Corn Bread

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and divided

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into an 8-inch square baking pan. Place the pan in the oven until it is very hot, about 2 minutes. It's ok if the butter browns a little. remove the pan from the oven.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, egg, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Pour into the well and mix with a wooden spoon just until the batter is smooth; do not overmix. Return the pan to the oven and heat for one minute. Remove from the oven and spread the batter evenly into the hot pan.

Bake until the top is golden brown, and it springs back when pressed in the center, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Cut into 9 squares and serve hot. 

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Rick Rodgers' The Carefree Cook

 

Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

1 pound extra-lean ground beef 

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups hot water

1 cup (8 ounces) tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup dry small elbow macaroni, cooked

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans

hot sauce to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients except macaroni, beans, hot sauce, and cheese in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Turn on high, and add macaroni, beans, and hot sauce to taste. Cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Place in individual serving bowls and top with cheese.

Serves 6.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson. Blessed Trinity Catholic Community adapted from Phyllis Pellman Good's Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook

Bay Scallop and Prosciutto Ramen Bowl

4 ounces bay scallops, thawed

4 thin slices prosciutto

4 cups water

2 3-ounce packages of chicken-flavored ramen

1 chicken-flavored spice packet

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place prosciutto on cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until crispy, being careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Turn oven temperature to warm.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the noodles to the water and cook for about 3 minutes until noodles are soft. Drain all the water from the pan, add the contents of the spice packet, and mix well. Evenly distribute the noodles into 2 individual serving bowls, crumble two slices of prosciutto over the noodles in each bowl, and put in the oven to keep warm while cooking the scallops.

In the same saucepan that the noodles cooked in, melt the butter over low heat, add the scallops, and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes until done. Add a few turns of fresh cracked black pepper. Remove the bowls from the oven and divide the scallops and butter sauce evenly between the two bowls; serve immediately.

Serves two.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community

Mardi Gras Breakfast Egg Bake

3 cups hash browns

8 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded cheese (divided)

Onions, peppers, paprika, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole pan. Spread hash browns in the bottom of the pan. Season to taste. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Stir in 1 1/2 cup of the cheese, cooked onions, and bell peppers, if desired. Pour over hash browns and sprinkle with remaining cheese and paprika.

3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, taken from the March 9, 2025, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community bulletin

Fish Rub

1 tablespoon white peppercorns

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put all the ingredients on an oven-proof sheet or pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool slightly and process all spices until finely ground in a spice grinder or blender. Goes well on fried or baked fish.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from The South Beach Diet

Baked Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks

5 to 8 chicken drumsticks

Your favorite rub or blackening seasoning

salt and ground pepper

Your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. If the drumsticks have skin on them pull the skin down the drumstick to bone end. Rub the drumstick with your favorite rub or seasonings. If your rub has no salt, then season the drumsticks with salt and pepper if desired. Bake until tender about 40 minutes.

Remove the drumsticks from the oven, brush with the barbeque sauce, and return to the oven. Bake another 10-12 minutes, halfway through turn the drumsticks and baste with more sauce. Serve with additional sauce.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Everyday Food Magazine.

Deconstructed Spinach Salad

5 ounces baby spinach

1 recipe White Italian Vinegar Dressing

1 cup either toasted hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts

1 cup either dried sweetened cherries, cranberries, or apricots snipped into small pieces

6 ounces feta, or goat cheese

Place spinach in a large bowl. Put the remaining ingredients each in their own small bowl or container. When ready to serve mix enough salad dressing into the spinach to lightly moisten the leaves. Individually plate the spinach and pass around the remaining ingredients to add to the spinach as you like.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, inspired by Andrea Chesman's Serving Up the Harvest