November 15, 2011: Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

This is a recipe I found online some many years ago and used one Thanksgiving as a spicy, Southwestern stuffing that was perfect to show my New Mexican heritage. If you want something a lot on the different side to stuff in your Thanksgiving turkey this year, this recipe fits the bill!

This is the chorizo I buy in my grocery store; don't get the dry, Spanish type chorizo for use in this recipe.

Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing

6 cups cornbread, crumbled

½ lb. chorizo sausage

½ cup white or yellow onion, minced

1 can cream style corn

½ cup chopped mild green chiles (freshly roasted or canned)

1 T. fresh cilantro, torn or cut into small pieces

¾ cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cornbread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a skillet, cook chorizo until done, breaking up into small chunks. Drain. In the same skillet, cook the onion just until soft.

In a large bowl, toss together chorizo, cornbread and remaining ingredients. Use mixture to stuff a 10-12 pound turkey or bake in a covered casserole dish for about an hour at 325 degrees (or next to turkey).

Tip: Make the cornbread several days before Thanksgiving, if desired.

May 31, 2011: Mexican Pizza with Jalapeno Cornbread Crust Recipe

Here we are on the last day of the month… already! The summer season has officially begun and 22 years ago today I gave birth to my awesome, wonderful, handsome, intelligent, funny, responsible, hard-working, most precious son. Happy Birthday, Neal!

Now, for the last recipe of the month.

I made this one up the other day. I wanted something Mexican and I was craving pizza and this is what I came up with. Although I always make my refried beans from scratch (I actually don’t refry them but just mash them with the cooking liquid to save on calories) feel free to use a can of good quality beans instead.

Mexican Pizza

Jalapeno Cornbread Crust:
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ t. dry yeast
1 T. honey
1 T. finely chopped jalapenos
1 T. butter, softened
1 t. salt
¼ cup cornmeal
2 – 2 ½ cups flour

In the warmed bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes, until it starts to froth. Add remaining ingredients, through cornmeal. Add one-and-a-half cups of the flour and process on Speed 2 for a couple minutes. Add remaining flour, half cup at a time, until mixture forms a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides, and cover. Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough.

Grease a pizza stone with olive oil. Evenly spread the dough across the pan, using your fingers to bring it to the edges; crimp the edges slightly.

For the Pizza:
2 cups refried beans
1 cup sliced black olives
½ onion, thinly sliced
1/8 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
1 lb. chorizo, cooked and drained of grease
4 slices pepper jack cheese
Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, optional
Taco sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack in lowest position.

Spread the prepared dough with refried beans. Top with olives, onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, and chorizo. Place the four slices of pepper jack cheese around the pizza in a diamond pattern.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and slice into eighths. Top with lettuce, tomato, and taco sauce, if desired.

Makes 8 slices.

April 19, 2011: Southwestern Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Here’s another way to add a bit of spice to your morning. I developed this recipe because I wanted to make a breakfast casserole that was easy to prepare ahead of time and eat on Sunday morning. My husband and I have a Sunday morning tradition of doing the crossword puzzle in the newspaper and then we try to grab a bite to eat before heading off to Sunday school with the service following. It doesn’t give me much time to do the crossword, cook, and get ready all by 9 AM. Since we usually don’t get home until about 12:30 PM, it’s a long time to go without eating.

I based this on my recipe for a traditional breakfast casserole but added a southwestern kick. My husband was leery of this dish while I was making it, but he went back for seconds and even cleaned up the leftover slice the next morning. His only negative comment was about the addition of bell peppers, which he doesn't really like. I hope you enjoy it!

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole

½ pound chorizo sausage, cooked and fat drained (blot with paper towels if there isn’t enough grease to pour off)
3 medium-sized flour tortillas
2 green onions, diced
¼ cup diced bell pepper
1 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 t. dried cilantro), optional
4 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
7 ounces Colby jack cheese, cut into slices (or one package of presliced cheese; use 9 slices)

Add the diced vegetables and seasonings to the beaten egg.

Spray a round pan (a cake pan or deep dish pie plate works well) with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Top with one third of the cooked chorizo and slices of cheese. Repeat layers with remaining two tortillas, chorizo, and cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top. Let sit for a half hour minimum, or overnight in the refrigerator.

To bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 50 minutes, or until eggs are set. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.