96. Barbecue Pizza

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Living in Birmingham, there are no shortage of amazing BBQ joints...but I'm partial to Full Moon for one solid reason: the chowchow they put on their sandwiches.

For those unfamiliar, chowchow is a Southern pickled relish made with green tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, etc. It's full of vinegar, crunch, and punch. I could eat it with a spoon.

So, when I saw this pizza recipe using chowchow as the sauce base, I was all in. Here's what chowchow looks like:

This had all of the components of a fabulous BBQ sandwich, with a pizza crust and cheese twist. Delicious!!!

1 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crust
1 cup chowchow
1/2 pound shredded or chopped barbecue pork
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup warm barbecue sauce

Spread crust evenly with chow-chow; top with pork and cheese.

Bake at 450° for 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese is melted. Drizzle evenly with warm barbecue sauce.

34. Sausage-and-Chicken Cassoulet

From 2005 Southern Living Annual Recipes

When I read this recipe, I loved all of the ingredients, but I was a tad unsure how it would come together, taste-wise. I have to say, I was very pleased.

This is a very hearty dish. I probably should have made it a few months earlier, in fact, because it's a perfect cold-day recipe. It wasn't rich, but it had a definite stick-to-your-ribs quality.

I was a little concerned when I poured the cornbread mixture over the top, as most of it appeared to sink instead of settling in as a crust. However, the final product turned out perfectly.

1 (16-ounce) package smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound uncooked chicken breast strips, chopped
1 (15.8-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme (I omitted)
1 (6-ounce) package buttermilk cornbread mix
2/3 cup water

Cook sausage in a 2-1/4 to 3-quart ovenproof skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet.

Cook chicken in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until brown.

Return sausage to skillet with chicken. Stir in beans and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil.

Stir together cornbread mix and water. Pour evenly over hot mixture in skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

14. Dijon Pork Loin

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I'm usually wary of cooking pork, since it dries out so easily, so I'm always looking for a great dish that comes out moist and tender, with plenty of flavor.

This recipe achieves all of that...the mixture provides a great crust that seals in the juices of the meat and gives it an amazing and unique taste.

While it may take awhile to cook, the preparation is a cinch. The recipe doesn't call for unsalted butter, but I opted to use it, given the salt in the steak seasoning.

4 Tbsp. steak seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 (3.5-4 pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl. Rub mixture evenly over roast. Place roast on an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

Bake at 475 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 50-55 more minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.