happy holidays!
i didn’t really take many pics, and i don’t really have the measurements for much, but i will walk you through the meal as much as i can 🙂
spicy pimento mac and cheese
i used my recipe for mac and cheese as a base and made a few adjustments to make it pimento:
- use cheddar, pepper jack and fontina cheeses
- add 1 chopped pimento pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of cayenne when mixing the pasta
- top with cheddar, crushed potato chips and a little bit of melted butter
first top with the cheese, cover and bake until melted. then top with the chips and butter and bake until bubbly 🙂
lemon garlic roast chicken and gravy
now i must warn you, this is the first time i’ve ever roasted a whole chicken. the process may not be correct, but it tasted good!
first, make a compound butter for slathering on the bird. i just mixed 1 softened stick of butter (for 2 chickens) with some fresh thyme and rosemary. i also threw in a couple cloves of minced garlic. mix and chill until needed.
preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
to start the chicken: remove the giblets and throw away. rinse the chicken with cold water, inside and out and let dry with the cavity facing down in the sink.
pat dry with paper towels.
prick a lemon with a fork and stuff inside the cavity along with as many garlic cloves that will fit. also throw in some fresh herb springs, i used thyme.
you could truss the chicken at this point if you know how.
with the chicken breast side up, smear the compound butter all over the chicken, trying to get under the skin if possible too. then squirt fresh lemon juice on it and salt and pepper generously.
flip the bird and repeat. throw some lemon and garlic into the roasting pan. place the chicken on a rack in the roasting pan, breast side down.
slide into the oven and turn the temp down to 375.
roast for 15 min, then remove from the oven and carefully (using tongs) flip the bird. return to the oven and roast until done, about an hour- an hour 15 min for one chicken. longer for 2.
remove the rack and chickens from the pan and let chickens rest for 10 minutes.
remove roasted lemons from the pan and use as garnish if desired.
to make the gravy: place the pan on the stove and bring the chicken juices and leftover garlic to a bubble. then deglaze with white wine. mash the roasted garlic to incorporate it with the rest of the juices. once the alcohol has cooked off strain into a bowl and set aside.
melt some butter in a skillet. once foamy, whisk in flour to make a roux. once the raw taste has cooked out, add chicken broth. continue whisking until thickened. then add the strained liquids. continue to whisk until all thickened to a gravy consistency. taste and season if needed.
bacon yam apple hash
inspired by anne burrell’s recipe 🙂
you will need:
olive oil
6 slices of bacon, cut into large pieces
3 yams, peeled and cut into small-medium chunks
1 onion, chopped into the same size as the yams
1 granny smith apple, chopped, same size
scallions, sliced on the bias, greens and whites seperated
mix the yams with olive oil until all nicely coated. salt, then roast in a 375 oven until just cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. they will continue to cook in the skillet so you don’t want them to be mushy.
meanwhile, put a little olive oil and the bacon in a large skillet. then bring to medium heat.
once the bacon is starting to crisp, add the onion and a little kosher salt. cook until it is starting to become translucent.
then add the apples and scallion whites.
turn the heat up to medium high and cook for a few minutes, then add the roasted yams.
cook until slightly browned. serve with the green parts of the scallions. if you need to reheat it, bake at 375.
corn spoonbread
butter an 8″ square baking dish.
mix 1 pack of cornbread mix (i used jiffy), 1/2 a can of creamed corn, 1 8 oz container of sour cream, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, about 2 handfuls of frozen corn, some shredded cheese of your choice (i used pepper jack), salt and pepper in a large bowl until just combined.
mix 2 eggs in a seperate bowl until light colored and frothy.
fold the eggs into the cornbread mixture. pour into the prepared pan and top with more cheese if desired.
bake at 375 until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
yup, we classy with our red solo cups.
City Chick Cooks 
