Aunt Kim's Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C. parmesan cheese (grated)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs

1. Combine mayo and cheese.

2. Spread onto chicken, then cover with breadcrumbs.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, uncovered. (30 minutes if breasts are very large.)

4. Top with provolone cheese at the very end.

Aunt Kim's Easy Baked Ziti

1 lb. dry ziti
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
52-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. sliced provolone cheese
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add ziti and cook until al dente, about 8 min. Drain.

3. Brown onion, beef, and sausage in large skillet over medium heat.

4. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 min.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Grease a lasagna pan.

7. Layer as follows:

1/2 of ziti
provolone
sour cream
1/2 of sauce mixture
remaining ziti
mozzarella
remaining sauce mixture

8. Bake 30-45 minutes in a preheated oven or until cheese are melted.

Aunt Kim's Andouille & Beef Burgers

1/2 lb. andouille sausage, cut into tiny cubes
3/4 C. pecans, toasted, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef (20% fat)
1 1/2 lb. onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
8 oz. crumbled blue cheese

For burgers:
Toss first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add beef. Blend gently. Shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill as usual over medium-high heat.
NOTE: These can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer patties to small baking sheet. Cover and chill.

For carmelized onions:
Place skillet on medium-high heat, either grill on stovetop. Cook until onions are golden, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Aunt Kim's Meat Marinade

This marinade can be used for boneless and bone-in chicken breasts, flank steak, or London broil.

1 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C. soy sauce
2 limes, juiced and freshly squeezed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash

Whisk all ingredients together and add your meat. Cover and soak overnight. 

Aunt Kim's Restaurant-Style Salsa

1 can whole tomatoes
2 cans Rotel
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeño, diced small
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 C. cilantro (or more, to taste)
1/2 whole lime juice

NOTE: This makes a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a mixing bowl.

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like (10-15 pulses).

2. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

3. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chuck Wagon Beans

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 pound ground beef (optional)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced (I use half and a few ribs of celery.)
1 can great northern beans
1 can kidney beans (or white kidney beans)
1 can pork and beans
1/2 C. brown sugar (I use 1/2-3/4 C. brown sugar and no white sugar.)
1/2 C. white sugar (I omit and use just 1/2-3/4 C. brown sugar.)
1/4 C.+ ketchup
1-2 Tbsp. molasses
1 scant Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 scant Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. 1) If using, cook bacon until crispy. Blot free of grease and crumble.
2. 2) If using, brown ground beef with diced onion.
3. 3) Place first 3 items in a large oven roaster or Crock Pot.
4. 4) To this, add the 3 cans of beans; do not drain pork and beans.
5. 5) Mix all other ingredients together in a medium bowl.
6. 6) Pour over meat and beans and stir well.
7. 7) If baking, cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered.
8. 8) Remove lid or foil and bake for 20 more minutes.

NOTE: When I don't have a can of pork and beans I've been known to add a can of Rotel and a little BBQ sauce when making these to make a good, juicy sauce.

Nanny's Strawberry Crunch

To make the CRUST, combine:
1 C. butter, melted
1 C. chopped nuts
2 C. self-rising flour (OR 2 C. flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt)

Press into 9x13 pan. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

To make the FILLING:
2 C. sugar (I use less!)
2 C. water
1/3 C. cornstarch
dash salt
1 (3-oz.) box strawberry Jello
1 T. lemon juice
1 quart strawberries, sliced

1) Cook sugar, water, cornstarch, and salt until clear and thick.

2) Add gelatin and lemon juice.

3) Cool filling and crust.

4) Cover crust with sliced berries.

5) Pour filling over berries.

6) Refrigerate 3-4 hours.

7) Serve each slice with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, if desired.

Karen's Buttermilk Pound Cake

This is a version of a recipe from the Virginia Hospitality cookbook. According to my friend Karen (one of the best bakers I know!) it is her family's "go-to cake recipe," so it's gotta be good. According to her, if your pan is dark, it takes less cooking time. Oh, and she uses a tube pan, not a Bundt pan.

3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks butter, softened
3 C sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 C. full-fat buttermilk, room temperature


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease tube or Bundt pan.

2) Mix together the flour and baking soda and set aside.

3) Beat together butter and sugar.

4) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5) Stir in the vanilla extract.

6) Gently mix in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

7) Pour batter into prepared pan.

8) Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

9) Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe originally came from a friend of college, Karen McDaniel. I have modified it slightly. She called it "Vegetarian Lasagna for a Crowd." It makes two, which I always do even if it's just us because it freezes nicely in a 9x13 pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

You will need:
* Lasagna noodles (10 for one; 20 for two. Uncooked is fine, but I throw them in boiling water just long enough to soften them slightly so that I can get more room when layering. This is a tall lasagna!)
* Your favorite Italian sauce (8 C.)
* 1 1/2 quarts chopped veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, onion, carrots, mushrooms)
* Cottage cheese mixture: 5 C. cottage cheese, 3/4 C. grated Parmesan, Italian spices

1) Grease pan. Place a little sauce in the bottom before the first layer of noodles.

2) You will do two layers, in the following order:

--> noodles
--> cottage cheese mixture
--> veggies (sautéed or not)
--> mozzarella cheese
--> sauce

3) Bake at 350, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours.

4) Uncover and top with optional extra layer of cheese during the last few minutes of baking, if desired.

5) Let set up 10 minutes before cutting.

NOTE: This often cooks drippy juices out of the pan and onto the bottom of the oven, so I place jelly roll pans on the rack beneath them as they cook to catch the drippings.

Nanny's Easy Lasagna

1) Brown 1/2-1 pound ground beef. (I've also used cooked lentils.)

2) Add 4 C. marinara sauce (canned or homemade) and simmer.

3) Layer uncooked noodles, half of cottage cheese mixture (see below), half of grated mozzarella, half of sauce. Repeat.

4) Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours.

5) Let stand to set up for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Cottage cheese mixture: 2-3 C. small curd cottage cheese mixed with 2 Tbsp. parsley, 1/2-1 C. parmesan, 2 eggs