Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South: #7: Ladies Who Lunch Eat Hot Chicken Salad!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook.  

If you live in The South and you're a lady who lunches, then you are MOST DEFINITELY going to be eating chicken salad. You're going to be eating it cold on salads, croissants, toast points, and as tiny little tea sandwiches. You're gonna be eating all the different versions: cubed chicken and shredded chicken, chicken salad with fruit, chicken salad without fruit, chicken salad with nuts and without nuts. Chicken salad will be served on cucumber slices, apple and pear slices, and in celery. And just when you think chicken salad CANNOT be served in any other way, it will be served HOT!

Yes, you read that right, HOT. Paula Deen has a version where chicken salad is baked with crumbled potato chips on top and my cookbook, Just A Few Miles South by Ouita Michel, has a Hot Chicken Salad consisting of: chopped chicken, wild rice, white rice, sliced water chestnuts, cream cheese, mayo, white Cheddar cheese, sour cream, red onion, diced celery, and salt and pepper, to taste.

So look...I would be remiss if I didn't include some type of chicken salad in my Southern Summer Series and I'm surprised I've made it to week #7 without it, BUT here we are, Ouita Michel's Hot Chicken Salad. BECAUSE...there is just absolutely no stopping us with Every.Single.Version. of Chicken Salad down in the South. If one thing is for sure, we ladies down South will be eating chicken salad for lunch.  

And let me just tell you now...this version is so delicious it should come with a warning! The creaminess of the chicken, with the crunch of the water chestnuts, and the golden brown crispy bits along the edge of the casserole... this is chicken salad heaven! It's truly a must make dish!

Hot Chicken Salad

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 14-16 servings

3-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey

3/4 cup dry wild rice, cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup white rice, cooked according to package directions

2 (8-ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup minced red oinon

1 cup small-diced celery

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a deep 13x9" pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. 

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling around the edges and hot in the middle. It's pretty much a rule that you have to serve this with a nice green salad on the side.  

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

 

Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo {So light and delicious}!

Listen up, folks! DO NOT SLEEP ON CHICKEN MEATBALLS! In the past few months I have made a variety of meals using ground and they have been our favorite recipes lately.

First there were the Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Lemon Orzo which were so refreshingly light and delicious. Then there was the Buffalo Chicken Burger, which was SO GOOD if you love all things buffalo flavored. Then we made the Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce and those were spicy and cheesy and very moreish! We loved all those ground chicken dishes so much we picked another one this week, Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo! 

This Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo recipe is probably our favorite of the bunch! The meatballs are light and herby with just the right touch of Parmesan. They pair so well with the creamy tomato orzo and it really is the perfect, light, flavorful summer meal. Best of all, it comes together in 30 minutes or less and is also really economical to make.

I will warn you, this recipe makes A LOT of tomato orzo, which is great because it is delicious, BUT you might want to double up on the chicken meatballs. They were so delicious that my husband and son were plucking the meatballs right out of the pan into their mouths. When the meal was over, we had plenty of tomato orzo left, but the chicken meatballs were all gone. 

Give one of these delicious chicken meals a try this summer! You really can't go wrong. 

Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, and chives

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Tomato Orzo

3 tablespoons butter

16 ounces orzo

3 tablespoons tomato paste

32 ounces chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

fresh basil, for topping

For The Chicken Meatballs: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs and herbs. Mix gently until just combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip gently and brown the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan, tossing the meatballs around. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature has reach 165R.

For The Tomato Orzo: While the meatballs are cooking, make the orzo. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the orzo and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so the orzo toasts. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the stock along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and stir in the parmesan. Taste and season more if needed. Serve immediately with the chicken meatballs. Add fresh basil and more parmesan for topping. 

With Tomatoes @ IHCC!
 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #6: Whitesburg Soup Beans and Buttermilk Cornbread!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

We're over halfway through with our Southern Summer Series, which is kinda sad because that means that summer is a little over halfway over. But, things are still delicious so that's good. This week we have a Kentucky staple from the hills of Appalachia, Whitesburg Soup Beans and Buttermilk Cornbread.

This is complete and total comfort food and it's really not all that unhealthy either. 

The beans take about 7 hours, four to five hours to soak and then another two hours to cook, so plan accordingly. The cornbread only takes about 20-30 minutes, and you should serve it as hot as can be straight from the skillet so have the beans hot and ready to go!

The soup beans are mild but flavorful and comforting and they pair so dang well with the Buttermilk Cornbread. 

When it comes to the cornbread, try to save yourself some bacon fat to season the bottom of the cast iron pan before adding the cornbread batter in. The cast iron pan and the bacon fat heat up in the pan and the pan should be really hot when you pour the cornbread batter in. You should hear a sizzle. This ensures a really nice crust on the bottom. The skillet cornbread bakes up fast, 15 minutes or so and you wanna serve it straight away with a nice ice cream size scoop of butter on top.

Now you're ready for total comfort food. Ladle some soup beans in a bowl and cut yourself a wedge or two of cornbread and get to dippin'!  

Whitesburg Soup Beans

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 2 quarts

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 cup chopped white onion

5-6 ounces boneless country ham, diced

1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons kosher salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pick pinto beans for pebbles, rinse until clean, and place in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover with cold water and soak 5-6 hours. Drain. Return to the pot, cover beans with about 3 quarts of water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down to a slow simmer and continue to cook until the beans change color and are slightly softened but not mushy, about 2 hours. Taste for seasoning. Serve with Buttermilk Cornbread or Hoecakes.

 

Buttermilk Cornbread

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 1 large skillet bread or 12 wedges

1-1/3 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, beaten

1-1/3 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings

Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 400F. In a medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, buttermilk, and melted butter and mix well with a whisk. Carefully remove the hot cast-iron skillet from the oven and drop in 1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings, swirl quickly to coat the pan, and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes, until the butter bubbles and turns dark golden brown. Remove the skillet from the oven again and pour in the batter. Return immediately to the oven and bake 18-23 minutes, until the edges are brown and the center is firm to the touch. Cut into 12 wedges. Serve immediately with butter and/or Whitesburg Soup Beans. 

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

 

 

Bang Bang Salmon Bowls

We love Bang Bang Shrimp so we wanted to try out some Bang Bang Salmon Bowls!

This is a perfect summer meal. Light, flavorful, and refreshing. Make up some jasmine rice, slice up some cucumber, shred some carrot. 

Then make up the delicious Bang Bang Sauce: mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar. Gosh is that sauce good!

The chunks of salmon get tossed in a simple seasoning blend of garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper before getting doused in the Bang Bang Sauce.

We loved this and will be eating it on repeat all summer long! I'd like to try a shrimp version and maybe even a chicken version.

Bang Bang Salmon Bowls

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

For The Salmon: 

2 pounds salmon, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced cucumbers, for serving

1 large carrot, finely grated, for serving

jasmine rice, cooked and ready for serving

For the Bang Bang Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce

2 teaspoons Sriracha

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon rice vinegar 

For the Salmon: Cut the salmon into 1 inch chunks. Season all over with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. making sure all sides are seasoned. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon pieces in a single layer (you may have to do this in a double batch so they all fit). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden brown. Flip each piece of salmon and cook on the other side until golden. At this point, the salmon should be done but you can check by cutting into a piece or two. Transfer the salmon to a large plate and repeat with the remaining salmon if needed. Cover the salmon all over with green onions, sprinkling a few more into the bang bang sauce.

To Make the Bang Bang Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients until creamy and smooth and combined,. This stays great in the fridge for a few days.

To Assemble the Bowls: Spoon some rice on the bottom. Top with the cucumbers, carrots, salmon. Drizzle the Bang Bang Sauce over the ingredients and top with more green onions, if desired. Enjoy! 

Healthy Bowls @ IHCC!
 

photo credit

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #5: Buttermilk Chess Pie! {and American Pie #3}

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we have a dessert! A traditional southern pie, Buttermilk Chess Pie. Chess pie is a custard dessert pie made with eggs, sugar, butter and flour in a pastry crust. It is usually flavored with lemon juice and vanilla and is sometimes thickened with cornmeal. 

There are a few theories about how the pie got it's name. One is that it refers to a "chest" where pies were stored before refrigeration. Another theory is that it comes from a Southern accent of mishearing "just pie" or "jes' pie." There is another theory that it might be a variation of cheese pie, but there's no cheese in the recipe so I think the name takes roots in the southern accent itself.

This Buttermilk Chess Pie is not thickened with cornmeal. In fact, it has very few ingredients. Once you blind bake the pie crust things come together very quickly. A quick mix of eggs, melted butter, sugar, flour, salt, buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and nutmeg and you're ready to pour it in the pie shell and bake.

 I've had versions of Chess Pie several times, but this is my first time making it. It is sweet and creamy like custard with subtle hints of vanilla and lemon. It's a subtle pie, but one that is delicious and that you can likely make with pantry ingredients. You can serve it like is, or dollop a little whipped cream on top with some berries on the side. 

Buttermilk Chess Pie

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

1 recipe Midway Bakery All-Butter Pie Crust, blind baked*

3 large eggs

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

 

Midway Bakery All-Butter Pie Crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 stick butter (cut into small pieces), 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar, 2-1/2 to 4 tablespoons cold whole milk. Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is broken into very small pieces and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar and then slowly pour in milk, pusling until the dough comes together. Remove from the processor and knead on a floured surface several times. Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. 

To blind bake a pie crust, roll out the dough, line a pie pan with it, flute the edges, and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Freeze the crust in the pan for as least 30 minutes. While the crust is freezing, preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the crust from the freezer and line it with parchment paper, allowing about 2 inches to hang over the sides to serve as handles for lifting. Make sure to fit the parchment snugly into the angle where the bottom meets the sides. Fill the pan to the top with uncooked dry beans or rice or ceramic pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Using the parchment handles, remove the weights from the pie, reduce the temperature to 325F, and continue baking 15 minutes, until the crust has dried out and is light golden brown. Allow it to cool to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The rice or beans can be reused as pie weights many times. 

For the Buttermilk Chess Filling: Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add butter, sugar, flour, and salt. Then add buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and nutmeg, if desired. Mix to combine.  Pour into the cooled pie shell. Bake 40 minutes, or until the center is firm and set when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack before serving.   

 

 

Marinated Tomato BLATS {THIS IS THE BEST BLT YOU WILL EVER EAT}!!

In the summer two things are for certain: I'm going to be growing lettuce in my container garden and I'm going to be eating my lettuce in tons of BLTs! 

Now we love a BLT in my house and we practically live on them in the summer once the lettuce starts coming in. Normally I make a classic BLT using farmer's market tomatoes and my homegrown lettuce. This year I wanted to branch out and try a lot of variations on the classic BLT.

My first BLT of Summer 2025 was a classic BLT with some homemade Benedictine Spread (cream cheese and cucumber spread). I used the Benedictine Spread in place of mayo and I enjoyed this BLT, but found that I preferred mayo over the Benedictine Spread. (You can see a picture in my last post).

Then I tried a BLT with pimiento cheese and enjoyed that, but again I preferred the classic BLT to that version as well.

Then I tried this version, the Marinated Tomato BLAT and LET ME TELL YOU RIGHT NOW...THIS IS THE VERY BEST BLT YOU WILL EVER EAT! Hands down going to be one of my favorite recipes this year! I've been telling everyone I know about it and I can't recommend it enough! 

So, what is a BLAT? A BLAT is a bacon, lettuce, avocado, and marinated tomato sandwich and it's just simply the best there is! Here's what sets it apart from the rest: MARINATED TOMATOES! All you need to do is find some really good tomatoes, slice them thin, put them in a dish, marinate them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning. You want to try and let the tomatoes marinate for at least an hour, two if possible. 

And secondly, avocado...hello lovely! It belongs on every BLT from now on!

Now here's the best part! This is a no fuss no muss kinda recipe that holds well in the fridge and people can make them up as they get hungry. Buy a loaf of your favorite bread, wash up your lettuce, precook some bacon, and reach in for the marinated tomato. The avocado is the only item that needs cutting right before serving. 

Toast your bread, slather it with mayo and a drizzle of that tomato marinade, add your lettuce, your deliciously marinated tomato, your bacon and your sliced avocado. The marinated tomato and the avocado is what makes this so darn delicious. It's a beauty of a sandwich and it's so fresh and juicy and delicious. We love the layers of flavor and all the textures. It's just the epitome of summer food and WE WILL BE EATING THEM ALL SUMMER! You should too!

Marinated Tomato BLATS

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2

2 ripe and fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

8 pieces sliced bacon 

lettuce, as many pieces as you'd like

1 avocado, thinly sliced, sprinkled with salt and pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 slices of your favorite bread, toasted 

Slice the tomatoes and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and seasoning until combined. Pour it over the tomatoes. Cover the dish and stick the tomatoes in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or even longer. I flip the tomato slices a few times while marinating!

Cook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet at 375F for 12-15 minutes, or until crispy and done as you like. To assemble the sandwiches, toast your bread. If you like, you can drizzle a bit of the tomato marinade on the bread! This makes for a messier but delicious sandwich. Spread one or both bread slices with mayonnaise. Add on your lettuce. Top with a few of the marinated tomato slices. Then top with the bacon and avocado slices,. Finish with the remaining bread, cut, and serve! 

Summer Sandwiches @ IHCC!
 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #4: {Benedictine and Two Sandwiches with Benedictine} A Must-Have Kentucky Derby Spread!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we've got a Kentucky Derby Must-Have, Benedictine! If you haven't heard of Benedictine spread or sandwiches, let me elaborate. Benedictine Spread has roots in Louisville, where it was created by Jennie Benedict in, author of The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. Benedictine is a spread made with cucumbers and cream cheese invented near the 20th century. It is used for making cucumber sandwiches, but it also used as a dip or combined with meat in a sandwich. Some recipes use mayonnaise or green food coloring, but the recipe below does not include either of those. 

This recipe for Benedictine comes directly from the daughter of Jennie Benedict, Lisa Laufer and people say it is the best around. Benedictine is often served with smoked trout on hoecakes (recipe for hoecakes shared last week), or with bacon. Chef Ouita says she likes a BB&T - Benedictine, Bacon, and Tomato on white bread, but that the spread is good on crackers or crudite as well.

Today I have Benedictine two ways: the first, above, is the Benedictine spread on rounds of white bread topped with a sliced cucumber and finely minced parsley. The second, below, is a BLT sandwich with Benedictine spread. Both are equally delicious and great on a hot day! 

Benedictine

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes about 2 cups

2 large cucumbers (about 9 ounces each)

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

onion juice to taste; start with 1/2 teaspoon (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

3 - 4 dashes hot sauce

Peel cucumbers, retaining a bit of skin for color. Puree in a food processor. Squeeze cucumber puree in cheesecloth, removing as much liquid as possible. This keeps the spread from being too runny. Cucumber juice is delicious in a Bloody Mary or chilled with a splash of lemon and vodka. Combine all ingredients in a mixer or food processor and mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Note: For onion juice, grate one-quarter of a peeled onion on a cheese grater and squeeze out the juice using cheesecloth. 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South