Aunt Melanie always makes this for the Boudreaux family reunion.
by Melanie–Pat’s sister-in-law
2 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
4 Tomatoes — chopped
1 large can Ranch Style Beans — drained
1 bunch green onion — chopped
1 red onion — chopped
2 bell pepper — chopped
2 rib celery — chopped
mayonnaise
Bake cornbread. Cool. Break apart.
Combine all ingredients. Add enough mayonnaise to moisten. Chill.
Filed under Salads, Vegetarian
Tortilla and Black Bean is a filling dish that needs little accompaniment. What’s the secret ingredient? A can of beer! The one pictured was flavored with Miller Lite, but you can use any beer you have on hand.
If you don’t have a springform pan, it’s time to invest in one. You’ll find it comes in handy for layered dishes like this as well as cheesecakes.
by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet based on Martha Stewart
4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion — diced
1 jalapeño chili — minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat) Can use 2 for more heat.
2 garlic cloves — minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans black beans — (15 ounces each) drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer
1 package frozen corn — (10 ounces)
4 scallions — thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Taste to make sure it has enough salt.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of spring-form pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.
Filed under Main Dish, Vegetarian
What child doesn’t like macaroni & cheese? I grew up with both this “Sunday” version and the everyday Kraft version. I still love to make this dish using the old- fashion long macaroni stick noodles that you have to break apart. My vegetarian children enjoy it as a main dish. –Pat Savoie
by Granny–Dolores Borel
12 ounces macaroni — all are approximation
1/2 stick butter
1/2 pound cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
Optional:
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
3 Tbsp butter, melted
Take the long macaroni and break into pieces about 2 inches long or use the short macaroni. Cook until tender in salted water. Drain. Butter a large baking dish and layer macaroni, cheese, macaroni, cheese. Mix together egg, evaporated milk and milk. Add salt to taste. Pour over macaroni. Dot with butter. Bake 325 for about 1 hour.
Sprinkle Panko bread crumbs (2 cups) and melted butter (3 Tbsp) mixed together over the top to prevent the cheese and noodles from drying out while cooking.
Filed under Side Dish, Vegetarian
Pop's French Toast
Also known as Pain Perdu.
Pat showed me how to make French Toast when we were first married. I always woke up first and served her coffee in bed. Meanwhile I made the kids French Toast MY way with lots of sugar and eggs and lumps of butter. My grandchildren now expect it when they spend the night.
by Kent Savoie
1 egg per person
about 1 tsp sugar per person
dash of vanilla (1 tsp per 6 eggs)
cinnamon
salt
milk
4 slices of bread per person, cut in half
In flat bottom bowl combine all ingredients but milk and bread. Add milk until mixture is light yellow, about 1/4 cup per person. Dip bread on both sides and place on a buttered griddle set on 350. Flip when lightly browned. Serve with Steens Syrup or melted butter and sugar — my favorite.
*Elizabeth uses Splenda because it dissolves quickly.
Making French Toast with Grandkids
Light Yellow Batter
Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Vegetarian
Virginia Valentine worked with me at Memorial Hospital during the 1980s. She would bring this to work in the mornings and we would eat it in Styrofoam coffee cups piping hot. Now I make it for Christmas breakfast every year. Sometimes, Rebecca, Kent and I have it for supper on a week night. It’s great.
based on a recipe by Virginia Valentine–Pat’s friend
1 cup grits
4 cups boiling water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter
6 oz Velveeta or Cheese Whiz
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* In place of the Velvetta and garlic powder, use 6 oz of a garlic cheese roll if you can find it near the cheddar in the grocery store. Kraft no longer makes a version, but sometimes other brands are available. This garlic cheese is in Virginia’s original recipe.
Method:
Cook grits in water until done. Stir in butter and cheese. Beat the eggs a little and add with the milk and pepper. Bake 325 45 minutes to 50 minutes or until center is slightly puffed. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese if desired.
NOTES : If you don’t like it hot, add less pepper or none at all. You can also omit the garlic powder.
Granny, Fr. Jeff, Mary Ellen, David & Kayla at our annual Christmas Brunch
Filed under Breakfast, Holidays, Main Dish, Vegetarian
This is a must during the holidays. The pecan streusel topping makes it special.
recipe by Granny–Dolores Borel
Ingredients:
Salt
2 cans sweet potato — drained
or
6 sweet potato — cubed (We always use the fresh sweet potatoes.)
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Streusel:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 stick butter
pecans — chopped
If fresh, bake potatoes until tender. In a mixer, combine potatoes, sugar, butter, and vanilla (If fresh sweet potatoes are used, salt has to be added. Canned sweet potatoes have salt) Pour into a buttered baking dish. Make a streusel with the remaining ingredients and sprinkle on top. Bake 350 for about 1 hour. The middle should poof when done.
NOTES : I place tin foil on top while its baking so the top won’t burn.
To determine the amount of sweet potatoes, fill the baking dish. Always add salt if using fresh sweet potatoes. I usually use 1 cup of sugar for my big baking dish. If the potatoes aren’t sweet, use more.
Filed under Holidays, Side Dish, Vegetarian
It is so much easier to serve this instead of baked potatoes at a dinner party. Everything is already mixed in. For an autumn touch to your Thanksgiving buffet, heap potatoes into a hollow pumpkin or squash shell.
I (Pat) omit the onion and garlic salt and increase the butter to 4 tablespoons. I also combine Panko bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top then bake.
By Pat Savoie
5 pounds Idaho® Potatoes — peeled and quartered
1/2 pint sour cream
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
2 tablespoons butter
Paprika
In salted water, boil potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.
Mash until smooth.
Add next seven ingredients, beat until light and fluffy.
Place potatoes in greased 2-qt. casserole and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with paprika and run briefly under broiler.
NOTES : This dish may be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen.
You can use the recipe to top Shepherd’s Pie.
Filed under Freezes Well, Holidays, Side Dish, Vegetarian
This was a great hit at Mom’s dinner party as a side dish served with stuffed pork loin.
By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet from the book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madsion
1 Pound Shallots
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Bay Leaf
2 Sprigs Thyme — fresh (1/2 tsp dried)
2 Teaspoons Sugar
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup White Wine
Drop shallots into boiling water 2 minutes. Cool. Peel. Pull apart at natural division lines.
On medium heat brown shallots in skillet with butter, olive oil, sugar, bay leaf and thyme for 10-15 minutes.
Add salt and pepper and white wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for 15 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally and add a little water the pan looks dry. Uncover and reduce to syrup. Serve warm.
Filed under Side Dish, Vegetarian
We made this with the wonderful homegrown tomatoes from PawPaw’s garden. Be careful when serving. Once I lifted a slice from the dish and reached over the person sitting at the table, when it slid off the spatula and into their lap. What a hot surprise! They ate it anyway. It’s that good.
By Janet Hoover–Pat’s sister in Baton Rouge, La
1 pie crust — uncooked
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese — grated
5 Roma tomato — thickly sliced
1 cup basil, fresh — minced
1-2 cloves garlic — minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese — grated
pepper
Bake pie crust. Slice tomatoes and drain on paper towel. Arrange in the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle with pepper, basil and garlic. Mix mayonaise and mozzarella. Spoon on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake 400 until golden.
Filed under Main Dish, Side Dish, Vegetarian
By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet
Preheat oven to 375. Preheat cookie sheet.
In a medium saucepan cook asparagus in a small amount of water until tender and crisp. Drain well.
Arrange asparagus and cheese in pie shell.
Beat egg and all remaining ingredients together with a wire whisk.
Pour over cheese and asparagus.
Place on heated cookie sheet and bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Filed under Main Dish, Side Dish, Vegetarian
Savoie Secrets: It's a Family Recipe 