Name: BLT Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces short pasta like rotini or penne; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons buttermilk; 1 green onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon dry dill weed; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional); 8 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled; 1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved; 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces, rinsed, and dried

BLT Pasta Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

April 27, 2015

BLT pasta salad is a BLT minus the bread – bacon, lettuce, tomato, and creamy dressing tossed with perfectly cooked pasta!

BLT pasta salad is my answer to the fact that April is National BLT Month. Yep, you read that right…there’s a whole month dedicated to BLTs. It’s funny, there’s a day or a week or a month dedicated to just about every food that you could possibly think of, some of them very specific. For example, February 11 is National Peppermint Patty Day…sounds like my kind of day.

I love a good bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. It’s one of my favorite deli orders and one of the foods that I crave when I am not feeling well. Something about crispy, salty bacon piled on toasted bread with a couple of perfect slices of tomato, some crunchy lettuce, and a little mayonnaise…it doesn’t get much better than that. And while I am sure that they exist, I don’t think there are many people on this earth who don’t like a BLT.

The problem is that I didn’t really want to write a recipe for a BLT sandwich here. I don’t think I have to tell you guys how to spread mayo on some bread and stack some ingredients on it. I tried to think of some interesting combinations to make a BLT sandwich, but I really couldn’t improve on the original. I honestly think it’s just perfect plain and simple (though I do occasionally like to throw some avocado on for a BLAT or maybe an egg for a BELT).

If you like BLTs, you’ll love this BLT pasta salad!

Then it dawned on me….BLT pasta salad. Now, I’ll be honest, that wasn’t my original idea. I had a BLT pasta salad several years ago at Southern Star. It’s pretty basic-just BLT ingredients tossed with pasta instead of served between two slices of bread. I whisked up a little buttermilk dressing to toss it with instead of just basic mayonnaise, but this is a simple and delicious salad that’s pretty filling too. I hope you guys will try this BLT pasta salad!

4-8

BLT Pasta Salad

15 minPrep Time:

20 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

8 ounces short pasta like rotini or penne
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
8 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces, rinsed, and dried

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, green onion, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Set aside.
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Allow to drain for five minutes, shaking the colander occasionally.
Place the pasta in a large bowl. Add the lettuce, tomato, bacon, and dressing and stir to combine. Serve immediately or chill before serving.

https://chattavore.com/blt-pasta-salad/

Click here to print the recipe for BLT pasta salad!

Chattavore.com | BLT pasta salad is a BLT sandwich in a bowl!

Pulled Pork Potato Casserole

April 22, 2015

With tender shredded pork, potatoes, bbq sauce, sour cream, and cheese, this pulled pork potato casserole has everything you love about a BBQ pork potato!

Pulled smoked pork speaks to me on a level that’s really difficult to explain. Like fried chicken, a smoked pork butt beckons to the good Southern girl in me….it’s just a classic, iconic Southern dish. The perfect amount of smoke means that sauce isn’t really even needed, but if you want some sauce, you just need the slightest drizzle to accentuate the deep smoke flavor of the meat. Philip and I like to stand over the freshly smoked hunk of pork resting on the cutting board on our counter, gingerly pulling shreds of meat from the still smoldering shoulder and popping them in our mouths, all the while extolling the virtues of glorious smoked pork. By the way, we behave the same way with the pork when it’s cold from the fridge as we attempt to tear away shreds to make something with the leftovers.

Honestly, there isn’t much that you can do to make smoked pork better, so the only thing you can do is serve it with really great sides or on some really great bread…or a baked potato. If you’ve read any of my BBQ restaurant blog posts, you know that I am a fan of barbecue potatoes (usually called a “killer potato” around here) and that’s my usual order when I go to a barbecue restaurant. I have mentioned here a time or two that a baked potato is one of my perfect, go-to foods, and baked potatoes go well with just about anything. But something as awe-inspiring as smoked pork…well, that’s just over the top.

And if a pulled pork baked potato is good, a pulled pork potato casserole is even better. I drizzled the boiled Russet potatoes (you could bake them, of course, but it’s quicker to boil and I was in a hurry!) with melted butter then tossed them in a simple sour cream and buttermilk sauce that I whipped up. Of course, I stirred in a generous amount of shredded pork and a few sliced green onions. Baked up with a thick layer of shredded cheddar on top, this casserole was basically perfect without sauce, but a light drizzle of some smoked Porter barbecue sauce that I made completed this casserole perfectly.

This pulled pork potato casserole was everything I love from a barbecue restaurant baked up in one pan!

Yield: 4-8 servings

Pulled Pork Potato Casserole

15 minPrep Time:

40 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups pulled pork
2 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
barbecue sauce, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and sprinkle the water liberally with salt. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Combine all ingredients except the cheese and the barbecue sauce in the bowl with the potatoes. Spread into an 8 or 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle the top with cheese.
Bake the casserole for 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese has browned. Serve with barbecue sauce.

https://chattavore.com/pulled-pork-potato-casserole/

Click here to print the recipe for pulled pork potato casserole!

Pulled pork potato casserole is like a pulled pork baked potato in a pan! | @chattavore

Pulled Pork Egg Rolls (Made from Leftovers)

April 20, 2015

What better way to use up your leftover BBQ pork and coleslaw than to roll them in an egg roll wrapper and turn them into BBQ pulled pork egg rolls?

Pulled pork egg rolls originated from a Chinese food kick that I have been in lately. For the past month or two I have been all about General Tso’s chicken (try that recipe-it’s fantastic), egg rolls, fried rice (and no, I’m not pregnant). Enough to eat at a Chinese restaurant that I tried years ago and didn’t like. Attempt #2 yielded similar results. The chicken and rice were edible but the egg roll, not so much. I scraped out the filling and ate the wrapper.

It was sad, too, y’all, because I love a good egg roll. The thing about egg rolls is that you can put anything in an egg roll and it’s gonna be good. Case in point, these Reuben egg rolls that I made for our Saturday night snack supper this past weekend…they pretty much ruled. But I’m getting off-topic here. The thing is, I used to think that egg rolls required some sort of special skills, till we ate dinner at some friends’ house and they made homemade vegetarian egg rolls. Whoa. Egg roll wrappers, slaw mix, and some soy sauce and other stuff. It was eye-opening. When I made them at home, I realized that it wasn’t all fun and games, though…rolling an egg roll can be a little tricky, but don’t worry. I’ll show you how.

I had been wanting to make some smoked pork for a casserole idea I’d had (coming Wednesday!) and as I was trying to think of what else I could do with the pulled pork I remembered the egg roll wrappers I had in the fridge from where I made the aforementioned General Tso’s chicken and forgot that I’d planned to make egg rolls too. I was making coleslaw to go with the pulled pork, and suddenly it dawned on me: pulled pork egg rolls. Pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and a little bit of slaw. YAAAASSSSS. The best part? Well, never mind, I already mentioned pulled pork. But another plus? They’re baked, not fried. If you all haven’t noticed, I love oven-frying…it’s my favorite.

Anyway, smoke a pork shoulder or throw one in your Crock-Pot or pick some pulled pork up from your favorite barbecue joint and make these pulled pork egg rolls! You won’t regret it, I promise.

Yield: 16 egg rolls

Pulled Pork Eggrolls

15 minPrep Time:

12 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

4 cups pulled pork
1/2 cup barbecue sauce of your choice
16 egg roll wrappers
1 cup coleslaw, drained if there is a lot of liquid in it
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
additional barbecue sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the pork in a bowl and combine with the barbecue sauce.
To fill the egg roll wrappers: Lay the wrapper on a counter or cutting board with one of the points pointing toward you. Place 1/4 cup of the pork and 1 tablespoon of coleslaw in the center of the wrapper.

Pull the point that is facing you up and over the fillings. Wrap it tightly-but not too tightly-around the filling, placing the point under the filling.

Pull the points on the sides in tightly toward the center.

Use your finger to brush water all over the edges of the remaining exposed point.

Roll the egg roll toward the point, wrapping it up tightly. I find it's easier to do it this way than to pull the remaining point back over the top of the egg roll. Line up the rolled egg rolls until you are finished and ready to bake them.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil onto a baking sheet, using a brush to spread the oil to the edges. Place in the oven until smoking, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the egg rolls on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining oil.
Bake the egg rolls for 6 minutes then carefully flip with tongs. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Serve with additional barbecue sauce for dipping.

https://chattavore.com/pulled-pork-egg-rolls/

Click here to print the recipe for pulled pork egg rolls!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Mushrooms

April 17, 2015

Poppy seed chicken casserole is a Southern classic. I like to add mushrooms to my version, which is made completely from scratch!

When I was a kid, I used to occasionally spend the night with my friend Nicole on Saturday nights. We’d go to her church in the morning then after church eat lunch at her grandparents’ house. Since my family had our big family meal on Sunday night, this Sunday-after-church-lunch tradition was a little unfamiliar to me (though I know that a lot of families have a big lunch after church). Another thing that was unfamiliar to me? Chicken casserole.

Yep. My friend’s grandmother, mom, and aunts were great cooks and there were always lots of delicious things to eat (they had a pretty large family). Ham, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, red velvet cake (which I actually first ate at Nicole’s 9th birthday party). But the dish I remember most was chicken casserole. Shredded chicken in a creamy, savory sauce, topped off with buttery cracker crumbs and baked until golden. It was something that my mom and grandmother had never made, and it was glorious.

Years later my mom started making it and it became one of her signature church potluck dishes. I remember that every time we had a potluck my cousin Kenneth would make sure that my mom was bringing chicken casserole. Eventually it reached a point where my mom would make chicken casserole just because she knew that people expected it. I mean, it’s just that good.

Several years back, I heard of something called poppy seed chicken. I was intrigued, as I had fallen in love with poppy seeds when I used to eat copious numbers of poppy seed bagels while working at The Daily Bagel when I was a freshman in college. I love the slightly nutty flavor that they lend to everything, and the rumors about failing drug tests after you eat poppy seeds are supposedly false. Anyway, I was expecting some interesting poppy seed encrusted dish and instead what I discovered was the poppy seed chicken was chicken casserole with poppy seeds.

Now, most recipes for poppy seed chicken casserole call for canned cream of chicken soup, and I still do a happy dance when my mom makes chicken casserole with that familiar red and white can because it. is. delicious. However, it’s pretty widely known that I can never do things the easy way, so I like to make my poppy seed chicken from scratch. Oh, and I like to add mushrooms, but you don’t have to.

Either way, this poppy seed chicken casserole is rich and delicious (by the way, those are butter beans with bacon on the side).

Yield: 4-8 servings

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Mushrooms

20 minPrep Time:

35 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
salt and pepper
3 cups shredded chicken (I used 2 pounds of poached chicken thighs)
1 cup sour cream (1 8-ounce container)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 sleeve Ritz crackers

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Preheat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened. Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for one minute.
Slowly add the liquid, stirring constantly until smooth. Cook until thickened to the consistency of condensed soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, the onion/mushroom "soup" mixture, sour cream, and poppy seeds and stir to combine completely. Pour into an 8 or 9-inch baking dish.
Crumble the crackers into a bowl (this is not how I show it in the pictures, but this is a better way to completely coat the crumbs with butter). Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and pour over the crackers crumbs. Stir to coat the crumbs with butter and sprinkle them over the casserole. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Serve immediately.

https://chattavore.com/poppy-seed-chicken-casserole-with-mushrooms/

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Poppy seed chicken casserole is a Southern classic. I like to add mushrooms to my version, which is made completely from scratch! | recipe from chattavore.com

Taco Pot Pie with Beef

April 13, 2015

If you love tacos, you’ll love taco pot pie. It’s everything you’d eat in a taco stuffed into a buttery pie crust and baked up till golden!

Taco pot pie wasn’t my idea. Years ago, I watched an episode of Emeril Live! on Food Network. He had a pie contest and the winner was a taco pot pie. I remember thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I made it a few times and it was indeed delicious and a genius idea. Now, I will say that it had a lot of packaged ingredients: packaged pie crust, taco seasoning from a packet, and frozen fajita vegetables. Now, if you want to use a boxed pie crust, I won’t judge you. Pie crusts can be a pain. Heck, I’ll even understand if you want to use a packet of taco seasoning…though my taco seasoning here is so easy. Just throw a few spoonfuls of things in the pan and you’re good. Frozen vegetables though? I really don’t get the point when it takes five minutes to cut up an onion and a pepper.

I love a good taco. And I love a good pot pie. While I adore a Mexico City taco-soft corn tortilla, no cheese, tons of chopped cilantro and onions (this and salsa are the only ways I can eat raw onion without wanting to burst into tears), I love a good American-style hard shell taco with saucy ground beef and orange cheddar. This taco pot pie is an American-style taco in a pie crust, and it is glorious…the best of both worlds.

Funny story for you, though. The picture of the slice of pot pie? From the next day. When I sliced the pot pie and lifted it out of the pan, it fell apart everywhere. Taco pot pie (well, all pot pie, really) just cuts better when it’s cold. It still tasted great, even falling apart on the plate.

If you love tacos, do me a favor and make taco pot pie!

Yield: 6-8 servings

Taco Pot Pie

10 minPrep Time:

40 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

dough for a double crust pie (I used this recipe )
1 tablespoon vegetable, canola, or olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red, yellow, or orange pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
toppings: sour cream, salsa, avocado, guacamole

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, preheat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until slightly blackened around the edges.
Add the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Drain away any excess fat. Add the cornstarch and spices and stir to combine completely. Cook until thickened and the flavors meld. Remove from the heat.
Roll out the bottom crust into a 9-inch Pyrex plate. Fill with the ground beef mixture. Distribute the cheese on top. Roll out the top crust and place on top. Trim the edges and fold them over and crimp. Cut slits in the top.
Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned on top (I actually used the broiler to brown the top a little more). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with desired toppings.

https://chattavore.com/taco-pot-pie/

Click here to print the recipe for taco pot pie!

If you love tacos, you'll love taco pot pie. It's everything you'd eat in a taco stuffed into a buttery pie crust and baked up till golden! | recipe from Chattavore.com

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