Petite Southern Belle

Happy first day of November!  In honor or soup season, I just had to share my recipe for clam chowder.  I have been making it for several years now, and it is absolutely scrumptious.  My family begs for me to make it for them.  There are several steps, but there is nothing complicated about the recipe.  It guarantees to make your tummy happy!

Ingredients

6 pieces of thick-cut bacon
6 cups of half-and-half
3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
3 cans of clams
1 jar of clam juice
2 large potatoes
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Start by peeling and dicing the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.  Put diced potatoes in a small pot of salted water and bring to a boil.

While the potatoes are heating up, dice 6 strips of thick-cut bacon.

Add the bacon to a large pot.  Over medium-high heat, stir the bacon with a wooden spoon continuously.  You want the bacon to get brown and crispy around the edges.  This usually takes 7 to 10 minutes.

Once the bacon has started to crisp, add 3 tbsp. of flour and 1 tbsp. of  Old Bay seasoning.  Whisk into the bacon.

To the flour mixture, add the jar of clam juice.  Open the cans of clams, and with the lid still on, pour just the juice into the pot.  Reserve the clams for later.  You don’t want them to cook too long.  Whisk everything together until there are no lumps of flour visible.

Pour 6 cups of half-and-half into the pot and whisk.  You can substitute whole milk or a combination of whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream–just make sure you have 6 cups of liquid.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken–about 10 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted into the chowder.

Add the cans of clams to the chowder.

Drain the potatoes and add the boiled potatoes to the chowder.  Stir to combine all ingredients.

Serve with a piece of crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwich.  This is perfect comfort food for a chilly November night!  Enjoy!

 

Click here for an easy to print pdf version of the recipe: Perfect Clam Chowder

 

 

 

 

I can’t hide it.  My love for pasta is no secret.  It is one of my favorite things to eat on the planet.  It makes my soul happy.  Chicken fettuccine is my favorite pasta dish of all time.  I know a lot of people are intimidated by making their own alfredo sauce, but this recipe is so easy, pretty much anyone can make it.  You really can’t mess it up.  And it is sooooooo delicious!  Easy + yummy = my kind of recipe!

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken breasts or tenders
1 box of fettuccine noodles
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 stick of butter (4 tablespoons)
2 tbsp. flour
1 pint heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
garlic powder

First, fill a large pot or pasta pot with water.  Add a tbsp. of salt and turn on high heat to bring to a boil.

While the water is heating up, cut the chicken breasts or tenders into bite size pieces.

Pour 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a sauté pan.  Add the diced chicken.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  I don’t use exact measurements when I season the chicken.  I just sprinkle over the pan with a good shake from each bottle.

Over medium-high heat, sauté the chicken until cooked thoroughly–the chicken should be a nice golden color.  This usually takes about 7 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and put on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.

Add the fettuccine noodles to the pot of boiling water.  I put a wooden spoon on top of the pot.  This keeps the water from boiling over the top of the pot.  It really works!  Every so often, as the pasta is boiling, stir the pasta with a fork to keep it from sticking together.

I use the same pan I cooked the chicken in to make the alfredo sauce.  I just rinse and wipe out the excess olive oil.

To the pan, over medium-high heat, add the 1/2 stick of butter.  (This is the same as 4 tbsp. of butter.)  When the butter has mostly melted, add 2 tbsp. of flour.  Whisk, whisk, whisk until all of the butter and flour is combined.

Pour in the entire pint of heavy whipping cream.  (I know, I know.  This is not a low calorie dish, but a lot of recipes for alfredo sauce call for 2 whole sticks of butter, and mine only uses 1/2 stick, so that eases my mind.  And I’ll be honest with you, the calories are totally worth it!  You can substitute half and half if you prefer.)  Continuously whisk the sauce for several minutes.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and whisk some more.

When the sauce starts to thicken, add 3/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese.  Whisk, whisk, whisk some more.  You’ll get a good arm workout whisking today!

The sauce will thicken quickly.  You know it is ready when it coats the whisk and very slowly drips off.  If you think your sauce is too thick, you can whisk in a couple of tablespoons of the boiling pasta water to the sauce.  See–you just can’t mess it up!

When the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the stove.  Drain the fettuccine noodles.  In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked chicken, fettuccine, and alfredo sauce.  This recipe makes 4 large servings or six medium servings.  Serve with garlic bread or salad, and you have the perfect supper!

Bon appétit, friends!

Click here for an easy to print pdf version of the recipe: So Simple Chicken Fettuccine

 

 

I made these for a get-together recently, and they were a huge hit.  My father ate 10 of them by himself!  If you like lemon flavored desserts, you will love these!

Ingredients

For the Muffins:
1 box of classic yellow cake mix
3.4 oz. package of instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Glaze:
4 cups of powdered sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put all of the dry ingredients (cake mix, instant lemon pudding mix, and zest of 1 lemon) into a medium bowl or the bowl of a mixer. (NOTE: You must use the classic yellow cake mix for this recipe.  Butter or Butter Golden will cause the muffins to be soft and dented.  Trust me–I know this from experience.)

Add the 4 eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and lemon juice to the bowl and mix until smooth.

Spray your mini muffin tins extremely well with non-stick cooking spray.  Scoop about a teaspoon of batter into each tin.  I used a cookie scoop, and it worked well, but you could use just a regular teaspoon.  This recipe should make 48 mini muffins.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clear.  While the muffins are baking, place wax or parchment paper under 2 cooling racks.  This will keep the glaze off of your counters or table.  It is a mess to clean up if you don’t put something under the cooling racks!

When muffins are ready, put them on cooling rack with space between to allow for glazing.  Even after spraying, you may need to use a spoon or knife to help get some of the muffins out.  They can be sticky little boogers.

To make the glaze, put 4 cups of powdered sugar and zest of 1 lemon in a bowl.  Add the fresh lemon juice, vegetable oil, and water.  Mix together with a whisk until smooth.

Dip each muffin in the glaze until covered completely.  Place back on the cooling rack to harden.  The glaze will take about 45 minutes to set completely.

These are great additions to any party and travel very well in closed container.  I hope you enjoy making and eating them.  They are yummy!

Click here for an easy to print pdf version of the recipe: Glazed Lemon Mini Muffins

In the fall, I crave soups, and chili is my favorite food in the soup genre.  I have been making this recipe for years, tweaking it until I got the measurements just right.  I honestly could eat it three times a week, and life would be grand.  This chili is guaranteed to make your tummy happy!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb. hamburger meat
2 cans of chili ready tomatoes
1 can of chili beans
2 tbsp.. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp.. minced garlic
3/4 cup of water
1 tbsp.. corn starch

First, in a large pan, brown the hamburger meat on high and drain most of the fat away.

Turn the eye down to medium-high.  Add the 2 cans of tomatoes.  Drain the juice from the can of beans and add them to the pan.

Add the chili powder, cumin, Chipotle chili powder (Note: This is not essential.  It still tastes wonderful without it, so if you can’t find this, no worries.  It just adds a nice little something-something to the flavor profile.), oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Just look at those glorious spices!

After mixing all of these ingredients together, fill a measuring cup with 3/4 cup of water and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch.  Immediately mix the corn starch and water together with a fork.  This creates a slurry that will thicken the chili just enough.  Pour the slurry into the pan with the other ingredients.

Cook until it just starts to boil.  You now have a choice depending on how hungry you are.  You can simmer the chili for about 20 minutes and eat it right away.   Or you may choose to transfer the chili into a crock pot.  Cook it on high for 4 hours or low and slow for longer.  I put mine in the crock pot for 4 hours this time.

When you are ready to serve it up, just add your favorite toppings.  I like mine pretty simple with cheese and Fritos Scoops.  You can add sour cream, green onions, purple onions, fresh tomatoes….whatever you like.  It is scrum-diddly-umptious good!!!

Click here for an easy to print pdf version of the recipe: Lone Star Chili