"Chickfila" Grilled Chicken Marinade

This is my go-to chicken marinade. My pastor's wife in Scottsdale was a fantastic cook, and this was one of the recipes she was kind enough to share with me. This has quickly become a family (and friends) favorite. When my kids were little, they called this Chickfila chicken because they said it reminded them of Chickfila. That is about the greatest compliment you can get from 2 and 3 year olds if you ask me! If you are intimidated by the grill, you can always cook these on a flat top or in a frying pan, but nothing is quite the same as grilling them. I usually set my grill for high heat to begin to sear the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side and then turn the heat down to medium until they're cooked through. Give it a try!!

Chickfila Chicken Marinade

6 T mayonnaise
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T lemon juice
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper

Throw chicken breasts on the grill and enjoy! 

Happy Cooking!

Ham & Cheese Party Sandwiches

These delicious sandwiches are a true Southern tradition. They are found at weddings, showers, birthday parties, pot lucks, tailgates, and beyond. They are really easy to make in bulk and they are a great option to add something a little heavier to an hor d'oeuvres menu or a great alternative to hot dogs for a child's birthday party. These are always a hit no matter where I take them, and they're some of my favorite sandwiches as well.



Ingredients:
2 packages Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
8 slices ham (the original recipe calls for chopped ham which is a thicker slice of ham in the pre-packaged deli section...if you use thinner slices, you may need to double the ham)
10 slices Swiss cheese (again, not super thin sliced)
2 sticks butter (softened)
3 T poppyseeds
1 T Worchestershire Sauce
2 T Dijon mustard (my favorite is Maille)
2 T DRIED chopped onion (this is found with the spices)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Leave the Hawaiian rolls attached and, using a large serrated knife, cut in half lengthwise to make the tops and bottoms of the sandwiches. Repeat for second package of Hawaiian rolls. Mix together softened butter, poppyseeds, Worchestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and dried onions. You can do this by hand or use a standing mixer. Using a spatula, spread the butter mixer over the two bottom halves of the Hawaiian rolls. You want a good amount but not too thick...you will likely have some of the butter mixture left over. Layer the ham and cheese on top of the butter, using half for each set of sandwiches. Place the tops on top of the cheese. Place both sets of Hawaiian rolls on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and cut the sandwiches apart...each set will yield 12 sandwiches.

Happy Cooking!

Pork Verde Tacos with Ranch Salsa Angel Hair Coleslaw

These tacos are as good as they look!  They are super kid friendly while at the same time being super delicious.  My husband preferred salsa and the cabbage (angel hair coleslaw) on his tacos to the ranch salsa coleslaw that I painstakingly prepared ;)  Either way, the pork is tender, the remaining sauce from the pork is delicious, the Monterey Jack cheese melts so well, and the coleslaw gives these tacos an excellent crunch.  There will be plenty of meat leftover, so you may want to freeze it or have extra tacos shells on hand (we ate 11 between the 5 of us!!) AND, make extra coleslaw!

For the pork:
3lbs country style pork ribs
1 jar salsa verde
2 large cans green enchilada sauce
Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.  Take meat out and shred on a plate.  Reserve some of the sauce to pour over tacos.

For the coleslaw:
2 cups angel hair coleslaw
4 T prepared ranch dressing (you could also use blue cheese dressing if you want something stronger)
2 T salsa
Mix all ingredients together and set aside.


For the tacos:
10-12 Hard or soft taco shells - heated according to package directions
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Pork prepared above
Coleslaw prepared above

Stuff taco shells with pork, top with cheese, then top with coleslaw.  Pour a drizzle of sauce from pork over top.  Serve warm.  

*additional optional toppings:  sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, pickled jalepenos

Happy Cooking!

Kentucky Derby Pie

This is my all time favorite dessert. The recipe is from my mama, and I request it any time she asks what she can bring for dessert whether it's for Thanksgiving, a family vacation, or when she's up for a visit. I thought the timing was right to share this as the Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday...6:46pm race time!

Derby Pie:

Ingredients:
1/2 c melted butter
1 c sugar
1/2 c flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c chocolate chips
3/4 c chopped pecans
unbaked pie shell
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If pie shell is frozen, take it out to defrost. Poke several holes in the bottom with a fork. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients together. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top. 

Happy Cooking!