Category: Farmhouse Fridays – DIY recipes for farmhouse staples

Chihuahuas

The good folks at the Sky-Vue Drive-In, in Lamesa, TX, came up with the brilliant concept of Chihuahuas. They are pure nostalgia and are legendary around here and they bring so many great memories to mind for many families who spent lots of fun summer nights out at the Sky-Vue! Sadly, the Drive-In is closed now, but luckily, these unique little sandwiches are easy to throw together. Have a movie night at home and make Chihuahuas! You’ll be glad you did!

What you need:

Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
Kosher salt
Prepared, seasoned taco meat
Price’s Pimento cheese spread
Fresh cabbage, shredded
Canned, whole jalapeños

Fry your tortillas in hot oil until they begin to stop sizzling in the grease and turn a pretty golden color. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Spread a thin layer of pimento cheese on one side of each fried corn tortilla. To each tortilla, add some taco meat, fresh cabbage, and top with another corn tortilla, pimento cheese side first. You are essentially making a sandwich!

Serve with hot peppers and lots of napkins! ….And prepare for greatness.

Make toy chihuahuas…..use a small circle cookie cutter and make little ones as appetizers. Set them out on a pretty platter at Christmas time. I bet you can’t make enough for the masses!

Chorizo Queso

My kiddos are really into chorizo right now. They think chorizo and egg burritos are the best things going, so these days, I have had a little of it stashed in the fridge for their cravings. Between having some on hand and being inspired by the Pioneer Woman’s recipe out of her new book, Come and Get It!, we enjoyed a nice warm bowl of queso on a chilly fall Sunday night. Pretty yummy and pretty good timing, if I do say so myself! Thanks Ree!

1 (9 oz.) pkg. fresh chorizo
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 packet Sazon Goya seasoning mix
2 pounds Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 (10 oz.) cans Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 fresh tomatoes, diced

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the fresh chorizo, crumbling the sausage with a spoon as you go, about 5 minutes.

Add the diced onion, garlic, and Sazon seasoning packet. Cook, stirring occasionally another 3 to 4 minutes by Ree’s directions…. (I went longer because sometimes, er, most times…. chorizo puzzles me.) until the onion is starting to soften and the sausage is totally cooked.

Drain on paper towels, blotting the top as well. Add the chorizo mixture, Velveeta, Rotel, and milk back to your large skillet and melt on low stirring often.

When melted, add the fresh tomatoes before serving.

This can also be made in the slow cooker after you cook your meat. PW says to cook this on high in your crockpot for 45 minutes, stir, and cook another 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

It’s Chicken Alfredo! What else can I say?……Maybe that it is addicting, amazingly delicious, best recipe ever, and NOT for the calorie counters! But totally worth it, I might add. Make it for date night or as a special birthday meal! Trisha Yearwood is responsible for this recipe and I found it on Food Network’s website. Now let’s get cooking!

1 lb. fettuccine
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T. salted butter
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated Parmesan (I buy grated Parmigiano-Reggiano in the deli section of bigger grocery stores)
2 T. finely chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and some pepper. Dredge in the flour and shake off the excess.

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Carefully place the dredged chicken into the pan. Add the grated garlic. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour the cream into the same pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the Parmesan. Add the pasta to the mixture and toss to combine. Add the cooked chicken and gently toss. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Smothered Enchiladas

This recipe is one that I discovered out of The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. Quick and comforting, this recipe is sure to please your loved ones. I like to serve it with a side of Spanish Style Ready Rice and a green salad with homemade ranch dressing.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 (1 1/4-oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 (4 1/2-oz.) can chopped green chiles, divided
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Toppings: salsa, sour cream, green onions, fresh cilantro

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until crumbled and no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and half of the chopped green chiles; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together remaining green chiles, soup, and sour cream. Pour half of the sour cream mixture into a slightly greased 9 by 13 baking dish.

Spoon beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down on top of the sour cream mixture in your dish.

Top with remaining sour cream sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings

Cooking the books, ya’ll!

White Chocolate Party Mix

This recipe was shared with me by my sweet sister, Julie! It is a favorite of ours! She always makes it for our camping trips to Colorado. Make sure you have a big mixing bowl for this one and match the M & M colors with the holiday or season, if you like!

1 (10-oz.) pkg. mini pretzels
5 cups plain cheerios
5 cups corn Chex or Crispex cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 (14-oz.) pkg. M & M’s
2 (12-oz.) pkgs. white chocolate chips
3 T. oil

Combine the pretzels, cereals, peanuts and M & M’s in a large bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate chips and oil on medium high for two minutes, stirring once. Microwave again for 10 seconds; stir until smooth.

Pour the melted chocolate over the pretzel mixture and gently mix well. Spread onto 3 to 4 wax paper-lined baking sheets.

Let cool and break apart. Store in airtight containers.
Makes 20 cups

Grilled Bratwurst with Special Mustard Sauce

Grilled Bratwurst is one of my favorite meats to just throw in a tortilla and top with plain ol’ yellow mustard! But when the mood strikes, or the World Series rolls around, this recipe is always fun for the “big” game. It makes lots of mustard sauce and veggies, so you might want to grab double the brats and buns. Or throw the leftovers in that tortilla!
I found this recipe in a July 2001 issue of Southern Living.

6 bratwurst links (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend (I like Lawry’s brand)
2 T. butter or margarine
2 (12 oz.) bottles light beer
6 hoagie rolls split

Special Mustard Sauce, recipe follows

Grill bratwurst, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350-400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, turning once. (On days that just don’t lend themselves to grilling, these can be cooked on the stove top according to the package directions. I like Johnsonville brand)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and bell peppers, and cook until tender.

Stir in the light beer and seasoning blend; add sausage, and simmer mixture for 20 minutes.

To serve, place a sausage link in each toasted roll that has been slathered in Special Mustard Sauce and top with the veggies. Enjoy the game!

Special Mustard Sauce

This little sauce is yummy! Serve the leftovers on ham sandwiches or thin it with a little water, add some olive oil, and make a simple dressing for a green salad.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp. salt
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Combine butter and bouillon cubes in top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water, and cook, whisking constantly, until butter melts and bouillon cubes dissolve. (be sure that your water is simmering gently before adding the egg yolks. They can start cooking too quickly and give some unfriendly lumps to your sauce.) Gradually whisk in beaten egg yolks. Add sugar and remaining ingredients; cook, whisking often, 20 minutes. Cover and chill.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups


Homemade double broiler

Crunchy Homemade Corn Dogs


Corn dogs are a favorite around Lamesa, TX. After all, we are home to some of the best made-from-scratch “super” dogs you will ever eat. That being said, I am a country girl and having a version to make at home in my pajamas, instead of having to get dressed and go into town to a restaurant, fits the bill for most days… er, some days. This version is no “super” dog, but it ain’t half bad! Treat your kids to these doggies as an after school snack and see if they don’t bring smiles.

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 (16 oz.) package hot dog weenies
12 wooden skewers or lollipop sticks
1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Vegetable oil for frying

Put the wooden skewers or lollipop sticks into one end of each hot dog, making sure that the skewer goes several inches in, making it stable.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and salt. Add the buttermilk and whisk until it’s smooth.

In a large Dutch oven or electric skillet, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches and heat it to 360 degrees.

Place the cornstarch in a shallow dish and then coat each hot dog, tapping off the excess. Next, dip the hot dogs completely in the cornmeal batter, letting the excess drip off. Then carefully place your battered hot dogs into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with mustard and ketchup.

Makes 12 corn dogs.
Adapted from Paula Deen’s Comfort Food Magazine 2012

*I was unable to find self-rising cornmeal at our grocery store, so I made my own. I mixed up 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 3 T. all-purpose flour, 1 T. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
This makes one cup, so for the corndog recipe, you will need to double it.