Happy Labor Day! No fast pitch softball but a ton of college football this weekend and the arrival of some fall like weather in this part of Kansas. Makes you want to shout, “This is the day the Lord has made.” Last night, we enjoyed some good Southern cooking on our screened porch as part of our weekend. The recipes are good ones so I thought I would share them with you today. The menu was Pork BBQ Butt. We didn’t cook this. It was a gift from a friend and it didn’t disappoint. One of our houseguests said, “It melts as it goes down your throat.” Good stuff for sure. Paired it with some commercial rolls, wild rice and sausage casserole (recipe compliments of one of my college girlfriends) and my sister’s brown sugar green beans. My sister cooked these green beans a few years back and now my husband Jonathan thinks it is the only way to eat green beans. Dessert was my Berry Cream Pie from an earlier blog. Print these recipes for future use and enjoy your Labor Day!
Wild Rice and Sausage Casserole
1 lb. hot or mild sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 6 oz. box long & wild rice with seasoning package (I use Uncle Ben’s)
1/3 c. whipping cream
1 1/3 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. chopped almonds
Preheat oven to 350. Cook rice according to directions. Brown sausage. Sauté mushrooms and onions. I cook my mushrooms and onions with the sausage. Drain fat. Mix cream and chicken broth. Combine sausage, mushrooms, onions and rice. Spray a 2 – 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray and bake for 25 minutes. Top with almonds and bake 5 more minutes. This is one of those recipes that tastes even better as a leftover.
Brown Sugar Green Beans
2 – 4 slices – I use 1 piece of bacon per can of green beans.
2 cans sliced green beans
1/2-cup brown sugar
Cut bacon into 1 – 2 inch pieces. Brown in large saucepan until done but not crispy. Pour two cans of green beans with juice into pan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Watch to be sure the liquid doesn’t evaporate. Add 1/2-cup brown sugar and stir. Simmer 10 more minutes. No leftovers.
It is a lot of pork but the Hogs won 55 – 7 so we’re celebrating!
