Trisha Yearwood's Tamale Pie

 

I just love Trisha Yearwood.  Besides being a great singer, she just seems so down to earth and seems like someone I would like to be friends with.  Plus, she is a fabulous cook.

A friend gifted me a couple of her cookbooks and I use them quite regularly.  

One recipe that I have really been wanting to try is her Tamale Pie.  I love Tamale's so what could be better, right?

While this appears to have a few ingredients, it is really quite easy to make!

Trisha Yearwood's Tamale Pie

1 tablespoon corn oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85 percent lean)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups green or red enchilada sauce (I used red)
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (you can leave this out if you don't like it)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 cups self-rising cornmeal
2 1/2 to 3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 scallions, chopped (I didn't use these)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium / high heat. Add the beef, onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until the meat is brown and the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. 

Add the tomato paste, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Stir in the enchilada sauce, beans, corn and cilantro and season with salt. Bring to a simmer. 

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese.

Add the cornmeal to a mixing bowl. Mix in the buttermilk and oil. You want the mixture to
be thick but pourable. Stir in the scallions, if desired. Pour on top of the meat mixture in the skillet
and spread in an even layer. 

Bake until the meat is bubbling and the cornbread is golden
brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

VERDICT: Pretty easy to make and oh so good!!  

Beefy Rice-A-Roni Casserole

 
In case you can't tell, I like quick recipes that don't have a ton of ingredients.  I came across this Beefy Rice-A-Ronie Casserole on Plain Chicken's website and decided to give it a try!

Beefy Rice-A-Roni Casserole

 1 lb lean ground beef

 1 (6.8-oz) box Beef Rice-A-Roni

 1 (10.5-oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup 

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

1 (6-oz) container French fried onions 

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions.

While rice is cooking, cook ground beef in a skillet. Drain fat.

 

Once drained, return to skillet. Combine cooked beef, prepared rice, and soup. 

Spread into 9 x 13 Casserole Dish. Top rice mixture with cheese and French fried onions.

 
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

VERDICT:  Delicious - easy to make, not too expensive - it's a keeper!!

 

 

Bible Verse - 1 Corinthians 10:31

 
Sometimes when reading the Bible, a verse will just pop out at me and stick with me.  A few days ago I was reading in Corinthians and this verse has been on my mind since. 

 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

I remember reading this verse a long time ago and I guess that's why it stuck with me again.  Everything we do, we are doing for God's glory...EVERYTHING - everything from picking up trash on the street, to doing our jobs, to cleaning our house, to running errands, to smiling at a stranger, to doing our laundry, to picking clothes off the floor, to doing dishes, to talking to a friend, to praying for others...EVERYTHING we do is for God's glory.

If you remember that, it puts a whole different perspective on what you do in your daily life.

Mayberry's Orange Cookies a.k.a. Harvey's Little Big Orange Cookies

Yesterday, I was looking at a vintage recipe Facebook group and she had a link to a cookie recipe.  She called them "Aunt Bee's Little Big Orange Cookies".

Well, I have this cookbook and they are actually called "Harvey's Little Big Orange Cookies".  The recipe was submitted for the cookbook by the Andy Griffith Show's writer, Harvey Bullock.

I love this cookbook - it's so fun.  I originally bought it so I could make Aunt Bee's Nesselrode Pie (which actually turned out to be Clara's recipe)

So...when I saw the recipe posted on the Facebook group, I pulled out my copy of the cookbook and see it that is isn't Aunt Bee's recipe, but rather Harvey's

It is a super simple recipe, and I had everything on hand so I thought...let's give it a go.

 

 

Well...the first batch looked a bit over-baked and they really spread out and were super thin

The cookies,  however, were quite tasty and didn't taste over-baked.  They were a perfect crispy cookie.

But, I decided to chill the dough for a few hours and see what happened.  I baked the cookies 8 minutes instead of 10, for the 2nd batch and guess what?

They were exactly the same as the first batch. In fact, they may have spread even more.

I am not exactly sure why they spread out so thin, but my guess is that it has too much butter.  I mean 8 oz of butter (2 sticks) is a lot.  

They really are very good though - a nice orange flavor but not too much, crispy and yummy!  If I make these again, I'd cut the butter in half and maybe use only 3/4 cup of sugar, just to see.  

The judges on the "Spring Baking Championship" would tell me they are not lookers but I would probably win on taste!