Saturday Down South: NOLA-Style BBQ Shrimp

It's here again, folks... it's officially Alabama-LSU week in college football. It's essentially the biggest game of our season. Even though my Crimson Tide is undefeated and ranked #1, this game has got this entire house nervous. Unfortunately for us, we're playing in Baton Rouge this year, so we weren't able to go root on our boys in person, but we are certainly there in spirit! As a part of SEC tradition, everyone typically bases their tailgate spread on the food of what the opposing team is famous for. So naturally, that means Creole or Cajun recipes on this particular weekend. When we made the trip to New Orleans for the college playoff game two years ago, I heard about Barbecue Shrimp. Now, this isn't your ole typical BBQ. It involves unpeeled, head-on shrimp that is simmered in a shit ton of butter, hot sauce, worcestershire, and lemon. This buttery spicy sauce is heavenly in every way possible... and even better, there is a requirement of serving it with a baguette of french bread, so that you can sop up all that sauce. Um, yum. I added my own little touches to it by adding my favorite homemade BBQ rub, which sweetens it just a tad, and by also infusing the dish with some fresh parsley + chives. I think that it lends another element to the whole thing that is much needed. We adored this recipe for NOLA-Style BBQ shrimp and have every damn intention of making it over and over and over again. It is absolutely fabulous for feeding a crowd or you know, just you and a friend... whatever you wanna do is up to you!! Enjoy :)

oh here comes the bread for soppin'

um... perfection.

For the BBQ Shrimp:

6T Unsalted Butter

3 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes + Chilled

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C Beer

1C Hot Sauce

½C Worcestershire Sauce

¼C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2T Homemade BBQ Seasoning

2T Fresh Cracked Pepper

3lbs Head-On Large Shrimp (unpeeled)

Kosher Salt (as needed)

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

1T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Lemon, Thinly Sliced (for garnishing)

Warmed French Bread, For Dipping

Directions:

1. Heat the 6T of unsalted butter in the largest skillet that you have over medium-high heat (we used a paella pan and it worked great). Add in the minced garlic and cook until it is soft and fragrant… about 1-2 minutes (do not burn the garlic).

2. Add in the beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, BBQ seasoning, and pepper. Stir to combine it into the melted butter and garlic. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Add the head-on, unpeeled shrimp; cook, flipping once, until the shrimp is cooked through (just when it begins to turn pink). This should only take a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cubed, chilled butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt.

3. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the chives and parsley all over the shrimp and place the sliced lemon evenly throughout the pan. Serve the BBQ shrimp with warmed French bread for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

Saturday Down South: Creamy Taco Dip with Taco-Ranch Sour Cream, Shredded Colby Jack Cheese, Crunchy Hearts of Romaine, Homemade Pico de Gallo, + a Drizzle of Salsa Verde Crema

I don't have many recipes that require very little work... but hey, I've got one for you today! It is literally so easy-peasy, that it took me less than 20 minutes to whip up. Hell, you could easily make it faster if you buy a store-bought pico de gallo instead of making it from scratch! Essentially this has all of the components from a bite of a taco. What doesn't sound good about that? We've been on a real Mexican kick as of lately... nearly eating it every other day. So when the weekend came, I knew I wanted to make this. The dip starts off with a cream cheese + sour cream layer that is fortified with loads of flavor from taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, and hot sauce. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate, and then sprinkle the colby jack cheese on top, followed by scattering the shredded romaine all over the dip. Next, make a mound of the pico de gallo and finish it off by drizzling some of the salsa verde crema + a sprinkle of chili powder. That's it... it's all done! All you have to do is serve it with some tortilla chips and you're gold as gold! Enjoy y'all :)

For the Taco-Ranch Sour Cream:

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

8oz Sour Cream

1 Package of Taco Seasoning

¼C Ranch Seasoning

¼C Hot Sauce

For the Pico de Gallo:

5 Whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced

1 Small Red Onion, Diced

2 Jalapeno Peppers, Minced

¼C Candied Jalapeno, Minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

¼C Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

1T EVOO

Salt + Pepper, To Taste

For the Salsa Verde Crema:

½C Mexican Crema

½C Salsa Verde 

For the Creamy Taco Dip:

Prepared Taco-Ranch Sour Cream

8oz Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded

1-2 Hearts of Romaine, Shredded

Prepared Pico de Gallo

Prepared Salsa Verde Crema

Chili Powder, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Taco-Ranch Sour Cream: In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer running on low, start adding the sour cream a little at a time. Next, toss in the taco and ranch seasoning, followed by the hot sauce. Beat to combine.

2. For the Homemade Pico de Gallo: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

3. For the Salsa Verde Cream: Whisk together the salsa verde and sour cream. Spoon this mixture into a squeeze bottle and set it aside.

4. Assembling the Creamy Taco Dip: Spoon the Taco-Ranch sour cream onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the shredded colby jack over the sour cream and scatter the shredded romaine on top of the cheese. Top the lettuce with a mound of the homemade pico de gallo. Finish the dip by sprinkling on some chili powder and drizzling the salsa verde all over the dip. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Saturday Down South: In 'n Out Animal Style Double Bacon Cheeseburger Dip with Mustard Grilled Burger Crumbles, Pan Fried Caramelized Onions, Cubed Dill Pickles, Diced Tomatoes, Crispy Bacon Lardons, + Secret Sauce Drizzle

It's officially the most wonderful time of the year... football season!! I swear my Mountain Man has been counting down the days since we won the national championship last season. Now comes the time of friends, tailgating, fatty food, bonfires, and plenty of booze. 

One of the mainstays of our menu is hearty dip, and this recipe that I am featuring today is just that! The inspiration came from a burger joint that is extremely popular in California... In n' Out Burger. Since Alabama is playing USC tomorrow, I thought this would be the perfect time to feature my first (of many) tailgate recipes this year. When you order a burger or fries "animal style", this usually means that it comes with extra secret sauce, caramelized onions, mustard grilled patties, and pickles. So, I started off with a creamy dip base and added mustard grilled burger crumbles, crispy bacon lardons, pan fried caramelized onions, cubed bread n' butter pickles, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese. After it is baked in the oven until golden brown + delicious, you whip a batch of my not-so-secret secret sauce and drizzle it over the top. At this point, everyone will be salivating, so all that is left to do is serve with some some chips or crackers. I also like to put out some different bowls with burger toppings for extra garnishing... pickles, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, + more sauce. That way, when a friend grabs a chip and some dip, they can sprinkle a little bit of this and a little bit of that on top for the perfect bite! This recipe is super easy, so almost anyone can whip it up, don't y'all worry. I hope y'all love this first recipe of the season!! Enjoy :)

For the Mustard Grilled Burger Crumbles:

1lb 75-25 Ground Chuck

¼C Yellow Mustard

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

4T Unsalted Butter

For the Pan Fried Caramelized Onions:

2 Large Vidalia Onions, Sliced

4T Unsalted Butter + 2T Vegetable Oil

Kosher Salt, To Taste

¼C Sugar

For the Dip:

8oz Herbed Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1C Sour Cream

½C Mayo

2C Shredded Cheddar, Split

2C Mozzarella Cheese, Split

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1-2T Worcestershire Sauce

½t Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, & Onion Powder

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Prepared Mustard Grilled Burger Crumbles

Prepared Pan Fried Caramelized Onions

1 Medium Tomato, Diced

½C Bread n’ Butter Pickles, Diced

Shredded Romaine Lettuce

For the Secret Sauce:

1/3C Mayo

3T Ketchup

1-2T Sweet Pickle Relish

1t Sugar + 1 White Vinegar

¼t Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, + Paprika

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the open to 350 degrees and spray a pan with Pam.

2. For the Mustard Grilled Burger Crumbles: In a large skillet, over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Pour off any extra fat and stir in the mustard. Season with salt and pepper, and then set it aside.

3. For the Pan Fried Caramelized Onions: Heat the butter and onion in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

4. For the Secret Sauce: Mix together all of the ingredients until everything is incorporated. Taste the sauce and adjust to your taste preferences. Set this sauce aside until you want to top the dip with it.

5. For the Dip: Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and bet until smooth. Add in 1C each of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella (saving the rest to put on top), followed by the mustard grilled burger crumbles, cooled caramelized onions, minced garlic, Worcestershire, spices, diced tomato, and diced pickles. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the left over cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and begun to brown on top. Remove the dip from the oven and drizzle the secret sauce over the top. Serve with Ritz crackers or potatoes chips, and have a bowl of shredded lettuce on the side to garnish the dip.

Saturday Down South: University of Alabama-Inspired Houndstooth Pudding Trifle with Homemade Red Velvet Pudding, Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, Crushed Double Stuffed Oreos, + Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles

The Haute + Heirloom blogger has returned, yay!! I know I have been gone for-like-ever and I apologize for that, but I have been extremely busy and my personal life is in shambles. I hate that I haven't posted some of my new recipes, but I'm back, and the recipes are even BETTER. It's a 100% guarantee, mmk? As many of my followers know, we are huge football fans. Obviously, Alabama comes in first in the ranking, and just behind them comes University of Georgia + the Atlanta Falcons. So if you're a Georgia gal like me, this dessert is perfect for all three teams and all of your buddies will love you for making a pan of this trifle during the long day of tailgatin'. Trust me on that one. My usual go-to dessert had always been my Gourmet Banana Pudding, but I wanted something festive to celebrate with... and this is certainly festive. If you didn't know already, Alabama's team colors are crimson + white, but the school has incorporated the pattern of houndstooth into the scheme as well. The tradition of houndstooth comes from the greatest college football coach of all time, Bear Bryant. He wore a houndstooth hat to every single game, and well, it caught on like wildfire. Now it's almost impossible to not see someone with houndstooth on during the game day. So, when I first started concocting this dish in my head, it became clear to me that I wanted the same idea that I use for banana pudding. Instead of creamy vanilla bean pudding, there is a luscious + homemade red velvet pudding. You have to know by now that my obsession with "red velvet desserts"is quite unhealthy and I tend to go overboard, but hey who's counting anyway. Next, I used crushed up Double Stuffed Oreos rather than the homemade shortbread because I needed the contrast of the black + white cookies to represent the houndstooth concept. And hell, who doesn't like Oreos... I sure do!! What's even better about them is that if you let the pudding trifle sit in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours (or overnight if you need to) like we did, the cookies begin to soften to the texture of the Oreos in cookies + cream ice cream. They literally, like, melt in your mouth. Lastly, you have to make the "frosting" type whipped cream layer. It has the tang of a cream cheese frosting (which is what all red velvet cakes must have), the sweetness from the sweetened condensed milk, the delightful cloud-like fluff from the Cool Whip, oh and don't forget that vanilla bean that is added in because that is so much better than vanilla extract. One fun ingredient I found for this dessert are some of Betty Crocker's yummy Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles. And let's be honest, sprinkles make every dessert so much better, it's a scientific fact. To be frank, these are double the fun because they are sprinkles that taste like cake.... woah, woah, WOAH. Mind Blown. These Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles also give the dish a little crunch with each bite. Textures galore here, folks!! I hope y'all enjoy this pudding trifle as much as we did because it's already on our tailgate menu for the Alabama-LSU game in Tuscaloosa in November. So go on, start cookin' it :)

the beginning of making the homemade red velvet pudding

assembling like a beast

check out those layers, guys

The Close Up: Amazing Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles

And the best shot of them all... a perfect spoonful of every glorious layer :)

For the Classic Pudding Mix:

½C Cornstarch

¼C Buttermilk or Milk Powder (I used buttermilk since it’s a key component in red velvet cake)

1C Cake Flour (AP Flour can be substituted if you don’t have it)

1 ½C Sugar

1t Kosher Salt  

For the Homemade Red Velvet Pudding:

3C Whole Milk, Divided

¾C Classic Pudding Mix (above; you will have leftover mix, but now you can make more of it)

5T Cocoa Powder, Sifted

Generous Pinch of Salt

¼C Sugar

2 Eggs

1T White Vinegar

2T Salted Butter

2t Vanilla Extract

1T Cream Cheese Emulsion

Red Food Coloring (use as much as you want until you reach your desired red color)

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Can of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1T Cream Cheese Emulsion

¼C Heavy Whipping Cream

16oz Cool Whip, Defrosted

1 Vanilla Bean, Split + Scraped for Seeds (if you don’t have vanilla bean, sub in 2t vanilla extract)

Generous Pinch of Salt  (or to taste)

For the Houndstooth Trifle:

Prepared Homemade Red Velvet Pudding, Completely Chilled

Prepared Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, Completely Chilled

1 Box of Double Stuffed Oreos, Crushed into Bite Size Pieces

1 Container of Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles (chocolate sprinkles can be subbed in)

Directions:

1. For the Classic Pudding Mix: Combine the cornstarch, flour, buttermilk powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk the mixture until it is a cohesive mixture is formed. Set this pudding mix aside. If you have any remaining pudding mix left, store it in an airtight container.

2. For the Homemade Red Velvet Pudding: Pour 2 ½C of whole milk into a medium sized saucepan or pot. Turn on the stove to low heat and allow the milk to get hot (with some slight steaming), but make sure the milk does not start boiling! While the milk is heating, get another mixing bowl and whisk together the pudding mix, sifted cocoa powder, sugar, 2 eggs, a generous pinch of salt, white distilled vinegar, and the remaining ½C of whole milk. While whisking, make sure it is a smooth, creamy, chocolate liquid. Once the milk is hot, add in the chocolate liquid to the hot milk and whisk vigorously (so that the eggs won’t cook and curdle). Then add in the salted butter, vanilla extract, cream cheese emulsion, and red dye. Increase the heat to medium or medium-low while whisking continuously because the pudding could easily burn. Cook and whisk until the pudding mixture starts to thicken, this usually takes about 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness that you prefer. During the cooking period, make sure to taste test it to see if it needs more salt or vanilla (do it to taste) When it has reached your desired consistency, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. It will continue to thicken a little more as it cools and sits. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the pudding; this will help the pudding to remain smooth and also prevents it from developing a “skin” on top.  Cool the pudding until it is completely chilled and store in the refrigerator until you need to use it.

3. For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream: Place the softened cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese emulsion, and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream cheese at medium speed until it smooth and slightly whipped, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer still on, pour in the can of sweetened, condensed milk and mix until it is a cohesive, creamy mixture (also make sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to get any remaining cream cheese that is stuck). This should take another 1-2 minutes. Lastly, gently fold in the defrosted (yet still cold) Cool Whip, so that it is completely incorporated, but still has a light and airy texture. Cool the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

4. Assembling the Houndstooth Pudding Trifle: Get your favorite serving piece (preferably a glass trifle dish, so that you can see every layer) and begin the layering process. Start off with a base of crushed double stuffed Oreo cookies. Next, dollop some of the homemade red velvet pudding all over the cookies and then gently smooth it out, so that the Oreos are completely covered. Following the same method as the pudding, dollop the cream cheese whipped cream on top of the red velvet pudding and smooth the top as well. Spread some of the red velvet sprinkles evenly over the cream cheese whipped cream. Repeat the layering process of crushed cookies, red velvet pudding, cream cheese whipped cream, and red velvet sprinkles until you have run out of all of the different components. 

5. You can enjoy the pudding now, but I personally prefer to let it sit in the refrigerator, so that the pudding and whipped cream have firmed up, while the cookies are soft (think of the softened textures of Oreos in cookies + cream ice cream). You can chill it from 1-4 hours… or even overnight if you want or need to! Besides that, it’s time to chow down on your festive football dessert. And hey, it’s also great for UGA + Falcons fans as well!!