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Monday, February 21, 2011

Dinner...Southern Style, Y'all

I decided to make dinner at home on Saturday.  I already had some chicken and bbq sauce that I had planned on making last week but never got around to so I went ahead and made The EZ PZ BBQ chicken.  I decided to southern up the rest of the meal and make collard greens and cheesy grits.

Greens
Washed and torn
Bacon
Remove the bacon and leave the fat and add the greens to the pan (I know, healthy right?)
Add a little chicken broth
Add a little vinegar after they have cooked down a little bit (also a little sugar)
Cover them and let them cook until they shrink down (keep checking on them)
Add the crumbled bacon back in at the very end

Ok I know I am telling you to cook something in bacon fat, but trust me, it was awesome.  I have never actually cooked collard greens on my own so I asked my mom for some tips.  The bacon fat was definitely a great addition to the flavor. 

For the grits (which I know some people still hate) I cook them in chicken broth instead of water.  It adds a lot of flavor.  Then I just added some Cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese once they were cooked.  Good stuff.

BBQ chicken, cheesy grits and collard greens=Dinner!
Fin

But seriously this dinner was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.
How do you feel about southern-ish food?
Do you like collard greens?
Is cooking in bacon fat awesome or gross?  (I also make some sauteed kale in balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil if you are interested in a healthier version of greens)
Grits?
Or are you a hater?

PS-I made a Facebook page for MSIF.  Feel free to fan me so we can be BFFs.

11 comments:

Amanda @ It's Blogworthy said...

Well. I don't like southern food, so the best thing about this is definitely the bbq chicken. My MIL LOVES southern stuff and everything she makes is covered in bacon grease.

I'm a hater with grits too.

But bBQ chicken, your new FB page, and B's Hoser Hut tshirt are all things I like.

PS, have I told you thatyou need to add an email subscription option to your blog???

Anonymous said...

JM, that looks really good, but I admit I am your southern-raised mother. Unfortunately, bacon is in my top five foods. More often than not,though,I use eevo. At least I didn't suggest you add a pound of butter to anything, right?
BtW, when reading my new SOUTHERN LIVING last night, saw feature article on Chef Jay Pierce at Lucky 32 making his collard greens. Try You Tube-How to make collard greens at Lucky 32 Southern Restaurant.

bmellisen said...

Everything was really good. Cooking with bacon does make everything better. I really like grits now. When I was living up north I didnt like them very much, but I also didnt have them very often. But now I really enjoy them.

Anonymous said...

You had me at bacon fat...

Jenni said...

Grits are super yummy! I like the idea of cooking them with chicken broth.

Hutch said...

I've never had true southern grits or collard greens. I like most green vegetables, but cooked spinach gets slimy, so I'm not sure I'd be a fan of the greens.

Liked you on FB!

Mo Young said...

I totally thought of Lucky 32's when I was reading this too! It looks pretty good - I like grits, collards and BBQ. You should use your Cobb sauce next time! I do like bacon and stuff made with bacon ... I just ignore the fact that it is bacon. And I never make it myself b/c of this yuck-but-yummy sounding fact.

MariahSmile said...

Yum! It all looks good to me!

Elle Sees said...

as a southerner, it looks just right!

Shana said...

I love Southern food. Although I've never had collard greens, I can't imagine that something cooked in bacon fat could be bad.

Emily said...

Bacon fat makes everything better. In fact I never throw it away after cooking bacon and keep it in a jar in the fridge like my mom, although I never use it. I'm not a huge fan of collard greens, but I LOVE southern green beans that cook all day long and that have ham or bacon in them. Cheesy grits are amazing too - I just made some last week. This is making me hungry...