Southern Style Cooking Recipes

These recipes are courtesy of Allison Fishman, the Cooking Maven on the Home Made Simple TV show. She used them when the show helped out in the homes of families in South Carolina.

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Southern cooking typically uses cornmeal instead of wheat flour, and this scrumptious cornbread recipe is a tasty example of how it is used.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups self-rising cornmeal*
Softened butter and honey, for serving

* If you can't find self-rising cornmeal, substitute one cup cornmeal, one cup flour, one tablespoon baking powder and one teaspoon salt for the 2 cups self-rising cornmeal listed.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
2. Combine the eggs and buttermilk in a medium bowl; whisk together.
3. Put the cornmeal in a larger bowl, and slowly whisk in the buttermilk mixture until a batter forms.
4. When butter has melted, pour any excess into the batter. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, and place in the oven.
5. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for 10 minutes; invert to release and continue cooling on a rack. Cut into wedges and serve with plenty of softened butter and honey.

Quick Collards with Bacon

Collard greens are grown in the warmer climate of the South, but are shipped to many grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada. If you've never tried them, this simple dish is a good introduction to this cousin of the cabbage.

INGREDIENTS

4 strips bacon
2 pound bunch collards, washed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and reserve on a paper-towel lined plate, leaving drippings in the bottom of the pot.
2. Remove thick centers from each collard leaf, and slice thinly crosswise. Add collards to bacon fat and toss, coating collards in fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cover.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 8 to 10 minutes (add up to 1/3 cup water if pot looks dry).
4. Cut bacon into small pieces, and add to collards. Stir in vinegar.

Crock Pot Chili

Cooking in a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot, is a tradition in the South. This delicious chili recipe will turn your crock pot into your new favorite kitchen accessory.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds ground beef
4 tablespoons chili powder, divided
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
1 whole jalapeno, sliced in half
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons corn meal (optional, to thicken)

Garnishes: finely chopped red onion, sliced scallions, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, sliced pickled jalapeno, limes.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, and cook, until browned, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Season with 3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, minced onions, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin.
3. Meanwhile, in a crock pot, combine diced tomatoes, kidney beans, refried beans, jalapeno, bay leaf, and corn meal, if desired.
4. Add seasoned meat to the crock pot, stir all ingredients together, and cook over low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or high heat for 4 hours.
5. Before serving, season with remaining tablespoon chili powder and teaspoon salt. Serve with garnishes as desired.

Baked Ham with Apricot-Mustard Glaze- By Deborah Fewell

Dress up sliced ham with a sweet and tangy glaze of Dijon mustard and apricot preserves.

INGREDIENTS

Half of a fully-cooked, pre-sliced ham
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
Chopped dried apricots, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium-size saucepot, bring the brown sugar, mustard, apricot preserves, salt and pepper to a simmer over low heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Place the ham in a large baking dish. Use a ladle or culinary brush to coat the ham with the glaze, then bake the ham in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip: Purchasing a pre-sliced ham allows the apricot-mustard glaze to seep down into the meat as it bakes. Plus, it makes serving extra quick and easy.

Tip: Save major time by buying your ham pre-cooked. Fully baking a raw ham can take up to four hours.

Tip: Complementing meats with sweet fruit flavors is signature to Southern cuisine. Here, instead of starting from scratch with water and sugar, simmering apricot preserves together with other ingredients makes for a quick and easy glaze.

Cornbread with Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese- By Deborah Fewell

Packed with sweet corn and tangy cheddar, this quick and easy cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to any down-home dish. Plus, it's filled with broccoli, making it a fresh and healthy choice.

INGREDIENTS

2 packages instant cornbread mix
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups frozen broccoli, thawed, drained and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven and prepare the cornbread batter according to the package instructions. Stir cheddar cheese and broccoli into batter.
2. Pour mixture into a 5"x5" baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Remove your dish from the oven and insert a toothpick to test the cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean and dry, let the dish cool for 15 minutes, cut into squares and serve.