Ready For National Cooking Day? Here’s A Few Recipes To Get You Started

person preparing food to cook for National Cooking Day

Ready For National Cooking Day? Here's A Few Recipes To Get You Started 

Dust off your apron and mark your calendar because it’s time to celebrate National Cooking Day on September 25, 2021. Many Americans have become quite skilled at ordering takeout and preparing processed foods; however, there’s no reason these habits should become your dining status quo.  Instead, take National Cooking Day as an opportunity to get back in the kitchen and discover new recipes that don’t come from a box yet are easy to prepare. Trust us, enjoying a home-cooked meal with your family is the best way to dine. Here’s some recipe inspiration to get ya’ll started!

Texas Rib Candy Meatloaf 

This meatloaf recipe is sure to please even the pickiest eaters.

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Put ALL of the ingredients into a large bowl. WITH YOUR HANDS, thoroughly mix everything together. Form the mixture into a loaf shape in a baking dish large enough so you can leave a space; this makes it easier to pour off the grease when the meatloaf is done. Squiggle some Texas Pepper Jelly Rib Candy and Craig’s ketchup or BBQ sauce over the top of the loaf, and place the dish in your oven. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the edges of the meatloaf start to look “blackish.” 

When it’s done, remove from the oven and let it “set” on the top of your stove for about 15 minutes; this will allow you to slice it more easily. Feel free to drizzle more Texas Rib Candy over meatloaf slices or serve it on the side. 

Note, you don’t add any salt to your meatloaf mixture; the crushed crackers will supply all the salt you’ll need for flavoring.

Apple Habanero Pork Chops

This recipe is so incredibly easy; you’ll wish you had made it sooner!

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Place pork chops in a large cookie sheet or casserole dish, add sliced apples and pour Apple Habanero Pepper Jelly over everything. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and turn to broil (high). Flip pork chops and pour additional pepper jelly over pork chops if desired. Broil (make sure oven rack is 8″ below the heat source) 7 – 10 minutes, until jelly is caramelized.

Note:  This dish can also be cooked in the crockpot on LOW for 6-7 hours.

Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts with Texas Pepper Jelly Glaze

You can get this dish in the oven in less time it would take to call for delivery.

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Directions:

Arrange chicken breasts in a baking dish, so they are not crowded. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the pepper jelly, mustard, and honey; pour over chicken to coat.  Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, occasionally basting until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. The internal temp should be 170°F.

There’s no need to wait for National Cooking Day to enjoy quick and easy home-cooked meals.  Regardless of what side dishes you go with, these main course recipes will have you returning to the kitchen and your family to the table over and over again.

We love seeing the good food Texas Pepper Jelly readers put together. So, if you create any of our recipes, let us know by tagging us on social media with @texaspepperjelly so that we can share them with the world. Until next time foodies, follow us and definitely, keep that pit smoke rollin’!