Grilled Chicken and Cheddar Jalepeno Cornbread

Tonight, we opted for a simple, down-home BBQ foods, with a twist. It was quick and easy and absolutely delicious.

First up, I marinated chicken breast in a combination of duck sauce and worcestshire sauce. I left it to sit in the fridge for a few hours, and DH grilled it up.

I whipped up a quick homemade cole slaw: 1 bag of preshredded cole slaw mix, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp milk, 2 tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tbsp celery seed (or celery salt). Mix together and let sit in the fridge for a few hours.

Finally, I took a box of jiffy corn muffin mix and made it according to directions (1 egg and 1/3 cup milk). I then added some minced jalepanos and about 1/3 cup shredded cheddar. I divided the batter into a mini muffin pan and baked at 400 for 12 minutes.

BBQ Salmon and Fried Green Tomatoes

The farmer's market proved a source of inspiration yet again with green tomatoes. DH and I enjoyed a yummy appetizer of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and balsamic reduction at 95 Cordova on our babymoon, and I attempted to recreate it.

BBQ Salmon
Salmon filet
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp honey

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl and marinate salmon for two hours, covered in fridge. Wrap in foil and grill to desired temperature.

Fried Green Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
2 green tomatoes, sliced
goat cheese (enough for 1 slice per every 2 tomatoes)
seasoned panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
1 egg, beaten
balsamic vinegar

Use olive oil to coat bottom of skillet and heat. Coat each tomato slice in egg and dip both sides in panko breadcrumbs. Lay in skillet. When one side is golden brown, flip and cook til golden brown on the other. Place slice of goat cheese on one piece of tomato and top with another. Drizzle each stack with balsamic vinegar and serve warm.

BBQ Chicken & Mom's Mac & Cheese

DH loves bbq chicken legs and I was watching Food Network's Mac & Cheese Challenge yesterday, so voila. Props to J next door for his recommendation on the bbq sauce - total cheat, but totally good. Oh, and boxed macaroni and cheese is not permitted in the RVA household, so I don't make this too often - but darn it's good.

Easy-Peasy BBQ Chicken


Marinate your favorite chicken pieces (I used drumsticks and a boneless, skinless breast for me) in Sonny's Sweet Sauce (I used about 8 packages for 6 pieces of chicken) for several hours. Grill pieces til cooked through, basting often. Serve with lots of napkins.






Mom's Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Guess what? No measurements! This is one of those recipes that you just sorta kinda feel your way through. It's got cheese - how can it be bad?

Cook your favorite pasta according to directions (I used mini penne and I make it very al dente). Drain and set aside.


In the same pot, make a roux out of equal parts butter and flour. I tend to make mine a little soft for a creamier sauce. Over low heat, add about 1-2 cups of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until roux is completely dissolved and milk has thickened. Add one block of shredded cheddar (1 3 cup bag of pre-shredded will work fine) and stir until all cheese has melted. Salt & pepper to taste.

Pour drained pasta into the cheese sauce and toss until pasta is well coated. Pour 1/2 mixture into a casserole dish and top with more shredded cheddar. Repeat with remaining mixture and more cheese.

In a small saucepan, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add breadcrumbs and combine until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and until crumbs are golden brown.