Comforting Recipes Reign In The Farmhouse Kitchen

Springtime is around the corner, but it’s not here yet. So we’re living it up with some of our favorite winter comfort food dishes until we have to make way for lighter, seasonal fair.

Every time I open a Neighbors magazine, it feels like an embarrassment of riches getting to read stories about the wonderful families around our state who do so much for all of us. The fact that I get to be part of that would be honor enough, but now sharing a recipe from one of those wonderful families in my column each month is just icing on the cake! (Pardon the pun.)

I’m excited about sharing a recipe from Joy Noble, originally published in the March 2005 Neighbors magazine. Joy and her husband, Harry, are corn, cotton and cattle farmers in Macon County. They have four grown children and many grandchildren, as well. Joy has worn countless hats in her life, and every one of them tells me her recipe for Ma Maw’s Dressing is going to be one of the best you’ve ever had! Like most Southern cooks worth their salt, Ma Maw didn’t have precise measurements and cooked to taste. With this recipe, I’ve done my best to give you a little more detail to make it easier for those who like to measure.

Keeping up the theme of comfort food, I’m sharing Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie. This is a quick and easy comfort recipe made a little more special by switching out the standard cream soup for jarred Alfredo sauce. While this chicken pot pie still has all the classic ingredients you love, it’s kicked up just enough to make it feel extra special.

You know Alabamians love a dessert. I’m bringing you a childhood favorite with an added twist. We all love butter, but browned butter tastes like butter that has answered a higher calling. I can’t take the credit for this one, though. Browning the butter was my wife’s idea after she tasted one of my homemade cakes with browned butter icing. One bite was all it took to win her over. The next thing you know, we had Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats! However, I must issue a warning. Though adults might look at these treats as mostly for the younger crowd, you might want to make a double batch. When older taste buds sample this version, there may not be any left for the kids.

As we come out of winter, I hope you’re able to linger around the table just a bit longer, knowing that though we’re grateful for the food before us, it’s the people around the table who make each day worthwhile. Y’all enjoy!

By Joy Noble, Macon County

Prep Time Cook Time Servings 30 mins 35 mins 8

Ingredients

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds) 1 stick margarine or butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (10-inch) skillet of cornbread, crumbled (7 to 8 cups crumbled) 8 slices stale white bread, torn into small pieces 6 to 7 cups chicken broth (canned or from cooking the chicken) 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Salt

Pepper Instructions

Cook chicken in enough boiling water to cover until cooked through. Remove from broth, reserving broth. Cool, shred and set aside the chicken.

Heat oven to 350 F and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a skillet, melt margarine or butter. Add onion and sauté until tender. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the crumbled cornbread and torn bread, along with the chicken and sautéed onion. Add enough broth to make it soupy. Stir in the poultry seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes or until browned on top.

Stacey Little is a foodie, recipe developer and cookbook author whose Southern Bite blog helps families put simple, down-to-earth food on the table while preserving Southern cooking for future generations. See more recipes at southernbite.com.

Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Prep Time Cook Time Makes 10 mins 10 mins 20 treats

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box Rice Krispies 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) 2 (10-ounce) bags mini marshmallows 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Instructions

Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Pour Rice Krispies cereal into a very large bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, continue cooking at a low boil, stirring frequently, scraping the bottom of the pan. The butter will foam up. Continue to cook until milk solids in the butter start to brown and the butter begins to smell nutty, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully as milk solids can burn easily and become bitter.

Add marshmallows and stir to melt, reducing the heat if necessary. You may need to add marshmallows in increments. Add salt and marshmallow creme. Stir to combine. If you have trouble getting the butter and marshmallow to combine, just keep stirring.

Remove the marshmallow mixture from the heat and pour over the cereal. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to stir the mixture to get the cereal covered. Pour mixture into the prepared dish and lightly press flat with clean spatula. If you have trouble with this step, you can spray the spatula or your hands with a little nonstick spray. Just don’t press too firmly or your treats will be dense. Allow to cool at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Store in a sealed container. Prep Time Cook Time Servings 20 mins 35 mins 6

Ingredients

1 small rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (about 4 cups) 1 (15-ounce) jar prepared Alfredo sauce 2 (15-ounce) cans mixed vegetables, drained (I use

Veg-All)

Salt

Pepper 1 (14.1-ounce) box refrigerated pie crusts (two crusts)

Optional Ingredients

1 large egg 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Alfredo sauce and drained vegetables. Mix gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Unroll one of the pie crusts and line the bottom and sides of a deep dish 10-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Spoon filling into the crust. Unroll the other crust and lay over the top. Pinch edges of the two crusts together. Cut four 1-inch slits in the top crust to allow air to escape.

Optional: In a small bowl, whisk egg and water together. Lightly brush the top crust with the egg wash. This allows the crust to develop a beautiful golden-brown color as it bakes. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the crust.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is heated through. Allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Stacey’s Recipe Note

You can swap the canned mixed veggies for about 3 cups of frozen, thawed mixed vegetables.