This year the Lenoir County Fair and Lenoir County Cooperative Extension hosted the First Ever Cast Iron Cook-Off and it was a great success!  I promised to share the results and the recipes, so here you go and they were all super delicious!!  Congratulations to all participants!  

Best of Show 

Blue Ribbon - Sides

Cheryl Crouse

Autumn Brussels Sprouts

1 lb. Brussels Sprouts, washed, dried, and halved

¼ lb. bacon fried crisp, drained, and chopped saved the grease

1 tart apple, diced finely

2 Tbsp. Maple syrup

¼ cup pecan halves, toasted

Fry Brussels sprouts in 2 Tbsp. Bacon grease for a few minutes.

Add diced apple.

Continue frying over medium heat until sprouts are tender crisp, still bright green. 

Stir in maple syrup and diced bacon, sprinkle pecan halves over top and serve warm.

 

Blue Ribbon – Sweets 

Sarah Suggs

Peach Cobbler 

1 stick margarine

1 – 2 ½ lb. can sliced peaches

½ c. brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 large egg

1/3 cup milk

Melt margarine in cast iron pan.  Beat egg and milk and stir into flour sugar mixture. 

Spoon evenly into melted margarine.  

Stir cinnamon into drained peaches.  Spoon peach slices over batter.  Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. 

 Blue Ribbon – Meats

Sarah Suggs

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

8 ounces – 2 cups uncooked penne pasta

1-8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

¾ cup ranch dressing

1/3 cup buffalo sauce

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (rotisserie or canned)

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup Feta cheese

¼ cup Gouda cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the pasta noodles according to the package directions. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of Olive oil to keep them from sticking.

Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy. Add the chicken, ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, Gouda and feta cheeses, and cooked pasta noodles to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into the cast iron dish.

Combine the remaining cheeses and sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Red Ribbon – Sides

Sarah Suggs

Spinach-Bacon Mashed Potatoes​​​​

2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (about 6) peeled cut into chunks

5 slices Bacon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg (9 oz.) baby spinach leaves

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. onion powder

¼ cup feta cheese

Cook potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon form skillet, reserving 1 tbsp. drippings in skillet.  Drain bacon on paper towels.  Add garlic to drippings in skillet: cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add spinach:  cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or just until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat.  Crumble bacon; stir into spinach mixture.

Drain potatoes; return to pan.  Add cream cheese spread; mash potato mixture.  Stir in spinach mixture.

Red Ribbon – Sweets 

Donna Stalnaker

Grandma’s Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

½ cup Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

2 cans Pet evaporated milk

5 buttermilk biscuits

2 tbsp. Vanilla Flavoring

Generously butter cast iron frying pan.   Crumble biscuits into your pan.

Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl until well blended and pour over in the pan over the crumbled biscuits.

Take a spoon and make sure all biscuits are covered with the chocolate mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Can be served hot with Ice cream or cold.

 

Red Ribbon – Meats

Donna Stalnaker

Sweet Italian Sausage Sliders​​​​

1 Pack Sweet Italian Sausage

1 pack Arteseno Rolls

1 pack tri color bell peppers – sliced thin

2 sweet Vidalia onions - sliced thin

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. Butter

1 jar Rustic Cut Sweet Pepper/portabella mushroom Pasta Sauce