Grandma Webb’s, Bourbon Sweet Potatoes & More!

This recipe has been in my family for a while; my husband calls it a true southern dish. Keep in mind; this is the same man who deemed me a Yankee, because my family comes from Kentucky.

This recipe was my grandmother's. My second cousin, is six years old. Kate about had a fit when she saw her grandmother putting alcohol in this recipe. With the wisdom of a six-year-old, Kate questioned her grandmother, "does my mom know you're serving me alcohol?" Her grandmother laughed and said, "Well I sure hope so, she's been eating this all of her life!"

Grandma Webb’s Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

                or if you absolutely must 3, 1 pound cans of canned sweet potatoes (Not yams!)

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup a good Kentucky bourbon (If it is not good enough to drink, then it is not good enough to cook with)

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, preferably not imitation

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Heat sweet potatoes until hot, mash if not already done so

Add ingredients, except marshmallows, blend well

Place mixture in a 2-quart baking dish, sprinkle top with marshmallows

Bake uncovered for 30 min. marshmallows should be golden brown

Paddy’s sweet potato soufflé:

I inherited this recipe when I married my husband. I have not tinkered with this recipe.*Please don't die of shock*I have threatened a few times though, to place this in a piecrust and serve it as desert. Again, make sure if you use canned sweet potatoes there actually sweet potatoes and not yams.

My father recently sent me a similar recipe that is my stepmothers. There are a couple ingredients differences between the two, but they are basically the same recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, or if need be one 1 pound canned sweet potatoes

1/2 cup sugar, white

two large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Combine first five ingredients, until blended

Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish, sprinkle with topping

Topping:

In separate bowl combine brown sugar and flour

Cut in butter

 add pecans

Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potato mixture

Cook for 30 min. uncovered

Sweet Potato, Potato Salad:

My aunt sent me this recipe the other day, and I cannot wait to make. I would say it is a new twist on the traditional potato salad.

Ingredients:

two baking potatoes

one sweet potato

four eggs

two stalks of celery, chopped

one onion, chopped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot of salted boiling water add potatoes (baking and sweet) and cook until tender but still firm. This will take approximately 30 min.

Drain, cool, peel and chop

Place eggs in saucepan and cover with cold water bring to boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 min.

Remove from hot water; cool, peel and chop

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, and onion

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Add to potato mixture toss well to coat.

Place in refrigerator for two hours and serve cold

Ginger Peach Sweet Potato Bake:

2 pounds of canned sweet potatoes, not yams

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup broken unsalted cashews,(you can substitute with either pecans or walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 9 ounce can of sliced peaches

3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Place with potatoes and a buttered 10 x 6 x 2" dish

Open and drain peaches

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, cashews, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Layer potatoes peaches and nut mixture

Cut butter into chunks and sprinkle on top of mixture

Cover dish and bake for 30 min.

Uncover bake for 10 more minutes

Spoon syrup from pan over sweet potatoes before serving

Crock-pot or Not Chorizo Taco Salad

If you have never had Chorizo sausage, you are missing out. I came across this pork sausage mixed with chilies a few years ago. It quickly became a favorite in our house. We use it in chili, a southwest egg scramble, or just a substitute in tacos.

No glands, in their sausage

One of the most important things you need to know about Chorizo sausage, is to look at the ingredients on the package.

As disgusting as it sounds, check the ingredient list to make sure you are only getting pork. Some companies, will add the glands from the pig, you do not want this.

I prefer a company called Ole Mexican foods; you can find the sausage at Wal-mart. Do not look for it in the meat department or where the bacon and breakfast sausages are kept. Most Wal-marts, have a section with Hispanic foods including cheeses, tortillas, and Chorizo at the end of the refrigerated aisle.



This brand has glands



Adapted Cheesy Chorizo Chili by Sandra Lee

 We actually use this chili recipe for taco salads. The original recipe came from Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade, out of her Money-Saving Slow Cooking cookbook.

I have changed the recipe for our liking, by omitting green chilies, and chipote pepper. Without making these adjustments, it was just too spicy for us. This is how we came to eat it, as a taco salad.

You can eat this as chili, top with green onions and shredded cheese. We like to place tortilla chips in a soup bowl, and ladle the chili over the chips. We then add onions, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, to turn it into a taco chili salad.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 pound chorizo sausage

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained

1 15 ounce can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 10 ounce can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, variety of your choice

1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon fajita seasoning, (see stop your seasoning packet addiction blog entry)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Crockpot Directions:

Remove chorizo sausage from casings

In a large skillet over medium heat brown, the chorizo as you would ground beef. Drain in a colander

In your Crockpot, stir together all ingredients until combined

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours

Stove Top Directions:

Remove Chorizo from casing and brown in soup pot. Transfer to colander to drain.

Replace pot to stove, add all ingredients, including drained Chorizo stir until well blended.

Warm over medium heat.

I usually add about a half a cup of water, when I cook this on the stove. You can add more or less if desired. I like to thin it out, to make it saucy. This way the sauce soaks into the chips like Chiliqueles.    

You can use whatever tortilla chips you would like or you can make your own:

3 cups vegetable oil

36 tortillas (corn or flour your choice)

Salt

Paprika

Bring your oil to 350°F

In small batches, fry the tortillas until crisp and light usually run 2 to 3 min. drain in a bowl on paper towels and season with salt and paprika while still warm.

Please take note of the fact while resting in a bowl your tortilla chips will continue to darken