top 3 winning recipes in the 2003 cornbread festival (look pretty darn good): 1st Place Gaynell Lawson Maryville, TN White Chicken Chili with Cheddar Hushpuppy Crust ** 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped ½ tsp. Cumin 1 Tablespoon chili powder 2 Tablespoons lime juice 1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) 4 Cooked chicken breast halves, cut in bit-size pieces 2 cans chicken broth 1 small can chopped mild green chiles, drained Cheddar Hushpuppy Crust 1 package Martha White Cotton Pickin' Cornbread Mix ¼ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup milk 1 egg 3 T. melted butter or margarine 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese In 11" Lodge Iron skillet, heat olive oil, add the 1 cup onion, garlic, green pepper, cumin and chili powder. Sauté until tender. Add lime juice, beans, chicken, chicken broth and chiles. Simmer about 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the Cornbread Mix, ¼ cup onion, milk, egg, butter, and cheese. Pour over the chicken chile in the hot skillet. Place in rpeheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cornbread crust is golden brown. Serve with garnishes of sour cream, cilantro and salsa as desired. Serves 6-8. Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time, including cooking 1 hour ** Original (untested) recipe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd Place Nikki Norman Milton, TN Nikki's Original Chicken/n Garden Veggie Filled Confetti Cornbread ** 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained ad coarsely chopped 1 (9-ounce) package frozen spinach, cooked and water squeezed out 1 T. fresh garlic, minced or pressed 1 c. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded 1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded ½ c. (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped 1 c. Hellman's mayonnaise 3 T. Melinda's hot sauce (1 T. reserved) (*See Note Below) ½ t. salt ½ t. freshly ground black pepper 1 (approx. 3-1/2 lb.) roasted chicken, (cooked meat cubed and reserved) 2 T. Crisco vegetable oil 2 large eggs, slightly beaten ¾ c. whole milk ½ c. 7-Up 1-1/3 c. bell pepper, chopped (use green, red, yellow and/or orange), 1/3 c. reserved 1 T. yellow onion, chopped 2 c. Martha White Self-Rising (white) Corn Meal Mix ½ c. Martha White Self-Rising Flour 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large (11-1/2-inch) Lodge iron skillet in oven to pre-heat. 2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the artichokes, spinach, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, mayonnaise, 2 T. hot sauce, salt, pepper & chicken cubes. Stir to blend. Set aside. 3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, reserved 1 T. hot sauce, 7-Up, 1 c. bell pepper, yellow onion, corn meal and flour. Stir to blend. 4. Remove iron skillet from oven and place cornbread batter in skillet. Using a spoon spread batter and create a 1-inch rim that is slightly higher around edges of pan. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture gently into the center and smooth top leaving raised cornbread edges uncovered. Sprinkle overall with 1/3 c. reserved bell pepper. Bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees oven for 25-30 minutes; until cornbread edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Slice and serve in wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serving Suggestion: Place slices of a leaf lettuce lined platter. Garnish with kale, grape tomatoes and chopped bell peppers in various colors. Note: Melinda's Original Hot Sauce can be purchased at the Farmer's Market in Nashville, or by phoning 1-800-996-6354. Substitution would be 1 jar of pureed carrot baby food to which 1 teaspoon of any habanero hot sauce has been added. Serves 6 - 8 ** Original untested recipe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd Place Norita Solt Bettendorf, IA Quick & Creamy Turkey Ragout with Pimento Cornbread Dumplings 4 servings 2 TBSP. butter or margarine 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup diced celery One 10-14 oz. (raw) turkey breast tender, cut into bite size pieces (*or see note for using leftover cooked turkey) 1 cup sliced button mushrooms 1 tsp rubbed (ground) sage ½ tsp rosemary ½ tsp thyme 1 ½ cups water 1 TBSP chicken soup base (or chicken bouillon granules) 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 ½ cups milk 6 oz. package Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread Mix 1 tsp onion powder 1/3 cup milk 2 oz. jar chopped pimentos, undrained 1 TBSP finely minced parsley Melt butter in a 3-quart Lodge Cast Iron Chicken Fryer over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and turkey, stirring until vegetables are wilted and turkey has changed color. Add mushrooms, spices, water and bouillon soup base. Stir, cover with lid and reduce hat to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in condensed chicken soup and milk, blending well. Return mixture to a boil. Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl, combine Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread Mix, onion powder, milk, chopped pimentos and parsley. Drop spoonfuls of cornbread into bubbling turkey mixture, making 8 dumplings. Cover and simmer over low heat until dumplings test done by pressing tops (5 to 6 minutes). *Note: This dish originally developed as a use for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. To use cooked turkey, proceed with the recipe reducing water to 1 cup and cooking time for vegetables to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups, cubed cooked turkey along with the soup and milk; then finish as above. Utensils: Lodge Cast Iron Chicken Fryer Chef knife (or other favorite!) Measuring cups and spoons Small mixing bowl & spoon Large spoon for stirring on stove
