Roasted Tomato Cheddar Pie

Ms. Dixie and I stood in the kitchen that she had cooked in for 20 years on the day that we decided to purchase her home in Mississippi. “I promise to take care of this home and love it just the way that you did,” I said. In that moment tears started streaming down her face and mine, so we hugged for a while before the others walked in.

I had found the listing a month before very randomly online, and instantly knew that we would be making a life there. A few weeks later when we moved into our new (old) home; it was just as she had left it. Her personal items removed and the house immaculately cleaned, a few hard-to-remove traces of their life together remained. Tiny ceramic mice carefully placed inside gaps of imperfect doors, a painted cat waiting on the wall by the front door, so many garden trinkets. I once found a note while cleaning the top shelves in our hallway that read “Have a great day, I love you! ~ David.” He had left it there for her to find but I suppose she never did. Finding that note felt like I had something precious to her, finding a collection of recipes perfectly stuck to the kitchen cabinet doors felt the same. One of those recipes was “Tomato Pie.”

I’ve been wanting to share this tomato pie recipe with you for a while but it only felt right to wait until I could find local tomatoes at their peak ripeness. Even better as part of a partnership with Tillamook using their Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese, which I’m so happy to be able to purchase locally now. Try this store locator to find it near you! I was so excited to test it, taste it and now to present it to you. Making it felt nostalgic and wonderful, the kitchen is still mostly unchanged with its original creaky wood floors and baked in the oven that they left here for us. It’s not a complicated recipe, it contains only a few simple ingredients that you can enjoy slightly cooled or at room temperature on your front porch on a late summer evening. I imagine that’s what Ms Dixie and Mr David did when they lived here.

Cheddar is a very important part of any Southern tomato pie, and come to think of it so many other Southern foods including pimiento cheese and homemade cheese biscuits. For me, Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese is the perfect choice because of the quality. It is aged for over 9 months and really delivers a wonderful sharpness that perfectly complements the tomatoes and herbs. The shreds are a generous size and I feel that this makes the pie cheesier, more toothsome and just a delight to eat.

A few notes:

Using a quality pre-made pie crust will save you some time. I used to be a person who never chose convenience over making everything from scratch, but lately there are many amazing products that help when time is short. (Back To School!)

Most classic tomato pie recipes, like this one, include mayonnaise, but you could absolutely use sour cream or even ricotta instead.

Roasting the tomatoes removes a lot of the moisture that might have seeped out of fresh tomatoes, causing the pie to become soggy. If you choose not to roast the tomatoes, drain them for at least 10 minutes on a paper towel lined cooling rack.

Try your best to avoid cutting into the pie immediately, let it sit until it gets closer to room temperature - This will make it very easy to slice into and serve.

Roasted Tomato Cheddar Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 8 -inch pre-baked pie crust
2lbs heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
4 strips bacon
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped herbs (basil, chives, oregano) plus extra to serve
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Guidelines:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

Place tomato slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Work in batches if your oven is unable to accommodate all the tomatoes at once. Roast for 15 minutes until most juices have evaporated. Remove from oven, set aside, and lower heat to 350F (180C).

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy and drain on a paper towel. Discard most of the fat from the skillet, add onions and sauté for 5-10 minutes until golden. Allow to cool.

Add chopped bacon, onion, cheese, mayonnaise, herbs, sun dried tomatoes, garlic powder and red pepper flakes to a medium bowl. Use a fork to gently combine. Spread one half of this mixture at the bottom of your pie crust, followed by a layer of roasted tomatoes. Repeat with final layer and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing, topping with fresh herbs when serving.

This sponsored post was written by The Daley Plate on behalf of Tillamook but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that I love!

Roasted Sausage, Tomato and Peach Supper with Parmesan Spaghetti Squash Mash

Heya! Here’s a delicious and easy to prepare supper for the stone fruit lovers out there! I grew up eating peaches and apricots in savory dishes and love the flavor combination with salty meats like sausage or chicken. Peaches that are quite firm work best in this recipe because they hold up better during the roasting process, so save the very ripe peaches to eat instead and try to do the same if you can. Paired with in season cherry tomatoes, red onion, sweet Italian sausage and a few fresh herbs this recipe comes together very quickly in the oven or even on your grill.

I chose to serve it over my parmesan spaghetti squash mash for two reasons: It’s delicious, it’s lower in carbs than polenta but it has great texture and visual appeal. It’s relatively inexpensive and available year-round at most grocery stores. I first shared the simple parmesan spaghetti squash recipe in the caption under this post on Instagram and was so happy to hear how many people loved the idea. It came about randomly one day during my 6 month stint on keto mostly because cauliflower mash was getting boring. Unfortunately that post took off and in turn got reshared by hundreds of accounts looking to make a profit from my image and recipe, selling diet plans to unkowing people without any credit to me. I removed the recipe (It was too late at that point but still) and add it here to live on my blog as my creation.

Some pointers:

Prep and cook the spaghetti squash while the sausage is roasting in the oven so that everything is ready at the same time. I find the Instant Pot to be a lifesaver when it comes to making sure the squash is tender. You will either need a food processor or immersion blender to purée the squash, I prefer the latter because washing all the food processor parts feels like a waste of time to me :)

Roasted Sausage, Tomato and Peach Supper with Parmesan Spaghetti Squash Mash
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

19 -ounce package sweet basil Italian sausage links (substitue any sausage links of your choice)
1 medium red onion, sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups cherry tomatoes
2 large firm peaches, sliced into wedges
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Parmesan spaghetti squash mash (recipe follows)

Guidelines:

Preheat oven or grill to 400F (200 degrees Celsius)

Place sausage and onion on a sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes then add cherry tomatoes and peaches, remaining olive oil and season to taste. Continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes until sausage is golden, tomatoes are bubbling and peaches soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle with herbs. Serve on top of Parmesan spaghetti squash mash or polenta.

Parmesan Spaghetti Squash Mash

1 large whole spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Optional to serve: butter, fresh chives

Place whole squash in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. This makes them super easy to cut through.

Prepare your Instant Pot (A pot on the stove works as well but takes longer) by adding 2 cups of water to it, along with the steaming rack. Carefully remove from the microwave, use a long serrated knife to cut in half and place on steaming rack with the flesh side up. Do not remove the seeds before cooking, removing it afterwards is best to get the most flesh from the squash. We are steaming it so that we aren’t adding any more moisture to the squash, which will cause a watery mash.

Place the lid on and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a quick pressure release, remove lid and carefully remove seeds from squash using a spoon. Scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Serve with more butter on top (Who doesn’t love a butter pool?) and freshly chopped chives.

Apricot Garlic Butter Salmon

If you love sweet and savory flavors together, then apricot garlic butter salmon might just become your next go-to meal this Summer. Salmon is a good choice because it’s fatty and will remain juicy, but so is milder arctic char or even steelhead trout. Traditionally we use a fish called snoek in South Africa, a kind of mackerel from the cold waters surrounding the Western Cape. Pairing fish or other meats with stone fruit in recipes is very common because the Western Cape is also considered the agricultural hub of South Africa. Smaller towns are often surrounded by deciduous fruit farms and vineyards, so it only makes sense to use what’s available and this has been the way of life for generations. Many of my favorite South African meals are ones that contain fruit as an ingredient…Bobotie, Cape Malay Chicken Curry, Malva Pudding.

Ideally, this fish would be cooked over a fire outside for it to get that lovely smoked flavor and to allow the apricot preserves to caramelize. If you prefer, cook it over a wood fire (medium coals) in a grill basket and use the sauce to baste. On Friday’s we would sit around a fire while my uncle prepared a whole fish this way, singing songs as he carefully crafted his signature dish. This fish is delicious served simply with steamed haricots verts and boiled fingerlings. If you’re following a ketogenic way of eating, use sugar-free apricot preserves and replace the fingerling potatoes with roasted radish or a crunchy salad.

Apricot & Garlic Butter Salmon
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb side of salmon, scaled and bones removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic paste (or 2 cloves fresh garlic cloves, finely minced)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon smooth apricot preserves
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Guidelines:

1. Preheat oven to roast at 375F.  Line a 17 1/2 x 12 1/2 -inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Place salmon on parchment paper, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. 

3. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic paste, melted butter, apricot preserves, vinegar and red pepper flakes until smooth. Use a pastry brush to spread this mixture evenly onto the salmon. 

4. Place salmon in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes or until slightly caramelized on top. Remove from oven, carefully lift from parchment paper and serve warm. Sometimes I like to toss my boiled potatoes in the juices remaining on the sheet pan and broil them gently for 5 minutes for extra flavor.

Keto Friendly Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Hi! I have just finished licking my plate after eating these delicious chicken piccata meatballs, cauliflower mash and steamed green beans. No shame in my game, they are delicous. I had bookmarked the original recipe by Little Spice Jar months ago and finally decided to give it a go. You should too! Marzia’s recipe was used as a guide here, because I’m currently following a ketogenic way of eating and wanted to reduce the amount of carbs. Making a few swaps didn’t take too much effort and allowed us to enjoy a keto-friendly meal with all the flavor of the original. Serve it with my double parmesan cauliflower mash and steamed green beans or whichever green vegetables are in season or available to you. It’s an easy, fuss-free meal perfect for weeknights! I hope you give these keto friendly chicken piccata meatballs a try, and if you do please tag me @thedaleyplate on Instagram so that I can share it with everyone else!

A few notes:
When cooking with herbs, always opt for fresh instead of dried. the flavor just carries through so much better.

In her blog post on this recipe, Marzia mentions combining seasonings in the mixing bowl prior to adding the ground chicken. This way the spices are already combined and you will not have to overwork the chicken, which sometimes causes the meatballs to be dense.

I have found that sour cream is a great ingredient to use instead of eggs or bread crumbs when trying to combine ground chicken. It works well if your meat is very cold and you work quickly - The meatballs, just like my popular lemon chicken patty recipe, stay delicously juicy because of the sour cream addition.

You’ll notice that I use cornstarch in this recipe. One tablespoon of cornstarch = 9g of carbs, and I use one teaspoon which divided between four people shouldn’t affect your daily carb limit too drastically. If you prefer, use 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum instead (Update: I tried xanthan gum recently and honestly the cornstarch is the best option here).

Keto Friendly Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Prep time: 5-10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4

Meatballs:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
zest of 1 medium lemon + set the juice aside for sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Cavender’s Greek Seasoning (Trust me on this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp sour cream
1 lb package ground chicken

Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (reserved from earlier)
2 tablespoons capers
To serve: chopped parsley

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

For the meatballs, combine all ingredients except sour cream and ground chicken in a medium mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine. Add sour cream, followed by ground chicken and use a fork to mix until just combined. Roll chicken mixture into balls that are about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, then add to skillet. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes to ensure an even color. I like to gently shake the pan so that they roll around instead of me having to flip with a fork. Transfer meatballs from skillet to a plate and tent with foil while finishing the sauce.

With the same skillet still over medium heat, add butter and garlic. Sauté until fragrant (1 minute), using a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape the golden chicken bits from the bottom of the skillet.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1-2 tablespons of the chicken stock until smooth. This is to prevent any lumps from forming since cornstarch reacts differently than flour. Add this to the skillet first and whisk, followed by remaining stock, lemon juice and capers. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add meatballs and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, tossing meatballs to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Easy Lemongrass Shrimp Skewers

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with FeedFeed and LouAna Oils, using their Liquid Coconut Oil. LouAna Liquid Coconut Oil stays liquid for easy pouring, measuring, sautéing and baking. With no coconut aroma or taste, it’s a perfect substitute for margarine or other cooking oils in recipes. I use it mostly to sauté because it’s keto-friendly and has four times the medium chain triglycerides (mct’s) as virgin coconut oil.

These flavorful shrimp skewers contain very few ingredients, all of which you can find online or at your local Asian grocer. Thai curry paste, lemongrass, garlic, lime juice and zest, Thai basil and the optional chopped red chili all come together with shrimp for a very easy meal that everyone can enjoy.

I’m fortunate to live in the South where Louisiana shrimp are delivered to just about every local seafood shack in town, especially this time of year. While I recommend high quality fresh shrimp for this recipe, frozen is perfectly okay, just thaw them completely in your refrigerator before using.

Using Thai curry paste in these shrimp skewers means you’re adding an ingredient that’s already packed with flavorful aromatics like lime leaf, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and sometimes shrimp paste. It’s a great time-saver for those days when you want delicious in a hurry! Serve with rice, noodles or your favorite side. We prefer cooling cucumber slices, mint, basil and a dash of vinegar.

Easy Lemongrass Shrimp Skewers
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8-10 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients:

6-8 long lemongrass stalks
2lbs fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons Thai Panang or Red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional: 1 tablespoon finely minced Thai red chili (deseed for a milder taste)
1-2 tablespoons LouAna Liquid Coconut Oil (find it here!)

Method:

Prepare lemongrass by soaking in cold water to remove any impurities. Using a sharp knife, cut each stalk into 6-8 -inch pieces and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment in place, add shrimp, curry paste, garlic, basil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and optional red chili. Pulse 8-10 times until the shrimp is minced and the mixture is evenly combined.

Wetting your hands prevents the shrimp mixture from sticking to them during the next step. Use your hands to evenly wrap 4 oz portions of the shrimp mixture around the cut lemongrass stalks until all the skewers are made. Press and shape the mixture to make sure it sticks to the stalk.

Heat a large skillet to medium and pour in 1-2 tablespoons LouAna Liquid Coconut Oil. Sauté shrimp skewers in batches for 8-10 minutes until cooked through, rotating every 2 minutes to ensure an even golden color. Serve immediately.

Mom's Red Beans and Rice

Recipe:

1 lb package Camellia Brand red kidney beans
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium vidalia onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic paste (4-6 fresh cloves)
1 lb Andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced 
1 1/2 lbs smoked turkey wing pieces (About 1 wing - I always use Royal brand)
2 fresh bay leaves
10-12 cups light chicken stock or water
1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mama is the best)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
To serve: steamed long grain rice, hot sauce, chopped green onion, chives or parsley

Method:

Sort and soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain before starting the recipe and set aside.

Heat a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat then add butter, onion, bell pepper and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent, then add garlic and sausage. Cook until sausage is evenly browned. At this point, I remove half of the sausage and set aside until serving but this is optional. You could also sauté some separately toward the end, just get extra.

Add beans, bay leaves and smoked turkey wing pieces to the pot. I leave the skin on because a lot of the collagen and fat will break down and contribute to a creamy texture later. Almost like how it works when you make refried beans. Pour enough stock or water over to cover the wings, stir and increase heat to high. Bring to a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and place the lid on your pot. Cook for 1 1/2  to 2 hours, stirring with a wooden spoon a few times while cooking to ensure that you do not scorch the beans at the bottom of the pot. This is the worst! If things look too dry, please add 1-2 cups water. I do not add salt until after the beans are tender enough to taste because the smoked wings and andouille sausage is salty and creates a wonderful flavor on their own.

Once the beans are tender and meat from the wings are falling off the bone, remove any skin, bones and bay leaves - discard. Use a potato masher or fork to mash about 1/2 of the beans that are still whole. Stir gently over low heat. It should be very creamy now. Add Cajun seasoning to suit your taste, pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I sometimes stir in some fresh parsley as well. 

Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice, extra sautéed sausage and chopped green onion or chives.

Serves 8-10 people.