Southern Living's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This was the first time that I have ever made a pound cake & was super nervous about how it was going to turn out. As you can see from the picture, it came out perfectly. It tasted even better! I made it for Thanksgiving & have already had requests to make it again. And honestly, I can't wait to make it again either. :)

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

 Preheat oven to 300°F. 
Use an electric mixer to mix both butter and cream cheese until creamy.
Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding more.
Stir in vanilla.
 Sift flour and salt and add gradually to the mixer, beating until well blended.
 Pour batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan or tube cake pan.
 Place 2 cups water in an ovenproof container on the rack in the oven next to the cake.
 Bake cake at 300 for an hour and 45 minutes, or until a toothpick can be removed cleanly.
 Place pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and complete cooling on the wire rack.

Corn Bread Salad

1 box of jiffy corn bread mix cook as directed.

Cool, crumble and put in bottom of a serving dish 

Spread on top 1 can of pinto beans (room temp, don't heat) 

Top with chopped onions, bell peppers, tomatoes. 

Sprinkle a layer of shredded sharp cheese  

Cover with ranch dressing 

Sprinkle with bacon bits 

Chill (overnight is best!) 

Eat cold. 

Black Eye Pea Stew

2 cans of Black Eye'd peas (don't drain)
2 cans of tomatoes (any flavor of tomatoes, don't drain)
1 can of corn (drain)
Smokies sausages cut in half (could also use hot dogs if you don't have smokies)
Pict Sweet mix (Onion, Celery, Bell Peppers)
Garlic
Any other seasoning you like!


Pour it all in the crock pot and simmer on low for several hours
Serve over rice.

Excellent and easy!

Gumbo (Chicken & Sausage)

Make a day ahead of time for best results! This will allow all the flavors to mix together.

Ingredients:
Vegetable Oil
4 Chicken Thighs
1 pound of sausage cut into 1/4 inch slices ( I like the conecuh brand)
Zatarains Gumbo Mix (without rice)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup of onion
1/2 cup of green peppers
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 package of frozen okra (this is a must!)
6 Cups of water and 6 Chicken bullion cubes (or you can get 48 ounces of chicken broth)
2 cans of diced tomato
1 can of corn



Directions:
Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add chicken and sausage. Cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until brown. Remove chicken and cut off the bone into chunks. Place back into the pot and add chopped vegetables and garlic and stir three minutes until vegetables soften. Add 6 cups of water and bullion cubes or/chicken broth, and gumbo base and tomato cans and corn. Bring to a slow boil, then add okra.  Now simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Once cooled, store in fridge. The following day, reheat the gumbo and sprinkle in green onions before serving.

Serve over rice!
(Pictsweet also makes a wonderful vegetable medley that works great for this type of recipe. You can just put in three cups of the frozen veggies and it's the perfect mix, they also make a gumbo helper that has okra, corn, tomatoes and onions!)

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of Panko Italian Bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese

1 Tbsp. Parsley Flakes

1/4 cup of sweet cream butter, melted

1 teaspoon of Garlic salt or Garlic powder

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Angel hair pasta cooked as directed. 

5 Boneless, skinless, chicken breast washed & patted dry

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 

If using regular pan, spray with cooking spray. ( I cooked mine on my pampered chef stoneware, so I didn't need any oil)

Mix panko crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder/salt and parsley. Set aside.

Place melted butter in a dish by itself.

Dip both sides of the chicken in the butter, then in the crumb mixture. 

Lay chicken on baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and make sure chicken has reached 165 internal temperature. If this has been achieved, then simply place one heaping spoonful of sauce on your chicken and then add your shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Now place back in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt. Remove from oven carefully.

Serve over angel hair pasta and a green veggie or salad! ENJOY!

Options: you can use fresh garlic cloves, and add them to the butter mixture instead of using the garlic salt or powder. 

Also- you can substitute the shredded Parmesan cheese for mozzarella cheese.  You can also make your own bread crumbs if you had the stale bread! I didn't want to buy fresh bread just to make bread crumbs, so I opted for buying them already done! 

Brownie Refrigerator Cake

Got this recipe from one of those "shares" on facebook.

.1 box brownie mix
1 extra large egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz.) containers whipped topping
1 (3 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 Hershey candy bar or chocolate syrup

Directions: Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in brownie pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

How many of you had leftover turkey or ham? What are some ways you re created it for the last few days? Between my mother in law, my husband and myself we had:

Grits with Ham
Spring Rolls with turkey
Turkey Wraps
Gumbo
Ham salad