to try to treat my emotional state. However, when I’m feeling less than 100%, I don’t necessarily want a salad. Here are the comfort foods that I crave.

1. Chips and Dip

Pretty specifically, Ruffles and Mayfield French onion dip. I could probably eat an entire bag or chips. This has been my go-to for as long as I can remember.

2. BLT sandwich

Yep, salt and fat. Bacon, crunchy lettuce, a couple of slices of ripe tomato, and mayonnaise on toasted white bread. Or maybe untoasted white bread, just depending on my mood. I could eat a BLT anytime, any day.

3. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Here we go again. Again, white bread, American cheese, butter…grilled to a crisp. Hot, crunchy, and gooey, there really is nothing like a grilled cheese.

4. Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup with Saltine Crackers

Now, honestly…I can’t remember the last time that I actually ate Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup, but my memories of it are so fond. Everyone thinks of chicken noodle soup as the classic comfort food, but I always ate cream of chicken, never chicken noodle. Always with saltines.

5. Tacos

This may sound weird, but when I feel a little sick, I would 100% rather eat good old classic ground beef tacos than just about anything else.

6. Chicken Tenders and Fries

With copious amounts of honey mustard (and it must be creamy, mayonnaise-based honey mustard). I rarely order this in restaurants anymore (it used to be a standard order) but when my spirits are kind of low, I am much more likely to order this.

7. Popcorn

Just my favorite snack ever. EVER. When I don’t feel like packing a lunch, I’ll pop some popcorn and throw it in my lunch bag with some fruit, cheese, pickles, etc. and call it a day.

8. Fresh Fruit Popsicles

Always the kind that have actual pieces of fruit in them. This is my standard stomach virus food, the thing that I eat when there is about a 10% chance that anything that goes into my stomach will stay there. Strawberry is my favorite.

9. French Fries

I can make a meal out of French fries. I don’t need anything else to go with them. Sometimes, when I go to a restaurant, I will order just based on what comes with fries. Other times, I’ll want to try a different side, but I. Just. Can’t. Not order. Fries. They must have a dipping sauce, too.

10. Tortilla Chips and Queso

Like, the white cheese dip that might have some jalapeños in it and is most definitely made from American cheese. It’s 100% unauthentic but I must order it every time I go to a Mexican restaurant because it’s delicious. I crave it at home, too, but rarely make it myself.

Why is it that comfort foods are rarely “healthy” foods? Why can’t I crave salads or carrot sticks and hummus? Oh well. Comfort foods are things that I crave from time to time, but not all the time, so I’m cool with eating them when that’s what I really want.

What are your favorite comfort foods? Comment below and let me know!

Banana Pudding Cake From Scratch

March 16, 2016

Banana pudding cake is a from-scratch poke cake with all the ingredients of a classic banana pudding. It’s an amazing, flavorful addition to your Easter baking!

I’ve been seeing lots of blog posts about poke cakes lately. In case you don’t know (you probably do), a poke cake is a cake that has holes poked it in that are then filled with pudding (or sometimes gelatin). I mean, can you imagine (again, you probably can)? When you pour pudding into a cake you get a super-moist (⬅️I apologize for using that word) pudding cake. And when there are bananas in the cake, what do you get? A banana pudding cake. It’s a good thing.

Another thing that you may or may not know is that when I bake, it’s from scratch. I don’t have anything against baking from a mix…if you bake me some Duncan Hines chocolate chunk brownies(⬅️affiliate link) or a Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip cake(⬅️affiliate link), I will be forever in your debt (someone please bake me a Rainbow Chip cake???). I just think that baking is somewhat of a lost art, and a lot of times when I’m searching for baking recipes online they call for mixes (and here I shall reference my endless search for a pumpkin angel food cake that isn’t made from a mix that resulted in me writing said recipe myself). I figure that there are people (few and far between as they may be) who are looking for recipes from scratch. Right?

When I decided to combine banana pudding and a poke cake into a banana pudding cake, I wanted to have all the elements of a classic banana pudding right there in the pan (because you guys know that I am all about sheet cakes): bananas, pudding, vanilla wafers, whipped cream. So here you go…it’s all here. All the trappings of banana pudding baked into a cake.

Have you ever had a poke cake? What are your plans for Easter baking? Comment below and let me know!

Find other great recipes at Meal Plan Monday on Southern Plate!

Mary

Yield: about 20 servings

Banana Pudding Cake From Scratch

4 hr, 25 Prep Time:

4 hr, 25 Total Time:

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Ingredients

6 ounces (half of a regular-sized box) vanilla wafers, plus more for serving
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan. 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (190 grams) brown sugar (dark or light is fine)
4 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed or just broken into small pieces
sliced bananas, for serving (optional)

For the pudding

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup banana liqueur or additional 1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the frosting

2 cups (16 ounces) heavy cream
3 tablespoons corn syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and set aside.
Place the vanilla wafers into a food processor and process until finely ground. In a medium bowl, whisk the vanilla wafer "flour" with the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl with an electric hand mixer). Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely combined after each addition. Add the bananas and mix until they are well incorporate. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until completely incorporated, then follow with half of the buttermilk. Continue alternating the flour and buttermilk until all has been incorporated.
Spread the cake batter into the prepared cake. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.
While the cake is baking, make the pudding: Combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Add the eggs and egg yolk and whisk until well combined. Slowly whisk in the milk until well combined. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened and about 175 degrees. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Add liqueur or extra milk and whisk to combine.
While the cake is still warm, use a straw or skewer to poke many holes in the cake. Pour the pudding over the cake. Allow to cool completely.
When the cake has cooled completely, whip the heavy cream and the corn syrup until soft peaks form. Spread over top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve topped with crumbled vanilla wafers or sliced bananas.

Notes

Prep time includes inactive prep to allow the cake to cool.

https://chattavore.com/banana-pudding-cake/

Banana pudding cake is a from-scratch poke cake with all the ingredients of a classic banana pudding. It's an amazing, flavorful addition to your Easter baking! | recipe from Chattavore.com

Cheesy Potato and Egg Breakfast Skillet

March 14, 2016

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It is if you’re eating this cheesy potato and egg breakfast skillet. It’s perfect for your Easter brunch!

What are your thoughts on the old tome “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? During the week, I can take it or leave it (the saying, not the meal…I must eat breakfast, but I eat a variation of the same meal every morning: a fried egg with cheese toast or some sort of vegetable). But because I rate importance by the amount of eating pleasure I get from a meal, breakfast couldn’t possibly rate above dinner, when I have time to make something that I haven’t eaten the other four days of the week.

On Saturday, though, breakfast is certainly the most important meal of the day. And that’s saying a lot, because Saturday is the day that we do all of our restaurant visits! Saturday is the day to try out the new breakfast recipe or brunch recipe that I found in whatever cookbook I’ve been poring through for the last week. A lot of Saturdays, we eat “the usual” – that is, biscuits, gravy, bacon, and fried eggs – but other Saturdays are for making pancakes or French toast casserole or waffles or whatever.

As much as I like them, I don’t make breakfast potatoes very often. As I was thinking about Easter breakfast recipes, breakfast potatoes with baked eggs popped into my head. Wait…a breakfast skillet? Maybe even an individual breakfast skillet? Since it’s just the two of us, that’s what I decided to do. If you’re serving more people or you want to eat more than one egg, you could make this in one large skillet.

My cheesy potato and egg breakfast skillet is totally customizable, too. You could sub in poblanos for the red peppers, or you can leave the peppers out completely. Love mushrooms? Throw them in as well. If you don’t want your bacon on the side, dice it up and cook it in the skillet before you sauté the onions. You could totally use sweet potatoes too. Whatever you do, serve this cheesy potato and egg breakfast skillet at your Easter breakfast or brunch! Or just your Saturday breakfast or brunch…whatever. Just make it!

What breakfast or brunch recipes will you be making for Easter? Comment below and let me know!

Find other great recipes at the Weekend Potluck on Served Up With Love!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings

Cheesy Potato and Egg Breakfast Skillet

10 minPrep Time:

10 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons bacon grease or canola oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3-4 medium potatoes, baked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
4 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium (10-inch) cast iron skillet, heat the bacon drippings or oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and pepper until softened.
Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Press with a spatula and cook for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Stir the potatoes and repeat this process until the potatoes are completely browned.
Stir in the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the eggs into individual skillets, large ramekins, or gratin dishes and crack the eggs on top (or, just leave the potatoes in the skillet and evenly space the eggs through the skillet). Place in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the eggs whites are set. Serve immediately.

https://chattavore.com/potato-and-egg-breakfast-skillets/

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It is if you're eating this cheesy potato and egg breakfast skillet. It's perfect for your Easter brunch! | recipe from chattavore.com

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