I was in such a hurry today to make sure I stayed on schedule with my cooking that I pretty much forgot to take most of the pictures along the way. I did, however, manage to get some pictures after we ate.
This is what was left after the three of us ate dinner. Well, I should backtrack a little bit. I went to Costco with my good friend Hayley to find a good piece of brisket. Not corned beef brisket - the regular kind. I wasn't able to compare the price to Publix, but considering neither WinnDixie nor BJs had brisket at all, I figure I made out well. I bought a 4.5lb piece of brisket at $4.99/lb, and I'll be sure to let you know the price at Publix when I make it over there again. I cut the meat in half before marinating and cooking so that I wouldn't lose any precious juices cutting it after it cooked. I'll list the recipe below, but know that it really is as easy as it sounds!
The cheese grits usually aren't so brown on top - that was my bad. But they still tasted perfect! This is also SUPER easy. Both dishes are just time consuming when it comes to cook time, but again, totally worth it!
Our veg for the night - steamed green beans. Always a favorite at our house. Carter even ate some tonight. He usually throws anything green on the floor. Nothing fancy done here though, just some fresh green beans, trimmed, cut down if they were really long, and then steamed. I use those great bags from the grocery store where you can just throw the veggies in and microwave for a perfect steam. Quick. Easy. Zero clean up. What more could a woman ask for?
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In case you forgot, I was making this meal for my friend who just had a baby. The recipes for everything I made are intended to serve 8 people, so it was the perfect meal to just split in half. There was no special measuring or dividing of recipes to do. Just make it according to the recipe, and divide among two dishes. I opted not to make a dump cake for our family since Matt just make a yellow cake with dark chocolate and hazelnut frosting. I made their dessert (which I forgot to take a picture of), and then just stored the rest of the filling in the fridge. Of course, after dinner I just really wanted some blueberry dump cake, so I made myself my own individual serving. Again, no fancy measuring, just scoop, sprinkle, and bake. As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Brisket - 5 hours baking time
2.5-5lb Brisket
1 T kosher salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/8 t paprika
1/4 c liquid smoke
1/4 t pepper
Lay out brisket in baking dish for marinating. Sprinkle salt all over meat. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over meat. Cover and refrigerate over night.
The next day, preheat oven to 275. Bake meat, uncovered, for 2 hours. Remove from oven. Combine following ingredients.
1 can beef broth
1/2 c liquid smoke
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1/4 c mustard
Pour mixture over meat, cover dish and return to oven to bake an additional 3 hours. Let meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it.
**My notes** If you're using a piece of brisket that is on the smaller end of the scale, I would use a light hand when adding liquid smoke. The flavor can be overpowering if too much is used. Also, on the second day, when adding the liquid to "braise" meat, I believe my mother-in-law omits the mustard when pouring liquid over meat. Instead she brushed the mustard on top of the meat to give it a little bit of a tangy flavor after it cooks. I've had it both ways, and if you like mustard, even just a little bit, try it her way. You won't be disappointed! Also, it is common for one side of the brisket to have a layer of fat over top. Resist the urge to trim it off!! Leave it on and bake fat side up. The fat will add amazing flavor to the meat as it cooks, and protect the top from drying out. After baking, when ready to slice servings, go ahead and trim the fat off if you like. Trimming the fat off a brisket after it cooks is probably easier than trying to do it while the meat is raw.
Cheese Grits Souffle - 1 hour, 20 minutes total cooking time
Set 7 cups of water to boil. As water boils, add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Then, pour in 2 cups of uncooked grits (either old-fashioned or quick cooking, but NOT instant), stirring continuously to prevent clumping. Cover and cook over low heat until done (about 15-25 minutes is best), stirring often to prevent clumping or sticking to the bottom.
After grits are done cooking, stir in 6oz Nippy Cheese (I'll be darned if I ever find this stuff...I just use Cheez-Wiz, it's better than Velveeta), 8oz sharp cheddar, shredded, 1 cup butter, 4 eggs, well beaten, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt & pepper to taste. Stir until cheeses and butter are melted. Pour into buttered 3-quart casserole or 9x13 inch dish and bake at 350 for one hour.
**My notes** From what I've been told, Nippy Cheese could previously be found at WinnDixie, and is supposed to be a little spicy - hence, Nippy. Feel free to add some chopped pickled jalapenos if you are looking for some spice. The 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper in the recipe does not really make the grits spicy. I fed it to my 2 year old and he was fine.
Dump Cake - 5 minute prep, 1 hour baking time
1 can fruit pie filling of your choice
1 can crushed pineapple, in juice
1 box cake mix
1 stick butter
In a bowl, combine fruit pie filling and crushed pineapple, stirring well. Pour into greased 9x13in baking dish. Sprinkle dry boxed cake mix over top of fruit. DO NOT STIR. Cut butter into cubes and scatter across top of cake mix. Bake in oven at 350 for one hour, or until top is golden brown and fruit is nice and bubbly.
**My notes** Our personal favorite is blueberry dump cake. We're not big fans of the cherry pie filling, so we don't make that at all. I did see a can of mixed berry pie filling at WinnDixie when I was there the other day. It was blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries, and cherries - might be good! My husband did try apple pie filling once with a spice cake mix. He said it wasn't recommended. I don't know if he did pineapple too though...I could see why that wouldn't be good. We normally use a yellow cake mix, but feel free to try out different combinations!
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