• Pandemonium at the Disco: The Menu
    Alex and I often debate about the role of the menu at a party.  There are clearly parties where the food is the main star, and others where it serves as more of a supporting actor.  Even if it’s more of a supporting actor, I still try to really focus on food that fits the …
  • Mini Quiches
    Ingredients Directions 1.      Pre-Heat your Oven to 350 degrees. 2.      Roll out your pie crust on a floured pastry board. Roll it as thin as you can while still thick enough to work with without tearing. 3.      Cut out 3 inch circles. I have a cookie cutter for this, but in the past I’ve used a mason jar. …
  • Sausage Balls
    Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Combine the sausage and biscuit mix in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. I got much better results with my food processor rather than just doing this by hand. 3. Add shredded cheese and mix until fully incorporated. 4. Roll mixture into walnut-size balls …
  • Spinach Artichoke Dip
    Directions
  • Bacon Ranch Cheeseball
    Ingredients Directions
  • Little Smokies
    What we made for the party (We doubled this- it was too much) Ingredients Directions Dump it all in the crockpot and cook on low for a couple of hours. Little Smokies Our Family Recipe (I found it after the party- also my guess is this is for 1 16 oz package… apparently, we’re not …
  • Deviled Eggs
    (Some of these instructions may sound stupid, but I read about a lady who is suing Kraft because its takes longer than 3 and half minutes to make their Velveeta shells. Really here’s a link. Also, note this all approximate timing!) I’m sure everyone has a deviled egg recipe they love. This is just the …
  • Summer Cocktails!
    I’ve been meaning to shoot some Videos on Cocktails for a while, and the oppressive HEAT has finally motivated me! I thought I’d keep going with this, doing a deeper dive into some of your favorite cocktails, so let me know what you want me to cover. I think this is going to be a …
  • Alex’s Rendition of Max’s Fried Chicken
    Ingredients 1 Chicken cut into 8 pieces, 3-pound3 cups buttermilk1/2 jar chopped jalapeno peppers1 cup honey2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo8 cups Vegetable oil4 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons cornstarchKosher salt and freshly ground pepper2 teaspoons Garlic Powder1 teaspoon Onion Powder1 teaspoon smoked paprika2 teaspoons ground jalapeno pepper powder Directions In a large bowl, combine …
  • New Fashioned Banana Pudding
    Ingredients 4 large egg yolks ¼ cup cornstarch 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy whipping cream ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ tablespoon vanilla extract 2 ½ cups crushed Nilla wafers (from 1 [11-oz.] pkg.) plus whole wafers to garnish, if desired  4 medium bananas, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream …
  • Miss Mattie’s Pimento Cheese
    Ingredients 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 cup mayonnaise (we use Duke’s) 1 (7-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained (for the record we almost always end up with two 4-oz jars) 1/2 cup chopped jarred sweet-hot pickled jalapeno pepper slices 1 tablespoon liquid from sweet-hot pickled jalapeno pepper slices 4 cups freshly grated mild Cheddar cheese (1 …
  • Mini Corn Dogs, inspired by the Cozy Dog Drive In
    Ingredients 1 package of bun length hot dogs 24 small popsicle sticks. Corn Batter (this is basically half a batch of corn bread from the Aunt Jemimah Corn Meal Recipe) 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 large egg (beaten) 1/2 cup whole …
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
    This recipe was given to the Smith side of our family by a family friend.  For several years, especially when we were spread all over the country, it wasn’t considered a complete Thanksgiving if at least one person didn’t call another asking for the recipe. As a result, I’m pretty sure this recipe has been …
  • Quick Cranberry and Orange Relish
    This is a super simple addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  It also makes for a great addition to your post Thanksgiving sandwiches. 1 pound fresh cranberries Grated zest and juice of 1 orange ½ walnuts (make it better and substitute Pecans) 1 c sugar, or to taste Combine the ingredients in the bowl of …
  • Cornbread Dressing (or Stuffing)
    Cornbread Dressing (we call it stuffing, but we don’t actually stuff the turkey at all.  Also there seems to be some ongoing debate about the bread you stuffing should be made from.  In my personal opinion, cornbread is the only answer.  ½ c dark raisins ½ c cognac (more if you want to enjoy a …
  • Martha’s Modified Turkey
    I started with the original Martha Stewart Recipe. However, she includes parsnips, onions and carrots and stuffs her turkey with stuffing. We have simplified by getting rid of most of the vegetables and simply stuffing the turkey with apples and onions. We then trash the apples and onions before we serve the turkey. (Call us …