As it gets colder outside I am constantly looking for new yummy, fulfilling things to make for dinner. I love anything spicy so this recipe really caught my eye!
My friend April made chicken chili and I knew this would go very well with the cornbread. I will say that most of my girlfriends are constantly watching what they eat, so the chili was a Weight Watchers recipe – and – well, this cornbread is not so healthy.
I decided to make it not-so-hearty by cutting down the meat in it. I also was unable to find jalapeno cheese in OKC. If you live somewhere around a Kroger, my mom said she found some there. I added chopped green chili’s to the mix instead.
Jalapeno Cornbread
by Matt Gilson
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix (I was raised on sweet cornbread so I substituted instead of Jiffy, although Jiffy is only 50 cents per box)
Not exactly fish eggs…much better! I am a hairstylist and any excuse we can find to bring food to the salon we jump at. The day before Halloween we all dressed up and had a pot luck. I have to say I don’t think I have ever seen that much food in one place before! I knew from the past that its best to take something that can easily be snacked on in-between clients. Everyone at work “jokingly” calls me Betty Crocker; little do they know it’s really not as hard as it looks!
Flipping through the cookbook I looked for a recipe that had ingredients that I might already have at home. I finally decided on Cowboy Caviar. It definitely doesn’t look too pretty, if you’re a presentation person, but sure does taste good! (Friends at work turned their noses up at first but by the end of the day it was gone!) This is a very simple recipe if you need something last minute. Also, if you are following through the cookbook with us and cooking most of these items I would suggest buying a large bag of shredded cheese and a box of cream cheese from Sams. It will save you time and money, both of which I know we can all use these days!
Cowboy Caviar
by Tracy Holland
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cans chopped black olives
2 T. oil
2 T. lime juice ( I cut one lime in half and squeezed the juice from it into the mix)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Combine beans, olives, oil, lime juice and spices. Let sit 2 hours. Spread cream cheese on a plate and top with bean mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Happy Cooking!
Whitni
Editor’s Note – Want to see the other recipe’s Whitni and Jani have prepared from the cookbook thus far? Simply go to our “Categories” section on the right hand of our home page, and use the drop down selector to find “Stockyards City Cookbook.”
Editor’s Note – Okay, everyone…this post is from Jani, Whitni’s mother. Recall that we kicked off our Stockyards City Cookbook Cook-Through last week. Here’s their second entry!
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I would like to begin by saying that after reading her first post I think my daughter, Whitni, has shown me up! Unfortunately there will not be a slide show with my post. I’m not even sure I know how to do that. Maybe if I am really nice she will teach me how to set up a slide show when she is home for Thanksgiving.
I looked through the Stockyards City Centennial Cookbook several times before I chose my first recipe. I ended up picking Natalie Browne’s recipe for Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. I did make one omission to the original recipe, the mushrooms. We are not much on mushrooms at our house. In fact when I asked my husband if he wanted me to put the mushrooms in he said he only wanted mushrooms ‘…if they would give him hallucinations,’ – such a kidder!!
The recipe was very easy to make and the ingredients were easily found. For our family of three (my husband, our 17 yr. old son, and myself) there was plenty of food. In fact, we only ate half of the casserole and that was with everyone having seconds. Which means leftovers will come in handy for dinner another night when we have had a hectic day (translates to: Jani doesn’t want to cook) . Oh wait, my family doesn’t eat leftovers! Well, maybe if you decide to prepare this for your family there will be enough to keep you out of the kitchen an extra day.
We had green beans, salad, and rolls with the Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. I loved the fact that the recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, this saved a tremendous amount of time. I will definitely make this casserole again.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
from Natalie Browne
1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice Mix (fast recipe)
1 (8oz) sour cream; 1/4 C Italian dressing
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
1 rotisserie chicken
1 sm pkg sharp cheddar cheese
1 can chicken broth
Shred chicken meat. Cook rice in chicken broth, last 5 minutes add mushrooms. Mix chicken, rice, sour cream and Italian dressing together. Put in a greased 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
The only other change I made to the recipe was I used mild cheddar cheese instead of sharp. For the cheese I bought a 2 cup package of finely shredded cheese and did not use all of it.
If you are looking for an easy dinner this one fits the bill. I think you could even make this ahead of time, freeze or refrigerate, and pop it in the oven when you get home from work.
Happy Cooking, Jani
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole - easy, lots of food and tasty!
Editor’s Note: We’re SO glad to have Whitni and Jani kicking off our Stockyards City cookbook cook-through. I think I gained two pounds just reading this post…and, I’m making one this weekend! A big thanks to the Stockyards City team for allowing us to print the recipes on the RDC. The cooks are allowed 5 passes throughout their work in case they run into a recipe that just doesn’t fit their palate. Whitni, “the daughter,” is kicking off the series. Next week, you’ll meet the “mom” part of the culinary duo…enjoy!
– Red Dirt Kelly
*****
What can I say? I love to eat!
Its a good thing I learned how to cook in college so that I am still not surviving on Ramen Noodles. And for me, it is definitely a challenge to cook for just one person. So through my posts I will give you pointers on how to make your meals in smaller portions, or to extend their life a bit further. Here we go…
Every Monday is girls night for my group of friends. We choose a cheesy reality show or a chick flick to watch (that we usually talk over), and then pile into the living room with dinner around the TV. I chose to make the Banana Split Cake for our dessert this week. I got nothing but rave reviews. I did double the graham cracker crust and the pineapple and in exchange for the cherries I put strawberries. I will warn ya though, its enough food to feed a small army!
Banana Split Cake
by Patricia Parent
2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs (I used 4 C)
2 sticks butter (I used an extra since I made extra crust)
5 Bananas
1 can Pineapple, drained ( I used 2 cans of crushed)
1 (8oz) Pkg. Cream Cheese
2 C Powdered Sugar
1 Carton Whipped topping
To make the crust, mix together graham cracker crumbs and 1 stick of melted butter. Mash into a 9×13 dish. Refrigerate until chilled. Put sliced bananas on top of crust. Spoon 1 large can drained pineapple on top of the bananas. Mix together cream cheese, remaining butter and powdered sugar. Spoon over fruit. Add container of whipped topping over the top of the fruit. Sprinkle with nuts and maraschino cherries. Chill and serve.
Check out the slide show I made so you can see the progressive steps come together. Great summer dish to take to a friend’s pool party!
Happy Cooking!
Whitni
Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.
