I got this recipe from my friend Sus, and we’ve both made it several times for brunch gatherings. If you want you can make it ahead the night before and just put it in the oven for an hour right before you want to serve it. Eggs, Italian sausage, milk, feta cheese – yum! I love feta cheese, but if you’d like, substitute the feta cheese for cheddar. It’s just as good!

1 lb of sweet Italian pork sausage
8 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups feta cheese (or cheddar)
10 eggs slightly beaten
4 cups whole milk
2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Special Equipment: Le Creuset Rectangular Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a skillet on medium high. Add onion and oil and cook until onions start to get translucent. Break up the sausage into small chunks and add to the pan, cooking in batches if need be, until browned all around. Make sure the chunks of sausage have some space around them or your meat will steam and not brown.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the onions and sausage and mix well.

Butter one side of the bread slices. Place bread butter side down in a 9×13 baking dish. I usually need 6 pieces of bread, plus 1 cut in half to finish up the bottom row. You just want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps.

Pour egg mixture evenly the baking pan, over top of the bread.. If desired, sprinkle additional sausage and optional ingredients over the top.

At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If you do, let it sit out for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Serves 6

Jalapeno cheese grits are sooooo delicious. I think they go perfect with poached eggs and sausage, but it also goes well with dinner entrees, such as beef. You whole family will love it! My sweetie had this for the first time and said he died and went to heaven

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup old-fashioned grits
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 jalapenos, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil

Special Equipment: Cuisinart Sauce Pan

In a medium saucepan add oil, jalapenos and garlic and cook for a couple minutes on low heat. Add the chicken broth and raise heat to bring it to a boil. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Stuffed Chicken breasts is one of my favorite meals! The best part is that you can alter the recipe based on your creativity and taste! You can make the recipe greek style (as is) or change it up and stuff the chicken with spinach, ricotta and parmesean and top with a marinara sauce instead! They are both really yummy!! Enjoy!!

For the chicken
4 boneless chicken breast halves
5 ounces Feta cheese (good quality)
1 cup spinach (cooked, drained well and chopped)
1/2 cup mushrooms (cooked, drained and chopped)
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 cup marinara sauce

For the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heated milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Special Equipment: Cuisinart Sauce Pan, Le Creuset Rectangular Baking Dish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With a chicken breast flat on a cutting board, using a sharp knife, about 1/3 of the way down the thick side, cut a deep pocket horizontally into the center of the meat about 3/4 of the way down, being careful not to cut through to the other side. (The pocket will be about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.) Repeat with the remaining breasts.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp Salt, and Parmesan cheese. In another bowl have the egg mixture ready. Brush the outsides of the chicken with the egg mixture then roll in bread crumb mixture.

In a seperate mixing bowl, mix Feta cheese with spinach, mushrooms, oregano, salt and pepper until smooth. Place about 4 spoonfulls of the mixture within each breast of chicken. Press edges of the chicken to seal.

Prepare the sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; sauté mushrooms until browned. Add flour and stir until mixture is well blended. Gradually stir in hot milk and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thicken (5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Add more flour if you want it thicker). Pour 1/2 of the sauce into an 8-inch square baking dish.

Place chicken rolls in the baking dish and top with the remaining sauce (and sprinkle additional feta cheese, if desired). Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Serves 4

Cole slaw is so delicious, almost everyone loves it! This is a perfect side dish for pulled pork, ribs, or sloppy joes!









1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 small onion, grated
3 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded (4 cups)
1 small carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)

Mix all ingredients except cabbage, carrot and onion in large glass or plastic bowl. Add remaining ingredients; toss until evenly coated.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve!

Serves 4

Creamed spinach is so delicious, and the bacon makes it even better! Perfect to accompany herbed beef tenderloin, or grilled steaks!












1 pound fresh spinach, about 2 large bunches
3 to 4 strips of bacon, uncooked, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup cream

Special Equipment: Cast-Iron Casserole Dish

Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining.

Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water until the spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the spinach from cooking further. Squeeze the spinach to remove all the moisture possible. Chop the spinach and set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Add the chopped bacon and sauté until the bacon begins to render some of its fat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.

Make the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream, whisking continuously, cooking until thick.

Combine spinach, bacon and onion mixture, and sauce into one pan. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and serve.

Serves 4

This baked bean recipe came from the south and has been in her family for many years. I was never a bean lover, but this bean recipe is absolutely delish! The slow cooking makes the flavors really come together and it comes out so tasty!

1 pound dry navy or soldier beans
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1  large white onion, quartered
1/4 pound salt pork or slab bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Special Equipment*: Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven

Place the beans in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover by three inches. Let stand at least 10 hours (overnight). Drain and transfer to a large saucepan. Add just enough water to cover. Let simmer, adjusting the water level so the beans remain just covered, until the skins open readily, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk together the molasses, vinegar, mustard, sugar, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water. Drain the beans. Place the onion in a 2-quart Dutch oven. Add the beans. Cover with the salt pork or bacon. Cover with the molasses mixture. Heat oven to 300° F. Cover Dutch oven and bake, checking often, until the beans are tender, the meat is falling apart, and the liquid is thick and bubbly, about 6 hours. Add more water (or even a second batch of the molasses mixture) if the beans start to dry out. Serve with buttered bread.

* If you do not own a dutch oven, I highly recommend getting one. They are great for slow cooking meats and stews and everything comes out more tender and tastier! It changed my life!!

Serves 6

Filled with chicken, mushrooms, carrots, sweet sauce, and toasted almonds, these Chicken Lettuce Wraps are both healthy and to die for! They are filling, healthy and delicous!














1 pound chicken breast meat, cut in small cubes
3 cups large portabello mushrooms, cut in cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup packaged shredded cabbage and carrot mix (can use carrot only)
3 scallions, chopped on an angle
1/2 cup thick miso teriyaki sauce or hoisin sauce, Recommend: (Teriyaki Baste & Glaze )
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into half again
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Special Equipment: Covered Stir-Fry Pan

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add vegetable oil, then add the mushrooms and peppers and cook until tender. Add the chicken and cook until mostly done (about 4-5 minutes), stirring constantly. Add the garlic, cabbage and carrot mix and scallions and stir-fry another 2 minutes. When the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender, remove them from the pan and drain the liquid. Add hoisin or miso teriyaki sauce to glaze the mixture, toss 1 minute, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Place spoonfuls of chicken into a piece of lettuce, add toasted almonds to the top, and fold lettuce over to eat, like small tacos.

Serves 4

This pulled pork is SO yummy and flavorful and tender, it just melts in your mouth. And it really is *perfect* for company because everyone I’ve ever made this for has just raved over it. You have to try it, at least once. Really. You will be hooked.

1 whole boston butt

Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution
2 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts (2 litres) cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix

Special Equipment: Stainless Roaster

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:

Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Add 1.5 cups of brine solution to the baking pan. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven.

Now, cooking at 225 degrees, this shoulder will take between 1.5 to 2 hours per pound to cook. As it happens, this 8 lb shoulder took 13 hours, so a little over an hour and a half per pound. I cook the shoulder overnight.

Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Add some of the cooking liquid back to the pulled pork, along with a little barbeque sauce, if desired. I also added a few tablespoons of the dry rub to the pulled pork and mixed well before serving.

Serve for friends and family! This recipe goes fantastic with cole slaw and corn on the cob.

Serves 6

I am not a chili lover, but this chili is outstanding. It is the most hearty, chunky and flavorful chili I’ve ever had. The slow cooking makes the flavors really come together.








6 oz. chorizo or hot Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 jalepeno, chopped
2 T chili powder
5 T brown sugar
1 T ground cumin
1 can tomato paste
4 T dried oregano
pepper and salt to taste
3 bay leaves
1 cup beef broth
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 15 oz. can kidney beans (or red beans)

Special Equipment: Le Creuset Dutch Oven

Heat a little oil in the bottom of stock pot and cook onions, peppers, garlic and meat (sausage and ground meat) until meat is lightly browned. Add spices, sugar and tomato paste and continue to cook a few minutes while stirring. Add the tomatoes, beans and broth. Simmer for 60 minutes on low heat.

If you like, top with grated chedder cheese, sour cream and/or chopped red onion.

Serves 4

This is the best grilled corn I’ve ever tasted. I discovered it at “Cafe Habana” in New York City. Sweet ears of yellow corn are grilled, covered with creamy Cotija cheese and sprinkled liberally with a chili spice mixture.






4 ears of sweet yellow corn
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese
Salt to taste
Chili Powder
Lime

Instructions:

Grill ears of corn over medium flame until kernels begin to char.

Mix sour cream with mayonnaise and apply liberally to hot corn

Place the grated Cotija cheese and salt in a shallow dish. Roll the corn in the cheese until it is well covered.

Sprinkle the corn lightly with Chili Powder. You can add a little Cayenne Pepper too for extra heat!

Serve with slices of lime.

Serves 4