Seven savory selections
Pimento cheese biscuits in first course of favorite recipes of 2017.
Compiling our list of our favorite recipes of the year is never an easy task. Among the recipes shared by readers, the ones developed in our test kitchen and those gathered from various other sources, there are always more favorites than we have space to print.
2017 was no different. After making our list and cutting it twice we narrowed it down to 12 — still roughly twice as many as we have space to print here.
So as we’ve done in years past, we’re splitting the list over two weeks.
This week we share the savory recipes. Next week, we’ll share the sweets.
Our favorite savory recipes of 2017 in chronological order:
“These savory biscuits are the next best thing to pimento cheese,” wrote Kelly Brant in “Bready bites of bliss,” published Jan. 25.
Pimento Cheese Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour OR cake flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup shortening, chilled
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced pimentos or roasted red bell pepper, patted dry
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted Pimento cheese (your favorite recipe), for serving, optional
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar.
Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut (or rub) in shortening until it is completely incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheese, chives and pimentos and stir with a spatula. Stir in the milk and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times, turning 90 degrees with each knead. Sprinkle flour over dough as necessary to keep it from sticking.
Pat dough to ¾-inch thick. Using a sharp biscuit cutter, cut dough into 2-inch biscuits, using an up and down motion (do not twist cutter), dipping cutter into flour between each cut. Gather the scraps and gently press them together and cut as many biscuits as possible.
Arrange biscuits on a parchmentlined baking sheet. The biscuits should be close, but not touching. Bake 15 minutes or until browned on tops and bottoms, rotating pan halfway through.
Brush hot biscuits with melted butter. Serve filled with pimento cheese, if desired.
Makes 12 (2-inch) biscuits. Recipe adapted from Southern Breads: Recipes, Stories and Traditions by Marilyn Markel and Chris Holaday
This fried-chicken recipe was featured in Helaine Williams’ story “Recipe for revolution,” about food and the civil rights movement, published Feb. 15. Basic Fried Chicken
1 plump, young chicken Salt and ground black pepper Flour, for dusting Fat or oil, for frying Cut chicken into serving pieces (or purchase a cut-up chicken). Season with salt and pepper and roll in the flour.
Heat fat (about 1 ½ inches deep) in a heavy frying pan. Put the thickest pieces of chicken in fat first. Do not crowd — leave enough space for the fat to come up around each piece. Cook slowly, turning often. Do not cover pan. The thickest pieces will take from 20 to 35 minutes to cook. After the pieces have been browned, cooking may be finished in a moderate oven (350 degrees), if more convenient.
Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels. Recipe adapted from Southern Food and Civil Rights: Feeding the Revolution by Frederick Douglass Opie (Arcadia, $21.99)
This melding of jambalaya and red beans quickly became a favorite at Food editor Brant’s house.
Jambalaya With Red Beans
½ pound bacon, cut into ½inch pieces
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package andouille or other smoked sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ to 1 teaspoon dried thyme (increase the thyme for a more traditional flavor)
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Ground red pepper (cayenne), to taste
1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes OR tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
Hot sauce, to taste
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer sausage to plate with bacon.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and peppers to taste and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring a boil. Return bacon and sausage and add beans to pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste with hot sauce or more cayenne pepper, if desired. Remove and discard bay leaves before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings. Note: If desired add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into bite-size pieces) along with the sausage. And add 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp at the end and cook 5 to 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
Originally published March 29 in “Front Burner: Simpler jambalaya makes repeat list”
And published April 19 was Sean Clancy’s story about budget-friendly meals for large families.
Families of all sizes enjoyed this chicken recipe from Morgan Lassiter.
Fiesta Ranch Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 (11-ounce) can Ro-Tel, drained
1 (12- to 16-ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 (1.1-ounce) packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip mix
Hot cooked rice, for serving
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the beans, Ro-Tel, corn, cream cheese and ranch mix. Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. (Editor’s note: We shredded the chicken after cooking.)
After learning you can reliably poach eggs in the microwave from Rosemary Boggs’ story “Meals in mugs,” we haven’t poached them any other way.
Microwave Poached Egg
1 egg Water
Fill a mug halfway with water. Crack an egg and let it slide slowly down into the mug. Make sure there’s enough water to cover the egg.
Cover the mug with a saucer, if desired. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Check the egg, if the white is still translucent it isn’t quite done. Continue to microwave in 15 second bursts until the egg is cooked to your liking. For firm yolks, it may take up to 1 minute 30 seconds total cooking time. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon.
Recipe adapted from Katie Berry of HousewifeHowTos.com
Potlucks were the focus of “Salad days,” by Brant and published June 28, but there’s no need to wait for a get-together to make this delicious layered salad.
Layered Cornbread Salad
1 (6-ounce) package buttermilk cornbread mix PLUS ingredients listed on package (see note)
1 medium-large head romaine lettuce, finely chopped
½ pound chopped smoked turkey (we used deli turkey)
2 red or yellow bell peppers or a combination, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped OR 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small or ½ large red onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
2 cups shredded cheese such as Swiss, cheddar or Monterrey jack
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ½ to 2 cups creamy salad dressing such as parmesan-peppercorn or buttermilk ranch
2 green onions, thinly sliced OR ¼ cup fresh snipped chives
Prepare cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble; set aside.
In a large serving bowl, or in individual serving vessels such as wide-mouth canning jars, layer half of the crumbled cornbread, lettuce, turkey, peppers, tomatoes, red onion, celery, cheese and bacon. Spoon about half of the dressing over the top. Repeat layers, ending with dressing. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. Top with green onions or chives just before serving. Makes 6 servings. Note: Can substitute your favorite cornbread recipe to make 4 cups crumbled.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living’s Community Cookbook
This onion ring recipe from “Have a beer and eat it too,” by Brant and published Oct. 8, is one of the best we’ve tried.
Beer-Battered Onion Rings
2 pounds large yellow onions
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
1 ½ cups cornstarch, divided use
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces brown ale
10 ounces club soda or other unflavored sparkling water
1 egg
Vegetable oil, for frying
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with paper towels; set wire racks on the paper towels. Set aside.
Slice the onions cross-wise into ½-inch thick rings. (Save small inner rings for another use).
In a large bowl, toss onion rings with 1 cup of the flour and about 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Let stand for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 cups flour, remaining cornstarch, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the beer, club soda and egg. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the beer mixture. Whisking until smooth.
Heat enough vegetable oil to fill a deep skillet or Dutch oven by 1 ½ inches. Working in batches to prevent crowding, dip the onion rings in the batter, and then drop into the oil. Cook onion rings, turning once, until golden, about 2 ½ minutes total. Transfer cooked rings to the cooling racks set over the baking sheets. Keep warm in oven while frying remaining batches.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from epicurious. com-