Southern Lady Best Recipes 2013

Good food and good times seem to go hand in hand, especially in the South. More than seven years ago, Food Editor Aimee Bishop Lindsey joined the Southern Lady staff , and the good times certainly have been rolling ever since. In her, I have found a dear friend as well as a true creative collaborator, and together with our talented team, we have cooked up thousands of recipes, been mixed up in hundreds of adventures, and stirred up a lot of fun along the way. Celebrating life and all that comes with it became our goal as we selected the recipes for this special issue, and the end result is a compilation filled with personal favorites. These are the casseroles and desserts we make for our holiday gatherings, for our…

BLT Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes Makes about ?⁄? dozen cups chopped cooked chicken slices bacon, cooked and crumbled ³⁄ cup mayonnaise ⁄ cup finely chopped celery tablespoons finely chopped green onion ⁄ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided ? (?-pound) containers small Campari tomatoes (about ?? tomatoes) ⁄? teaspoon salt Garnish: finely shredded green leaf lettuce, cooked crumbled bacon ?. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, bacon, mayonnaise, celery, green onion, and ⁄? teaspoon pepper; cover and chill. ?. 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 ?? minutes. Season inside of tomato shells with salt and remaining ⁄? teaspoon pepper. ?. Spoon chicken salad into each tomato shell. Garnish with lettuce…

Chef Salad Makes ?? to ?? servings head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn head iceberg lettuce, washed and torn pints cherry tomatoes, halved large carrots, thinly sliced seedless cucumber, thinly sliced (-ounce) package radishes, thinly sliced pound smoked turkey, cut into ¼-inch cubes pound deli ham, cut into ¼-inch cubes cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese hard-boiled eggs, sliced Thousand Island Dressing (recipe follows) ?. 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 ? cups large eggs tablespoons fresh lemon juice tablespoons white wine vinegar teaspoons Dijon mustard teaspoons minced garlic cups extra-light olive oil ½ cup ketchup teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ?. In the work bowl of a food processor or container of a blender, combine eggs, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Process until well combined. With processor running, add oil…

Ham, Asparagus, and Mushroom Bread Pudding Makes ?? to ?? servings ¼ cup plus tablespoon butter, divided (-ounce) packages sliced baby bella mushrooms tablespoon minced garlic pound croissants, cut into -inch pieces (about large) ½ cup butter, melted cups diced ham cups shredded Gruyère cheese ? (?-pound) bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces cups milk cups heavy whipping cream ½ teaspoons salt ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg large eggs, lightly beaten ?. Preheat oven to ???°. Grease a ??x?-inch baking dish with ? tablespoon butter; set aside. ?. In a large Dutch oven, melt remaining ¼ cup butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for ?? to ?? minutes or until lightly browned; set aside. In a large bowl, toss croissants with ½ cup melted butter. Add ham, cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms, tossing to combine. ?. In a…

Neapolitan Cupcakes Makes ? dozen ⁄ cup unsalted butter, softened (-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ⁄ cups sugar large eggs teaspoon vanilla extract cups cake flour ⁄ teaspoons baking powder ⁄ teaspoon salt ⁄ cups milk ⁄ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows) ?. Preheat oven to ???°. Line ? (??-cup) muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. ?. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. ?. 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. ?. Divide batter in half, and beat cocoa powder into half of batter. Spoon chocolate batter into muffin cups, filling about one-third…

Frozen Cake Batter Bonbons Makes about ? dozen ½ cup butter, softened ? (?-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ? (??.??-ounce) box white cake mix ? tablespoons strawberry extract ? pounds vanilla-flavored candy coating or almond bark, melted Garnish: assorted-colored jimmies ?.Line ? baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. ?.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 ? hours. ?. Roll cream cheese mixture into ?-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 ? weeks.…