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In honor of my Ags getting ready to btho Tennessee this weekend, I thought I’d share one of my favorite tailgating recipes.  It’s not the prettiest dip you’ve ever seen, but it’s glorious…straight from the pot, scooped into individual bowls or dumped into a crockpot to keep it warm. Its good on tortilla chips, veggie chips, kettle cooked chips, wheat thins, air crisps…pretty much anything crunchy that’s strong enough to withstand it’s hearty physique.

I’ve made this Buffalo Chicken Dip as an appetizer, a side dish, a finger food; even once as a warm break for a bunch of guys helping Jay stretch fence. It’s pretty much anything you want it to be. And if all that hasn’t peaked your curiosity and taste buds….it’s so easy to make that it almost feels like cheating.

I’ve been asked for (and of course, shared) this recipe more times than I can count, so hey, let’s make it official.

From our tailgate to yours, Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. canned white chicken or 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled off the bone and chopped
• 1 cup Frank’s buffalo sauce
• 1 cup Ranch Dressing (click here for Smokin’ F Buttermilk Ranch recipe)
• 16 oz. Cream Cheese
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar

1. In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat buffalo sauce and cream cheese.

2. Mix in chicken.  Canned chicken is excellent and will give you the most buffalo flavor.  Chopped rotisserie is delicious.  We’ve even used leftover smoked pork. They’re all slightly different, and all good!

3. Add in ranch dressing.

4.  Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

5. Ta-Da!! Serve immediately or dump it into a crockpot on low to keep it from cooling down. Just run a spoon or spatula through it before serving, and it’s good to go.

If (and I strongly emphasize IF) you have any leftovers, they can be refrigerated or even frozen.  It reheats very well.

Thanks and gig ’em!

Dressing or stuffing?  Cornbread or white bread?  Whatever version you make, that fluffy, starchy, sagey, carby mix that compliments turkey so perfectly is a staple at holiday tables.  In Texas, it’s dressing that graces our spread.  But I married a man from Upper Penninsula Michigan (so far north that he says “eh?”), and they hold strong to actually stuffing the bird.

Like so many of my other recipes and traditions, my dressing comes from a long line of Texas women…that never wrote anything down.  Thankfully, my Mom sat down with several of the sisters before they passed away and accumulated at least a basic recipe.  And after lots of phone calls with my Mimi this week, I think we’ve got a pretty accurate version.

As far as I know, this recipe originated with my Great, Great Granny Prestridge in Franklin, Texas.  While I do have a handful of memories in her kitchen sitting on an old Costco chair, most of what I know of her is from stories and other people’s memories. I wish I’d have known her more, but I do like to think both of my Grannies spirits live on in my kitchen.

As the story goes, My Granny Vera and her sisters perfected Granny Prestridge’s version. Cornbread, white bread and Aunt Doris’ addition of Saltine crackers make this a unique and glorious tradition at our house.

So if you’re looking for a new approach to an old favorite, here’s our version.  Happiest Thanksgiving!  And may dressing or stuffing be the most controversial topic at your table.
Ingredients:

• 5 boxes of Jiffy cornbread
• 5 eggs
• 1 2/3 c milk
• 1/2 c butter
• 12 green onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 sleeve Saltine crackers
• 10 slices of white bread (left out overnight or dried in the oven)
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• 6 well beaten eggs
• 40 oz chicken broth
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• Large roasting pan

1. Prepare your Jiffy cornbread per the directions on the box.  I don’t know about you but I don’t have a commercial kitchen with any bowl big enough to mix it all at once, so I split it up 3 and 2 and cook it in two 9×13 glass dishes.

2.  While that cooks, sauté your green onions and celery in the 1/2 cup of butter until they’re soft, and the celery is translucent. If you’re making giblet gravy set aside about 1/4 cup of the sautéed veggies.

3.  In another large bowl, mix soups, eggs and seasonings.

4.  In a large roasting pan (I use disposable), crumble your white bread, crackers and cornbread.

5.  Mix your soup mixture into the breads.  Add in the veggies, and chicken broth.

6.  In my Mimi’s words, it will be soupy.  With the lid on the roasting pan or covered tightly with foil, bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

7.  Uncover and continue to cook for about 20 more minutes, or until set.  According to the sisters, and I quote, “Bake until it’s soft in the middle, puffy on the outside and brown around the edges.”

I take a very scientific approach to test for doneness….a bite right out of the middle. I figure I can cover that spot up with gravy or some well placed parsley for garnish anyway.

Speaking of gravy, my Mimi’s Giblet Gravy….while not essential to the success of this dressing, it is definitely a complimentary addition.

And!  Did I mention that this stuffing makes a phenomenal leftover sandwich?!?  Honestly, I almost like it better than the original meal….toasted bread, mayonnaise, turkey, dressing and Jalapeño (or Regular) Cranberry Sauce.  Honey hush.

Here’s those links one more time: Mimi’s Giblet Gravy & Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Happiest Thanksgiving!!!

It’s barn-raisin’ week at the Smokin’ F, and this Mama could not be more excited!  And while I consider myself fairly handy with a power tool, I’m definitely the gofer on this project (you know, go-fer  this, go-fer that) until the time comes to decorate.  Yes, I said decorate.  Because y’all know I like things both functional and cute….even in the barn.

But before I go any further, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to thank our good friend, Matt.  When I say good friend, I mean salt of the earth, good friend.  He has worked long days with Jay now getting this together, and we literally could not be doing this without his help.  So huge, heart-felt thank you to him for all he has done and to the rest of his family for lending him to us for a few days.  We are forever grateful!

So while I’m not just a whole ton of manpower help to Jay and Matt this week, one thing I can do is keep these boys fed….and enjoy the view from the ground of my hunky husband hovering in the bucket hanging trusses. 😉

Finger food for men has always seemed like somewhat of an oxymoron to me.  Making it both on-the-go and filling can be a challenge. But these *award winning, I might add* Sweet Pepper and Sausage Poppers usually seem to do the trick.

They’re great for days like we’re having where no one is stopping for a sit-down meal; for appetizers at a party; or for a mid-day snack.  They’re good a few minutes out of the oven or cooled.  And while I love a jalapeño popper, it seems like there’s only about one month out of the year when I find crisp, flavorful, but not crazy spicey peppers.  Using sweet peppers and relying on the sausage for heat make these both delicious and consistent.  I promise, you can’t lose with these!

So without further ado, straight from the Merica Smokers’ playbook….

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz bag of mini sweet peppers
• 16 oz of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 lb breakfast sausage (hot or mild)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
• 2 lbs thin sliced bacon

1.  In a large skillet, cook your sausage and diced onion until it’s completely browned and your onions are translucent.  Drain the grease or spoon sausage onto a paper towel lined plate.

2. Mix your sausage and onion in with your cheeses.

3.  Cut the stem ends off of your peppers.  Then, slice each pepper in half.  You can remove the seeds if you’d like to, but since these aren’t hot like jalapeños, you don’t have to.  I don’t.  🙂

2.  In each pepper half, add enough of your sausage mixture to heaps over the top.  Some will leak out while it cooks, but it just makes a crispy, gooey, goodness.

3.  Slice your bacon in half.  Hamburger style. (Is that still a thing?  Because that’s how my teachers used to give us directions.  Hamburger or hot dog style folds!)

4.  Wrap 1/2 piece of bacon around each stuffed pepper half.  I always start with the middle end of the bacon around the open end of the pepper and work my way to the ends of both.  Wrapping it this way and using the thin bacon really helps to keep it from unraveling as it cooks.

4.  Place in a 9×13 pan and cook at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.  *Note: these are phenomenal on the grill or smoker, as well! *

5.  After 25 minutes, and without removing them from the oven, turn the temperature up to 500 degrees and continue to cook for 15 minutes more; or until your bacon is starting to crisp.

6.  Remove from oven and pour off any excess grease that you can.  (You can omit this if using a slotted spatula)

7. Remove from pan using a firm spatula and place on a paper towel lined plate.  And don’t forget to scrape up all that crispy sausagey goodness that has oozed out!  We usually fight over those little pieces around here.

8.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve by themselves or with a bowl of ranch or your favorite dipping sauce.  Enjoy!!

No bones about it….this is the easiest and the most glorious bread you will ever make.  Seriously, throw out every other recipe you have.

Our good friend, Katelyn, baked this for us the very first weekend we met her…and we’ve been hooked (on the bread and her) ever since.  I’ve made it countless times at home and taken it to cook outs and competitions and it’s always a show-stopper. I never have shared the bread without being asked for the recipe.

So when I asked Katelyn if I could post her recipe, she said of course!  But, in true Katelyn fashion, she didn’t want the credit…she made sure we give it to her Mama.

So, here it is!  Drumroll please….

The 3 ingredient, simplest, easiest, most perfect bread you’ll ever eat: Anne’s Beer Bread! 🙂

• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 cups self rising flour
• 1 bottle of beer (we prefer darker beers like Shiner or Yuengling)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan.  I like to use a 8.5 x 4.5 glass pan but a bigger one works well too.

2. Mix all 3 ingredients.

3. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.

4. After 40 minutes, insert a knife in the middle of the bread.  If it comes out gooey, lay a piece of foil over the bread and cook for another 5-10 minutes.  This will continue to cook it but keep it from browning or drying out on top.

5.  If you aren’t so completely intoxicated by the smell that you dig in immedietly, let it cool for about 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of your pan, and it should pop right out.

6. Eat it warm. Eat it cold. Slather it with butter. Or bite into the loaf itself. Any way you slice it, you’ll be as grateful to Anne and Katelyn for this glorious recipe as we are!

We. Love. Brussel sprouts. We love them like bubba loves shrimp.  We’ve tried them baked and broiled, and with cranberries, or balsamic vinegar, or pecans. The possibilities are endless with those little vitamin-packed craniums of goodness.

But our go-to, favorite method is pan-fried in bacon grease, and hence, not the healthiest, but always good.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 slices of bacon
• I lb of Brussel sprouts
• I lemon
• 3 tbs butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs garlic (optional)

1.  Cut your bacon into bite size pieces.  I prefer to use my kitchen scissors and cut it right over my cast iron skillet.  Who wants to dirty another cutting board, right?

2.  While your bacon is starting to brown over medium heat (about 5 minutes) cut the ends off of your Brussel sprouts and slice them in half or again in quarters.  Either way is good.

3.  When your bacon is just starting to brown, add your brussel sprouts to the pan.  Stir them occasionally to keep them from sticking.

I usually add garlic at this step as well.  If you add it sooner, it’s usually burnt by the end. If you do it later, it’s still pretty bitter.  I just honestly forgot it last night…it’s equally good with or without it.  But if you like garlic, throw it in there!  You won’t be sorry 🙂

4.  Once your brussel sprouts have turned bright green and delicious looking (about 10 minutes) add salt and pepper to taste.  You’ll notice the outside layer beginning to soften.

5.  Keep pushing them around your skillet for about 5 more minutes until their centers are soft and their outsides have started to brown.  My husband actually loves the burnt parts the best, so I’ll let them go an extra minute or so even.

Add in your butter.  As it melts, mix it in to coat all of your Brussel sprouts.

7. Turn off the heat.  You can squeeze your lemon in here, but I prefer to transfer it to a serving bowl first so that the lemon doesn’t cook off.  Squeeze half a lemon or a whole lemon, depending on how tangy you like it.

8.  Serve immediately or cover with foil, until you’re ready to dish them out.

Because every good Texan has at least 6 of the 7 layers on hand at any given time…and you figure something out for what you’re missing!

This is always good and always a party hit.  I add ground meat to mine, making it more of a meal than an appetizer.  If you choose to leave that out, you can add the taco seasoning to the sour cream or the guacamole instead.  You seriously can’t mess this up.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef, ground turkey or ground venison
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (and water per instructions)
• 1 big can of refried beans
• 16 oz. sour cream
• 16 oz. guacamole or 3 mashed avocados
• lettuce, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes or pico de gallo
• 3 cups of shredded cheddar

*Optional: sliced jalapenos, sweet peppers, olives or whatever the heck else sounds good 🙂

Directions:

1. Brown your meat in a skillet and follow directions on taco seasoning package to make taco meat.

2. Spread each ingredient in the pan one at a time, making your layers.  The goal is to make each bite the perfect bite…with a taste of everything.  Mmmmm…

• Refried Beans
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole or Mashed Avocados
• Fully Cooked Taco Meat
• Shredded Cheese
• Enough Shredded Lettuce to cover the dish
• Chopped Tomatoes or Pico
• Olives, Jalapenos, Peppers, Etc.

Your favorite corn chips.  We like Tostitos scoops.

3. Dig in!  Or cover and chill in the refrigerator.  You can make this the night before an event or at the last minute for a hakerin’.

They’re at every picnic, pot luck and holiday…we all love deviled eggs.  And after many attempts, I’ve finally come up with a recipe that hits the spot….Every. Single. Time.

There’s a reason Jay calls bacon the duct tape of food.  It makes everything better.  🙂

• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise (use the real stuff!)
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp dried chopped onion flakes
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tbs dried parsley flakes
• 3 slices of cooked bacon

1. Put your eggs in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  10 years ago I made the wisest $5 investment of my life when I bought this handy egg timer, but if you don’t have one,  it usually takes about 14 minutes until they’re hard throughout.

2. Drain the hot water out and run them under cold water.

3.  Carefully peel the shell off of each egg.  Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, and gently remove the hard yolk from each half.  I use a fork to pop it right out.  Reserve all yolks in a separate bowl.

4.  Using a fork, mash all of your yolks.  Mix in all of the other ingredients except the bacon.

5. Cut or break your bacon into small pieces and divide equally onto the tops of your eggs.  See what just happened there.  Deviled eggs just went from “mmmmmm” to “honey hush!”

6.  Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready.

I’m not sure there’s a dish more southern than fried green tomatoes.  And while I suppose most people don’t broadcast their meals like I tend to, I don’t hear of many people making them anymore.  But this time of year, with our garden in full force, they’re a favorite at the Smokin’ F.

Traditionally, most green tomatoes were battered and pan fried.  But the last time I tried that…well, I met the fire department.  True, long and embarrassing story that we really don’t need to get into.  Recently, as people have become more health conscious, I suppose, I’ve seen recipes circulating to bake them.  But seriously, y’all….life’s too short for baked green tomatoes.

So at our house, I deep fry our green tomatoes to a perfect golden crisp and serve them up with some Southwest Ranch.  They’re especially spectacular at the end of a hot summer day, as the sun sets just low enough to cool the evening and give way to the flicker of lightning bugs.  It’s pretty darn close to culinary Heaven.

So from our summer table to yours, Fried Green Tomatoes with Southwest Ranch.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Green Tomatoes
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 c. Cornmeal
• 2 c. Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 Packet of Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Garlic Pepper
• 1 tsp. Season Salt
• 5 eggs

For the Southwest Ranch:

• 1 Cup of Mama Merica Buttermilk Ranch
• 1 Tbs. Smoked Chipotle Tabasco (or your favorite smokey hot sauce)
• 1 tsp. Taco Seasoning

1. Slice your tomatoes about ¼ in thickness; or as thin as you can while retaining the integrity of the shape of the tomato.  Discard the ends.

Lay out on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. While your slices sweat a few minutes, heat your oil in the deep fryer to 350 or the pan, whichever you choose.

3. Mix your remaining dry ingredients in one bowl.

4. Whisk your eggs until fluffy in a separate bowl.

5. In yet another bowl, mix your ranch, taco seasoning and tabasco, and set aside.

6. Coat one tomato slice with your dry ingredients. I like to dig a little hole in the middle of the bowl, place the tomato in the hole and then cover it back up and patting it to make sure it sticks.

7. Dip coated tomato in your egg mixture and then back in your dry mix again.

8. Once it’s fully coated, gently tap off any excess and ease into your hot oil with a fork or tongs.

9. As they cook, the tomatoes will float up to the top. Once they’re browned on one side (about 3-4 minutes) use tongs to flip them over so both sides get nice and crispy.

10. Lay back on your paper towel lined cookie sheet.

11. Repeat with all of your tomatoes, frying 4-5 at a time depending on the size of your fryer.

12. Serve warm with a side of your Southwest Ranch for dipping. Enjoy!

For as long as I can remember, Shipley’s donuts have been part of our Friday morning routine….kind of a reward for a week well done and a kick off to the weekend.

And then, our tradition was threatened when  we moved to the middle of Tennessee dairy farms and corn fields with no donut shop of any kind in close proximity.  So, by necessity, we’ve mastered our own!

They’re kind of cheating, but they’re really  good and they’re fast enough to make before school. Win-win in my book! So here goes:

Ingredients:

• 4 cans of Refrigerated biscuits (or 2 cans of the Jumbo biscuits)
• Enough oil to fill at least 1 inch in a deep fryer. For the love of all things greasy, please don’t use the same oil you made chicken fried steak in last week.  🙂
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4-5 Tbs. milk
• Slotted spoon or whisk
• Cooling rack

1.  Cut regular sized biscuits in half, or Jumbo size in quarters.

2.  Roll into individual balls.

3.  Heat oil to 375 degrees.  You’ll know it’s ready when water drops sizzle and the donuts sink but float right back to the top.

4.  In a mixing bowl, whisk milk and powdered sugar until you have a glaze consistency.  I like to make a thinner icing, but you can adjust milk to your liking.

I make an assembly line like this. Just go ahead and prepare to have dirty counters by the end of this. Unless you’re far more skilled than I am, there will inevitably be icing and grease drips. I should probably just add paper towels to the list of necessary ingredients.

5.  Gently ease a few biscuit rolls into the grease.  I usually do 6-8 at a time.

6.  They’ll float to the top.  As they turn brown on bottom, they may flip on their own.  If not, just use a slatted spoon to help them.  Brown on the other side.  This takes a total of about 2-4 minutes depending on how big they are.

7.  Use your slatted spoon or a whisk like mine (love me some Pioneer Woman utensils and this is my favorite!) to lift them out of the oil and drop them into your icing.   Don’t stir them or coat them just yet.   Just let them sit there while you start your next batch in the fryer.  That little bit of extra time cooling really seems to help them coat better.

8. Drop another 6 or so donut holes into the oil.  While they cook, gently roll your first batch in the icing and then set on your cooling rack.  Just FYI, I always put a few paper towels or wax paper under my cooling rack to catch the drips.  Or at least some of them.

After they cool, and the first glaze has started to set, you can re-dunk them in the icing.  I prefer a lighter glaze dunked twice over one thick coating.  But play with it and see what you like.   🙂

9.  Remove the next batch from the oil and repeat it all until you’re done with your donuts, and enjoy!!  🙂

Note: if the donuts are turning dark brown on the outside and still doughy on the inside, turn down the heat on your fryer to 350.

Our cook-off weekend Sunday’s are usually lazy with a side of camper clean up.  We wake up when we want, lounge as long as the kids will let us (8:30 is usually the max) and I make a big breakfast….of, well, anything but BBQ.

So last weekend, Daddy wanted cinnamon rolls, Lincoln wanted donuts and Paisley requested bacon.  And of course, by the time they requested it, they were all ravaging (you know, because we’re all wasting away in this house!)  In an attempt to feed this crew quickly, rising actual dough was not an option.

And thus were born….Lincoln’s Lazy Day Cinnamon Rolls.  We threw together all stuff we had in the house to make a glorious cinnamon roll crossed donut concoction that we’ve had to make 3 times since.  We’ve made improvements each time, but I think this morning we nailed it.

So, from our family to yours…the easiest lazy day cinnamon rolls we know.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Grands Big and Buttery Crescent Rolls
• 2 tbs melted butter
• 8 tsp brown sugar
• 8 tsp white sugar
• 8 tsp chopped pecans
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

1.  Roll out and seperate your crescent rolls.  Brush each one with melted butter.

2.  Sprinkle 1 tsp of brown sugar over each roll.

3.  Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon over the brown sugar.

Word of advice….be sure your lid is properly affixed to your sugar shaker so this doesn’t happen to you.  Oops 🙂

4.  Top your sugars with a tsp (or so) of chopped pecans.

5.  To keep in all of that goodness as it cooks and to keep the brown sugar from leaking out and carmalizing (er, gluing) your rolls to the cookie sheet, fold the top corners of your triangle in towards the center.

6.  Now fold the top down over the corner folds to seal them nicely.  And then roll just as you do a normal crescent roll.

7.  Unless you are far more talented than I am, or you don’t have pint size helpers, you invetibly sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon on the outskirts of your crescent roll and onto your cookie sheet. We clean that up by rolling each cinnamon roll around in that extra sugar to coat the outside.

8.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350, until they’re browning on the bottom and light brown on the top.

9.  While they’re baking, mix your milk and vanilla into the powdered sugar for the icing.

10.  I transfer our rolls to a cooling rack to stop the bottoms from continuing to cook while we ice them, but if you plan to eat them quickly, just ice them on your pan.  No need to dirty another dish!

Drizzle the icing over each roll. Serve warm. Or cold.  For breakfast.  For dessert. Any time of day, they’re a hit.