Southern Lady Best Loved Southern Recipes 2016

when I was growing up, my mom and I always looked forward to planning special gatherings, from birthday parties with friends to summer reunions with family. The first thing on our to-do list often was planning the menu, and I have fond memories of working together to choose just the right dishes for the occasion. Now with a family of my own, my joy for hosting parties and sharing love through food has only grown. Of course many of my go-to recipes come from the pages of Southern Lady. For a date night at home, my husband and I like to prepare Shrimp Risotto (page 52) and Marinated Roasted Asparagus (page 38), while Southern Pecan Chicken Salad (page 48) always garners rave reviews at summer potlucks. I have made the…

BLT Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes Makes about 21⁄2 dozen 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 8 slices bacon, coo ked and crumbled 3⁄4 cup mayonnaise 1⁄3 cup finely chopped celery 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 2 (1-pound) containers small Campari tomatoes (about 30 tomatoes) 1⁄4 teaspoon salt Garnish: finely shredded green leaf lettuce, cooked crumbled bacon 1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, bacon, mayonnaise, celery, green onion, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper; cover and chill. 2. Using a serrated knife, cut a thin slice off bottom of tomatoes to create a level base. Cut tops from tomatoes. Using a melon baller, remove pulp, leaving shells intact. Turn tomatoes upside down on paper towels to drain for 10 minutes. Season inside of tomato shells with salt and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. 3. Spoon chicken salad into each tomato…

Chef Salad Makes 12 to 16 servings 1 head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn 1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and torn 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved 4 large carrots, thinly sliced 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced 1 (6-ounce) package radishes, thinly sliced 1 pound smoked turkey, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 pound deli ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 8 hard-boiled eggs, sliced Thousand Island Dressing (recipe follows) 1. In a large bowl, combine lettuces, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber, and radishes. Top with turkey, ham, cheese, and egg. Serve with Thousand Island Dressing Thousand Island Dressing Makes 3 cups 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cups extra-light olive oil 1/2 cup ketchup 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1. In the work bowl of a food processor or container of a…

Ham, Asparagus, and Mushroom Bread Pudding Makes 10 to 12 servings 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided 2 (8-ounce) packages sliced baby bella mushrooms 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 pound croissants, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 large) 1/2 cup butter, melted 3 cups diced ham 3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese 1 (1-pound) bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 cups milk 2 cups heavy whipping cream 11/2 teaspoons salt ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 8 large eggs, lightly beaten 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. 2. In a large Dutch oven, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside. In a large bowl, toss croissants with 1/2 cup melted butter. Add…

Neapolitan Cupcakes Makes 2 dozen 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 11⁄4 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups cake flour 21⁄4 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 11⁄4 cups milk 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until fluff y. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. 3. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. 4. Divide batter in half, and beat cocoa powder into half of batter. Spoon chocolate batter…

Frozen Cake Batter Bonbons Makes about 4 dozen 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix 3 tablespoons strawberry extract 2 pounds vanilla-flavored candy coating or almond bark, melted Garnish: assorted-colored jimmies 1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cake mix and strawberry extract, beating to combine. Cover and freeze for 2 hours. 3. Roll cream cheese mixture into 1-inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheets. Using two forks, dip truffles into melted candy coating, gently shaking off excess. Set truffles on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle tops with jimmies, if desired; return to freezer. Serve frozen. Store in freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.…