Read Anne Braly’s blog about beets.
I recently wrote a story about restaurants in Etowah. What a great little town it is, and I was so impressed with all the restaurants that can be found in the downtown area. Now, I’m looking for good eats around Benton, Tenn.
Kathy Silvers e-mailed me, telling me about The Tin Roof, a “really good sub shop,” she said. To round out the story, I need to find two or three more. Any ideas? E-mail me at abraly@timesfreepress.com.
New on the market … Have you seen Tyson’s new Grilled & Ready Whole Breast Fillets in the freezer section of your grocery store? I was a little unsure at first about how good a precooked, frozen chicken breast could be, even if it did have the grill marks on it.
The directions said the chicken could be recooked in the microwave or conventional oven. I thought a conventional oven would be the best way to cook it, but I was in a hurry for a sandwich. So I put one in the microwave, zapping it at 60 percent power for about two minutes. It was perfect. I made a sandwich out of it with some avocado, blue cheese crumbles, lettuce and tomato. What an excellent lunch I had made in under three minutes total.
Pick some up next time you’re at the market. They’re perfect to have on hand anytime you need something healthful and delicious in a jiffy.
I am always amazed at the creative recipes entered into the National Cornbread Cook-Off held annually in South Pittsburg, Tenn. I didn’t know if last year’s Buffalo Chicken Cornbread With Blue Cheese Salad could be beat, but it appears Lori Stephens of Hendersonville, Tenn., did it.
The trick to winning is entering a twist on a trendy dish, and Ms. Stephens did it well enough to earn her the top prize of $5,000; a 30-inch, stainless-steel gas range from FiveStar Professional Cooking Equipment, a division of Brown Stove Works of Cleveland, Tenn.; and special gifts from sponsors Martha White and Lodge Cast Iron.
Here’s her recipe. Will you judge it as a winner?
Bacon and Gorgonzola Cornbread Sliders With Chipotle Mayo
Cornbread sliders:
2 (6.5-ounce) packages Martha White Yellow Cornbread Mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped chives
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Burgers:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 large egg
1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 small slices cheddar cheese (1/2 ounce each)
Chipotle mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped with 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce
Heat oven to 400 F. Spray 2 cast-iron, straight-sided muffin pans (6 cups each) with no-stick cooking spray. Stir together cornbread mix, flour, milk, sour cream and egg in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in chives, bacon and cheese. Fill prepared muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. (Any remaining batter may be made into additional muffins.)
Melt butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions. Cook until onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove onions and set aside.
Combine ground chuck, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl. Blend well. Divide into 12 equal portions. Pat out into thin burgers. Cook in skillet over medium to medium-high heat until done. Top each burger with slice of cheese.
Combine mayonnaise, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Slice cornbread to make buns. Spread thin layer of chipotle mayo on top and bottom. Place burger on bottom halves. Top with onions. Place top on burger. Makes 6 servings (2 sliders each).