Pepperoni Biscuits

SIMPLE COOKERY PEPPERONI BISCUITS

So, this is not the best photo, but these yummy biscuits get eaten so quickly that I always forget to take a good picture.  Try them for a quick snack or with soup for a meal.

Simple Cookery Pepperoni Biscuits

1 can Pillsbury's Grands Flaky Layers
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg sliced pepperoni
garlic powder - to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Soak pepperoni in hot water for about a minute and then drain over paper towels.  This will take a lot of the grease out, but feel free to skip this step if you want.

Separate each biscuit into 3 layers.  This takes a little practice and patience.  If you can only split in in half, that's fine too.  On the bottom layer, spread the spaghetti sauce - about a teaspoon.  Cover sauce with cheese - about a tablespoon.  Layer 3-4 pepperoni slices over the cheese and then cover with the next layer of biscuit.  Repeat steps and cover with top of biscuit.  Sprinkle top with some garlic powder.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then keep a watch on the biscuits until they are browned to your desire.  This works well with ham or salami too.

Louisiana Corn Bread

This was Grandma's favorite cornbread recipe, but I have no idea what makes it 'Louisiana'.   You can make it as thin or thick as you like by adjusting the amount you put into each baking pan.

LOUISIANA CORN BREAD

Ingredients:

One cup of cornmeal,

One and one-quarter cups of flour,

One teaspoon of salt,

Five level teaspoons of baking powder,

Two tablespoons of shortening,

Four tablespoons of syrup,

One egg,

One and one-half cups of milk.

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and beat hard to mix.  Then pour into well-greased square pans. Bake for thirty-five minutes at 375 degrees.

Cornbread Dressing

Dressing or Stuffing? Cornbread or Bread? Everyone has a different recipe or style and nothing will divide cooks quicker! We never stuffed our turkey and always had Cornbread Dressing. Mom would also make a pan of plain Bread Dressing for Daddy because it was his Mother's recipe. Daddy never knew that Mom snuck a little cornbread into that pan of bread dressing. And, of course, a little white bread went into her cornbread dressing.

We measured everything by the bowl size. Last year I carefully measured everything out so that I could be completely accurate with Mom's recipe. I always add the eggs last - after I've tasted the dressing for proper seasoning. I'm giving you a minimum measurement on the seasonings. Add them to your dressing, taste it, and add a little more of this and that. Some people like a little more sage. If it seems dry, add more broth. If it seems too moist, add more bread or cornbread. Mom and I would add a little of everything until the dressing was 'just right'. Keep in mind that you don't want to 'over season'. Once the dressing is cooked, the flavors will become richer, so keep this in mind. Happy Cooking!

Cornbread Dressing
8 to 10 cups of cornbread, crumbled
2 to 4 cups of white bread, slightly stale and broken into small pieces
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons rubbed sage (use less if ground sage)
2 to 4 cups broth (ideally a mixture of chicken broth and turkey broth)
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
2 beaten eggs

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth, turkey neck (or use chicken thighs), enough water to cover, and butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and bread together. Add celery, onion, and seasonings. Mix well. Remove turkey/chicken from the broth and set aside. Add broth a cup or two at a time until you reach the desired consistency, mixing well after each addition. Keep in mind the dressing will 'set' as it cooks. Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Then add eggs and stir well. Pour into 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown on top. This recipe actually makes a little more than will fit into a 9x13 pan, so you can also bake a smaller dish along side the bigger one. I like to take the chicken cooked for the broth, remove the skin and bones, and add it to the leftover dressing. Then bake it in a casserole dish along side your cornbread dressing. This will make a great leftover casserole that can quickly be re-heated the next day.

Fried Cornbread

 

This is not for the meek or mild.  Growing up, we had fried cornbread at suppertime.  My favorite part about cornbread is the crunchy outside, so I think that is why I like this so much.  Sometimes we’d thin the recipe down some extra water, add flour, and make pancakes.  The next time you have some leftover cornmeal on hand, try this recipe.  I use Martha White Self-Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal because I can use plain milk in my baked cornbread rather than keeping buttermilk around. If you are using plain cornmeal, add a little buttermilk in place of some of the water in this recipe.

Fried Cornbread

1 cup self-rising buttermilk cornmeal

1/2 to 3/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup canola oil & 1 tablespoon butter

Mix cornmeal with hot water until well-blended and smooth.  Add a little more water, if necessary, to make batter the consistency of thick pancake batter.  Heat oil (enough to cover bottom) in heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a pat of butter for flavoring.  Scoop batter into 1/4 cup measuring spoon and pour into pan.  When the batter bubbles around the edge (like pancakes) flip the bread.  Brown another minute or so and remove.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot.