Appetizers/Breakfast/Main Dishes/Side

Cheddar Cheese Grits

Posted on by Hallie Hylander / 0 Comment

Hey Y’all! I hope you had a great holiday and ate lots of good, home cooked food! We always have a feast at our house and all the family comes over to eat. They don’t have to bring a thing, except empty stomachs and perhaps stretchy pants! Ha! We have a lot of fun eating, playing games and singing Christmas Carols while playing the Ukulele! We are experts by the time Christmas comes because we’ve been practicing off and on since September for the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob! We perform anywhere people will have us and we do it all for free. It’s a lot of fun and it makes others happy (which makes us happy people too!).

After all the preparations for Christmas, I am always ready to move on to New Years. Take down the decorations, eat all the leftovers and get organized for the new year. Cheddar Cheese Grits are a mainstay then.

We make them to eat with leftover ham and Turnip Greens or for New Years Eve with Black Eye Peas and Mixed Greens so we’ll have good luck. For years, my Mom has made them with Kraft Old English Cheddar. My grandmother often used Kraft Garlic Cheese Roll before they discontinued making it. This year, we used a less expensive alternative and subbed with Happy Farms Spreadable Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Aldi. At $2.49 a tub, it went a lot further but still had the same great taste. Try it out for yourself and read the recipe below! It is certain to be a crowd pleaser for your weeknight family dinner or New Year’s Eve party!

Cheddar Cheese Grits

A warm cheesy delight for your family and friends to share!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 Tbsp fresh garlic, peeled and minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cup quick grits
  •  1/2 stick of butter
  • 14 oz Happy Farms Spreadable Sharp Cheddar
  • Optional: shredded cheddar or breadcrumbs TT

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, egg, minced garlic. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and add grits. Stir until grits are thick and glossy. Remove from stove top and add butter and 1/2 of spreadable sharp cheddar. Pour grits into a oven safe baking dish (I used a 9 inch round Corningware dish.) Using a small amount of the hot grits and part of the aforementioned egg mixture, *temper the eggs before adding entire egg mixture to grits. This will prevent scrambling and maintain proper consistency in your grits. After tempering, pour entire egg mixture into grits and add remaining cheese spread. Stir until thoroughly combined. Top with shredded cheddar and/or breadcrumbs if desired. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes and cool for 30 minutes before service. Serve warm with mixed greens, ham, or black eyed peas or store for breakfast (or any other planned meal) in refrigerator for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container.

Chef Tip: If Yellow Grits are available in your local grocery, it makes the dish much prettier and more colorful. Enjoy!

*Tempering – a method of raising the temperature of a room temperature substance slowly by adding small amounts of hot/boiling liquid in order to maintain consistency and texture. Ex. tempering eggs so they will not scramble, tempering chocolate so it will not separate or “sugar”

 

Appetizers/Snacks

Frosty the Cheese Ball Snowman

Posted on by Hallie Hylander / 0 Comment

Have you ever found yourself in need of a last minute dish? Something you can make on the fly and still looks like you put a lot of effort into it?

A dear friend sent this to me while we were swapping recipes for Christmas. Instead of buying gifts for her daughters’ teachers, she made cheese balls. They all sounded wonderful but I particularly liked the Boursin Cheese Ball recipe. After a few tweaks, I made the recipe my own and started making them!

Luckily, my Dad wasn’t entirely prepared for this year’s annual Holiday Party at work. He bought all his Secret Santa gifts with care and even let Mom pick out his holidaywear, but he forgot to bring something for the party feast. Cheese balls fit the bill and I served em up Snowman style. Complete with a cracker and cheese top hat!

Frosty the Cheese Ball Snowman

Makes 2 Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

  • 2 (8 oz) pkgs of cream cheese
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp minced onion flakes
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp dill
  • a splash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high until thoroughly combined. Form two cheese balls, one larger and one smaller. Roll each one in plastic wrap but keep the side ends loose. Grab the two ends and spin the ball until the ends are tightly wound and the cheese makes an even more round, ball shape. Fold ends under and refrigerate for 30 minutes until hardened.

Once hardened, dress your Snowman with ingredients such as:

  • garlic stuffed green olives
  • raisins
  • Kraft Cracker Cuts Cheddar
  • Wheat Thins
  • Pretzel Sticks
  • and more!

Feel free to use your imagination and make your own Frosty! This recipe is so easy to make that your children (or grandchildren) can help! While I only let my daughter watch the mixer, she had a ball rolling and shaping the cheese mixture! As a toddler, it was a great way to improve her motor skills and give her a sensory experience! (Why buy sensory bins when you can experience so many different textures and flavors in the kitchen?!)

Serve chilled with Wheat Thins, Ritz Crackers, a cracker assortment, or the cracker of your choice! Cheese Balls store in refrigerator for up to 1 week! Enjoy!

 

Main Dishes/Soups & Sandwiches

Turkey Tortilla Soup

Posted on by Hallie Hylander / 0 Comment

In these Winter months, to me, there is nothing better than a warm soup or stew cooking on the stove (or in the Crock Pot) all day long. It keeps the kitchen warm and the aroma makes me feel cozy and more at home.

Come on in and stay awhile. Feel at home at Southern Simmerings!

Perhaps it is a reminiscent feeling from all those years my Mother would cook comfort food for her family? Dad would come in from work and I would come in from playing and there would be a hot meal waiting for us. I usually played with my cousins and other neighborhood children, so Mom always had an extra plate or bowl for anyone who wanted to join us. When I was younger, it was often my cousin Christopher, whom endeared the nickname “Cookie Monster,” that joined us. He was never satisfied with just one meal. He was a growing boy and always had room for home cooking. Later, it was my future husband that enjoyed my Mom’s cooking (and mine). One time, when we were dating more seriously, he showed up to my parent’s house when I wasn’t even there and had dinner with them! At the time, I was appalled, but now I realize that was the sign of a good husband and for my parents, a good son-in-law. Needless to say, food was never wasted at Mom’s house. Who would want to?!

This particular recipe I’m sharing is a mainstay for turkey leftovers! It’s perfect for this season because it warms the body and your tastebuds. With just a bit of kick, you will instantly feel the heat! We include one large can of Cream of Chicken and top with cheese and sour cream so that it won’t be too much for my 92 year old grandmother. If you want to make it spicier, reduce the amount of Cream of Chicken and leave off the toppings. With Chili peppers, Cumin, Cilantro, and more, it beckons my Texas heritage, but is easy to customize to your specific taste.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 qts

Ingredients:

  • 2lbs turkey, cooked and shredded
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans enchilada sauce
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chile peppers
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic (from jar)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 (32 oz) box of chicken broth
  • 1 (28 oz) can of Cream of Chicken
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cans whole kernel corn

Optional:

  • Tortilla Chips
  • Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 Daisy Sour Cream
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Turn Crockpot on High* and add all ingredients (turkey, crushed tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chopped green chile peppers, garlic, water, chicken broth, cream of chicken, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, whole kernel corn) except optional toppings. After Crockpot has been on high for 1 hour, turn it down to Low and cook for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips and top with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. This is great for a night filled with company since it can be kept on the “warm” setting and toppings put out for everyone to serve themselves. Refrigerate in airtight container for 3-5 days or freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months.

*Chef’s Rule of Thumb: I always put my Crockpot on High for the first hour so that it will heat the contents to a safe temperature more quickly. Once the contents are warm, I will turn it down to the Low setting. I believe it is a safer, more efficient way because it helps release flavors and maintain proper cooking techniques and food safety.