Hot Tomato, Bacon & Chicken Pasta & {The Southern Bite Cookbook Review & Giveaway}

Today I'm sharing a yummy cookbook review with y'all!  Not just any cookbook, but the newly released Southern Bite Cookbook! 
This beautiful southern cookbook was released on Tuesday March 11th, but I was lucky enough to score an advanced copy to drool through.

This beautiful cookbook is written by my friend Stacey Little of SouthernBite.com. If you love simple southern food this cookbook is a must have, and I'm honored to add this beautiful book to my cookbook collection. 

The Southern Bite Cookbook is filled with 150 southern dishes passed down from 4 generations of his families kitchen! Stacey is a simple man with a big heart and a love for food, family and heritage. And in the south that's a big deal!  

When Stacey announced that he was writing a cookbook I knew right off that it would be nothing less that a hit. All of his recipes call for simple ingredients and pantry staples which is the definition of southern and country cooking. If you have a love for southern food like I do you'll immediately appreciate so many of these great recipes.
 

I'm so proud to call Stacey my friend and even more honored to have met him in Person. All I can say is Stacey's a hoot and definitely a keeper. I have so much fun every time I'm around him and he has such an infectious personality. This beautiful cookbook was written with a labor of love and it show's through on each and every page. Stacey, ya did good my friend! 

The photos in this cookbook are not only beautiful, but inviting and mouth watering to say the least. Each and every photo takes you back to your mother or grandmother's kitchen. Fried chicken, pimento cheese, pulled pork, stuffed peppers, succotash, chicken pot pie, fried green tomatoes, roasted garlic chicken, meatloaf, smothered pork chops and the south's famous comeback sauce is just a sampling of recipes you'll find in this delicious cookbook. 

Oh and let's not forget the desserts!! The Southern Bite cookbook is packed full of so many of my favorites, Lemon ice box pie, Dr. pepper cake, buttermilk pie, scratch brownies, pound cake, red velvet brownies and his mom's peach cobbler. Stacey was also generous enough to include recipes from his southernbite.com readers, so just might find a recipe in their from yours truly!!!! 

Now onto the recipes that I chose to make. First on the list was this easy-peasy Hot Tomato, Bacon & Chicken Pasta. I was in a pinch for dinner when we returned from Spring Break and I had everything on hand to make this wonderful pasta dish. 

This recipe honestly falls under what we call a pantry staple recipe. I even took Stacey's suggestion and added chicken to turn this side dish into a entree. Everyone loved it and it and I literally had dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Hot Tomato, Bacon & Chicken Pasta 

1 - (12 oz) package bow tie pasta
5 - slices bacon, cooked
1 - onion, chopped
1 - cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 cans (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (prefer Red Gold basil, oregano and garlic)
2 - cups cooked shredded chicken (I used Rotisserie)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain well. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy; then drain on paper towels and crumble.

Drain all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan. Return the pan to medium heat, add the onion and cook 7-8 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Add the garlic, tomatoes with juice and chicken. Add salt to taste and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon to the sauce and toss the pasta.

Serves: 5-6

This next recipe is no stranger in my house! I have made these yummy Pecan Chewies more times than I can count. They bake up golden brown with a rich chewy center.  This was one of the first southernbite recipes I tried a few years back, and I've been making them ever since. 

Pecan Chewies

Ingredients:
2 - sticks butter, melted
1 - cup granulated sugar
1 - cup light brown sugar, packed
2 - eggs, beaten
2 - cups self-rising flour (do not substitute)
1 - cup pecans pieces
2 - teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter, add sugars, and blend well by hand. 

Add beaten eggs, stir well.  Add flour and stir until all lumps are gone. Add pecans and vanilla. 

Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake approximately 40 to 50 minutes watch closely so they don't over cook. You want them to retain their chewiness.

Cook's Note: If you do not have any self rising flour on hand you can make your own.
For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine and continue with recipe. 

Serves: 8-10

 

 

This Giveaway is now Closed! The Winner of the Cookbook & 6 - QT Slow Cooker is Comment #98 Colleen Bohn!

To celebrate the release of his new cookbook, Stacey is offering one Mommy's Kitchen reader a chance to win a signed copy of the new Southern Bite Cookbook, and a Hamilton Beach 6 - Quart Programmable Slow Cooker.  What an awesome combination if you ask me. I don't even own one of these fancy schmancy slow cookers.

Here's How to Enter:

Mandatory Comment:
Just leave a comment on this post telling me what dish that you make that reminds you of home?

Bonus Entry:

Tweet the following for a bonus entry: Win a copy of The Southern Bite Cookbook & a 6 Qt Programmable Slow Cooker @mommyskitchen @southernbite http://tiny.cc/kc3pcx #giveaway (Leave a separate comment for bonus entry). 

Giveaway Rules:

Giveaway starts today, March 14th, 2014   and ends on March 20 st, 2014. Contest is open to U.S Residents that are 18 years and older.  If you leave an anonymous comment please include your email address in the event that you're the winner. Winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

 

You can follow Stacey Little on Southernbite.com as well as on Pinterest, Face book, Twitter and Instagram.

Disclosure: I was given an advanced copy of The Southern Bite Cookbook for the purpose of this review. An additional copy was also provided to use in a reader giveaway. All opinions stated above are 100% entirely my own.