Southern Spoonful: Comfort Food

by Becky Ellis

August 30, 2023

10:32 AM

The story below is a preview from our September/October 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!

Serve up some southern comfort with these family favorites.

Ashley Cuoco

Candied Walnut Honeycrisp Apple Salad

When the autumn leaves start to turn into their brilliant reds and golds, I know that a chill will soon be in the air and it’s time for comfort food. These recipes bring back fond memories of the comforting foods my mom and grandmother cooked up in their southern kitchens.

6 – 8 servings

Place chuck roast in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.

Sprinkle ranch salad dressing, seasoning mix and au jus gravy mix over the roast.

Cut butter into tablespoon size pieces and place on top of the roast.

Place the pepperoncini peppers on the roast juice and all.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or 5-6 hours on high.

Use tongs and a fork to shred the roast.

Alternative cooking method: Dutch Oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rub the roast on all sides with ½ cup flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat and sear the roast on all sides.

Sprinkle roast with ranch dressing and au jus gravy mix.

Pour the jar of pepperoncini peppers, juice and all, into the Dutch oven with the roast. Cut butter into tablespoon size pieces and place on top of roast.

Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the roast is fork tender and can be pulled apart with tongs or a fork.

Serving suggestion: Serve with Not Your Grandma’s Spoonbread, chive mashed potatoes or on toasted Kaiser rolls with slices of provolone cheese melted on top of the shredded meat.

My “Gram” used to make delicious spoonbread, but she made it with yellow cornmeal, which tended to make it “gritty.” I make mine with a white cornmeal and flour mix that makes it velvety smooth.

Yield: 4 servings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the 2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter in a 9-inch cast iron pan. Place pan in oven for 10 minutes prior to baking the spoonbread, allowing the butter to melt and pan to get hot. Place rimmed baking sheet underneath the cast iron pan in case batter bubbles over.

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in white cornmeal flour mix. Whisk until mixture is very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Mix in butter, then buttermilk, salt, pepper and sugar. Cool 10 minutes. Add in egg yolks.

In medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff (not still) but not dry. Fold egg whites into lukewarm white cornmeal flour mixture.

Transfer batter into the prepared hot cast iron pan. Bake until puffed and golden and set in center, about 35 minutes. Serve hot with lots of butter.

Want to learn how to make a lovely salad and cocktail to pair with these great comfort food recipes? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!

The story above is a preview from our September/October 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!

by Becky Ellis

August 30, 2023

10:32 AM