Cornbread Salad...

Ingredients:

2 6-ounce packages corn bread mix

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup chopped green onions (bulbs and stems)
¼ cup chopped green pepper (optional)

1 cup mayonnaise, or to taste

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

Bake cornbread as directed and let cool.  When cool, crumble in bowl.  Add eggs, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, bacon, and mayonnaise to the cornbread (reserving very small amount of tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon to garnish top if desired).  Stir to combine well.  Chill until ready to serve.  Serves 8

My note:  I don't make this often (probably because I think of it as a summer salad, and I usually only bake cornbread in the cooler months), but if I find myself with leftover cornbread in the spring or summer, it makes a great side.

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked link sausage
8 to 10 cups cooked pinto beans plus their liquid
   (at least 3 cups liquid, or add water or broth to make up the difference)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:
Slice sausage into rounds 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Heat a deep pan and add sausage rounds to brown a little, stirring occasionally.  Add beans with their liquid, tomatoes, and spices.  Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for awhile (one hour or four hours, it's up to you).  The longer you simmer, the softer the beans will get and thicken the liquid.  Serve over white rice.

My notes:  Carey does not like spicy foods.  So I make a large pot of beans with ham, onion, and garlic and serve it with cornbread.  I save the leftover beans to make a spicier meal of red beans & rice when he's not home. 

No-Peek Chicken...

Ingredients:
2 cups white long grain rice
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of water
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 to 2 pounds of chicken pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Spray a 9" x 13" casserole with non-stick spray or grease lightly.  In a bowl, whisk the soups and water to combine without lumps, then add rice and stir to combine.  Pour into the prepared casserole.  Lay chicken pieces on top of the rice/soup.  Sprinkle the envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix over all evenly.  Cover well with foil (or lid), and bake for about an hour and a half to two hours.  Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.  Serve with salad or a vegetable.

My notes:  I learned to make this early in my marriage.  Not haute cuisine, but the family likes it, and it is so easy on a busy day.  You can use any chicken pieces that you prefer, you can adjust cooking time up or down depending on the size of pieces used.