The Good Hearted Woman

Travel, Food & Good Vibes ♥ from the Heart of the Pacific NW

You are here: Home / Archives for Comfort Food

How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Amazing Frittata Recipes}

By 20 Comments

Everything you need to make a perfect frittata: a super-easy Master Frittata Recipe that you can use to transform leftovers into something new and delicious, plus a collection of 70+ frittata recipes to get your creative juices flowing.

How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

Frittata = Skillet Omelet = Crustless Quiche = Egg Pizza = Leftover Heaven

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

You know those days when you just cannot for the life of you come up with one more meal? The times when you just want someone to tell you what to make for dinner (or better yet, make it for you!)? The nights when you think, please just let me throw something in a pan and let it come out delicious with little to no effort on my part?

Frittatas may be just what you’re craving. 

Basically a big oven-finished skillet omelet filled with all sorts veggies and proteins, frittatas are one of the easiest, most budget-friendly meals you can make. 

When you decide to make a frittata, half the struggle is figuring out what to put into it. More often than not, I use leftovers: frittatas are a great way to use up all those bits and bowls that are waiting for you in the back of the fridge. 

For inspiration, check out My Master Frittata Recipe (so fancy!!) below, which includes lists of ingredient ideas. Following the Master Frittata Recipe, you’ll also find links to 70+ delicious recipes to inspire you. 

MASTER FRITTATA RECIPE

Making a basic frittata from leftovers is pretty straightforward. I’ve broken them down into six simple steps for the printable graphic below, listed here with a few extra notes: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C.  
    • I sometimes turn the oven up to 400° for a shorter cook time.
  2. Sauté vegetables and proteins in a large skillet until fully cooked. 
    •     When everything is fully cooked, you want between 2 and 3 cups of combined cooked veggies and protein.
    • I use a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet, depending on how big a crowd I’m feeding.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 eggs & ½ milk. Stir in herbs and spices.  
    • I sometimes use 1 or 2 more eggs, especially when using a 12-inch skillet.
  4. Pour eggs evenly over skillet mixture. Sprinkle cheese over top. 
    • Once you pour in the egg mixture, stir it in a little so that it settles in and around the ingredients in the pan. The egg mixture should just barely reach the top of the veggie mix in skillet. If it looks like there aren’t enough eggs, go ahead and whisk up another and pour it in. Don’t go crazy though – remember, the egg mixture will raise up quite a bit while baking.
  5. Cook mixture over medium-low heat without stirring for 3 minutes.  
    • It helps to shake the pan once to settle everything together, but don’t stir, because the grated cheese may settle on the bottom, and that isn’t where you want it.
  6. Transfer oven and bake about 30 to 35 minutes.  
    • Cooking time for frittatas is very flexible, because it is so dependent upon the ingredients used and the density of the frittata. I’ve made frittatas that were done in 20 minutes, and others that took almost an hour to cook. To test for doneness, insert a knife in the center of frittata – it should come out clean.
    • If possible, allow the freshly baked frittata to set for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

HINT: Click image below for a printable PDF that you can magnet to the fridge!

How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

❤️ Scroll down for 70+ frittata recipes to get your creative juices flowing! ❤️ 

NOTE: If you like this Frittata graphic, you might also like How to Make a Buddha Bowl.

5 from 13 votes
Print

How to Make a Perfect Frittata

Frittata Perfection in six easy steps. 

Course Main Course
Keyword frittata
Servings 6
Author Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Basic Frittata Ingredients

  • 6-8 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • ~ 2 cups cooked vegetables
  • ~ 1 cup cooked protein [optional]
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups grated cheese
  • Herbs spices, seasonings as desired

INGREDIENT INSPIRATION

    Vegetables [~ 4 cups raw, or 2 cups cooked]

    • Butternut squash
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Carrots
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Green onion
    • Kale
    • Leeks
    • Onion
    • Peppers
    • Scallions
    • Spinach
    • Tomatoes
    • Yellow Squash
    • Zucchini

    Cooked Proteins [~ 1 cup cooked; optional]

    • Bacon
    • Carnitas
    • Chicken
    • Chorizo
    • Falafel
    • Ground beef
    • Ham
    • Italian Sausage
    • Salmon
    • Smoked Salmon
    • Taco meat
    • Turkey

    Cheese [~ 1 – 1 ½ cups grated]

    • Bleu Cheese
    • Cheddar
    • Cottage cheese
    • Feta
    • Gorganzola
    • Gouda
    • Gruyere
    • Jarlsberg
    • Jack
    • Parmesan
    • Pepper jack
    • Swiss

    Herbs & Spices [~ 1/4 – 1/2 cups fresh, 2-3 teaspoons dried]

    • Cilantro
    • Garlic
    • Garlic salt
    • Mint
    • Onion flakes
    • Onion powder
    • Parsley
    • Red Pepper Flakes go easy!
    • Sun-dried Tomatoes
    • Taco seasoning
    • Thyme

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C.

    2. In a large, oven-safe skillet, sauté vegetables and protein in olive oil over medium heat until soft. You want between 2 and 3 cups of cooked veggies and protein when everything is done.

    3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 eggs & ½ milk. Stir in herbs and spices.

    4. Pour eggs evenly over skillet mixture. (The egg mixture should just barely reach the top of the veggie mix in skillet. If it looks like there aren't enough eggs, go ahead and whisk up another and pour it in.) Sprinkle cheese over top and shake the pan once to settle everything together.

    5. Cook mixture over medium-low heat without stirring for 3 minutes. (I usually poke things around a bit during this step. The basic idea here is that you don't want to stir it and have all that grated cheese settle to the bottom.)

    6. Transfer oven and bake about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. If possible, allow to set for 10-15 minutes before cutting. 

    Recipe Notes

    SKILLET: For best results, use a 10- to 12-inch cast iron or other heavy, oven-safe skillet.

    COOK TIME:  Depending upon the density of ingredients and type of skillet used, it can take up to an hour in the oven for the frittata to be completely cooked.

    Need more inspiration? Check out this list of 70+ Frittata Recipes, then grab your skillet and have some fun! 

    MEATY FRITTATA RECIPES 

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    VEGETARIAN FRITTATA RECIPES

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and Print this recipe!

    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman #eggrecipes #brunch #breakfast #maindish    How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman #eggrecipes #brunch #breakfast #maindish How to Make a Perfect Frittata {Plus 70+ Frittata Recipes} | The Good Hearted Woman #eggrecipes #brunch #breakfast #maindish

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze

    By 21 Comments

    Thick, meaty Bolognese sauce makes these Stuffed Eggplant Boats a hearty, satisfying meal – easy enough for a busy weeknight and fancy enough for company.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman
    This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

    A Pinch of This and a Handful of That

    Or, How to Remember Your Culinary Creations When You are a “Pinch & Toss” Cook

    When I was six years old, Mrs Obinger from across the street taught me how to measure salt in the palm of my hand. First, she showed me a teaspoon and let me practice a little. Then we moved on to half-teaspoons, and finally quarter-teaspoons. (Cooking and teaching fractions go together so nicely, don’t you think?) It didn’t take long before I was a palm-measuring pro.

    “See there, dear, now you’ll never need a measuring spoon again!” I remember Mrs Obinger telling me. Then we made a batch of her wonderful coconut cookies.

    I’ve been measuring in my palm and guestimating amounts ever since.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    The problem about being a “Pinch & Toss” kind of cook is, on those days when you hit it out of the park and make something amazing – something you want to make again and again – and possibly even Share – sometimes it’s difficult to remember just exactly what went into it in the first place, and how much, and when, and at what temperature, for how long… anyway, you get the idea.

    I solve this problem with my phone’s voice recorder app. I just hit record whenever I’m feeling a little culinary inspiration; and while I erased far more recipes than I keep, the habit is starting to pay off.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    This recipe for Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats is the first one for which my new “recipe recording” system proved its worth. I would have been hard pressed to make it a second time if I hadn’t recorded myself while I was making it. It’s a real keeper, too!

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    Thick, meaty bolognese sauce makes these Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats a hearty, deeply satisfying meal without being heavy or weighing you down.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman
    5 from 8 votes
    Print

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats

    Author Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

    Ingredients

    • 4 small eggplants [1 3/4 - 2 pounds total]
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 1 pound mushrooms chopped
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 pound mild Italian sausage [I use Iserno Mild Italian Chicken sausage]
    • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce [optional]
    • 1 14 oz. can finely diced tomatoes
    • ½ cup dried Italian bread crumb [or ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs]
    • 2 ounces grated Romano cheese plus more for garnish
    • Balsamic Glaze recipe below
    • baby arugula [optional]

    Balsamic Glaze

    • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons brown sugar [or honey]

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

    Eggplant Prep

    1. Slice each eggplant in half, lengthwise from stem to blossom end. Using a spoon, hollow out eggplants, leaving about a 1/2-inch-thick border around skin to create a boat.
    2. Line a heavy baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or a silicone mat.
    3. Set aside the scooped-out eggplant for us in the filling.
    4. Transfer eggplant boats to transfer to prepared baking sheet.
      Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    Bolognese-style Eggplant Filling

    1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté chopped onions and mushrooms in 2 teaspoons olive oil until they are soft and the onions are translucent.
    2. Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and chopped eggplant from the Eggplant Prep and cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant is almost fully cooked.
    3. Push eggplant mixture to the sides of skillet and add the mild Italian sausage to the center. Cook sausage, breaking up as you go, until it is fully cooked.
    4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add Kosher salt, dried basil and oregano, pepper, hot sauce (optional) and diced tomatoes. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has reduced and no watery liquid remains in the pan when you pull the mixture away. Remove skillet from heat.
    5. To the mixture in skillet, add ½ cup bread crumbs and 2 ounces of grated Romano cheese. Give it one good stir to incorporate everything together.
    6. Using a large spoon, evenly divide the filling between the eggplant halves. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.
      Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    7. Serve on a bed of baby arugula. Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of Romano. 

    Balsamic Glaze

    1. Mix balsamic vinegar and brown sugar a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. 

    2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has reduced by half; 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

    Recipe Notes

    Weight Watchers SmartPoints [2018] 

    • 1/2 eggplant with stuffing = 4 pts
    • 1 whole eggplant with stuffing = 7 pts.
    • Balsamic Glaze = 1 pt / Tbls 

    (Points were calculated using Iserno ground chicken mild Italian sausage.) 

    You can easily make this a vegetarian meal by substituting a plant-based protein for the Italian sausage.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats can be prepared up to two days ahead of time and thrown in the oven when you are ready to eat. Be sure to add five to seven minutes to the cooking time if you put them into the oven cold from the fridge.

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and print this recipe!

    Bolognese Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Balsamic Glaze | The Good Hearted Woman

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    Bakin’ It Old School: Cafeteria Pizza Recipe

    By 7 Comments

     

    This Old School Cafeteria Pizza recipe captures the essence of all that was good in the school cafeterias of our youth. (Cafeteria ladies not included.)

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    This fall marked a real Mama Milestone for me. After 28 years of recording the first day of school with a photo each year, and then sending my girls off to preschool, and kindergarten, and grade school, and middle school, and finally high school – times five! – I faced my baby’s first day of Senior year – and my last “1st Day of School.”

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    Our youngest on her first day of 1st Grade & first day of her Senior year. Time flies fast, my friends.

    All but the youngest have gone off to college now too, but as anyone who has ever done so will tell you, sending a child off to college is an entirely different experience from packing them off to first grade. Anyway, this rite of passage got me reminiscing, and as I got online to update Em’s lunch account, I got to thinking about the cafeteria and the school lunches of my childhood.

    I grew up in Northeast Portland and attended the same elementary school from kindergarten through the eighth grade; and in that time, I figure I ate nearly 1500 meals in our basement cafeteria. More than two-thirds were “hot lunches.”

    I was one of those kids who got hot lunch almost every day. Both my parents worked outside our home and mom wasn’t the lunch-packing sort, so until I got old enough to where my mom would let me pack my own lunch, I was most often in the hot lunch line.

    Most days, the actual food served for hot lunch wasn’t all that awesome, but ever so often, it was great. I mean, truly Good. My favorite was Chili & Maple Bar Day [I’ll get to that here on the blog someday – you’re gonna love it!], and my second favorite was Pizza Day.

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    In fact, school pizza was my first pizza. You see, back when I started grade school, we didn’t go in for any of that fancy ethnic cooking like Pizza or Lasagna or Tacos at our house. We were a chili-mac, roast beef, chip-beef-on-rice kind of family. (Change comes slowly to Midwestern roots, especially when you replant them.)

    Oh sure, by the time I hit my tweens, my mom had finally decided that she’d give the pizza at Amalfi’s a try, and from then on we had it at least once a month. But even though I have had countless amazing, hand-tossed, artisan-created, wood-fired, rustic pizzas since those long-ago days, a slice of old school cafeteria pizza now and again is a comfortable, reassuring memory.

    It’s also a super easy, economical way to feed a ton of people!

    To recreate the unique flavor blend that is School Cafeteria Pizza, you basically need three elements: (1) pourable pizza crust; (2) pizza topping sauce; and (3) grated cheese (but not just any cheese!).

    The pourable crust is arguably the most critical piece of the puzzle because it gives school pizza its unique texture and bite. Every source I could find for school pizza crust made enough dough for at least eight full-size sheet pans; however, after some tinkering, I was able to adjust the recipe down so that it is just right for a single half-sheet pan.

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    The second element is the Pizza Topping, which is really just a thickened tomato-based meat sauce. Easy-peasy. (As usual, I offer this recipe as a jumping-off point. If you want to make your topping sauce vegetarian, or add a stew of other ingredients to it, go for it.)

    Which brings me to the final element – the Cheese. Back in the day, school pizza was blanketed in a golden brick of mystery known as Government Cheese. Government cheese was ubiquitous in the cafeteria of my youth, in grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna, mac-n-cheese, and of course, pizza.

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    If you have never experienced government cheese in all its glorious goldenness, you don’t know what you are missing. Rumored to have been created from the tears of Midwest dairy farmers, this “pasteurized process American cheese product” wedges in on the dubious side of the cheese wheel, somewhere between Velveeta and Kraft Singles. However, since I don’t have access to government cheese these days, I have created a blend that comes pretty close and gives this cafeteria pizza recipe its authentic, old school flavor.

    PRO TIP: If you want to recreate old school Cheese Pizza, just leave out the meat and double the tomato sauce and spices to create the sauce. It really is as simple as that.

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman
    5 from 7 votes
    Print

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza

    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Cafeteria Pizza
    Author Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

    Ingredients

    Pourable Pizza Crust

    • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup instant dry milk
    • 3/8 cup sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoons oil
    • 2 1/4 cups hot water 130°
    • 2 tablespoons corn meal

    Pizza Topping

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 cup water
    • 6-8 ounces tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

    Cheese Blend

    • 4 ounces American cheese grated
    • 4 ounces Tillamook medium cheddar cheese grated
    • 4 ounces mozzerella cheese grated

    Instructions

    Pizza Crust

    1. Preheat oven to 475°F. 

    2. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Tilt the pan back and forth to distribute corn meal evenly. Set aside.

    3. Combine yeast, flour, dry milk, sugar, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 

    4. Stir in oil and mix until oil is completely combined. 

    5. Add warm water (130°F) and mix thoroughly for about 5 minutes. Mixture will be very sticky. 

    6. Pour mixture from bowl onto prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Set dough in pan aside to rest for 20-30 minutes. 

    7. Pre-bake crust at 475°F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until Pizza Topping has cooled slightly. 

    Pizza Topping

    1. Prepare the pizza topping while the pizza crust is "resting." In large skillet, combine chopped onion, mild Italian sausage, and ground beef and cooked over medium-high heat until meat is thoroughly browned and onion is soft and translucent. 

    2. Add tomato paste, water, brown sugar, and dried herbs. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. The mixture is done when it is no longer runny. 

    3. Allow topping to cool slightly before spreading it on pizza.

    Cheese Blend

    1. Combine three grated cheeses in a medium bowl. 

    Assemble Pizza

    1. Carefully spread the Pizza Topping over the pre-baked Pizza Crust. 

    2. Top evenly with Cheese Blend.

    3. Return pizza to hot oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and print this recipe!

    Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

    57 Southern BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Slow Cooker, Smoker & Instant Pot

    By 37 Comments

    Fifty-seven amazing Southern-style barbecue recipes for your grill, oven, slow cooker, smoker, and Instant Pot.

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted WomanThis post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

    Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start. 

    ~ Anthony Bourdain

    A few weeks ago, Mr B and I flew down to Tennessee to attend the retirement of one of his old Navy buddies after 37 years of service. (Just when he and I became old enough to have “old >< buddies” is beyond me!) While we were there, we got to attend a fancy Naval “Change of Command & Retirement Ceremony,” experience a little more of the South, and spend some quality time with Mr B’s best friends from his Navy days.

    Have you ever met an entire group of people who immediately felt like old friends? I have.

    Beverly’s {Super Easy} Slow Cooker Spicy BBQ Recipe

    As part of the retirement festivities, Mr B and I were treated to healthy portions of both Southern hospitality and delicious barbecue. The barbecue was so good, in fact, that once we got home to Oregon, I took a big step out of my comfort zone. You see, many of my own family roots are in the South, and I am painfully aware and deeply respectful of how tightly some of those old family recipes are kept. But that barbecue…

    So I sent a message to our hostess (who, as you may remember, I had only just met):

    Hi Beverly – …I’m starting to get my travel posts together from our Tennessee trip, and decided to include a round-up of BBQ recipes. I’d love to headline it with your delicious slow-cooker Spicy BBQ, and I’m wondering if you would be willing to share the recipe with me. If it’s a secret family recipe, or you just aren’t up to sharing it for any reason at all, I totally understand…

    After I hit send, I set back and crossed my fingers that my new friend wouldn’t think I was being too presumptuous. Here is her graciously candid reply:

    Hi Renée – …confession is good for the soul lol. My sister cooked a Boston Butt roast overnight in the crockpot. Took it out in the morning, covered it and let it cool, cut it up and eliminated any excess fat and froze it. We took it out of the freezer bags, put it in the crockpot and added Corkys BBQ sauce.

    That was it in a nutshell. Sis likes to add a bunch of other stuff like brown Sugar, green peppers, onion, pancake syrup and bbq sauce. I’m not a fan of sweet BBQ so chose not to add the sugar or syrup, just Corkys Spicy BBQ and Regular BBQ in two separate crock pots.

    No secret recipe, but since it’s Corkys you can certainly feel free to give a Shout out to a Memphis tradition.

    Well then, all I can say to that is: first, thanks to Beverly for her kindness, her sense of humor, her candor, and her recipe. And second – I am totally on board with the Corky’s Spicy BBQ!!  Let’s hear it for Memphis tradition!! 

    [Click here to shop for Corky’s BBQ Sauce & other Corky’s products.]

    Here are 56 more recipes to scratch your Southern BBQ itch.

    Barbecue Round-up

    Grill BBQ Recipes

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Instant Pot BBQ Recipes

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Oven BBQ Recipes

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Slow Cooker BBQ Recipes

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Smoker BBQ Recipes

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Sauces & Rubs

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin this post!

    Southern Barbecue: 57 Amazing BBQ Recipes for Your Grill, Oven, Smoker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | The Good Hearted Woman

    Roasted Ratatouille {with Pan-fried Onions}

    By 12 Comments

    Fragrant layers of bright zucchini, tender Japanese eggplant, and juicy romas – all roasted to perfection in a nest of herby, garlicky tomatoes and pan-fried onions. 

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    No one makes ratatouille like I do. In fact, it seems like E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E puts their own flare on this simple summer vegetable medley. My personal spin? Pan-fried onions for extra sweetness and depth of flavor. SO GOOD!

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    Originally from the South of France, ratatouille is an amazingly versatile dish, both for the cook and as a meal. Traditionally made with a base of tomatoes, zucchini, onions, eggplant, garlic, and herbs, home chefs around the world add everything from potatoes to porcinis to the mix. Some cook it in a pot on the stove, others roast it in the oven. You can even make it in a slow cooker, or an Instant Pot! The whole idea is, once you have the basic recipe down, feel free to make it your own.

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    And here’s a little secret… (shhhhh….)

    When it comes to making ratatouille, it really doesn’t matter how you put it together. 

    It’s true! Whether you choose to “fussy up” and camera-ready your ratatouille, or just throw everything in the dish and let the chips fall where they may, the fragrant flavors of all those fresh summer veggies and herbs will magically combine to create something your tastebuds will love.

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    Ratatouille can be enjoyed hot, cold, or somewhere in between. Serving suggestions are just as flexible, too: as is, over rice, on toast, in pasta, on a sandwich, and with eggs are just a few ideas.  (One of our favorite breakfasts is leftover ratatouille with poached eggs.) Enjoy!

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman
    5 from 5 votes
    Print

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings 4
    Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

    Ingredients

    • 1 large sweet or red onion sliced 3/8" thick
    • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
    • 14 ounces crushed or diced tomatoes (1 can, drained)
    • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 cloves minced garlic about 1 1/2 teaspoons
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh basil chiffonade
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary or a small spring fresh, chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 lb medium zucchini sliced 1/4" thick
    • 1-2 Japanese eggplant sliced 1/4" thick
    • 3 fresh Roma tomatoes sliced 1/4" thick

    Garnish:

    • Fresh basil
    • Finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese optional

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside. 

    2. Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons  of olive oil and swirl to coat skillet. When a water droplet sizzles on the surface, carefully place whole onion slices on the skillet. Allow onion slices to brown and crisp on one side for a few minutes, and then carefully turn them over using a spatula and brown the other side. Allow onion slices to cool, and then separate onion rings from one another and set aside. 

      Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    3. In a small bowl, combine dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and chili powder.

    4. In a medium bowl, combine crushed or diced tomatoes, remaining olive oil (2 teaspoons), vinegar, garlic, fresh basil, and all but 1 teaspoon of the herb mixture. 

    5. Pour tomato mixture evenly into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate. (I use my cast iron pie dish.) 

    6. Arrange sliced veggies around the edge of the plate in a pattern that makes you happy. (I did tomato-zucchini-eggplant-zucchini-eggplant-repeat.) 

    7. Put the pan-fried onion mixture in the middle of the veggie-ring. Arrange more veggies in the middle, until you are either out of veggies or space, whichever comes first. 

    8. OPTIONAL: At this point, you can spray the whole thing with a little cooking spray or brush it with just a bit of olive oil to encourage browning if you would like. Doing so also seems to make the whole thing look better after it is done roasting. 

    9. Sprinkle remaining dried herb mixture over the top of the prepared ratatouille. 

    10. Bake in preheated oven for an hour, or until the sauce is bubbly and the veggies are tender (but not mushy!!) 

    11. Garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan or Romano. 

    Recipe Notes

    Weight Watchers: 1 serving (1/4 recipe) = 1 SmartPoint [2018]

    Alternate (aka "non-fussy") Prep: Put the crushed tomato mixture in your baking dish. Top with pan-fried onions. Throw the veggies on top. Bake as directed.

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    Recipe Notes:

    • This dish is best when made with the freshest veggies possible.
    • Be sure to slice your vegetables uniformly to all be approximately the same size and thickness so that everything cooks evenly.
    • Japanese Eggplant is more tender than Italian eggplant, and works better for this dish. However, if you cannot find it, you can definitely use Italian eggplant as a substitute. The important thing is to cut it in approximately the same size as the other veggies you will be using so everything cooks evenly.
    • Ratatouille and similar foods (i.e., spaghetti sauce, lasagna, and eggplant parm) usually taste better “the next day,” after flavors have had a chance to marry and mellow. I’m sure that there is a scientific explanation for this phenomena,  but whatever the reason, keep this in mind if you plan to serve this dish to company. I often make meals like this a day ahead of time, refrigerate overnight and reheat to serve.

    Ratatouille with Pan-Fried Onions | The Good Hearted Woman

    The Naked Colonel’s Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe}

    By 15 Comments

    Buttermilk-soaked, cast-iron fried, and finally, oven-finished; this skinless homage to The Colonel’s KFC Original Recipe Fried Chicken is moist, tender, and – I’m just going to say it – Amazing! 

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    I’ve always loved KFC’s Original Recipe Fried Chicken. Back when I was a kid, I remember driving out to “The Speck” in southeast Portland with my Pop and picking up a big red and white bucket of chicken to take home, along with the obligatory mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and container of coleslaw. (Mostly in summer when the temperatures were soaring and the inside of Pop’s Plymouth was like an oven, but that’s another story for another time.)

    What I didn’t like about The Colonel’s chicken (or anyone’s chicken for that matter) was the chicken skin. Never have, never will. When I was little, I would carefully remove all the delicious peppery golden coating from my piece of chicken and set it on the side of my plate. Then I would pull off the skin and roll it up in a napkin so I didn’t have to look at it. Then I’d take a bite of chicken and a little bit of coating and eat them together for the full effect. Perfection. These days, I don’t eat a lot of take-out chicken, but when I do, yeah – I still do that, too.

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    Needless to say, when I was working through this fried chicken recipe and technique, I decided that I would make it skinless by default. However, if you love the skin on your fried chicken, fear not – this recipe will work for you, too! Just… wait for it… use chicken with the skin still on it instead of skinless. (!)

    Enjoy!

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman
    5 from 8 votes
    Print

    Naked KFC Original Recipe Fried Chicken {Skinless Copycat}

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups buttermilk divided
    • 1 tsp Sriracha optional
    • 2 cups flour
    • 3 tablespoons paprika I usually use Smoked Paprika, but regular works fine, too.
    • 2 tablespoons garlic salt
    • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground white pepper
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon celery salt
    • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
    • 1 tablespoon dried mustard
    • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • 10 chicken pieces (One cut chicken, or the equivalent, skinned (I prefer to use legs & thighs)
    • Vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions

    Buttermilk Pre-Soak

    1. Combine 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon Sriracha. The Sriracha it totally optional, but I think it adds another subtle layer of heat to the chicken.

    2. Soak skinless chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 

    "Chicken Mix"

    1. Combine the dry herbs, spices, and brown sugar in the jar of a small food processor (or clean coffee grinder) and pulverize until uniform in texture. 

    2. In a large self-sealing plastic bag or medium bowl, combine flour and pulverized spice mix.  Set aside.

    Chicken Prep

    1. In a large bowl, combine egg and the second cup of buttermilk. Set aside. 

    2. Remove chicken from buttermilk pre-soak. Discard any remaining buttermilk mixture from the Soak. 

    3. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and buttermilk mixture and shake once to remove excess. Drop into bag or bowl of Chicken Mix and dredge to coat. Remove with tongs and rest on wire rack while you complete dredging the rest of the chicken pieces. 

    4. Allow chicken to rest at least 10 minutes on rack. [See Notes]

    Chicken Fry-n-Bake

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a heavy sheet pan with foil and set aside. (I like to spray the foil with a little cooking spray to alleviate sticking)

    2. Pour 1/3-1/2 inch of oil into a deep cast iron or other heavy skillet. Heat skillet over medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 350°- 360° F. 

    3. Fry chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until light golden brown. Remove from oil and set on wire rack while you finish the rest of the chicken. (Allow oil to come back up to temperature between batches.)

    4. Place the fried chicken on the prepared sheet pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is done and juices run clear. (Breasts will take 30-40 minutes, legs and thighs 20-25, and wings 10-15 minutes.)

    5. Remove chicken to a clean wire rack and allow it to rest for at 10 minutes before serving. 

    Recipe Notes

    CHICKEN PREP: Allowing the chicken to rest after dredging, even a short time, dramatically improves how well the coating adheres to the chicken when you go on to the frying steps. If time allows, you can stop there and put the chicken, rack and all, into the fridge for an hour or two. You can even dredge the chicken the day before and leave it overnight. 

     

     

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    It Takes a Village to Fry a Chicken

    The foundation for my Naked Colonel’s Original Recipe Fried Chicken recipe is, of course, based on the recently released, culturally iconic “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” recipe from the original “Kentucky Fried Chicken” restaurants, allegedly discovered in the personal affects of Colonel Harland Sanders’ nephew, as reported in the Chicago Tribune in 2016. (Thanks, Trib!)  However, giving credit where it is due, my recipe was also heavily influenced by this wonderful KFC Original Recipe Chicken (Copycat) version from Dinner then Dessert – both she and I unabashedly tinkered  with the amounts and types spices, and her tip about pulverizing the herbs and spices is brilliant! And speaking of tips, the little gem about letting the chicken sit after dredging to allow the coating to better adhere – even more critical when the chicken is skinless – comes straight from Chef Michael Symon of The Chew. Finally, it leans hard on my own chicken frying experience, as passed down from Grandma B and my own mother, and my personal tastes. So, apparently it takes a village to fry a chicken.

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    Pulverizing the spices into uniform size before mixing them into the “Chicken Mix” makes all the difference! {Thanks to Dinner then Dessert for this great tip!}

    Reminder: Hot oil can be very DANGEROUS! Please take all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you.

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    Hey Renée, can’t I just fry the chicken in the skillet until it’s done? 

    Well, of course you can – you can do anything you want! Just so you know, KFC finishes their Original Recipe fried chicken in a pressure cooker (or at least they did when I was a kid). I like to take the extra step and finish it in the oven for a couple of reasons. First, chicken needs a lot of room to fry – you should never crowd pieces in your skillet. Finishing it in the oven allows you to give the chicken the room it needs and still get a lot of chicken done all at the same time. Second, I know that all the chicken will be done to the bone, and I won’t get any pink chicken surprises when I take a bite. Finally, I personally like the texture of the coating better after baking versus doing a full fry. It’s totally up to you, though.

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    This Naked Original Recipe Fried Chicken copycat recipe is the result of many influences. What will you do to make it your own? I’d love to read your tips and tricks in the comments below! 

    The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    Cast Iron “Shrimp & Grits” Pizza {with GF Polenta Crust}

    By 11 Comments

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. 

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman
    This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

    If you’ve ever wondered how bloggers and recipe developers come up with new ideas, here’s a little window into how I came up with this one. For the past few weeks, I have been a little obsessed with the idea of making a polenta pizza. First, I thought about making a Tex-Mex style pizza, but that seemed too obvious. Then an Italian-themed pizza, or maybe a roasted veggie pizza. (Actually, I’m still considering the latter.)

    But none of those ideas were making me all that excited. So I changed tacks and started to focus more on the polenta as an ingredient and what it goes best with, which led me to thinking about grits, because polenta is basically just grits that have set up. Which of course led me to Shrimp & Grits, which has rapidly become one of my favorite things in life, food-wise. At that point, I circled back to pizza, and here we are.

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman

    Shrimp & Grits is a Southern classic. A dish once served almost exclusively below the Mason-Dixon line, Shrimp & Grits (cheesy or otherwise) has become wildly popular across the US in recent years, and now appears on menus from New York to Oregon. This deconstructed Shrimp & Grits Pizza honors the flavors and essence of this archetype of Southern cooking, while presenting something deliciously unique.

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman

    The biggest hurdle to this recipe was creating a crust that could stand up to toppings. I didn’t want to make a pizza you have to eat with a fork, which is essentially what you get if you use traditional polenta. In order to make a crust that can be sliced, held in your hand, and eaten like a proper pizza, I had to include a few extra ingredients. So technically, this isn’t a “polenta” crust so much as it is a Polenta-Meets-a-Giant-Johnny-Cake, but that is simply too long to put in a recipe title, so I’m calling it Polenta and calling it good. You are welcome to call it whatever you want. 😉 (There is a whole post devoted to my Spicy Polenta Pizza Crust recipe, if you’d like more tips on making the crust.)

    TIP: Shrimp & Grits Pizza is one of those recipes that looks long and involved, but in reality, is very easy to execute. You can make it in any large, oven-safe skillet, but cast iron will give your crust a nice crispy texture.

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman
    5 from 6 votes
    Print

    Cast Iron "Shrimp & Grits" Pizza {with GF Polenta Crust!}

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. 

    Course Main Dish
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 6
    Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

    Ingredients

    Prepare Pizza Toppings

    • 1 lb medium shrimp deveined and shelled
    • 1 tablespoon Spicy Skillet Dry Rub (RECIPE below)
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
    • 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
    • 2-3 slices thick bacon cut into 1/2" pieces
    • 1/2 large sweet onion sliced into thin strips, root to tip
    • 1/2 red bell pepper cut into thin strips

    Polenta Pizza Crust

    • 1 cup medium-grind cornmeal I use Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Organic Cornmeal
    • ½ cup flour I use Bob's Red Mill GF Flour
    • 1 tablespoon Spicy Skillet Dry Rub (RECIPE Below)
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 cup milk
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 egg lightly beaten
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    Final Steps

    • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
    • 2-3 green onions sliced

    Instructions

    Prepare Pizza Toppings

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

    2. Marinate Shrimp: In medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, Spicy Skillet Dry Rub, and minced garlic to make a thick paste. Add shrimp and toss to coat thoroughly. Allow to marinate while you roast the tomatoes. 

    3. Roast Tomatoes: While shrimp is marinating, roast the cherry tomatoes. To do this, toss the tomatoes lightly in a little olive oil and spread on a heavy sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from oven and set aside. 

    4. Prepare Shrimp & Veggies: In a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium heat, fry bacon pieces until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove bacon from skillet and set aside. 

    5. Add chopped onion and red bell pepper to hot skillet and sauté in bacon drippings until soft and translucent. 

    6. Push all the vegetables to one side of the pan. Stir in shrimp and and cook 3-4 minutes, or until just barely pink. (DO NOT overcook!)

    7. Set shrimp mixture aside while you make pizza crust. If you are using the same skillet for the pizza, just put the shrimp mixture in a bowl and wipe your cast iron skillet clean before beginning the next step. 

    Polenta Pizza Crust

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

    2. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and Spicy Skillet Dry Rub.

    3. In a medium saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until tiny bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from stove and stir until butter is completely melted. 

    4. Add the hot milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to blend. Whisk in the beaten egg and thoroughly combine. Let set briefly while you prepare skillet. 

    5. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet or round griddle over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and swirl oil to thoroughly cover pan. Give the cornmeal mixture one more good whisking, then carefully pour prepared cornmeal batter into hot griddle and spread evenly with spatula.

    6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the top is set and the bottom is beginning to brown. 

    Final Steps

    1. Remove prepared crust from oven, and switch oven to broil. 

    2. Optional: If you wish, you can flip the crust over at this time. I do this because I like the browned part facing up, plus it gives the other side a chance to brown a bit too. 

    3. Sprinkle prepared pizza crust with a generous cup of shredded cheddar cheese, then place under broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. 

    4. Remove from oven and distribute shrimp mixture and roasted tomatoes evenly across pizza crust. 

    5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheddar over top. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes - just long enough to melt the cheese on top. Remove from oven.

    6. Garnish with sliced green onions. Cut into slices and serve warm. 

    TIP: This recipe makes one 10-inch pizza. If your skillet is larger or smaller, adjust amounts accordingly.

    Click here for more details about how to make Polenta Pizza Crust

    The Spicy Skillet Dry Rub recipe below was originally created for Spicy Pan-fried Rockfish; however, I’ve used it on everything from roasted vegetables to barbecued steak, and it is amazing every single time. It’s especially great on shrimp, and really makes this Shrimp & Grits Pizza pop!

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman

    It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of cast iron cooking, and my 10.5-inch griddle is one of the pieces I use nearly every day.  If cast iron is something you’re thinking about investing in, I suggest starting with a 10-inch chef’s skillet and following it up with a 10.5-inch round griddle. These are the two cast iron items I use most often, followed closely by my beautiful cast iron pie plate!

    5 from 6 votes
    Print

    Spicy Skillet Dry Rub

    Course Condiment
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 5 minutes
    Author Skillet, Seattle, WA [IFBC 2015]

    Ingredients

    • 5 tablespoons smoked paprika
    • 1 tablespoons garlic salt
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 1 tablespoons ground pasilla pepper
    • 2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper
    • 1 tablespoons ground New Mexico chili pepper
    • 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard powder
    • 5 teaspoons white granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

    Instructions

    1. Mix all ingredients. Store in an air-tight container. 

    Recipe Notes

    Ingredient Substitution: If you don't have all the dried peppers on hand, just substitute 3 tablespoons of regular chili powder for the ground pasilla, chipotle, and New Mexico chili peppers. 

    Tip: You can find the ground pasilla pepper and ground New Mexico chili pepper used in this dry rub in the Mexican/Hispanic foods aisle of most grocery stores (in my area, Winco, Freddy’s, and Safeway all stock them) or in your local Hispanic Mercado (i.e., Su Casa Imports, El Mercado, etc). I found the ground chipotle pepper in the bulk section at Winco. All of the dried ground peppers are very inexpensive and the recipe makes a lot of dry rub, so it will go a long way.

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and Print this recipe!

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman #glutenfree #pizzarecipe    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman #glutenfree #pizzarecipe

    This Shrimp & Grits Pizza {with Gluten-free Polenta Crust} honors the flavors and essence of its classic Southern roots, while presenting the components of this time-honored favorite in a deliciously unique way. | The Good Hearted Woman #glutenfree #pizzarecipe

    P.S. I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    ♥︎ Did you love this Cast Iron “Shrimp & Grits” Pizza recipe? If so, I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review in the comment section below! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished pizza and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #thegoodheartedwoman.

     

    Hattie B’s Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe}

    By 79 Comments

    Eat it in Nashville or make it at home. Either way, Nashville Hot Chicken is fiery, spicy, crispy, burn-your-tongue-but-can’t-stop-yourself, eat-it-’til-your-buttons-pop good!

    Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Nashville | The Good Hearted Woman
    This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

    I love fried chicken. I don’t eat it often, but I love it. Back when I was a kid, my BFF’s Gramma Barbara kind of adopted me. She was fun and irreverent, and to this day I love her like my own.

    Grandma B made ⋆ THE BEST ⋆ southern fried chicken I’ve ever eaten, or ever hope to eat, in my life. Tender, juicy, crispy, and seasoned just right, Gramma B’s chicken was so finger-licking delicious that it tasted like it had been fried in heaven. It was Perfect.

    Gramma B will be 95 in a few weeks, so she’s not cooking much these days. Here she is standing the kitchen where she made the last batch of her heavenly fried chicken.

    Gramma Barbara tried to teach me to make fried chicken a couple of times, and I think I got the basics down fine, but I could never make it quite as good as she did. I don’t know if was her skillet, or the lard (of course it was the lard) or some other sublime combination of environmental and mystical factors, but her fried chicken was absolutely divine and mine was, at best, pretty darn good.

    In my quest to scratch my fried chicken itch, I’ve ordered fried chicken at nearly every place in Portland that serves it, and while some turn out a very decent plate, not even Screen Door – Portland’s refined Southern restaurant and brunch mecca, where the lines go around the block and the chicken and waffles are stacked to the ceiling – not even that rings that elusive Gramma B-worthy, chicken-fried bell for me. There’s always something missing.

    Then we went to Tennessee – and discovered Hot Chicken.

    Nashville Hot Chicken is heaven and hell in a one transcendent bite.

    Nashville Hot Chicken is a hyper-regional specialty with a long, colorful, sordid history involving a philandering man, a jealous woman hell-bent on revenge, and a whole lot ‘a hot pepper juice.

    The origins of Nashville Hot Chicken is a finely-woven tale that I simply can’t do justice and still keep this post under a couple thousand words, so I’m not even going to try. (And I don’t need to, because The Bitter Southerner has done a bang-up job telling the story for us: when you have a minute or ten, I strongly encourage you to read this great post about how Nashville Hot Chicken really came be!)

    ⋆ If you love Spicy and Fried Chicken, are traveling through Nashville, and can only eat one meal, make it THIS ⋆

    While Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is the acknowledged home of the original Nashville Hot Chicken, when we were in town, we opted to go to relative newcomer Hattie B’s Hot Chicken instead. 

    Reviews said that the lines can get really long here (at the west Nashville location) but we arrived relatively late for a weekday – around 8:30 pm – and had hardly any wait at all.

    We ordered two small plates (which turned out to be a ton of food!). Each plate came with a chicken quarter (dark meat for Mr B, light for me) and two sides. Mr B got baked beans and I ordered the potato salad, and we both got coleslaw.  

    Our chicken arrived very quickly, stacked in a basket between the traditional slice of white bread, topped with a dill pickle. It only took me one bite to know that Hattie B’s Hot Chicken was absolutely amazing. Possibly addictive.

    Hattie B’s Nashville Hot Chicken is literally the first chicken I’ve eaten in at least twenty years that even comes close to Grandma B’s fried chicken – with one important caveat: instead tasting like chicken sent from heaven, it tastes more like the devil himself cooked up a batch of fried chicken on his day off. 

    Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    I need that recipe!!! 

    When we got back to Oregon our hotel room (like I waited until we went home 😉 ), I immediately searched Nashville Hot Chicken, and was absolutely thrilled to find Hattie B’s recipe right here, in Lee Brian Schrager’s cookbook Fried & True: More than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides. 

    Well, you can bet that it took me less than a Tennessee minute to order it.(Which, come to think of it, is probably substantially longer than a New York minute, but still…)

    When my copy of Fried & True arrived, I opened it to find the pages bursting with great recipes, valuable tips and cooking methods, personal stories, and a true love of fried chicken.

    ⋆ If you love Spicy and Fried Chicken and can only make one meal, make it THIS Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe ⋆

    Total props and credit for this Hattie B’s Nashville Hot Chicken recipe go to Fried & True author Lee Brian Schrager. The ingredients list in the recipe below come directly from the book; however, the directions have been rewritten.

    Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

    After the fry, you have the wet application. I take some soybean oil from the fryer, get it really hot, and add the dry rub into that fat. The heat activates all the spices. You want it hot enough that when you baste it over the fried chicken, the skin stays nice and crispy.

    Matt Duckor, The Secret Behind Hattie B’s Legendary Hot Chicken

    Note that the following Nashville Hot Chicken recipe is gauged as Medium Hot. Adjust spices according to your own tastes. 

    Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman
    Print

    Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe}

    Cuisine Southern
    Author Lee Brian Schrager, Fried & True

    Ingredients

    For the Dry Brine

    • 1 whole chicken 3 pounds, washed, patted dry, and cut into quarters
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

    For the Dip

    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

    For the Dredge

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons sea salt
    • Vegetable oil for frying

    For the Spicy Coating

    • 1/2 hot frying oil or hot lard
    • 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
    • 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

    Garnish

    • Dill pickle slices
    • White bread optional

    Instructions

    Step 1: The Dry-Brine

    1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken pieces, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Up to 24 hours)

    Step 2: The Dip & Dredge

    1. Whisk together the milk, eggs, and hot sauce in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the four and salt.
    2. Drag the chicken through the flour mixture, coating evenly. Dip the floured chicken in the milk mixture, and then once again in the flour mixture. Shake off exceess between each step.

    Step 3: The Fry

    1. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer until it is between 350° - 375° F. The oil needs to be deep enough for the chicken to fully submerge.
    2. The temperature will drop when you add the chicken. Keep the oil at 300° to 325° F while the chicken fries. (See NOTES)
    3. Working in batches, use tongs to carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until crispy. (15-17 minutes for breast quarters; 18-20 minutes for leg quarters.) Remove chicken from oil and allow to drain on wire rack.

    Step 4: The Spicy Coating

    1. Ladle hot frying oil into a heatproof bowl. Whisk in cayenne, brown sugar, and spices. Baste the spice mixture over the hot fried chicken.

    Step 5: The Serve

    1. If you want to go traditional, serve your Hot Chicken up over a slice of white bread. Garnish with dill pickle slices.

    Recipe Notes

    IMPORTANT: The oil needs to maintain an optimal temperature of 325° while the chicken is frying. However, the oil temp will drop at least 25° when you add the chicken, so initially you need to heat the oil up to about 350°.

    It’s important to maintain the correct temperature for frying chicken of 325° F. If the temperature of oil in the pan drops down below 300°, the chicken will begin to absorb the cooking oil, resulting in greasy, soggy chicken. If it rises above about 340°, the chicken will cook too quickly on the outside, and not get done in the middle. When fried at the correct temperature, the chicken will come out golden brown, having absorbed very little oil.

    Read more about Nashville Hot Chicken's rough and tumble history, and get some great recipes in the deal! Hot Chicken Cookbook: The Fiery History & Red-Hot Recipes of Nashville's Beloved Bird.Hot Chicken Cookbook: The Fiery History & Red-Hot Recipes of Nashville’s Beloved Bird. Read more about Nashville Hot Chicken’s rough and tumble history, and get some great recipes in the deal!

     
     
     
     

     

    Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and Print this Nashville Hot Chicken recipe!

    Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman #friedchicken #southernfood #chickenrecipes   Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman #friedchicken #southernfood #chickenrecipes Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman #friedchicken #southernfood #chickenrecipes

    What is a favorite regional specialty from your part of the world? Let us know in the comments! 

     

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    Finger-lickin’ Down-home Southern Cooking {15 Recipes}

    By 29 Comments

    Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics.

    Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

    When I think of Southern cooking, I think smoky, sweet, and smokin’ hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C. As Mr B says, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.”

    Speaking of Smokin’ Hot…

    If you like your fried chicken with a side of scandalous backstory, all served up on a slice of white bread with a pickle, Nashville Hot Chicken is right up your alley. This Easy Nashville Hot Chicken from Bacon is Magic uses another well-known southern ingredient to kick the heat up: Tabasco.

    Hot Chicken | The Good Hearted Woman

    Easy Nashville Hot Chicken from Bacon is Magic

    If you want to check out another Hot Chicken recipe, Mr B and I had some amazing Hot Chicken when we were in Nashville at a little chicken joint called Hattie B’s, a place famous for their hot chicken. The best part is, they freely share their recipe with the public! YES! You read that correctly!! You can find it here.

    You can also read more about Nashville Hot Chicken’s rough and tumble past, and get some great recipes in the deal, check out Hot Chicken Cookbook: The Fiery History & Red-Hot Recipes of Nashville’s Beloved Bird [affiliate link].

    Shrimp & Grits 

    I am totally in love with shrimp and cheesy grits; in fact, it may even be my new favorite thing! I can’t wait to make these Buffalo Shrimp and Blue Cheese Grits from Taste & See!

    Shrimp and Grits may be the epitome of southern cuisine. So much so that some people refer to the south as the “Grits Belt.” It is a staple throughout much of the southern US and especially many “low country” coastal towns (think Charleston, New Orleans, or Jekyll Island, GA).

    ~Holly,  Taste & See

    * * *

    Here’s another spin – Cajun Shrimp and Kale Cheesy Polenta from Body Compass Discovery.

    Shrimp & Polenta | The Good Hearted Woman

    Cajun Shrimp and Kale Cheesy Polenta from Body Compass Discovery

    * * *

    Vegetables (sort of) and More Grits

     This Old Fashioned Southern Corn Pudding from Basil & Bubbly is even purported to have magical powers!

    It’s the best kind of “secret weapon” dish. Delicious and requiring practically zero effort if you use canned corn, but absolutely sublime when you have the time to go through the trouble of using fresh cobs, this corn pudding will make you friends, clean your house, and increase your worldwide influence.

    ~ Marianne, Basil & Bubbly

    * * *

    Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls with Sausage, Scrambled Eggs & Spinach from Family Food on the Table are loaded with crumbled sausage, soft scrambled eggs and sautéed spinach for a hearty, delicious start to the day!

    Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls with Sausage, Scrambled Eggs & Spinach from Family Food | The Good Hearted Woman

    Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls from Family Food on the Table

    * * *

    Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island is based on the classic Southern dish where thickly sliced ripe tomatoes are set into a single pie crust, covered in a slurry of mayo and grated cheese, and then baked into a bubbling cauldron of pure comfort.

    Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island | The Good Hearted Woman

    Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island

    * * *

    Teri, from Buy This Cook That is one of my favorite food bloggers. Here’s what she has to say about her Daddy Dale’s Tennessee Tomato Gravy recipe.

    It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, Tomato Gravy is good Southern food… First and foremost, do NOT mistake this for tomato or pasta sauce.  This is not an Italian-style tomato sauce. Although I would totally scarf this tomato gravy down on top of spaghetti. Just sayin’. 

    HINT: Try this over my Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits for a real stick-to-your-ribs meal. 

    * * *

    Pulled Pork & BBQ

    I have to admit, I got an education when I was putting this round-up together. I knew that BBQ styles were regional, but I had no idea how tightly drawn those regional lines were. I have a feeling that if I actually lived in the South, I would discover places where the style differed from one town to another.

    This North Carolina Pulled Pork recipe and tutorial comes to us from Simon, who walks us through a recipe from American pitmaster Steven Raichlen, well known for his BBQ television show “BBQ University.”

    Pulled Pork is one of those recipes that can make you a BBQ legend among your friends. What most people don’t know is that it’s not as hard as it looks! Once your meat is smoking you barely need to do a thing to end up with a delicious piece of meat. 

    Simon, The BBQ Bastard

    NC Pulled Pork from The BBQ Bastard | The Good Hearted Woman

    North Carolina Pulled Pork from The BBQ Bastard

    * * *

    Goodie Godmother offers a different take with the Godfather’s Eastern North Carolina Style Pork Shoulder with spicy vinegar sauce.

    * * *

    While this next recipe may horrify BBQ traditionalists all over the South, there is definitely something to be said for the ease of using a slow cooker to do the job. With just 15 minutes of prep, Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C can be waiting for you after a long day. The tender meat has a nice vinegar kick and sweet heat.

    Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C | The Good Hearted Woman

    Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C

    * * *

    Simon the BBQ Bastard 😉 shares another entry from pitmaster Steven Raichlen, with Red Eye Ribs. 

    Red Eye Ribs from The BBQ Bastard | The Good Hearted Woman

    Red Eye Ribs from The BBQ Bastard

    * * *

    In the Carolinas, vinegar based barbecue sauce and pulled pork go hand in hand.  You can’t have one without the other. This Carolina Barbecue Sauce comes to us from Katie at A Fork’s Tale, who puts it succinctly: “Us Southerners are crazy over Sauce.”

    Carolina BBQ Sauce from A Fork's Tale | The Good Hearted Woman

    Carolina BBQ Sauce from A Fork’s Tale

    * * *

    Dessert

    Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well is tart, fresh, and sweet – perfect for picnics or summer gatherings.

    Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well | The Good Hearted Woman

    Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well

    * * *

    This patriotic Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn’s Farm Table is the perfect way for Americans to celebrate Independence Day, or any patriotic holiday. I thought it was important to share the impetus behind it as well.

    Miss American Flag Pie represents women’s perseverance to defend their rights. We shouldn’t have to fight for our rights again. It’s a reminder to get involved on any level and be proud to be a powerful woman in the land of the free. 

    ~ Jenn, Jenn’s Farm Table

    Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn's Farm Table | The Good Hearted Woman

    Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn’s Farm Table

    * * *

    Adult Beverages

    These ice cold Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula are a fragrant and refreshing twist on a classic. Perfect for sipping on a warm day!

    Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula | The Good Hearted Woman

    Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula

    * * *

    I’ll end this post in the same way that Mr B likes to end a hot summer day: with an ice cold mule. (OK, more often than not, he has a beer, but I do need to wrap this up and he does love a good mule on a hot day, so just go with it…) This Blackberry Sage Kentucky Mule from The Gastronom holds flavors of summer in a cold copper cup.

    * * *

    Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
    Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

    Slow & Easy White Chicken Chili {5 Ways!}

    By 3 Comments

    Today I’m sharing a simple, belly pleasing, stick-to-your ribs recipe that will take all of 20 minutes of your time to prepare. You can let the slow cooker do all the work for the other approximately 20 hours (for the Slow Version) or 2 hours (for the Lightning Version) that it takes to cook.

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman

    As written, this White Chicken Chili is relatively mild, but you can spice it up by leaving the seeds in the jalapenos and/or adding more of them to the mix.

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman

    Depending upon which approach you take to making this White Chicken Chili, it will take you between two and 24 hours to prepare, but your actual hands-on prep time remains constant – about 20 minutes. All five versions listed produce delicious, savory results:

    • Slow: 20 hours – recipe as directed: overnight soak, then slow cooker on low.
    • Moderate: 18-19 hours – recipe as directed: overnight soak, then slow cooker on high.
    • Moderately fast:  10-12 hours – “Fast Soak” beans. (See Fast Soak Instructions at the bottom of the post) Continue with recipe as directed, with slow cooker on low.
    • Fast: 5-6 hours – “Fast Soak” beans. Continue with recipe as directed, with slow cooker on high.
    • Lightning: 1 1/2 – 2 hours – Use canned beans. Continue with recipe as directed. Cook in slow cooker on high for at least one hour.
    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy fre & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman
    Print

    White Chicken Chili

    Servings 2 quarts
    Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb small white beans or 2 - 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • Juice of 1/2 lime
    • 2- 4 oz can diced green chilis
    • 1 - 2 jalapenos minced (for mild chili, removed seeds)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • 1 lb shredded chicken
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 1 lb cooked shredded chicken
    • Toppings: avocado slices lime wedges, sour cream, tortilla strips, and chopped cilantro

    Instructions

    1. Soak beans for 4-8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse.
    2. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the onions are translucent and just beginning to turn brown.
    3. Combine sautéed onions and garlic, soaked beans, and all of the remaining ingredients except the chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours (or high for 4-5 hours), or until the beans are very tender. (Add additional broth or water if necessary.)
    4. When beans are very tender, use an immersion blender or potato mashed to mash some of the beans up. This will slightly thicken chili. (Don’t overdo it though or you will have bean puree!)
    5. Add chicken about thirty minutes before the chili is done.
    6. Serve with toppings on the side: avocado slices, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla strips, and chopped cilantro are all good choices.

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy fre & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman
    How to FAST SOAK beans:

    In a medium saucepan, cover the beans with enough water so that it is at least an inch above the top of the beans. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat. Cook for one minute, and then remove from heat. Cover pot and allow beans to soak for one hour. Drain and rise beans before proceeding.

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman

    “To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.”
    ― Aristophanes, The Knights

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman

    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman
    Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {Gluten free, dairy free & low fat| The Good Hearted Woman
    Sponsors
    Society of American Travel Writers  
    Privacy Policy