The Soul Pan Kitchen

Author: Hunter Padgett

  • Blue Straw Pretzel Salad

    Here lately I’ve had a hankerin’ for strawberries and blueberries! This recipe is sure to please your guests. It’s perfect to take to the family reunion or the cookout!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 ½ cups crushed pretzels
    • ¾ cup butter, melted
    • 4 ½ tablespoons white sugar
    • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
    • 2 cups boiling water
    • 1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O
    • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries
    • 1 (16 ounce) package of blueberries

    Directions:

    Gather ingredients, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees

    Mix together pretzels, melted butter, and 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Press into the bottom of a 9×13-inch dish

    Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.

    In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth.

    Fold in whipped topping and spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

    Stir together boiling water and gelatin mix in a second large bowl. Mix in frozen strawberries and blueberries; stir until thawed.

    Pour over cream cheese mixture in the dish. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

    Y’all Enjoy!

  • Lowcountry Shrimp

    Theres something sweet about the south y’all, but today I made something as savory as time! This fabulous seafood dish will knock the socks off of your next family meal!

    Ingredients:

    2 cups melted Butter 

    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

    2 tablespoons ground pepper

    2 tablespoons Hot sauce 

    4 cloves minced garlic 

    2 teaspoons salt 

    2 lbs unpeeled medium shrimp 

    2 thinly sliced lemons  

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 400º.

    Stir together the butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pepper, hot sauce, garlic and salt. Pour half this mixture into a large heatproof dish. Layer half the shrimp and half the lemon slices in the dish; then form a second layer with the remaining shrimp and lemon slices, and pour remaining sauce into the dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink.

    You can use the sauce for dipping that’s left in the pan.

  • Southern Tomato Cracker Salad

    This summer treat takes me back to my childhood! Tomato sandwiches were all the rage and still are! Try this salad for that same mouthwatering bite! Y’all have to try this!

    Ingredients

    • 1 sleeve saltine crackers crushed
    • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (I use fresh tomatoes in summer
    • 1/4 cup onion chopped (can use green onions)
    • 1/4 cup green pepper chopped
    • 5 eggs boiled, peeled and chopped
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

    Instructions

    • Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the crackers together in a bowl. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Right before you serve, add the crushed crackers and serve on a lettuce bed. Makes about 5 cups of salad.

  • Nanny’s Red Cucumber Rings

    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!

  • Creamy Tater Soup

    One thing we used to do when we were in the lowcountry of South Carolina, was make a pot of potato soup on rainy or cold days! Potato soup always was a go to for me!

    I start off with a bag of small golden potatoes. They’re easier to peel or halve. I half them and set them aside. I gather Parmesan cheese, carrots, celery, purple onion and dice these real good and place them to the side.

    Start with Ya Bacon

    In a Dutch oven on medium heat I throw bacon pieces into the pot and get them nice and brown. I then remove them from the heat and leave the fat in the Dutch oven. I then throw in the onions and butter and a dash of flour. I let this simmer until the onions are translucent and the butter has completely melted. Around 4-5 minutes.

    Add Ya Taters Y’all

    Take your potato halves and throw ‘em in the pot. Pour in 4 cups of your chicken stock, 2/3 cup of heavy cream, quarter your cream cheese and add, then add the remainder of your veggies, salt and pepper.

    I use hot jambalaya seasoning as well

    Simmer Down Now

    Let this boil for around 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Turn back the heat and let simmer with the top on for 5 additional minutes.

    Place in a bowl and top with the bacon bits, green onion and more Parmesan cheese!

    It is DIVINE!

  • White Wine Mussels, Stuffed Mushrooms and Asparagus

    Southern food has always been a part of my life. From a young kid to adulthood, I’ve leaned into my roots and truly embraced southern cooking! But when we add in seafood, it takes me back to those beautiful lowcountry nights in McClellanville, SC with my dear friends, Marsha and Billy!

    Tonight, I made it very easy! White Wine Mussels with Stuffed Mushrooms and Asparagus.

    I preheated my oven to 350 degrees

    I started out by hollowing out the mushrooms and packing them with Parmesan cheese! I greased my cookie sheet and placed each one around 2 inches apart. I did this because mussels only take around 6 minutes to cook!

    Coat that Pan Y’all

    I then moved on to coating a pan with olive oil, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. When the oil was hot, I snapped my asparagus at the ends (usually you can feel where to snap them) and threw them in the pan. I let them simmer for about 7 minutes until they were nice and browned.

    Back to the Mushrooms

    Moving back to the mushrooms, I placed them in the oven setting the timer for around 5 minutes.

    Mussel Mania

    I placed my mussels in a bowl of baking soda and water and left it for about 20 minutes prior to starting the recipe to get any remaining debris off of them. While this was happening, I made my sauce. To 1 cup of white wine, I added heavy cream and a dash of Cajun seasoning. I brought this to a boil. Added in the mussels and left them for 6 minutes!

    Flavors Beyond Flavors

    At first bite, this decadent dish was absolutely phenomenal. The mussels were cooked to perfection in the delicious sauce, the mushrooms were super savory and the asparagus had a true kick to it.

    Y’all try it out and let me know what you think!

  • Mama’s Catalina Chops

    Honey, there isn’t a thing better than this!

    Ingredients:

    5 pork chops, medium cut or thin

    1 bottle Catalina dressing

    1 bag shredded sharp cheese

    4 tbsp olive oil

    Adobo seasoning to taste

    Salt and Pepper to taste

    Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your chops in your dish to where they are not sticking together. Season both sides of the chops with adobo, salt and pepper. Pour olive oil over the chops in the pan. Place them in the oven for 30-45 minutes depending on thickness.

    Once you remove from the oven, drain excess juices from the dish. Pour 1 whole bottle of Catalina dressing over the chops, top with an entire bag of cheese and place in the oven for an additional 5 minutes under the broiler. Let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with basil.

    Enjoy!

  • Lemon Pretzel Salad

    Y’all, once in a while I get a sweet tooth and this satisfies both sweet and savory!

    INGREDIENTS
    CRUST
    2 1/2 cups of pretzels, crushed
    2/3 cup of brown sugar
    2 tsp. vanilla extract
    2 TBS all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup of butter, melted

    FILLING
    8 oz. cream cheese, softened
    1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip
    1 (21 oz.) can of lemon pie filling

    CRUST
    Preheat your oven to 375°.
    Put the pretzels in a Ziploc bag and crush them.
    In a medium-sized bowl, place the crushed pretzels, flour, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter. Mix.
    Press the pretzel mixture into a 9×13″ baking dish. Save about 1/4 of a cup of the mixture to use as decoration.
    Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

    FILLING
    Mix your softened cream cheese with your hand mixer until creamy.
    Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese.
    Spread it on top of the cooled pretzel crust.
    For the final layer, spread the lemon pie filling over the top.
    Sprinkle a little bit of the unused pretzel mixture to the top for decoration.

  • Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli with Buttery Orzo

    Ingredients:

    1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

    Salt and black pepper to taste

    1 ½ cups uncooked orzo pasta

    3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

    2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

    1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

    1/2 cup heavy cream

    1 tablespoon butter

    Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (for garnish)

    Directions:

    Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.

    Add diced chicken, season with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Sauté until the chicken is golden and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

    In the same skillet, melt butter. Add the orzo and stir frequently for 2 minutes until slightly toasted.

    Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.

    Stir in the broccoli and cooked chicken. Cover and cook for 3–4 more minutes until broccoli is bright and tender.

    Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until creamy and smooth.

    Adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with parsley or basil and serve hot.

    Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

  • Baked Parmesan Pork Loin

    Feast your eyes (and taste buds) on this Baked Parmesan Pork Loin served over a flavorful bed of teriyaki rice 🍚—a perfect harmony of savory and sweet! And no meal is complete without sides… so of course, there’s a tender, oven-baked sweet potato bringing that extra comfort to the plate. 🧡

    So delicious, so satisfying, and definitely going on the repeat list! 🙌🔥

    HomeCooking #DinnerInspo #PorkLoinPerfection #SweetPotatoLove #FoodieFavorites