Make Mississippi Mud Cake from scratch, or use brownie mix

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SouthernLiving.com says, “A pork butt is the ultimate multi-tasking meal. A 4- to 5-pound pork butt can feed a dozen folks at once or a family of four for a few meals. And the great thing about this one? You don’t need a special smoker or grill. Your oven will do the work. It takes its inspiration from low-and-slow barbecue cooking, but instead it’s cooked in the oven until it’s fork-tender. A delicious sweet-and-smoky barbecue rub made of brown sugar, smoked paprika, and other spices imbues the meat with flavor as it cooks, and gives it a delectable, sticky-sweet crust. Your kitchen will smell amazing as the meat roasts all afternoon in the oven.”

Here is a recipe for sweet potatoes that you will quite possibly want to add to your family’s repertoire of favorite dishes.  It comes from Goodhousekeeping’s food and recipes department. It’s called Rosemary-Pecan Mashed Sweet Potatoes. The GH writer says, “Mashed potatoes are tasty and all, but mashed sweet potatoes? That’s my carb go-to, every time! Add a little rosemary and sprinkle the whole shebang with roasted pecans, and watch your guests scrape the bowl clean!”

We found a Spinach Souffle recipe in our treasured copy of “What’s Cookin’ in Apopka?” that was published by The Apopka Woman’s Club… we aren’t sure just when, but it was way back yonder! It has some wonderful recipes that were contributed by the fine ladies of the club, many of whom are no longer with us, but fondly remembered. ]

From the book titled The Southern Slow Cooker, we have Frito Pie with Chili con Carne. The author, Kendra Morris, says, “It’s hard to go wrong when you combine homemade chili, onions, and cheddar cheese with addictively crunchy Fritos corn chips.” She goes on to say, “One theory argues that the first Frito pie was created by Frito-Lay founder Elmer Doolin’s mother in Texas, but New Mexico also stakes claim to the first Frito and bean combo as originating from a lunch counter in Santa Fe.”

Mississippi Mud Cake. Ummm, ummm. We have Southern Living’s recipe for this renowned delicacy from Southern Living All-Time Favorites.

SOUTHERN LIVING’S

OVEN-ROASTED PORK BUTT

Recipe from SOUTHERNLIVING.COM

4 teaspoons seasoned salt

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

0.0625 teaspoon ground ginger

   (no kidding! Or about 1/16th of a

   teaspoon, or a teensy bit!)

1 4- to 5-pound bone-in

   Boston butt pork roast

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, dry mustard, cumin, and ginger in a medium bowl. 2) Trim one (4- to 5-pound) Boston butt pork roast. Pat dry. 3) Sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. 4) Place pork in an aluminum foil-lined (12 x 9-inch) pan. Bake 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Let stand 15 minutes. Shred pork with two forks.

ROSEMARY-PECAN

MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Recipe from Goodhousekeeping.com

3 pounds small sweet potatoes

1-1/2 cups pecans, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh     rosemary

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Kosher salt

1) Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prick sweet potatoes with fork and place on plate. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Turn each potato over and cook until soft, 6 minutes more. Let stand until cool enough to handle. 2) Meanwhile, on rimmed baking sheet, toss pecans with oil, then Parmesan, cayenne, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Toss with remaining teaspoon of rosemary. 3) Peel potatoes and mash with maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Transfer to serving dish and top with pecans.

NOTE: Make-ahead tip: This dish can be refrigerated for up to two days in advance. To serve, microwave potatoes just until heated through. Warm pecans in 400-degree F oven. Transfer potatoes to serving dish and top with pecans.

MRS. L. B. JOHNSON’S

SPINACH SOUFFLE

WHAT’S COOKIN’? IN

APOPKA, FLORIDA

THE APOPKA WOMAN’S CLUB

Butter for sauté plus 2 tablespoons

   for sauce

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 eggs, separated

1 cup rich milk or light cream

1 cup chopped cooked spinach

1/2 cup thick white sauce

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup grated cheese

Sauté onions in small amount of butter. Make sauce of 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup of milk – rich milk or light cream, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Stir into white sauce and add spinach and cheese. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and turn into greased casserole. Set in pan of hot water and bake in moderate oven 350 degrees about 50 minutes. Serve at once.

FRITO PIE WITH CHILI CON CARNE

Recipe from

The Southern Slow Cooker by

Kendra Bailey Morris

1 teaspoon bacon grease or

   vegetable oil

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder

1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano,

   preferably Mexican

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with    green chiles (such as Rotel brand)

   with its juice

2 (14-ounce) cans kidney beans,

   rinsed and drained

For serving:

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

Sliced pickled jalapenos

Sour cream

Large (14-ounce) bag Fritos brand corn    chips, or 8 (1- or 2-ounce) individual    serving-size bags

1) Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. 2) Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add the bacon grease. Crumble in the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. 3) Pour the beef mixture into the slow cooker and add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and chiles, and kidney beans. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours and up to 9 hours. 4) To serve, spread the chips in a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish or divide among eight smaller bowls. Pour in the chili, then top with the cheddar cheese, sweet onion, jalapenos, and sour cream and serve. Alternatively, cut open eight individual serving size bags of chips, divide the chili and toppings evenly among the bags, and eat straight from the bags with a fork!

MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE

Recipe from Southern Living

All-Time Favorites

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans,    toasted

1 (10.5 ounce) bag miniature

   marshmallows

Chocolate Frosting

1) Whisk together melted butter and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in flour and chopped pecans. Pour batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. 2) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven; top warm cake evenly with marshmallows. Return to oven, and bake 5 more minutes. 3) Drizzle Chocolate Frosting over warm cake. Cool completely. Makes 15 servings.

Note: Substitute 2 (19.5-ounce) packages brownie mix, prepared according to package directions, for first 7 ingredients, if desired. Stir in chopped pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Proceed with marshmallows and frosting as directed.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Recipe from Southern Living

All-Time Favorites

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1) Beat all ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Makes 2 cups.