Southern Protocol

Looking for a fun way to spend quality time with little ones? One of the best places to go is your very own kitchen! I used to love cooking with my mom and grandmother when I was little, and it’s so great to have those sweet memories as we get older – not to mention my love of cooking was sparked there!

Obviously children aren’t going to be capable of creating a 5 course 5 star meal, but there are millions of kid-friendly recipes that are super simple and equally delicious. Perfect example: Pigpen Sandwiches, a recipe from Dierbergs School of Cooking that they actually use in their kids-oriented cooking classes. They are SO cute, beyond easy to prepare, and will give you plenty of time to laugh with your children – or just make them for yourself!

Pigpen Sandwiches (Makes 8 “piggy” sandwiches)
1 can (7.5 ounces) buttermilk biscuits
1 can (17.3 ounces) golden wheat biscuits (like Grands)
1 wooden skewer
16 raisins
8 slices of ham, thinly sliced
8 slices of American cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place buttermilk biscuits on cutting board; using bench scraper, cut each biscuit in half. Cut 8 of the biscuit halves in half to form 16 triangle shapes for ears, and set aside.

Using a 1-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 8 circles from remaining biscuit halves for snouts; set aside.

For each “piggy”: place wheat biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Place 2 triangles on top of each wheat biscuit for ears. Press firmly. Place 1 circle cut-out in the center of each wheat biscuit, not touching the ears, for the snout. Press firmly. Using wooden skewer, poke 2 holes in each “snout” for nostrils. Insert 2 raisins above each snout for the eyes.

Bake biscuits in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Place 1 slice of cheese on top 1 slice of ham; roll up. Serve next to warm piggy biscuit.

Another holiday, another day with lots of eating, another week filled with leftovers. What’s the most common leftover after the bunny holiday? Ham of course! One of my favorite things to do with leftover meat is make sandwiches – as good as it was solo for your holiday meal, to me meat tastes even better between two good pieces of bread with a yummy spread the week after. Bonus for this pairing: blueberries are SO good for you!

Ham and Blueberry Chutney Sandwich (Courtesy of about.com: busy cooks)
Ingredients: Sandwich
Blueberry Chutney (recipe to follow)
Thinly sliced honey smoked ham
Brie cheese
Whole grain bread slices
Butter lettuce

Ingredients: Blueberry Chutney
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cinnamon stick
Dash of salt

Directions: Sandwich
Pretty straightforward – make your ham sandwich with the blueberry chutney as a spread!

Directions: Blueberry Chutney
Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan, then bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute and remove cinnamon stick. Cool completely, place in tightly sealed containers, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

This Blueberry Chutney recipe makes a pretty large quantity, but it freezes beautifully – so you’ll always have some of the delicious spread on hand. If you’re in need of a quick appetizer, serve it over cream cheese or softened Camembert cheese.

Enjoy!