Nashville Kat Shares Some of Reba McEntire’s Favorite Recipes

This morning, Nashville Kat sent Moon and me a delicious-looking email.  It's was a list of 9 recipes from Reba McEntire and they look ridiculously good.  How does Reba's Mexican Cornbread Casserole sound?  Okay . . . how about Reba's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole?  Reba's Lemon Pepper Chicken?  Get the recipes here at WBKR.com!

Reba’s Mexican Cornbread Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 c. chopped onion

1 (8 oz.) jar mild Mexican pasteurized process cheese spread

1 (8 1/2 oz.) pkg. cornbread mix

1 (8 3/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 tbsp. butter, melted

2 tbsp. chopped green pepper

2 tbsp. chopped red pepper

Brown meat; drain. Add onions; cook until tender. Stir in process cheese spread until melted. Spoon into four (12 ounce) casseroles. Prepare cornbread mix as directed on package. Add remaining ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Spoon over meat mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Reba's Beans

Fry 5 slices of bacon in a deep 10 inch cast iron skillet until crisp. Set the bacon aside on paper towels; drain off grease. Chop one medium onion and brown in same skillet over medium-high heat, about 5-6 minutes. Add one pound lean ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off excess grease. Stir in one can (28 oz.) Campbell's Pork & Beans, one can stewed tomatoes, about ¼ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard and 1 teaspoon red pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15-20 minutes. Crumble the bacon over the top before serving.

Reba's Tennessee-style Corn bread

Mix 2 boxes (8.5 oz each) Jiffy corn muffin mix according to package directions. Spread half the batter in a greased oblong baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese, any kind you like. Mix one can (8½ oz) creamed corn into the remaining corn bread batter and pour on top of the cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes, until the cornbread is set in center and browned.

Reba's Banana Pudding

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

1 tsp almond extract, divided

40 vanilla wafer cookies

4 medium bananas, thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp confectioner's sugar

Additional vanilla wafers and sliced bananas for garnish (optional)

Butter 2 qt serving dish or bowl. In pot combine first 3 ingredients. Stir in milk until smooth. Over medium heat, cook stirring until sugar melts (about 5 minutes). In bowl lightly beat eggs. Remove 1/2 cup hot milk mixture. Stir into eggs. Stir egg mixture into pot of milk mixture. Cook, stirring until custard thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and a half tsp almond extract. Line bottom of dish with 20 wafers. Top with half of bananas then half of custard. Repeat layering with remaining cookies, bananas and custard to form one more layer. In bowl with mixer @ high speed, beat cream, confectioner's sugar and remaining extracts until peaks form. Spoon in dollops around edge of dish. Chill at least 2 hrs. Garnish if desired.

Reba's Lemon Pepper Chicken

2 Chickens -- 3 lbs each cut into parts

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tbs grated lemon zest

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs oil, preferably olive

1 tbs dried thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

In large baking dish combine chicken lemon juice and zest garlic oil thyme salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate, turning chicken once overnight. position rack about 4 " from heat source. preheat broiler. Place Chicken skin side down on rack and set in broling pan. Broil about 12 minutes. Turn chicken. Continue broiling until juices run clear when thigh meat is pierced with fork, 11-12 more minutes.

Reba's Broccoli Casserole

1 head fresh broccoli, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

1 jar Cheez Whiz (16 oz)

1 cup raw Minute Rice

1 cup cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Steam broccoli just until crisp. Drain. Mix broccoli, soup, water chestnuts, Cheez Whiz and rice and place in greased 2-quart casserole. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbling.

Reba's Zesty Potato Salad

2 lbs all purpose potatoes peeled

3 eggs

2 tbs vinegar, preferably cider

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

3 tbs oil, preferably olive

1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tbs grainy Dijon mustard

1 small red onion finely chopped

1 carrot, shredded

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot combine potatoes with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook until tender. 20-25 minutes. In another pot over high heat combine eggs with enough water to cover by 1". Bring just to a boil. Cover, remove from heat. Let stand 12 minutes. Drain. Cover eggs with cold water to cool. Meanwhile in bowl combine vinegar, salt and pepper until salt dissolves. Beat in oil until well combined. Drain potatoes and slice. Toss with vinegar mixture. Let stand 10 minutes. In large bowl combine mayonnaise with mustard. Peel eggs. Coarsely chop and add to bowl. Gently stir in onion carrot and potato mixture until combined. Let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Reba’s Hot 'n Chunky Chili

1 lg Onion, chopped

2 T Vegetable oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 lb Lean, boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4" cubes

1 28oz. can whole tomatoes

1 6oz. can tomato paste

3 T Chili powder

1 ts Dried oregano

1/4 ts Crushed red pepper

1 lg Green pepper, chopped

6 T Shredded yellow Cheddar cheese

Cooked white rice (optional)

In large saucepot over high heat, cook onion in oil 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, cook, stirring 1 minute. Remove to plate. Add beef cubes in batches, and cook until well-browned, 5-6 minutes. Return onion and garlic with beef to saucepot. Add tomatoes with puree, next 4ingredients and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally to break up tomatoes, 1.1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Add green pepper, uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Spoon chili into individual serving bowls. Serve with cheese and rice.

Reba's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Cooks who made this said:

The best sweet potatoes I've ever had! This will be definitely be used again. It was not time consuming and so easy to make!

I got this recipe from you a while back and decided to try it this Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it and my sister and niece asked for the recipe. Reba really knows how to cook them. WOW!

This is an amazing dish. I served it for the first time and the bowl was licked clean. I had family members copying the recipe at the table before they left.

This is the only dish I am allowed to prepare for family gatherings and it really, really tasty.

1 can (large size) sweet potatoes, drained

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup margarine, melted

2 eggs

***Topping***

1/4 cup margarine, melted

3 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Mash potatoes; add salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, melted margarine and eggs. Put into greased casserole. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.