61. 1-2-3 Jambalaya

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

OH MY! This dish was amazing!

It had tons of flavor, and it was a cinch to put together. You can adjust the seasonings for your taste, but I went for the higher suggestion of Creole seasoning and hot sauce, and it brought me right to New Orleans.

There were so many great reviews for this recipe on SL's site, which is always a seller...but I'm glad I read them, because many suggested bringing the mixture to a boil before putting it in the oven to ensure that the rice cooks enough. It cooked perfectly!

It was absolutely delicious...a great recipe for entertaining, because it feeds a crowd and it's low-maintenance. This one's definitely going in the rotation.
1 large onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans French onion soup, undiluted
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
2 to 3 teaspoons Creole seasoning
2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven 4 to 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients.


Bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes.

60. Chiles Rellenos Quiche

From 2003 Southern Living Annual Recipes

This was the winner of the May "What Should I Cook?" poll...and, wise choice, readers. It was delectable.

The quiche was light and fluffy, thanks to the ricotta. Don't be alarmed by the chiles for a gathering...it's mild enough for a crowd (and for brunch/breakfast). I wanted a little bit more of a kick, so I added pickled jalapeno slices to mine...perfect.

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles, drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese With Peppers
2 cups milk
1 cup BISQUICK Original All-Purpose Baking Mix
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Ricotta cheese


Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 12- x 8- x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle green chiles, Cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese evenly into baking dish.


Beat milk, baking mix, and eggs at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in ricotta cheese; spoon mixture evenly over chiles and cheeses in baking dish.


Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

59. Lean Green Lettuce Tacos

From 2008 Southern Living Annual Recipes

When I saw this recipe, I was intrigued by the idea of adding vegetables to a traditional taco mix...and it totally worked. The zucchini and squash gave the dish great texture. The lime juice squeezed over the top at the end added a bright, fresh, citrus flavor.

I was going to serve these with a side of brown rice, but I ended up adding the cooked rice right into the beef-vegetable mix and serving it all together in lettuce leaves.

This was a delicious dinner...and it also made for a yummy cold dip with corn chips the next day!

1 small zucchini, diced

1 small yellow squash, diced
1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1.25-oz.) taco seasoning
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
8 romaine lettuce leaves


Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in seasoning until blended; cook 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low; stir in tomato sauce, and cook, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro and lime juice.


Serve meat mixture in romaine lettuce leaves with desired toppings.

58. Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

From 2008 Southern Living Annual Recipes
I've been watching the new TV show DC Cupcakes, and while I don't have a big sweet tooth, it gave me a huge craving. So, I dug into the SL cookbooks and found this recipe.

The sour cream makes these cupcakes, as promised, incredibly moist. Because it's made with German chocolate cake mix, the chocolate taste was very subtle, and I wished for a little more chocolate flavor. I topped these with cream cheese frosting, but I think a chocolate buttercream would have worked well, too.

I took most of these into work, and they were quickly consumed! One co-worker, over the course of the day, had SEVEN. That's right.

1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix

1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray


Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 5 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.


Place paper baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into baking cups, filling two-thirds full.


Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks, and let cool completely (about 1 hour).

57. Lasagna Pizza Cups

From 2008 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I'm getting so excited about college football starting back up again, and that means it's time to start testing some game-day recipes. These fit the bill perfectly...the goodness of lasagna (pizza?) wrapped up in a little package. Bread, cheese, meat, and sauce...all good.

Don't even try to eat these with a knife and fork. You might think it would be too messy to eat with your hands, but everything stays together perfectly. Serve with warmed up sauce for dipping. You can see that I had these for dinner with a salad, but these will definitely make a reappearance on my tailgate menu this fall.

My only complaint was that the biscuit didn't have a lot of flavor. The next time I make these, I think I'm going to brush both sides with a little garlic butter to punch up the taste. And, I can't wait to try these with different fillings, like pepperoni or sausage.

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-oz.) jar pizza sauce
1 (7.5-oz.) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 375°. Cook first 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well. Return meat mixture to skillet; stir in 1 cup pizza sauce. Remove from heat.


Press biscuits on bottom and up sides of lightly greased muffin cups. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful meat mixture into each biscuit cup; top with ricotta cheese (about 1 heaping teaspoonful each). Sprinkle with shredded cheese.


Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of pizza cups to loosen from sides of pan. Remove cups from pan, using a spoon.


Place remaining pizza sauce in a small microwave-safe glass bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 30 to 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Serve pizza cups with warm sauce.

56. Ham-and-Tomato Pie

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Summer on a plate.

This pie was gorgeous, both in appearance and in taste, from the freshness of the basil and firm tomatoes to the heartiness of the ham and cheese.

It was wonderful as dinner with a salad...but even more delicious cold for lunch the next day.

The first slice I had, I worried that it was a little too salty, and I thought about halving the ham or cutting out one layer of cheese the next time I made it.

The next day, however, the flavors were just right...both light and rich, and not too salty. This was a perfect summer dish, for any meal of the day.

1 (8-oz.) package diced cooked ham
1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie shell
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 large egg
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper


Sauté ham in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until ham is brown and any liquid evaporates.
Brush bottom of pie shell evenly with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon ham mixture evenly over cheese, and top with single layer of sliced tomatoes.
Beat egg and half-and-half with a fork until blended; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake on lowest oven rack at 425° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

55. Garlic Herb Tilapia with Fruit Salsa

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I'm wary of cooking fish at home, but when I do, I always opt for the grill or oven. I've stayed away from cooking it on the stovetop because I'm always worried I'll overcook the outside and leave the inside underdone.

But, I bit the bullet...and it was a big success!

The spice rub gave the fish great seasoning, and the flavor paired nicely with the salsa, which was an ideal blend of spicy and sweet, with tomatoes and onions mingling with big, juicy pieces of mango and peach.

I used thawed frozen fish, and my grocery store didn't have any tilapia, so I used mahi mahi instead.

This had a beautiful presentation and amazing taste...easy enough to put together quickly for a weeknight meal but also perfect to serve company.

1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets (about 4 fillets)
1 tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1 cup refrigerated fruit salsa
1/2 cup seeded and chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons butter


Rub tilapia fillets evenly with seasoning. Stir together salsa and cucumber in a small bowl.


Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add tilapia, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until well browned and done. Serve immediately with salsa mixture.