Paula's Corn Chive Pudding

The group My Girl, Paula baked Corn Chive Pudding this week. It's not exactly photogenic.


But at least it tasted good! I learned something valuable this week: read the recipe before you start. Baking this was one big snafu that consisted of "oh no, the bag of frozen corn needs to be thawed!" "Oh no, the butter needs to be melted and cooled!" "Oh no, I thought I had chives!" I was so close to throwing in the towel and calling it quits, but I sure hadn't gone through all that trouble to have nothing to show for it.

The corn pudding was really tasty, even though the term "corn pudding" really doesn't sound all that appetizing. I decided to try it because it sounded more like a corn casserole, which I love. I have another corn casserole recipe that I make a lot and can eat in large quantities. It's really quite scary. Unfortunately, though this corn pudding was good, I prefer my tried and true recipe to this one. But I'm glad I gave it a go!


Corn Chive Pudding
(by Paula Deen)

Two 10-ounce packages frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 1 and 1/2-quart baking dish.

2. In a food processor, pulse 1 of the packages of corn until coarsely chopped, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining package of corn and sprinkle with the sugar and salt; stir to combine.

3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, chives, flour, and vanilla and combine with the corn. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in the center of the oven until the center of the pudding is just set, about 45 minutes.

Milky Way Cake

Last week the group My Girl, Paula baked up this delicious Milky Way Cake. It looked fabulous and I had been dying to try it. But I decided I needed to wait until we had someone to share the cake with before I made it. The thought of having an entire cake in my house for me and my husband to eat alone didn't sound like the greatest idea.

So fortunately, I had the opportunity this weekend to make it and share it. The cake was really easy to make and included melted Milky Way bars in the batter - yum. The frosting was a bit more challenging, as it had to reach a specific temperature on the stovetop. It took boiling for a good 10 minutes or so before I got it there. I was a little impatient. And then it got a little hard to frost towards the end as the icing began to cool and harden.


But the finished cake was very moist and oh so rich. It's the type of cake that you'll need to slice very thin, as you'll love the first several bites, but the richness just kind of gives you a stomachache after eating an entire piece!

Everyone commented how great it tasted and how much it really tasted like a Milky Way bar. So if you're a fan of Milky Ways, you'll definitely want to give this a try. And be sure to go to the blogroll at My Girl, Paula to see what the other group members did with their cakes (I've seen delicious looking Milky Way cupcakes and bundt cakes!).



Milky Way Cake
(from Paula Deen)

For Cake:
confectioners' sugar, for dusting pans
8 (1 3/4 ounce) Milky Way bars
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Icing:
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup marshmallow cream
1/2 cup butter
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and dust them with confectioner's sugar. To make the cake, melt the Milky Way bars with 1 stick of butter. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar. Add the beaten eggs and the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and the baking soda together. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the batter, blending well. Add the nuts and vanilla.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans and place on cooling racks.

4. While the cake cools prepare the icing. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat and add the marshmallow cream, butter and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the pecans. When the cake has cooled completely, frost each layer, sides and top of the Milky Way Cake.

16 - 20 servings.


One Year Ago I Was Baking: Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Black Bean Dip

This week I made the Black Bean Dip for the group My Girl, Paula. This seemed a lot like other cheese dip recipes I've made in the past, but had the addition of beans, which sounded fantastic.

It didn't turn out to be the most fabulous looking dip, but it was really tasty and easy to whip up. I liked that it was a little "different" than my normal cheese dip. I'm glad that I tried this one, and I may make it again in the future if I want something different, but I think I'll stick with the other dip that is always a sure-fire hit and uses a few less ingredients!


Black Bean Dip
(from Paula Deen)

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon Paula Deen's house seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can black beans with jalapenos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) package Velveeta Mexican cheese, diced
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, diced

1. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the green chilies, tomato, cilantro and House Seasoning and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the beans and cheeses, and simmer until hot and bubbling. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Hummingbird Cake

This week we made Hummingbird Cake for the group My Girl, Paula. I've seen this cake made by other people but have never tried to make it myself. It has pineapple and banana in the batter, and since I love both, I was really excited to try it.

The cake was very quick and easy to put together. The worst part is dividing the batter between three pans, which I didn't have. I just had two pans, so I had to bake them in two batches. All of mine were done at the very minimum time - 23 minutes. And upon tasting, they seemed just a tiny bit on the dry side, as if they were overdone. So next time I'd check them a few minutes early.


The frosting is a typical cream cheese frosting, which reminded me of eating carrot cake. It was such delicious frosting and spread really easily. The cake was really good and totally gorgeous... and HUGE. Half of it is still sitting in my fridge and I'm not sure how it's going to get finished in the next few days. Guess I better get to work and have another piece, right? :-)


Hummingbird Cake
(from Paula Deen)

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 to 4 bananas)
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar

Frosting:
8 oz. package cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do NOT beat. Stir in the banana, pineapple and its juice, pecans, and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until tooth pick in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

3. While the cake cools, blend together cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake.

Basil Grilled Chicken

Basil Grilled Chicken was this week's selection for the group My Girl, Paula. This was a very simple one that I didn't even have to buy anything from the grocery store for. I already had chicken on hand, along with butter, and I love getting to use my basil from the garden. So this was cheap and easy!

We really enjoyed this. We cut it in half and only made two chicken breasts and half the amount of the seasoned butter for dipping (and we still had some of the butter leftover). But we thought it was really delicious! We put a dollop of the seasoned butter on top of the chicken and let it melt, and it made the chicken so moist and extremely flavorful. We'll definitely be making this recipe again - especially since I need to use up the basil in my garden, which this is great for!


Basil Grilled Chicken
(from Paula Deen)

3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinned chicken breast halves
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp.) butter, melted, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

1. Prepare charcoal grill (I used a gas grill).

2. Press the coarsely ground pepper into the meaty side of the chicken breast halves. Stir the chopped basil into the melted butter. Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smoothly blended. Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside.

3. Grill the chicken over medium coals for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the remaining melted butter mixture.

4. Serve the grilled chicken with the basil-butter mixture. Garnish with fresh basil springs, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Gorilla Bread

I'm assuming that most people have either had monkey bread, or have at least heard of it. If not, you're totally missing out. And here's your chance to try something like it, but even better. This Gorilla Bread is like a kicked-up version of monkey bread. Way more fattening. Way more filling. Way more tasty.

The bread was selected for this week's installment of the group My Girl, Paula. I'm happy... and slightly embarrassed... but mainly happy... to say that when we were asked for suggestions of what we should choose from Paula's book to make this month, it was ME who suggested this one. The most buttery, sugary, cream cheese-ey, heart attack inducing selection. Yep, that was me.


This Gorilla Bread was really outstanding. It totally puts monkey bread to shame. It's made very similarly, with the store-bought cans of rolls smothered in seasonings and baked up in a bundt pan. But with this one, you insert a square of cream cheese in the center of each roll before putting it into the pan to bake. And you pour a brown sugar/butter mixture over top of it. The recipe also calls for nuts, which I omitted, though they sure would have been pretty on top.

Here's a picture of it still in the pan, waiting to be taken out and completely devoured.

The bread is perfect for breakfast or dessert and is easily reheated the next day to enjoy leftovers. My hubby really liked it with his coffee in the mornings. And I liked it at pretty much any time of the day. Very delicious!


Gorilla Bread
(from Paula Deen)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside.

3. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.

5. Bake for 30 minutes (Mine needed a tad bit longer to cook all the way through). Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Taco Soup

I made this Taco Soup as part of the group My Girl, Paula. Each week we cook from Paula Deen's cookbook The Lady and Sons, Too. It's been a really fun group so far. I'd had the cookbook sitting around for a while and really wanted to try cooking more from it. Mission accomplished! And I bet you would never guess that out of the five weeks I've been cooking along with the group, there's only been one recipe that's used butter! Seeing as how everyone thinks Paula cooks with butter so much, I was pleasantly surprised to keep the butter in the fridge 4 out of the 5 weeks so far.

This Taco Soup was really delicious. The ingredients include ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn, green chilies and taco seasoning. It's all combined into a slow cooker and left to cook all day. I love slow cooker recipes - so easy and convenient. This soup sort of reminded me of chili. I served it with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and sour cream and that made it sooo delish.

The recipe makes a ton, but since I wasn't feeding an army, I cut it in half and we STILL had leftovers. This is a recipe that we all liked and I'll definitely be making again!


Taco Soup
(from Paula Deen)

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

1. Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.

2. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.

3. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Fruit Bowl

I thought a nice refreshing fruit salad would be a perfect complement to our Fourth of July BBQ. So I was delighted that the Fruit Bowl was selected for this week's installment of the group My Girl, Paula.

I was surprised to see Tang listed as one of the ingredients in this fruit salad. I haven't had Tang in yeeeeeaarrrs! And frankly, wasn't really sure if I liked it or not. I guess I'd find out. It was so super easy to throw this together and I had very little clean-up - a big (no, HUGE) plus for me.

But the verdict? It was way too Tang-y and I guess I don't like Tang after all. It really wasn't bad, I've had several spoonfuls of it just because I don't want it to go to waste. And my husband did seem to enjoy it. I guess if you like the taste of Tang then this is the fruit salad for you. If not, you might want to cut down on the amount of Tang or try a different ingredient for your sauce altogether. I know Paula has a fruit salad recipe that uses a honey poppy seed dressing... maybe I'll try that one next time.


Fruit Bowl
(by Paula Deen)

3 Tbsp. orange Tang Breakfast Drink mix
15.5-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
3.4-oz. box instant lemon pudding mix
16-oz. can chunky mixed fruit, drained
11-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
6-oz. jar maraschino cherries
3 large bananas

1. Stir the Tang into the pineapple juice. Add the lemon pudding mix and stir well. Combine the pineapple, mixed fruit, oranges, and cherries, then mix the fruit and pudding mixtures together; toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, slice and add the bananas.

Makes 12-15 servings.

Orange Blossoms

Aren't these just the cutest little cakes you've ever seen? They're Orange Blossoms, selected for this week's installment of the group My Girl, Paula!


These are really delicious and quite addictive. They're so little, you really need some willpower or you'll never stop popping them right in your mouth. They come together really quickly and easily. The only problem I had was dipping them into the glaze without them falling apart. I eventually found my rhythm and got it down pat.

Give these a try, everyone will love them!



Orange Blossoms
(from Paula Deen)

For cakes:
1 package yellow cake mix
3.4 oz. package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cold water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
For glaze:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease one or two minature muffin pans. For the cakes, in a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, and oil, and beat well. Fill the prepared muffin pans, using about 1 tablespoon of batter for each cake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched.

2. For the glaze, mix the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, butter, and water until smooth; set aside.

3. Dip the blossoms in the glaze immediately after removing them from the oven. Drain on waxed paper.

Makes about 4 dozen cakes.

Strawberry Cream Shortcake

This is my second week cooking with the group My Girl, Paula. We made the perfect summer treat - a creamy variation of strawberry shortcake. I really love strawberries and just about anything made with strawberries, so I was more than happy to try this recipe.

The shortcake was a cinch to put together - thanks to the storebought pound cake. And the rest was a breeze. It was really quite tasty too! I think it could have used a few more strawberries, though. Next time I'll pile them on, because they kind of got lost in all of the cream and cake layers. But otherwise it was fantastic!



Strawberry Cream Shortcake
(from Paula Deen)

1 large Sara Lee poundcake
1 (5 1/8 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. Slice the cake very thin and lay half the slices in a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a bowl, combine the pudding mix, water, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour half of this over the cake and lay half of the strawberries on top.

3. Repeat to make second layer. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Paula's Cheddar Broccoli Casserole

So... everyone knows I'm pregnant, right? Well, I happened to notice a new cooking group that was just assembled. This one is going to be cooking exclusively from Paula Deen's cookbook, The Lady and Sons, Too. I just so happen to own that cookbook and just so happen to be a Paula Deen fan. She has a reputation for making food that isn't exactly healthy. And since I'm not currently watching my calories due to the whole pregnancy thing, and I really do want to try out more recipes from that cookbook of hers... I decided, what the heck? I might as well join! If anyone's interested in feasting once a week with us, the link is here: My Girl, Paula!

The first week's selection is Paula's Swiss Broccoli Casserole. I'm really not a big fan of swiss, so I went the safe route with cheddar. In hindsight, there really wasn't a lot of cheese, so I may have been okay with using the swiss. The only thing I was a little unsure of as I was assembling the casserole was the layer of sliced hard-boiled eggs that went inside. Seemed a little out of the ordinary, but I went with it.


The casserole was really quite tasty and made a nice side dish to the steak my husband grilled. My husband did comment that the taste was a little "eggy", but I personally didn't find the egg taste overpowering at all. I thought the crunchy onions gave a great flavor, and it kind of reminded me of a green bean casserole, but with broccoli. We barely made it through half of the casserole, so we have a ton of leftovers.

And have I ever mentioned how it's impossible to take a decent picture of a casserole?



Swiss Broccoli Casserole

Two 10-oz packages frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 cups french-fried onion rings
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
10 and 3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350° F. Arrange the broccoli in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Layer the eggs, 1 cup of the onion rings, and then the cheese over the broccoli. Combine the soup and milk, mixing well. Pour this over the cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the remaining onion rings and bake for 5 minutes longer.

Up next week: Strawberry Cream Shortcake