Category: Recipes

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This recipe is one that my Nannie, Doris Guido, made for every Thanksgiving and Christmas I can remember. When she realized just how much I liked it, it would show up throughout the year, too. I loved it. It was the crunch of the water chestnuts and Ritz crackers, the creaminess of that cheese, and all those veggies that I absolutely adore! Now, Doris loved onion. It was present in everything, but it’s perfect here. Add this to your Turkey Day spread. Trust me.

Zucchini and Squash Casserole

2 cups zucchini and squash, cooked and drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Medium onion, chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

10 Ritz crackers, crushed

1 can sliced water chestnuts

Cook and drain the squash and zucchini, pressing out all the water. Saute onion in it. Mix together veggies with mayo, eggs, salt, and pepper. Add water chestnuts. Pour in greased 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Top with cheesed crushed crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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A few years back, we went to Mistletoe Marketplace and found a vendor called Rag Muffins out of Florida. She had so many adorable tea towels, and if you’ve been in my kitchen you know I have a tea towel for every occasion and I purchase one on every trip. She can take handwritten recipes and turn them into tea towels. So your favorite recipes can also act as artwork in your kitchens.

That Christmas, I sent the recipe for my MawMaw’s Okra Gumbo she had written in 1986 on a notecard and left in her recipe box for me to find 20 years later to be made into a tea towel for my mom. To say we had a tearful Christmas morning when that gift was unwrapped is an understatement. So while I don’t have any pictures of her making this gumbo, I have her handwriting to go by and hang on my stove when I miss her.

Okra Gumbo

1 pint frozen okra gumbo mix, thawed

2 cups water

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, not drained

1 pound medium shrimp

Salt to taste

Bay leaves

Combine mix, water, and tomatoes in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add shrimp and simmer for 20 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve over cooked rice.

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Has anyone else heard that song before? I remember it from early on and went down a YouTube rabbit hole looking for the origin. No luck, but there sure are a lot of crazy videos associated with chicken pot pie.

Chicken Pot Pie has to be one of my all time favorites. If mom was making it, I was thrilled. If it was in the cafeteria, I was the first in line. I dream about Fridays at Mammy’s Cupboard just so I can have this special, and I always ask if they have leftovers if I go on Saturday. In college, I tried my own version with crescent rolls. I’ve seen recipes on Pinterest for a Crock-Pot soup version. This is my mom’s version. You won’t be disappointed.

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Chicken Pot Pie

1 package pre-made pie crust

4 chicken breasts (or 6 thighs), boiled and cut into bite-size pieces

Broth, reserved from boiling

1 large can mixed vegetables

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Warm the soup and add the vegetables and cooked chicken. If too thick, add broth to thin. Pour into pie crust rolled into a greased pie plate. Top with remaining crust, crimp the edges, and cut vents into the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

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I’ll be honest. I’m not a fan of sausage in link form. It must be a texture thing because I love ground sausage. So, when I hear that red beans and rice is on the menu, I know it will be pick around the sausage night for me. However, I love the flavor that it leaves in the mix; so, leave the sausage in!

Red Beans and Rice

1 16-ounce can Blue Runner Creole Cream-style Red Beans

3 16-ounce cans Bush’s Light Red Kidney Beans

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

8 ounces chicken broth

1/2 pound sausage, sliced thin

1 cup ham, finely chopped

Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve over white rice.

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I know; I’m jumping the gun. But I love fall for many reasons — the main one being that Christmas soon follows. Last December, I hosted a little gathering for my Moscow Mule-loving friends and tried out a new recipe on them. The Cranberry Mule was a hit!

 

Cranberry Mule

Cranberry juice (not juice cocktail)

Ginger beer

Vodka

Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Fresh cranberries, frozen for garnish

Over ice, pour a shot of vodka into your mule mug. Top with half a can of ginger beer and finish with cranberry juice. Squeeze in a lime wedge and add frozen cranberries as a garnish. You could also add sprigs of rosemary for a Christmas-time look.

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Last fall, Mom and I came across this recipe in an issue of Louisiana Cookin’ in hopes we could bring on feelings of fall. These are delicious, spiced to perfection, and a must bake this weekend.

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Cane Sugar Snaps

3/4 cup all-vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup cane syrup

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup raw cane sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening and granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, beating until just combined. Add cane syrup, beating until just combined. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, and cloves. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture, beating until combined. In a small bowl, stir together cane sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using a spring-loaded 1-ounce scoop, scoop dough, and roll into balls; coat in sugar mixture. Place dough balls at least 1½ inches apart on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.

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With a weekend of football ahead of us, go to the store and pick up these items. You will be glad you did when having your own at-home tailgate in front of the TV. It’s our family’s favorite, and I can’t believe I haven’t shared it before now.

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Seven-layer Mexican Dip

1 small can Frito bean dip

1 package taco seasoning (low sodium)

1 8-ounce container sour cream (plain Greek yogurt)

1 12-ounce container guacamole

1 package shredded taco cheese (low fat)

3 ripe tomatoes, diced

1 small can black olives, sliced

3 green onions, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the bean dip and taco seasoning.  Spread bean mixture on the bottom of your serving piece.  In another small bowl, combine the sour cream and guacamole.  I now substitute with the Greek yogurt; and, honestly, I like the taste better.  Spread this mixture over the bean dip layer.  Add the bag of cheese to the stop.  Spread the tomatoes and olives over the cheese, and top with the green onions.  Serve with tortilla chips or Frito scoops.

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You see what I did there? I’m ready for big bulky sweaters. Since it’s not quite there yet, I guess I’ll knock down the air conditioning and pull out the crock pot for this week’s easy, delicious chicken chili. Best part? It’s one of those “can dump” recipes that NO ONE can get wrong.

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Crock Pot Chicken Chili

1 small onion, chopped
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained
1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
10-ounce package frozen corn kernels
2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
4-ounce can chopped green chili peppers, chopped
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
24 ounces (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (for topping)

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, chili powder, and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and mix well. Nestle the chicken in to completely cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings!

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I’m on a fall kick with recipes, and this one is the quintessential Guido concoction. Growing up, when this smell filled the house, you knew that summer was over and fall had arrived. Now, when I walk up to the back door and can smell this aroma seeping through, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s just a simple trail mix; but my God, it’s absolute perfection.

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Do-Dads

1 box each rice, wheat, and corn Chex cereal

½ bag pretzels

1 box Cheez-Its

1 bag oyster crackers

1 jar unsalted peanuts

1 jar cashews

4 cups pecan halves

4 cups almonds, unseasoned

1 ½ sticks butter

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco to taste

¼ cup lemon juice

Put all dry ingredients in a large container, and mix well. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the seasonings, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Using a one gallon plastic bag, fill the bag half full with the dry mix. Drizzle ¼ cup of the butter mixture into the bag, seal the bag, and toss to coat the cereal mix. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 300 degrees for thirty minutes (or until the mixture appears dry). Spread in a larger pan to cool before storing in air-tight container or large plastic bags.

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With fall quickly approaching (And let’s be honest, it’s September. It’s here.), I can’t wait to fill my home with the scent of fresh coffee, dreamy comfort foods, and pumpkin-spiced everything. Full disclosure, I upgraded to a full-time adult this week by ordering an actual coffee pot and getting rid of my one-cup Keurig. I actually set it to pop on 30 minutes before my alarm went off so my house smelled of freshly brewed coffee when I woke up. I felt like I was a grown up when I woke up this morning.

Here is a recipe that makes my senses happy when it’s roasting in the crock pot, PLUS it’s easy!

Mississippi Roast

4 pound chuck roast

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

1 envelope au jus mix

½ cup butter

4 – 5 sweet peppers, sliced

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the roast in the bottom and sprinkle with black pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Sprinkle ranch mix over the top; then the au jus mix on top of that. Place the peppers on top of the mixes and top with the butter. Set the slow cooker to 8 hours and let it go!