SWEET YELLOW CORNBREAD

As the Super Bowl approaches, it is time to figure out what appetizers or "grazing" foods we would like to serve.   Chicken Wings are always a crowd pleaser!   These chicken wings are delicious!  Perfect for any #sundaynightfootball #superbowl or just for snacking around the house.

I actually served these at my daughter's engagement party a couple of years ago!  You can feed a large crowd easy with chicken wings.   The chicken wings combined with Dr. Pepper are my favorite!

CROCKPOT DR PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS
 
Another Sunday Night Football game favorite for a crowd.  These Dr Pepper chicken wings are a beautiful addition to add to your grazing boards.
 
INGREDIENTS:
·         15-20 Wings (frozen or fresh)
·         1 cup Kraft Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
·         1 12 ounce can of Dr. Pepper
·         2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
 
DIRECTIONS:
 

1. Spray large Crockpot with cooking spray.
2. Place chicken in Crockpot
3. Add garlic powder
4. Pour Dr. Pepper over the chicken wings.
5. Pour the BBQ sauce over the chicken wings. Stir to coat.
6. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 3-4 hours
7. Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using a slotted spoon or fork, place the chicken on the pan.
8. Broil the tops of chicken 3 inches from heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned
9. Rotate halfway through broiling time
10. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.

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Baby it's cold outside!   When fall & winter hit the south, we all love to make hearty casseroles, and main dishes that help warm the soul.

This delicious Parmesan Crusted Chicken is great served with a side of pasta, or hearty mash potatoes, green beans, corn, or a beautiful green salad.    Easy to make, delicious to eat!

This is one of our favorite #SundaySupperSitDown meals, and is part of the collection of recipes from the cookbook - Sunday Comforts - Sweet Yellow Cornbread & Fixins'.  

Enjoy!







Parmesan Crusted Chicken
INGREDIENTS

• 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of any fat
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

 
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a shallow pie dish or a deep plate.
3. Mix the butter, lemon juice, and garlic together in separate shallow pie dish or deep plate.
4. Dip both sides of the chicken in the butter mixture, coating thoroughly
5. Place chicken on top, gently press chicken so crumbs on bottom stick to chicken
6. Turn chicken over, press top side into crumbs until covered
7. Place chicken
8. When al chicken is prepped, place in 9x13 baking dish
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until chicken is no longer pink or thermometer reads 165 degrees in thickest part of chicken

Southern “Cathead” Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
3 cups self-rising flour + more for flouring board and cutter
1 stick of Crisco Butter (Crisco Butter sticks)
½1 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
1 Teaspoon of Sugar
½1 Teaspoon of Pink Himalayan salt
1 ¼-1/2 cups of cold Cultured Buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 420º F. Lightly spray rimmed baking sheet or cast-iron skillet. Set aside.  For small batches, use a cast-iron skillet, for larger batches use a baking sheet.

Add flour to a large mixing bowl.  Add in Cream of Tartar, Sugar and Salt.  Fold in the Crisco Butter stick. Gently mix in the butter stick in the dough until dough has soft pebbles combined.   Make a well in middle of the dough.  Pour in buttermilk and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.  The dough will begin to come together, but do not knead until it becomes a ball. 

Turn the loose dough out onto a floured board (or surface) and with floured hands, bring the dough together forming a rectangle, getting all the loose flour incorporated with the rest of the dough.  The key to this recipe is not to over mix. Over mixing can cause the dough to yield drier biscuits. 

Turn the loose dough out onto a floured board (or surface) and with floured hands, bring the dough together.  FOLD and FLATTEN, FOLD and FLATTEN, continuing doing this 5-6 times. (Fold the right side of the rectangle over to the left side, then flatten dough with your palms.)

• Folding the dough a few times creates numerous flaky textures on the biscuits. Make sure to handle the dough carefully.  Overmixing will release the gluten; thus, dough will be tough.
• Lightly flour a 2-inch biscuit cutter.  Use your hands to pat dough about ½ inch think.  Cut out biscuits using the 2-inch biscuit cutter.

Place biscuits into skillet or on baking sheet pan, leaving about an inch between biscuits to allow them to rise and cook fully. Place in preheated oven and bake about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.  Your biscuits should be golden on the outside, and not sticky on the inside. 
 
Be sure and butter the inside and add in your favorite jam. You can store left over biscuits in a Ziploc bag for a couple of days.  Pop them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds to warm.
 
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Comment:  Us Southerner’s refer to large top biscuits as “cathead” biscuits. You might hear folks say, “There has big as a cats head.”  A Southern staple growing up in my house.    I modified the ingredients somewhat to make it my own.  I also prefer a moist flaky biscuit. It wouldn’t be a Sunday morning without these.   This recipe makes a great base recipe for a variety of biscuit flavors. 

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Tips for How to Make the Best Buttermilk Biscuits:

Before I begin sharing my favorite biscuit recipes, I thought I would give you some overall tips to help your biscuits be perfect to begin your day with.   P.S.  You can actually eat biscuits anytime of the day or night!

  
Use cold, cold, cold buttermilk. 

Make sure your pan is greased or sprayed thoroughly to prevent them from sticking

Biscuits need to touch. Before you bake, make the biscuits touch one another. This will help them rise and return those “cathead” biscuits we all love.

Don't twist the biscuit cutters when cutting. Just cut the biscuits and pick the cutter right up instead of twisting it. Twisting will prevent them from rising well.   If your cutter is sprayed and dipped into flour, your biscuits should come out without twisting.

Practice makes perfect.   Learn the texture of the dough.  Feel the dough and remember it shouldn’t be dry or sticky.   If the dough seems to dry, fold in more Crisco butter stick.  If the biscuits feel sticky, add in a little more flour gently and fold.   

Self-Rising Flour – use self-rising flour.   White Lilly flour is a perfect flour for biscuits.  It is a lighter flour and returns soft flaky biscuits.  Learn the textures of flours from various brands.  You want to go with a “lighter” flour, rather than a thicker flour.

Rotate the Pan – Rotating the pan half-way through the baking process will give all the biscuits are more consistent baking.  Spin the pan 180º so the biscuits can bake more evenly.
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Oven temperatures vary – Remember all ovens are different. Older ovens can bake differently than newer ovens, depending on how new or old the heating element is.  Humidity and temperature also play a role in how your baked goods come out.  The guidelines from 15-20 minutes can be different than how your oven varies.   Always check your first batch to see how your oven works for you.

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It's 2022!   We are so proud that our first cookbook is making its way to hundreds of households.  Sunday Comforts is a collection of some of my very favorite recipes.   Starting with Sunday Mornings, Brunch, Appetizers, Sunday Supper Meals, and Sweet Yellow Cornbread & Fixins'.  

This Blog will pull some of our favorite recipes from the cookbook that will be easy for you to make on your own!

We will kick off with a little introduction of  "Easy Like Sunday Mornings."
 
Lionel Richie’s song, “Easy Like Sunday Mornings, means to be free, and unattached from the week behind, or the week ahead, of us. Sunday Mornings are to relax, take a deep breath, and clear our minds.  In football season, it is also to get ready for some “Sunday Night Football.”
It’s time to break out those cast-iron skillets, whip up a batch of homemade biscuits and gravy, sip on some good ‘ole Folgers’ coffee, and listen to some of your favorite tunes as you hum along.
My collection of recipes for Sunday Mornings includes homemade biscuits, a variety of gravies, warm muffins, beautiful breakfast breads, and more.

I hope you enjoy these Sunday morning delights. May your day be filled with peace, happiness, and “easy.”

Let's start out with some overall Cooking/Baking Tips:


Cooking is a science, like baking, and a recipe is like a chemical formula. Once you learn the language of recipes, you gain expertise and knowledge.

If you are a baker and not necessarily a cook, it is important to keep in mind that cooking and baking are two different methods. While baking uses more precise formulas, cooking is a little more flexible.
Don’t be intimidated by either cooking or baking. 

Practice makes perfect.  Invest in a good stand mixer, such as Kitchen Aid 5-quart Artesian, and your baking experience will improve tremendously.  

Don’t skimp on spices, use organic cinnamons that are rich in flavor, pure vanilla extracts, rich maple syrups, and pink Himalayan salt is a great baking salt. 

Butters make a huge difference, Kerry Gold Irish Butter is excellent for breads, and Vermont Creamery Sea Salt & Unsalted Butters are perfect for cakes & cookies.
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Gather What You Need
There's nothing worse than burning the garlic because you were running around your kitchen finding the next ingredient. Before you begin cooking, lay out all the ingredients—measured if possible—as well as the pots, pans, bowls, and cooking tools that are necessary. If the first step of the recipe is to preheat the oven, then do so before you begin cooking. Take your time and double-check so your cooking experience is as seamless as possible.

Test for Doneness
All recipes have a cooking time range along with a description of what the food should look like, or what the texture of the food should be when finished. Cooking/Baking times will vary depending on makes/models, age of appliance, etc.  You should always test for doneness at the beginning of the time range (so at 10 minutes for a 10- to 15-minute range). While baking recipes, watch closely the first time, adjust accordingly for your specifics.  Good cooks always sample their food prior to serving to guests.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Recipes are guidelines, and to help give ideas of what to serve, cook or bake.  Experience with a variety of spices, seasonings, and make it your own.