Cottontail’s Village 2020 at the BJCC in Birmingham was a great success for us this year. In fact, I signed more cookbooks than I did last year. The highlight of the weekend for me was talking to so many wonderful cooks from all over our great state. Mary and I asked many cooks what their favorite dish to prepare for their family was. The response was overwhelming!
The recipes they recited had obviously been tried over and over again. My secretary, Mary Fielder (sister), wrote down every word that she heard. Needless to say, I want to share all of these priceless recipes with all of you wonderful cooks from Etowah County. Cottontails will come alive again with these new recipes for the next few weeks.
Corn Salad
Two cans Shoe Peg
corn, drained
Small jar of
chopped pimentos, drained
¼ cup purple
onion, chopped fine
¼ cup bell pepper,
chopped fine
1 cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Drain before serving or serve using a slotted spoon.
Andy’s Note: I made this yesterday and, you know me, I have to add my personal take on just about any recipe that I prepare. Heat the sugar and vinegar until sugar is melted. Pour over mixture and refrigerate immediately. This recipe is more like a corn relish than a salad. In my opinion, it would be delicious over dried beans, and I am thinking a great addition to a salmon dish. Tasty, colorful and easy!
Pound Cake Sauce
Large can of peaches in heavy sauce (peaches and liquid)
Can of condensed milk
Package of small instant
vanilla pudding mix
Chop peaches into small pieces and combine with condensed milk and pudding mix.
Andy’s Note: Mary made this Saturday and it is really rich and good. We both decided that it would taste much better with fresh fruit. If you want to use peaches or strawberries just chop your fruit and add sugar. The sugar with the fresh strawberries will make its own juice. Keep stirring until the sugar melts and you will have your juice with fresh firm berries. Mary said this sauce is delicious over vanilla ice cream. We even said it would taste fabulous over a large sugar cookie. This makes a huge recipe!
Chicken Queso Casserole
One cup white rice cooked (will make about three cups of rice)
Eight chicken tenders
Queso cheese
Tortilla chips
Layer the cooked rice on the bottom of a 9×13-baking dish. In a greased skillet, brown chicken tenders and place on top of the rice. Cover rice and chicken with Queso cheese. Top dish with crushed tortilla chips and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes.
Andy’s Note: You will not believe where we acquired this recipe. After we had set up our booths at Cottontails on Thursday morning, we stopped at a Walmart to buy some snacks and drinks for the weekend. As we were checking out, the cashier ask us something about our snacks. We told her that we were going to be at Cottontails for the weekend. She asked what craft we were selling, and Mary told her a cookbook. She then offered this favorite recipe of hers, and we thought we would never get out of Walmart. Sweet, sweet young girl! Everyone loves to talk FOOD!
Cottontail recipes continue next week!
Happy Cooking, Andy Bedwell
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at Alabama Gift Company in Downtown Gadsden and the Messenger on Rainbow Drive.