Easter is just round the bend, so it’s time to fill the grocery baskets and prep to feed the egg hunters, bonnet-wearers and seersucker-dressed.  While y’all are figuring out where to hide the golden egg, we’ve come up with some golden egg-worthy recipes to round out your Easter menus…

We’ve actually been enjoying some beautiful weather these last few days, so we would much rather be outside rather than over a hot stove. Go figure!! But we still need to eat, and since Easter is one of those celebrations that can take up all the appliances…all at once…we tested a crockpot ham with humongous success.  Yay us!! This is a fix (with 3 ingredients!!) and forget while you go enjoy the Easter parade type of dish!!

The Food Charlatan is a fantastic blog. She has a great wit and even better recipes. Her easy spicy slow cooker ham is a recipe worthy of making for Easter or really anytime you don’t want to be in the kitchen.

Here’s how ours turned out:It is beyond delish and not really spicy in our minds…we describe it as having more of a kick. So, tender mouths need not fear, and the brave can add extra bang to their liking!

Side-note…this is one of the few recipes we didn’t feel the need to tweak (shocking, we know!), and many of her other recipes are just as spot-on.  We just adore this site and suggest you go get the recipe here and spend a little time perusing!!

Next up…a to-die-for side dish.  Here in the South, we can’t do without pimento cheese…evah!! We belles were recently in the midst of the truly southern James Farmer…more on that incredible experience to come (y’all know what they say, keep ’em wantin’ more!)

We each have a couple of his books (again…more on that later), so we couldn’t resist trying, tasting, and sharing his recipes for pimento cheese. We even sent them out to a tasting panel of sorts!  They were both met with rave reviews, but the spicy version won by a smidge.  Both are worth making…and we suggest a taste test of your own. Would love to hear who makes it to y’all’s winner circle!

Jalapeño Pimento Cheese from James Farmer

Serves 4-6

8 ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounce block of Monterey Jack (We used jalapeño jack because we couldn’t find jalapeños in the recipe!!)
2 green onions chopped
1/3 cup pimentos
Dash of garlic salt
Dash of salt
Fresh ground pepper – white, black or red, depending on taste (we used black and red)
3/4 cup mayo (we used Hellman’s)
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo (if you want it creamier…we did not)
Toasted pecans, optional

Grate cheeses by hand (it makes all the difference). Place all ingredients in bowl and fold gently with a wooden spoon; don’t over-stir!

Farmer’s Pimento Cheese from James Farmer

Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (please hand grate!!)
1 cup finely shredded sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese (again, grate by hand)
1/2 -3/4 cup mayonnaise (we used Hellman’s, a scant 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup pimento pieces with some juice
Squirt lemon juice
Dash of Lawry’s seasoned salt
Dash of Morton’s Nature’s seasons
Pinch of cayenne
Fresh ground black pepper
Fresh ground sea salt

Combine cheeses with mayo to taste, pimento, lemon juice, and seasonings to taste.

Now, how about a grilled pimento cheese with ham for lunch the day after Easter?!  Sounds like a perfect way to wind down from the holiday to us!!

And remember…everything tastes better on motha’s silvah, just sayin’!!!

a&a