My lovely colleague, Susie turned me onto this pasta salad! This is a staple in my house! It has two of my favorite things. Ranch and pasta! It’s a given that this is honestly one of my most favorite dishes! Y’all have to try this recipe at home for yourself! Y’all are gonna love it!!

What you’ll need:

1 box of Rotini pasta (I use the Protein+ noodles)

Small container Cherry tomatoes halved

1 large broccoli head cut into small pieces

1 large can black olives

1 small jar green olives

2 bell peppers

1/2 red onion chopped fine

1 small jalapeño minced

Ranch Style Dressing:

1/2 cup of mayo

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 tsp Tony’s Seasoning

2 tbsp Dill

1 tbsp fresh Chive

1 tbsp Cilantro

1 tbsp fresh Parsley

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper flakes

1/4 tsp smoked Paprika

2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Boil pasta with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. (8 minutes). Drain and put in fridge to cool. Wash and cut all fresh veggies to size. Drain olives and cut them in half. In a separate bowl, mix all ranch dressing ingredients together and chill for about 20 minutes. Add pasta, all veggies and dressing. Mix together in a large bowl until all ingredients are well incorporated. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour for best results.

Top with a little fresh parsley, and slices of lemon.

Serve and enjoy!

I remember going to B’s when I was younger for supper! We always loved when she made spaghetti and homemade meatballs! You could smell it walking up to her front door! This recipe is really simple and easy, but will require a lot of time to let the tomatoes muddle and simmer. You can make a pot as big as you want. We made 3 lbs today!

Ingredients:

3 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

Italian Seasoning to taste

Garlic Salt

Italian breadcrumbs as needed

Angel Hair Pasta

3 large cans of diced tomatoes

2 medium can of tomato paste

1 medium can of tomato sauce

1 jar of mushrooms drained

To Make Sauce:

Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce and garlic salt to taste. Add mushrooms to this mixture as well, and place on medium heat. This recipe requires 5-6 hours simmering.

To Make Meatballs:

Put meat in a separate bowl and add garlic salt, Italian breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning with 2 eggs. Mix well with your mix n’ chop and make sure all ingredients are well acquainted.

Grab you a sheet pan and roll out your meatballs onto the pan. We do generous sized meatballs! Y’all do it to ya likin’.

Drop ‘em in Y’all!

Once you have your sauce simmering, add in your meatballs. They will cook in the sauce. Then the heat down to low and let simmer for 5-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked thoroughly.

“Thicken ‘em up Charles!”

Now, you may find it to be a little runny and that’s totally ok, add in a little cornstarch until you reach the desired consistency of the sauce! I didn’t put this in the ingredients list—this is just a helpful tool.

Cook your angel hair pasta until al dente, then enjoy!

I remember being a kid, going to Nanny’s and she always could look at me and say, “Guess what’s in there” while pointing to the refrigerator. I’d always guess—Chicken Salad? Her smile would radiate! I knew it was gonna involve her homemade sweet pickles and that made the thought of it even more yummy!

I spent the day with momma and we made some of her chicken salad! Honey, it was absolutely divine.

Ingredients:

6 boiled chicken breasts

2 cups of mayonnaise

1 cup chopped purple onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups of chopped sweet pickle or sweet pickle relish

3 chopped boiled eggs

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

Dash of Paprika

Directions:

Boil water for chicken breasts and place in a Dutch oven. Let boil for around 45 minutes. Bring chicken breasts out of the water and let them cool for 30 minutes.

Chop finely, the chicken breast and add to a bowl. Add in mayo, sweet pickle, onion, celery & eggs. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.

Let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours to chill, add more mayo if needed

Top with paprika for garnish if ya like.

To Yo Likin’

I use Dukes Mayo. That’s the best mayonnaise for this salad. Add more mayo to ya taste if ya like. You are free to use what you’d like, but this is how Nanny used to make it. You can even make this same salad with seafood! Using all the same ingredients!

It’s truly a great versatile salad. It’s truly a southern staple for me and brings back memories of Nanny so much!

My dear friend, Cathy taught me how to make some of the best home fries around! I credit her with this one! Same concept but different recipe here!

Whether for breakfast, lunch or supper, these are sure to be fillin’ for all ya guests.

How Ya Make Em’?

For this recipe I used small potatoes, you can catch these at ya local grocery store! Small russet potatoes. Or, you can plow ‘em up outta the garden! Just wash them bad boys up!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of baby russet potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

Lemon Pepper Seasoning to taste

Juice of a half of lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice & Dice Po’ Boy

Preheat ya oven to 425

Slice ya potatoes and quarter them. Lay them out on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon juice and salt and pepper!

Put ‘em in the oven for about 30 minutes. Flipping half way through! You “sho nuff” gonna have a good side dish!

I mean who doesn’t like potatoes!? I put my spin on the seasonings, but you’re welcome to use any seasoning to ya likin’.

This recipe takes me so far back yonder! I remember raiding her pantry to find sweet pickles and cucumber rings!

This is a southern staple! I was thumbing through her recipes and stumbles across this!

Oh what I’d do to be back in her kitchen cooking with her!