Blog Posts by Southern Living

These bite-size versions of our favorite Southern foods are adorable finger foods fit for your next party!

Chicken Salad Tarts
Chicken Salad Tarts
Ingredients
1 (1.9-oz.) package frozen mini phyllo pastry shells
3/4 cup store-bought chicken salad
Mango slices
Blackberries
Basil sprigs

Preparation
1. Crisp pastry shells according to package directions; cool. Spoon chicken salad into cooled shells. Gently place 1 fresh mango sliver onto chicken salad in each shell, shaping mango sliver to resemble a flower. Place 1 small piece of blackberry and 1 small basil sprig next to each mango slice.


Crab Cake Hush Puppies

Crab Cake Hush Puppies

Ingredients
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked
1 large egg
3/4 cup beer
Vegetable oil

Preparation
1. Stir together cornmeal mix, flour, green onions, bell pepper, sugar, and salt in a large Read More »from 5 Festive Mini Appetizers

Make these darling tea sandwiches at your next shower or ladies luncheon.
Crowd-Pleasing Tea Sandwiches
Choose your favorite fillings, and prepare up to a day ahead. Plan on 1⁄4 cup filling for each whole sandwich.

Freeze bread slices until firm. (This makes it easier to trim and cut the sandwiches.)
Trim crusts from bread with a long serrated knife after sandwiches are filled; cut each sandwich into 4 triangles.

Make sandwiches up to 4 hours ahead. Place in an airtight container, cover loosely with wax paper and a damp paper towel, cover, and refrigerate.


Ham Salad
Process 1 lb. chopped baked ham, in batches, in a food processor until coarsely ground, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Place ground ham in a bowl, and stir in 3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and grated; 2⁄3 cup mayonnaise; and 1⁄2 cup finely chopped sweet-hot pickled okra. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread on: rye bread slices. Makes: about 3 cups

Curried Shrimp
Stir together 2 1⁄2 cups finely chopped peeled and deveined, cooked shrimp

Read More »from Crowd-Pleasing Tea Sandwiches

This cupcake is without a doubt most men's favorite. You can see the smile as soon as they spot that crisp bacon strip resting on top of the golden maple frosting. It's the wonderful combination of salty and sweet together. We suggest about half a slice of bacon on each cupcake, but feel free to add as much as you want.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Butter Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray

Maple Frosting:
1 cup butter
1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple flavoring

Toppings:
12 cooked bacon slices, broken to pieces

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating Read More »from Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Take a breather from that jar of marinara and freshen up your dishes with seasonal vegetables and lightweight sauces in these three tasty recipes!

Roasted Vegetable Gnocchi with Spinach-Herb Pesto
Roasted Vegetable Gnocchi with Spinach-Herb Pesto
Ingredients
6 yellow squash (about 1 1/4 lb.)
8 sweet mini bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 (16-oz.) package gnocchi*
Spinach-Herb Pesto
1/2 (5-oz.) package baby spinach
1/4 to 1/3 cup (1 to 1 1/2 oz.) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut squash into 1-inch pieces. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Stir together squash, bell peppers, oil, salt, and ground pepper. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan, and bake 15 minutes. Stir and bake 5 minutes or until tender and golden.
2. Cook gnocchi according to package directions in a Dutch oven; drain. Return to Dutch oven. Add Spinach-Herb Pesto to gnocchi, and toss to coat. Add squash mixture and spinach, and

Read More »from Pretty, Quick-Toss Pastas

Grill the mother of all pimiento cheese sandwiches by adding bacon and strawberry preserves for a sweet and cheesy treat. Better plan on second helpings-it's that good!

"Some Like It Hot" Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches
Makes: 8 servings Hands-On Time: 20 min. Total Time: 1 hr., including pimiento cheese

Ingredients
Miss Mattie's Southern Pimiento Cheese
1/3 cup butter, softened
16 sourdough bread slices
16 thick applewood-smoked bacon slices, cooked
Strawberry preserves

Preparation
1. Prepare Miss Mattie's Southern Pimiento Cheese as directed.
2. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Place 8 bread slices, buttered sides down, on a hot griddle or in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Spread 1/2 cup pimiento cheese over each bread slice on griddle. Top each with 2 cooked bacon slices.
4. Place remaining 8 bread slices, buttered sides up, on bacon. Turn sandwiches, and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. (Pimiento cheese should be slightly melted.) Serve with strawberry

Read More »from The Mother of All Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches

Use these sheet cake recipes and other delicious cake recipes for your next party. They require a little prep and decorating but are oh-so-good!

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

Read More »from 3 Party-Perfect Sheet Cakes

Increase your chances of living a healthier, happier life by eating a well-balanced breakfast daily. Crunched for time in the morning? Here are some ideas for a nutritious option on your way out the door:

• Top whole wheat waffles with a tablespoon of peanut butter.
• Toss fruit and yogurt in the blender to whip up a quick smoothie.
• Mix together dried fruit, toasted seeds, and nuts for a protein-packed pick-me-up.
• Prepare low-fat muffins ahead, freeze, and pop in the microwave before leaving.

Healthy Benefits

• Studies show that eating breakfast improves your overall nutrition, ability to concentrate, and ability to maintain your weight.
• Aim to incorporate starch, fiber, and fat into your breakfast to maintain satiety throughout the morning.

Related: Delicious Ideas for Cranberries

Recipe: Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) container lemon yogurt
1/2 cup

Read More »from Quick Ideas for Breakfast-On-the-Go

Honey-Bourbon Glazed HamCooking your own Easter ham might seem like a bit of an endeavor. With family running around, brunches to attend, and all the Easter sides and desserts to make, fussing with baking a ham might be the last thing you want to do. Buying a store-bought ham is an easy shortcut. You can find them smoked, honey-baked, bone-in, boneless, and in a variety of sizes to meet your needs. Just add a few special touches to create an impressive Easter spread with very little effort.

Related: How To Cook a Perfect Easter Ham

Where To Buy Your Easter Ham
You can find precooked Easter hams at many specialty stores and larger stores such as The HoneyBaked Ham Company and Heavenly Ham. Many local country clubs offer Easter hams and sides that you can order, and some churches sell them as fund-raisers.

You can also order your Easter ham from small Southern producers that have specialized in curing ham for decades with time-honored methods and traditions. Here are some of our favorites:

Read More »from Easy Fixes for Store-Bought Easter Ham