Sharing Is Caring

I love being able to cook for people, don’t you?

Growing up in the Deep South, I learned pretty early on that food carries a lot more significance than just three squares a day. I saw the joy on the ladies’ faces when they brought their best “covered” dishes to share at a baby shower, party, or church potluck (what we used to call a “picnic on the ground”), as well as their hearts of compassion when sharing a thoughtfully prepared funeral dish. I witnessed many a dad’s pride as he presided over a BBQ cook-out, pancake breakfast, fish fry, or wienie roast. But what impressed me the most was the way people freely and generously shared, regardless of how much or how little they had. It’s something that still touches me to this day, and something I tried to instill in my children - - that no matter what we have, we never have so little that we cannot share with someone else.

Today’s kitchen counter is about memories of caring for and sharing with others through our food.

What are some of your best dishes? What is one of your favorite memories of sharing with someone else? Below are a few of mine.

Happy Sunday, friends! Much love to you!

Baked Chicken Salad Pie

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, and it is FABULOUS. I have taken this dish to potlucks, brunches, parties, new moms, and shut-ins. I always take at least two pies because, honestly, one is just not enough!

My favorite memory with this dish actually comes from the first time I made it. I took it to a women's brunch at church, and my friend Malissa went nuts for it! She absolutely loved it and just had to have the recipe. When we published a women's ministry cookbook some time later, Malissa was the one to include this recipe in the cookbook!

1 Unbaked 9-inch Pie Crust

2 Large Eggs

2 Cups Diced, Cooked Chicken

½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

¼ Cup Water Chestnuts, Diced

½ Cup Chopped Celery

¼ Cup Diced Onion

½ Cup Cream of Chicken Soup

½ Cup Sour Cream

½ Cup Mayonnaise

2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place the pie crust into a nine-inch pie pan (or use a pre-packaged, unbaked pie crust). Prick the bottom of the crust lightly with a fork and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. In a medium bowl, beat the two eggs slightly. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Fill the crust with the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until slightly browned. A cake tester should come out clean when inserted into the pie. If not, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes only, as the mixture will continue to cook and set as it cools.

Rustic Savory Sausage Tart

This recipe was born out of one of those occasions when I needed to bring an appetizer to a gathering at my daughter Rachel’s house, but I had no idea what to make. I tend to do some of my best cooking by foraging through the pantry and fridge and seeing what I have. A lot of times it’s a success, and sometimes not (I like to say that I was doing “Chopped” long before it was a popular Food Network television show)! I have to say, I was somewhat nervous, as Rachel is a fantastic cook herself, and a few of the friends she had invited were fellow foodies. No pressure, right? Fortunately, this was a terrific success and my daughter now makes this dish for her friends and family.

1 Box of Refrigerated Prepared Pillsbury Pie Crust (comes with 2 crusts), allowed to come to room temperature

1 Large Yellow Onion (finely sliced into long slivers)

1/2 Stick Butter

1/4 to 1/3 Cup Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade (or Trader Joe's Soyaki Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade)

1 Package Maple or Brown Sugar & Honey Breakfast Sausage (links or ground sausage), thawed, crumbled or diced

1 Tub of Rondele or Alouette Garlic Herb Cream Cheese Spread

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (about 1 & 1/2 cups)

Garlic Flavored Olive Oil (About 2 TBSP)

Dried or Fresh Rosemary (About 2 TSP)

Optional: Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat, then add the slivered onions when the butter begins to sizzle. Cook until the onions become translucent. Add the Teriyaki Sauce, mixing the sauce and onions thoroughly. The sauce should bubble and start to evaporate a bit. You want the onions to "caramelize" but you don't want them to be soggy. Transfer the caramelized onions to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Using the same frying pan (do not rinse it out or wash it), brown the sausage over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain off any fat. Add the cooked sausage to the caramelized onions and mix well.

Spray a round cooking pan (such as a pizza stone or pizza pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Unfold one of the pie crusts and lay it on the center of the sprayed pan. Spread enough garlic herb cream cheese on the pie crust to completely cover the crust (not too thick, but don't make too thin, either). Next, distribute the sausage-onion mixture evenly over the garlic herb cream cheese layer. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top of the sausage-onion layer (saving a little bit for the top crust). Unfold and place the remaining pie crust over the top of the tart. Fold the bottom crust edges together with the top crust edges to seal the tart, then press the edges together with the tips of a fork to make ridges in the crust. Brush top crust with the garlic flavored olive oil, completely coating the crust from edge to edge. Sprinkle the dried Rosemary evenly over the tart, then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired. Cut into wedges or squares and serve.

Church Picnic Ham

I love seeing a beautifully browned, glazed ham on the table. I call this a Church Picnic Ham, but you can take this to any event, or share with almost

anyone. One of the benefits of sharing a ham is that it can be used in so many different ways and provides several meals. This ham takes love and time, but it is so worth it! My daughter Amanda loves ham as much as I do, so I always tried to make sure we had a ham for special occasions and holidays.

Please be sure to read the special instructions if using a Country Ham, as opposed to a pre-packaged Picnic Ham.

1 Large Country Ham (12-14 pounds) or a Pre-Packaged Picnic Ham*

½ Cup Molasses

1 Cup Brown Sugar

Glaze:

2 TBSP Honey

2 TBSP Prepared Mustard

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

Optional: Pineapple Rings and Whole Cloves

If you are using a true “country ham,” it will need to soak in cold water in a large covered pot for at least six hours or overnight (this helps reduce the sodium content). Rinse the ham after soaking, then return to the pot and put in enough hot water to almost cover the ham. Let the water come to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Add the brown sugar and molasses and let simmer for three hours, adding hot water as needed to keep the ham covered. Remove the ham from the pot and let it cool a bit. Trim off the skin and most of the fat, leaving only a thin layer.

*NOTE: If you are using a pre-packaged, fully cooked picnic ham, you can skip the above step.

Mix together the glaze ingredients and brush them all over the ham, coating thoroughly. If desired, arrange pineapple rings on the ham with toothpicks and stud the ham with about 10-12 whole cloves. Place the ham in a large baking pan and cover with foil. Bake the ham at 300° for at least one hour. Turn the oven off and let the ham stay inside until cool.

Alternate Glaze: ½ Cup Apricot Preserves, ¼ Cup Soy Sauce, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, 1 TSP Minced Garlic, ½ TSP Ground Ginger. Mix together well and brush over ham before baking.