Sure Champ and The Ranch Kitchen's 'Recipes From The Ranch' August State Fair Post

It's up!  My newest 'Recipe from the Ranch' on Sure Champ VitaFerm with ideas to feed your hungry crews at state fairs across the USA! 

One of my very favorite times of the year is State Fair of Texas!  It just brings together all my favorite things that scream Texas like foremost showing our Hereford cattle and getting to see samplings of our state at it's best in our various exhibits and events at our state fair deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas! 

State Fairs across our USA are well underway as I write this blog post and most kids, moms and dads involved in agriculture in one way or another have worked long hours preparing their market animals, show heifers and market projects for this fun event.  It's a huge homecoming of sorts for families and a way to showcase their families farm, ranch and or homegrown produce.

In Texas it's a huge array of events like the Texas OU Football weekend where their football teams battle it out in the Cotton Bowl!  My favorite event each year is not the football game but when our beef heifer show falls on this weekend and we get to watch as the band from the two opposing teams 'battle it out' on the grounds by our barns!  How neat is that?  It's a memory I know my girls, husband and I enjoy each year. 

I also love getting to taste the newest fried food sensation like fried Twinkies, Oreo cookies and even fried bacon!  And my favorite thing to do each year is of course go by the Go Texas Pavilion and buy those 'Texas' made products to take home and enjoy with my family. 

The quilt shows, gardening displays and culinary exhibits are also some of my favorite places to visit as well and just being a part of the mass of people, smells and taste are a true thrill for me each year. 

State Fairs are a slice of Americana that each person should enjoy a few times in their life if not every year!

For this month's August post for Sure Champ VitaFerm's Recipes from the Ranch we chose to highlight foods that could feed the masses and crews that each family who shows or exhibits at state fairs could easily serve their families!  Thank God for electric crockpots and roasters as they help us take a partial kitchen to these shows.  With an army of helping hands and cooks in the forms of moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles we feed not just the animals each day but the hungry kids and adults as well!  The friendships I've made over a huge vat of chicken spaghettiand my Italian green beans are too many to tell by now and I wouldn't trade those times for anything! 

Today I share several recipes with you below that I hope you'll try at your state fair or your next show on the road or for your families at home.  These recipes are great for pot lucks or church gatherings and especially easy to make for a crowd when you double or triple these recipes! 

Please check out my newest post August Sure Champ VitaFerm Recipes from the Ranch Blog Post for these recipes below off my site The Ranch Kitchen.  Click on the links below each recipe to take you to them.

Sure Champion Crockpot Peach Cobbler

 

Slap Your Momma Pinto Beans

Virginia's Mexican Cornbread

 

 

Magic Cookie Bars

 

 

Have a great month and state fair season! And if you are in Texas...we'll see you at the State Fair of Texas!

 

 

Alise - The Ranch Kitchen

Virginia's Mexican Cornbread & Slap Your Momma Pinto Beans

My mom might be surprised that one of my favorite recipes she made while I was growing up was her version of Mexican Cornbread.  She probably hasn't made it in years, but when she did it could certainly feed a crowd.  Her house was always filled with a half a dozen boys made up of my brother's friends and our boy cousins.  Dinner was always a big deal and no one ever walked away hungry. 

Her version of Mexican Cornbread has ground hamburger meat and some of you might liken it to 'Taco Pie'.  This was one of the very first recipes I made when Scott and I got married and when we want comfort food this is my go to recipe.  It's a good potluck dish to take to anywhere and although I haven't tried it in a jumbo version in my roaster for a huge crowd of 50 or more, I can't see why it wouldn't be a huge hit.  Along with my spiced up version of beans from a can.....yes...I cook from a can occasionally and make people believe I cooked them from scratch - they are that darn good.  With my Cheesy Baked Tomatoes that I have posted on my blog before, it's a great meal.  Left overs are even better the next day!  Sometimes I'll serve it with my Nolana's Family Hot sauce and some tortilla chips.

Virginia's Mexican Cornbread

2 lbs of ground hamburger meat, browned and drained with
1 onion, chopped fine
1 large can green chili's
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
2 packages of cornbread, prepared according to directions uncooked (not baked yet)0 or homemade cornbread uncooked
1/2 cup milk (for cornbread)
2 eggs, beaten (for cornbread)
1 can cream of corn (for cornbread)
2 - 4 cups Mexican Blend grated cheese or mild or sharp cheddar cheese

On your stove, brown hamburger meat and chopped onion until it is no longer pink and browned. Drain excess fat and add 1 can green chili's and 1 can of Rotel Tomatoes (I prefer the can with lime and cilantro).  In a separate bowl prepare cornbread to package directions, reducing milk to 1 cup milk for both packages and add creamed corn to mixture. Set cornbread mixture aside.  Do not cook cornbread yet. 

In a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex or casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam cooking oil or greased, add hamburger mixture.  Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese on top of hamburger mixture.  Pour cornbread mixture on top of meat.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the top of your cornbread is slightly browned.  The last five minutes add 2 cups of grated cheese on top of cornbread.  Allow to cool for ten minutes and cut in to squares.  Serve with my Slap Your Momma Pinto Beans below and Cheesy Baked Tomatoes from my blog!  Along with sweet iced tea or your favorite margarita, dinner is served!

 

                                              Slap Your Momma Pinto Beans

1 - 16 ounce can of Pinto Beans (I prefer Bush's Pinto Beans)
3 - 4 cups water
1 large onion chopped
1 stick margarine or butter
1 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning (like an All Spice Seasoning)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine (optional)

Open can and place in a large dutch oven or pot.  Add 3 - 4 cups water as you do not want the beans with too much water.  Add onion, margarine/butter and spices.  Stir well.  Bring heat slowly up to a boil on the beans and turn down to a low simmer (low fire).  Cook for 20 - 30 minutes.  Add cilantro the last 5 minutes.  Spoon into bowls with the juice from the beans.  The bean broth is what will make you want to 'slap your momma' as we say in the south!  You can also drain the juice and serve on the side of you main dish.  These beans are absolutely amazing the next day.   Also, if you are a tomato lover, you can add canned tomatoes to the beans as well for an added flavor combination!  Enjoy!

Alise