**CAESAR DRESSING**
1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Dukes)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon (at least 1/4 cup)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp of anchovy paste (don’t turn your nose up, it makes the dressing complete)
Blend all ingredients in a blender. I usually blend for about 2 minutes. I like to make sure it’s well incorporated. Pour over romaine lettuce, bacon bits, shredded Parmesan and croutons for the perfect Caesar salad.
**BACON WRAPPED TATER TOTS**
24 Frozen Tater Tots
12 slices of Bacon
1 8oz container of sour cream
1 Ranch seasoning packet
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the sour cream and ranch seasoning and set aside. Cut each slice of bacon in half and wrap around each tot. Place on a cookie sheet (with sides). Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and place on a serving platter. Place the sour cream mixture into a ziploc bag and cut one corner off. Pipe over tots and enjoy!!
**SAMOAS CHOCOLATE BARS**
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 stick of melted butter
1/2 cup of milk
1 box of Samoas, chopped
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the first 3 ingredients and spread into a 9×9 greased pan. Gently press chopped Samoas into cake mixture covering entire surface. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips across the top and allow to soften/melt. Spread evenly across the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and cut into 2 inch bars.
**HONEY LIME CILANTRO CHICKEN**
4 chicken quarters
4 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
½ cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped and stems removed
1 bunch fresh oregano, chopped and stems removed
1 tbsp honey
Combine salt, sugar, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, lime zest and 2 tablespoons oil in bowl and mix to form paste. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the paste for dressing. Place chicken skin side up on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Leaving drumsticks and thighs attached, make 4 parallel diagonal slices in chicken. Rub paste all over chicken and into slices. Refrigerate chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. On a gas grill, turn the left side on high and the right side on low to reach 375 degrees. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken on right side of grill, skin side up. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Flip chicken, cover and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to the left side of the grill, skin side down, and cook covered for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook for about 3 more minutes. Remove from grill, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. While the chicken is resting, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, juice of 2 limes, cilantro, oregano, honey and reserved paste together in bowl to make dressing. Spoon dressing over chicken and serve.
**CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP**
1 rotisserie chicken chopped (no skin)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion (Vidalia/sweet)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp flour
1 packet taco seasoning
6 cups chicken broth
1 can drained petite diced tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
8oz container sour cream
2 cups Colby jack cheese
8 Corn tortillas
4 cups Oil (canola)
2-4 tbsp salt
In a Dutch oven over low heat melt butter and add in carrots, onion and celery. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add in flour and stir to make a roux then add in chicken broth. Stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes until blended. Add in tomatoes. Then simmer another 20 minutes making sure it reaches a boil. Next I use my immersion blender to purée the veggies (totally optional). Add in chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add in heavy cream and stir for an additional 10 minutes. To serve: top with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
Tortilla chips :
Heat about 4 cups of oil to 350 degrees. Slice corn tortillas in half then slice 1/2 inch think strips and add to oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes then drain and sprinkle with salt.
**PEPPER JELLY**
2 cups of puréed hot peppers (jalapeño & cayenne)
2 cups of puréed bell peppers (green, red or yellow)
5 cups of sugar
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 pouch of liquid pectin
12 4oz jelly jars or 6 8oz jelly jars
In a large saucepan mix first four ingredients together and bring to a roaring boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Add liquid pectin and continue to boil for one minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into your jelly jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Apply lids and allow to set in the refrigerator for 12 hours or transfer to your pressure cooker to seal for a longer shelf life. Refrigerated jars are good for about 3 months. If you have pressure sealed your jars the shelf life increases to 18 months to two years.
**Pimento Cheese**
1 jar of pimentos undrained
1 block of shredded sharp cheddar (yellow)
1 block of shredded sharp cheddar (white)
1 tbsp of garlic powder
¾ cup of mayonnaise
½ cup of chopped pecans (optional)
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
**SOUR CREAM SODA BISCUITS**
4 cups of your favorite biscuit mix ( I used Bisquick)
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of Sprite
1 stick of butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish or distribute evenly into the 24 mini cupcake tins. Next. Mix the first 3 ingredients together and knead dough for about 2 minutes. Roll out onto floured surface, cut biscuits and place into baking dish with butter. Or drop a tablespoon full in each mini muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes and serve. IF by some strange reason you have leftovers, place back in the oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes to reheat.