Grilled Chicken

We love the flavor of chicken cooked on the grill.  My husband has a pellet grill and that gives this chicken a really moist and delicious flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup + 1 shot of Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1 splash of orange juice or lemon juice
2 sprigs of Rosemary
1 cup of apple juice (I have substituted cranberry juice or water.)
1 large package of chicken thighs or breasts (We have used boneless, skinless as well as bone-in and skin-on.)
1/2 stick of melted butter
3-4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

• In a gallon zip bag or plastic container, mix together 1 cup of Whiskey, salt, juices, and Rosemary to make a brine
• Add chicken to brine and let sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature or as long as overnight in fridge
• Lift chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towel
• Optional: rub with any kind of spice rub you prefer
• Mix butter and Worcestershire together and paint about half onto chicken
• Place on grill, painted side toward the heat
• Paint remaining butter mix
• Close grill and drink the extra shot of whiskey
• Cook for 5-7 minutes
• Turn chicken pieces over and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees
• Remove from grill and let rest about 5 minutes if you can resist

Leftovers are great!  I often cut into bite-sized pieces and eat over a salad or add to rice or a tortilla with veggies for a wrap.

Shrimp Tacos

This is a recipe that I adapted after eating with my daughter-in-law, Jessica, and it is a family favorite!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (I've used fresh or frozen)
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
3-4 Tablespoons butter
4 cups bagged. shredded slaw mix
2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2-4 Tablespoons mayo (depending on how sloppy you like your slaw)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tablespoons guacamole or sour cream
1/2 cup chopped, green onions
6 flour tortillas
Salsa

Instructions:

• Mix together slaw mix, sugar, 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning, mayo, and vinegar to make coleslaw and refrigerate till ready to serve
• Chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces
• Melt butter in a non-stick skillet
• Drop shrimp and green onions into melted butter and stir to coat the pieces
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning onto shrimp and stir to coat
• Cook shrimp just until the liquid is cooked away and a little color/crust is formed on places

To serve:

• Layer flour tortilla, slaw, shrimp and onions, cheese, salsa, and guacamole or sour cream
• Fold tortilla and eat like a traditional taco or add another layer and eat with a fork
• We've also been known to add other taco ingredients such as sliced, black olives and tomatoes and chopped peppers

Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 4 chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
1 cup of minute rice
1 package of onion soup mix
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups of water

Directions:

• Spray a two-quart casserole dish with vegetable spray and arrange chicken in it.
• Salt and pepper chicken.
• Pour uncooked rice over chicken.

• Sprinkle onion soup mix atop the chicken and rice.

• Mix mushroom soup with water.

• Pour soup/water mixture over chicken and rice.

• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes or until rice is tender.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Calories: 470, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 791mg, Potassium: 978mg, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 54g, Vitamin A: 1.4%, Vitamin C: 3.3%, Calcium: 3%, Iron: 9.5%

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Summer Trifle - For July 4th

Ingredients:
1 Angel Food Cake
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 quart of blueberries
1 quart of strawberries
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 eight-ounce package of cream cheese

Directions:

• Cut Angel Food Cake into bite-sized pieces and spread a layer in the bottom of a large glass bowl.

• Wash and slice strawberries into bite-sized pieces.

• Wash and drain blueberries.

• Add a layer of berries atop the cake pieces.

• Mix cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  Pour a coating of this mixture atop cake and berries.
• Spread on a scant layer of whipped topping.
• Top with two more rounds of cake, berries, milk/cheese mixture, and topping layers.
• Spread generous layer of whipped topping as last layer.
• Garnish with berries.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill till ready to serve.

For the July 4th garnish, I cut recipe cards in half lengthwise and folded them in half.  Then, set the cards on edge with folds to outside forming a star shape.  I placed the blueberries outside the cards and strawberries inside the cards.  Then, removed the cards just before serving.

Beef and Ben Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 small chopped onion
1/2 cup hot water
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans
1 15-ounce can of black beans
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis
1 16-ounce container of sour cream
6 large flour or 12 small corn tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:

• Brown ground beef and onions together and drain off fat.

• Add spices and water and stir for about one minute.

• Drain and rinse beans.

• Stir beans into beef mixture

• Drain tomatoes and chilis and stir into beef and bean mixture.

• Line the bottom of an 13" x 9" casserole dish with tortillas

• Spread one-third of beef mixture onto tortillas.

• Top with one-third of sour cream.

• Sprinkle with one-third of cheese.
• Pour one-third of enchilada sauce over top.
• Add two more similar layers.
• Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove cover and bake 10 minutes to melt and brown cheese.
• Serve warm.

Pepperidge Farm Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large or 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
3 Tablespoons mustard
1/2 stick of butter
1 bag of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix - crumbled

Instructions:

• Wash chicken and pat dry.

• Mix Miracle Whip, mustard, and butter in a small bowl.

• Spread stuffing mix onto a plate.

• Dip chicken in mustard mix to coat well and lay into glass baking dish.

• Dip mustard mix-coated chicken into stuffing mix to coat.

• Mix remaining stuffing mix into remaining mustard mix and press onto chicken in casserole dish.
• Bake, covered in a 350 degree oven for one hour.
• Uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until stuffing is brown.
• Enjoy!

Classic Green Bean Casserole

When I was a child, I always looked forward to going to my Granny's on Thanksgiving for a lot of reasons.  The wonderfulness of it was partly because Granny always spoiled me but part of the wonderfulness was because of all her very best dishes came out at Thanksgiving.  Let's face it, y'all, I love to eat!  Both my grandmothers were good cooks.  Muffa, my Daddy's matriarch, prepared simple country fare and lots, and lots of it.  Granny, my mother's matriarch, was a fabulous cook as well.  Both of these ladies cooked for farm hands and a large family and used ingredients that were home-grown there on the farm - usually in a garden tended by themselves.  Many are the days that I remember walking barefoot through my Granny's garden with her and thinking it was a special treat when I was a little tyke.  I digress.

This recipe is one that my Granny would always have on Thanksgiving and I thought it was a fancy dish because it was something beyond just green beans out of a pot that had been cooked with a bit of ham meat and maybe some onion.  As a young woman I discovered canned French-style green beans and thought this casserole had to be made with those to make it fancier.  Then, after marrying Mike, I learned that home-canned green beans cooked with a bit of ham meat really do make the best green bean casserole for a crowd and can be simple, country fare and fancy at the same time!

Ingredients:
1 can cream mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk (I have been known to substitute a cup of grated cheddar cheese for this, too.  Remember that I grew up on a dairy farm, y'all!)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 cups (or 2 mason jars) cooked green beans
1 1/2 cups French fried onions

Instructions:

• I cook my green beans with a bit of ham meat till almost done.
• In the pot I cook the beans in, I add the mushroom soup, soy sauce, milk (or cheese), and one cup of the onions.
• Stir that up real well and pour it into a casserole dish.  (I like to use a deep one rather than a long, flat one.)
• Bake 20-25 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup reserved onions and bake five minutes more.
• Serve fresh out of the oven while it is warm and bubbly!

I hope my grandchildren look forward to coming to Grand B's house and tasting the fancy food we have!