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Ranch Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad
I know some may look at me crazy when I say this but it is true; I am not a fan of Ranch Dressing. My only exception is this pasta salad. I don’t know what it is but I just can’t get enough of it. I make this recipe all the time. Which I must admit in the beginning I would buy the box kind. But why should you when It’s really so simple and easy pea-sy to make from scratch. I mean the mayo/ranch combo mixed with the chicken and bacon is a surefire winner no matter what else you put with it. Sometimes I kick it up a notch and add pepperoni. So go ahead. Experiment and have fun! Besides who knows you better than you?
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Ranch salad dressing
- 2 cups Peas & Carrots
- 1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 8 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked and rinsed with cold water
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and Ranch dressing. Add the veggies, cooked chicken and bacon. Stir to combine.
2. Add the chilled pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the shredded cheese. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve Immediately or if you like it on the cold side; chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Porter House Cherry Limeade
One of my favorite all time drinks is the Cherry Limeade with No Ice from Sonic. I mean what could be better than sipping on this while enjoying the endless sunny days here in the great state of Florida? This concoction is cool and refreshing. Guaranteed to tickle the taste buds with its limey-sweet flavor. Not to forget it will help to cool you off as well. Its just like having a Sonic drive thru in your kitchen. Ahhh refreshing!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (2-liter bottle) lemon-lime soda
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, with juice
- Thin lime slices
- crushed ice, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Chill all ingredients before mixing.
2. When cold, combine the lemon-lime soda, lime juice, sugar, cherries with their juice and lime slices in a large pitcher and stir.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Serve over crushed ice (optional). Garnish with some extra cherries and limes in each serving.
Porter House Greek Salad
INGREDIENTS
For the Salad:
Romaine Lettuce
Kalamata olives
Grape tomatoes
Red onion, thinly sliced
Cucumber, sliced and seeded
Feta cheese
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
For the Lemon Garlic Dressing:
6 Tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the salad: Wash lettuce,tomatoes and cucumber well (make sure you spin-dry the lettuce when finished). Peel and slice 1/2 of a cucumber, set aside. In a bowl combine and toss all the veggies; set aside
2. For the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar together. Then add the minced garlic and oregano. Once the mixture is fully incorporated, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well again, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Toss salad with prepared dressing and garnish with fresh feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
*CHEF’S TIP – If you are not the proud owner of a salad spinner place freshly washed lettuce in a clean towel. Spin towel around in a circular motion for about a minute or so. Viola! Instant spin-dried lettuce.
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Every since I was knee-high to a grass hopper one of my favorite things to eat was buttered toast. I would have it for breakfast, sometimes as an after school snack while I watched School House Rock & Scooby Doo … And if I really wanted to jazz it up I would add some good ole’ government cheese on top … Man, Those where the times (LOL) … Now-a-days my diet has changed and I tend to be more watchful of what I eat. But then there are those times when I just crave something that is just plain wrong and all the way fattening … Besides, who said you can’t indulge every now and then?
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf of crusty bread, French or Italian
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 bunch green onions, white parts removed, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix butter, cheeses, green onions, garlic and mayonnaise in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Cut the loaf of bread in half. Spread the prepared cheese mixture on each half of bread, and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and brown.
4. Cut into slices & serve.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Tired of the same of chicken dish for dinner? Then give this casserole a try. A savory one dish meal made up of sautéed vegetables, spaghetti and chicken. While baked in a creamy cheese sauce. Talk about rib-sticking, heart and soul comfort food to the max. YUM-O!
INGREDIENTS
7 ounces thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 (6 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
Two (10.75-ounce) cans Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook 1 cut up chicken fryer. Pick out meat to make two cups. Chop and set aside.
3. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth. Cook pasta according to package directions, but only cook it until it’s al dente (you still want a little bite to it). Drain the pasta and set it aside.
4. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together milk and soup until smooth. Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan. Stir in mushrooms and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Continue to heat the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Add in cooked chicken, pasta and season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top.
6. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and golden brown. Serve & Enjoy!
*CHEF’S TIP – Turn this casserole into a day-after-Thanksgiving meal by adding leftover turkey instead of chicken.
Porter House BLT Salad
Usually when we make a salad we just use whatever we have in the fridge. And today is no exception; A classic BLT sandwich turned salad. Delish!
INGREDIENTS
4-6 strips of cooked bacon
1 bag of Dole American Blend Salad mix
1/2 cucumber, peeled & sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheese
2-3 hard boiled eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
Brown bacon until done. Drain on paper towel. Cut into pieces and set aside.
Wash all veggies well (make sure you dry the lettuce when finished). Peel and slice 1/2 of a cucumber, set aside. Next peel and roughly chop hard boiled eggs.
Add salad to a large bowl. Top salad with bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese and eggs. Serve with your favorite dressing.
Best Restaurants In The South
Oh the Deep South. How do I love thee? This is where I was born. This is where I was raised. This is where I spent all my yesterdays. I mean whats not to love about this place where a lazy afternoon is spent on the front porch sipping lemonade, where speaking to passer-by’s is a common courtesy, where next to God football is king and where you can find the finest cuisine. And I’m not just talking about good ole’ fried chicken and homemade buttermilk biscuits. I talking about dry-aged prime USDA steaks, fresh local seafood, sauce dripping down your arm Bar-B-Que and everything in between. So come on down and visit with us a spell. We’ll welcome you with open arms and while you’re here go ahead and “Put Some South In Your Mouth!”
Bern’s Steak House, Tampa, Fla.
Quick, where will you find the restaurant with the biggest wine list in the world? That’s right, Tampa, Fla. Founded in 1956 by the late Bern Laxer, Bern’s Steak House is still a family-run restaurant, with Bern’s son, David Laxer, at the helm. The wine list isn’t the only draw here, of course. With some calling it the country’s best steak house, the food isn’t bad either.
Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
A slice of New Orleans dining history — it opened in 1880 — this culinary landmark has long been collecting accolades for everything from its service to its wine list to its “haute Creole” cuisine. The gold standard of family-run restaurants, Commander’s offers a dining experience that could win you over on its Southern charm alone — but you’d be remiss to not order the turtle soup, practically synonymous with the place.
Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami
“Eat at Joe’s” may have been a running joke in classic Warner Bros. cartoons, but this almost 100-year-old establishment is a serious Miami institution. The old-school seafood house boasts a massive menu, but your order is simple: stone crab claws (jumbos if available, nothing smaller than large), hash browns, and Key lime pie.
The Pit, Raleigh, N.C.
Barbecue is religion in the South, and without question, pitmaster Ed Mitchell is one of its patron saints. The legendary barbecue baron oversees this destination-worthy joint, specializing in North Carolina-style whole hog, pit-cooked ‘cue. The word “authentic” should only be dispensed with caution when it comes to food, but Mitchell’s generations-old family recipe is the real deal, widely regarded as the standard for its genre.
Fonda San Miguel, Austin, Texas
In a town full of great Tex-Mex places, Fonda San Miguel stands out for its superbly made “interior Mexican” food, from tacos al pastor and spinach salad with toasted pasilla chiles and panela cheese to Gulf shrimp in chipotle cream sauce and crêpes filled with goat’s milk caramel.
Cochon, New Orleans
A cult favorite since it opened in 2006, Cochon is the domain of pork-loving chef Donald Link, proprietor of the popular Herbsaint and winner of a 2010 James Beard Award for his cookbook Real Cajun. Inspired by Cajun and Creole culinary traditions, Link serves up dishes like deep-fat-fried hog head cheese with field beans and ravigote and Louisiana cochon (roast pig) with turnips, cabbage, and cracklins’ as well as such non-porcine delights as fried alligator with chile garlic aïoli and rabbit and dumplings.
Galatoire’s, New Orleans, La.
This is what you should know about Galatoire’s: the food is classic Creole and all-around New Orleans in style and it’s not on your diet; the menu has changed little over the past century-plus, and is full of things like turtle soup au sherry, crabmeat au gratin, eggs Sardou (with creamed spinach, artichoke bottoms, and Hollandaise), and Louisiana seafood eggplant cake; and you’ll have a good time if you go hungry — and a better time if you go hungry with a regular at your side.
Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas
Definitive Hill Country barbecue — meat on butcher paper — in a big barn of a place perfumed with woodsmoke.The brisket is what it’s all about, but there are also fans who drive for hours for the housemade sausages, including the impossibly delicious “regular” and the more complicated jalapeño cheese links. Side dishes include German potato salad and sauerkraut alongside the usual cole slaw and beans — a reference to Kreuz’s teutonic origins.
Restaurant August, New Orleans
John Besh is one of the most interesting and ambitious chefs in the Crescent City today. The American menu at this splendid eatery betrays his love for, and understanding of, French, Italian, and high-level American cuisine, much of it interpreted with a New Orleans lilt.
Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue, Austin, Texas
Texas barbecue gets a new look at this friendly, casual, but gastronomically serious establishment. Crispy wild boar ribs with Cabrales blue cheese, oak-smoked brisket with brown sugar and coffee rub, cold-smoked rainbow trout, waffle fries with Spanish smoked red pepper — this is not your father’s ‘cue.
Fearing’s, Dallas, Texas
Located at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Fearing’s features modern Southwestern-American cuisine with a farm-to-table approach. Choose from one of the many dining venues on site, from the outdoor patio to the more upscale Gallery; if you’re dining chef-side in Dean’s Kitchen, or at the Chef’s Table, look for the ebullient chef Dean Fearing himself, who is often present.
Hominy Grill, Charleston, S.C.
Located in downtown Charleston, Hominy Grill, located in a onetime barbershop, features chef/owner Robert Stehling’s classic Lowcountry cooking, served with relaxed, at-home feel. Don’t miss his stone-ground grits, house-made sausage, or rich Southern-style desserts like buttermilk pie or butterscotch pudding.
Reef, Houston, Texas
Peer into Reef’s buzzing open kitchen to watch renowned chef and devoted Houstonite Bryan Caswell expertly craft elegant, fresh seafood dishes that show his patrons the true meaning of Southern coastal culture. Caswell grew to fame under culinary greats like Charlie Palmer, Alfred Portale, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Thoughtful touches, such as presenting the lump crab lollipop with claw intact, express Caswell’s devotion to the ocean.
Eugene, Atlanta, Ga.
Eugene pays homage to those who grow the local produce they use right on the menu. The list typically includes around two dozen farms, dairies, and even elementary school gardens, and pays tribute to the ingredients by altering them as little as possible while making everything in the kitchen from scratch. Named as one of Food and Wine‘s Best Chefs of 2009, Linton Hopkins offers refined dishes, such as his wild mushroom tasting plate, that come from the ingenuously rustic roots he describes as “folkways meeting Escoffier.”
The Fearrington House Restaurant, Fearrington Village, N.C.
The Fearrington House Restaurant has kept its AAA Five Diamond rating for 16 years and is the only restaurant of its caliber to receive Green Certification from the Green Restaurant Association. Executive chef Colin Bedford offers a highly refined blend of classical French and New American cuisine, inspired by his commitment to environmental sustainability. Unsurprisingly, it was also mentioned in our list of 10 Inns Worth Dining In.
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Miami
According to Michael Schwartz, winner of the 2010 James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef, the most important thing you can take away from dining at this New York Times Top 10 establishment is: Know Your Source. The restaurant procures its Old World rustic-breed chickens, for instance, from North Carolina’s Joyce Foods, the only producer of Label Rouge poultry in the U.S.; heirloom tomatoes figure not only on the menu (more than once), but as decor in the minimalist dining room.
The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
The cuisine is so emblematic that it has inspired a new category — Foothills Cuisine, a term that has actually been copyrighted. Truly farm-to-table, the Barn uses the farm estate’s produce and products for a dynamic menu of Smoky Mountain regional dishes with a global flair.
Quinones at Bacchanalia, Atlanta
Consistently considered one of best restaurants in Atlanta, the dining room at Quinones, adjacent to the older and also acclaimed Bacchanalia, has only 11 tables. The menu, which changes daily, boasts a collection of dishes that mixes modern and classic Southern cuisine, with the results skillfully prepared.
Lonesome Dove, Fort Worth, Texas
At the premier establishment from renowned cowboy-chef Tim Love, the culinary style is what Love calls “Urban Western Cuisine”. This translates to Texas-style meat and potatoes with an edge of sophistication. Located in the historic Stockyards District of Fort Worth, Lonesome Dove proposed a menu featuring large servings of protein — whole fish, cowboy steaks, roasted turkey, and a variety of wild game among them.
Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Ala.
Christopher and Idie Hastings, the chef-owners of Hot and Hot Fish Club, located in a historic building on Birmingham’s Southside, pride themselves on crafting what they call “memory cuisine”, using simple ingredients to create dishes that trigger a sense of nostalgia in their diners. Fish is — no surprise — the specialty, but vegetables picked at the optimum point and top-quality meat and poultry are also treated with respect and skill.
McCrady’s, Charleston, S.C.
McCrady’s is an establishment richly steeped in Charleston history, residing in a structure, built in 1788, that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Landmarks. Juxtaposed against the staid surroundings, the menu at McCrady’s is anything but traditional, though chef Sean Bock, who received the James Beard award for Best Chef Southeast in 2010, weaves touches of Southern tradition into the otherwise highly modern cuisine. The bar has become known for its specialty pre-Prohibition-style cocktails.
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Porter House Breakfast Burritos
We love breakfast here in the Porter House. So much so that sometimes we have it for dinner. I Know Right. Anywho, Being a Chef, a Baker and a Foodie I loathe the Food Network. And one of my all time faves is Ree Drummond A.K.A Pioneer Woman. So when you combine Ree Drummond + Breakfast together you get AWESOMENESS! That’s where the Breakfast Burrito comes into play. Now dont get me wrong Ree’s recipe is great, but I think it takes a lot of time. So like always I remixed it and you know what Sweetie and I love my version just as much. And it’s quick & easy!
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. Mild Pork Sausage
1 Pkg. Simply Potatoes Hash Browns
8 to 12 Large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups of shredded cheese
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 pkg. flour (burrito size) tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Saute diced onions and bell peppers.
2. Add ground sausage to onion/pepper mixture. Brown until done; Drain on a paper towel.
3. Cook hash browns in the same pan.
4. While the hash browns are cooking – In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
5. Now add the browned sausage mixture back to the pan with the cooked hash browns.
6. Next add the eggs to the sausage mixture and cook until the eggs are done, stirring gently.
7. After eggs are done & everything is incorporated – lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Place egg mixture in the middle of tortilla. Top with cheese. Fold both sides inward. Next fold over the end closest to you and begin to roll into a burrito.
8. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or plain. Your choice.
*Chef’s Note – This recipe makes alot of burritos. So for the extra leftovers wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer ziploc bag. When you are ready to eat one just take it out and warm it up in the microwave. Perfect for that Breakfast On The Go!
Source: Pioneer Woman
Porter House Italian Salad
Who doesn’t love the Olive Garden? Not anybody I know. Any time we get the chance to go there it is one thing in particular we REALLY look forward to. That lovely bowl of fresh salad and warm garlic breadsticks. Oh I can just taste it now. That’s why I googled the recipe until I found a close replica that I could make at home. May not be exact but it’s pretty darn close. Divertiti! (Enjoy!)
Ingredients
Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce
slices red onion
black olives
4-6 banana peppers
2 small tomatoes, quartered (I actually used grape tomatoes, cut in half)
½ c. croutons
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salad Dressing:
½ c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tb. corn syrup
2 Tb. Parmesan cheese
2 Tb. Romano cheese
¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp parsley flakes
1 Tb. lemon juice
1 tsp white sugar
Instructions
Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar, but don’t overdo it!
Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Salad Dressing on top
* CHEF’S NOTE – Using fat-free mayo and light corn syrup, this dressing is only 34 calories for 2 tbs of dressing!
Source: Vittles Divine
Porter House Broccoli Salad
I absolutely love broccoli. It is definitely my favorite vegetable. So when I was first introduced to this salad it was at our wedding shower; I instantly fell in love. And then it showed up again at a baby shower we attended. That was it; I had to know the recipe. And the rest is history.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon, crumbled
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cheese, bacon, raisins and onion. Now in a small bowl prepare the dressing by whisking together the red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Combine dressing with salad and toss until it is well coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Serve & Enjoy!
* Chef’s Note – Want a little crunch? Add in some of your favorite nuts!
I Am Lady Fab 