Thinly sliced or pounded pieces of boneless chicken breast are grilled, then topped with barbecue sauce, bacon and shredded cheeses, and finished with a garnish of fresh chopped tomatoes and sliced green onion.

Grilled Cheesy Barbecue Chicken

This is a such a quick, easy and super tasty meal that's really perfect for any weeknight. Known across the net as a copycat of Chili's Monterey Chicken, it's really nothing more than a simple boneless, skinless chicken breast that is brushed with barbecue sauce, topped with bacon, a little shredded cheese and finished with a garnish of fresh chopped tomato and sliced green onion. Cheesy, smothered and covered y'all. Not a thing wrong with that!

A great summer side or light meal, garden fresh tomatoes are sliced, dredged first in flour, then dipped in an egg wash, rolled in bread crumbs, topped with shredded cheese and passed under the broiler.

Broiled Tomatoes

When we think of a tomato with a crumb coating, the first thing that probably comes to mind are our well loved southern fried green tomatoes. We rarely think about doing something similar with these wonderfully fragrant and juicy red tomatoes we all love to devour this time of year.

If you're looking for something a little different to do with your bounty of garden tomatoes, this very old fashioned recipe just might be the ticket. Broiled tomatoes make a great light summer meal or can serve as a wonderful supper side. Let's enjoy those tomatoes while they actually taste like a tomato!

Quick fresh fig refrigerator jam - simply chopped figs, sugar, a little bit of water, and some lemon. Simple. Perfect.

Fresh Fig Refrigerator Jam

Seems like I just planted my Celeste fig tree but it's been more than 4 years already.

I planted it in honor of my mama not long after Hurricane Katrina made me a full-time homemaker and well, eventually a blogger of southern food too I guess now!

You can read more about Mama's fig tree on my recipe for a delicious lemon poppy seed fig glazed cake. The cake there is "glazed," or really just topped to be honest, with nothing more than a thicker form of refrigerator jam.

An old fashioned southern salad of thinly sliced cucumbers and sweet Vidalia onions, dressed in a sweet and sour mayonnaise dressing. 

Creamed Cucumbers and Onion

I've been eating my share of cucumbers here lately that's for sure. First, I was gifted with a bag of them. Then, finally after replanting seeds multiple times because the heat was literally melting my poor plants, the last four that I planted finally started producing for me.  The Cajun doesn't eat cucumbers at all, but I love garden cucumbers, so that's just all the more for me. I've made cucumber cream cheese sandwiches and every single cucumber salad I have here on the site more than a few times the last few months, and realized I hadn't posted this creamed version yet.

Simplicity is what makes up a Cajun Shrimp Stew - a simple light roux, onion, sweet bell pepper and a few seasonings is all there is to it!

Cajun Shrimp Stew

Cajun food kinda reminds me sometimes of Mexican food. No, I haven't lost my mind. What I mean is a reference to how the same basic ingredients are often used and simply the application or process within the recipe and presentation differ. To me Shrimp Stew is like that.

Zatarain's Frozen Entrees

Most of you know that I do my share of cooking around here, and that while I do occasionally use some convenience products, my primary focus is on scratch cooking with fresh ingredients. Just like the rest of you though, I have days where I am too hot, too busy or just plain too tired to want to spend any time in the kitchen. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens.

Lots of folks are cutting way back on eating out in this economy and are often so busy that frozen dinners can help to fill in occasionally.  They are handy for busy workdays when you can't break away from the office, weeknights when life is a rush to begin with, and especially right now when the thought of cooking in this heat make you want to just skip eating altogether. I also know that many of you are already familiar with, love and use Zatarain's products – from boxed mixes, to pouches, to seasonings. I only recently learned, however, that they were carrying a new line of frozen dinner entrées so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to give them a taste test. There are currently eleven meals to choose from.

The first time I went to the store, I picked out Sausage and Chicken Gumbo and Jambalaya Pasta with Chicken and Sausage. I tried the gumbo first.

A collection of 25 recipes for inspiration when you are looking for something to make with ground beef.

25 Terrific Recipes to Make with Ground Beef

My husband is a hearty meat and potatoes man and ground beef is a great way to fill him up. It's certainly one of my most favorite and economical ways to stretch out a meal. I've had several readers lately looking for ground beef recipes and asking for some ideas of what to do with ground beef, so I've gathered together a collection of some of our favorite ground beef recipes here on Deep South Dish. You'll find meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, sandwiches, casseroles and more. Click the link or the photo to see the full recipe and to print them. I hope that you'll find something you love!

Rice and a Trinity of veggies are first sauteed in butter, then simmered in chicken stock for a wonderful rice side dish that is just as good for pork, as it is for chicken, shrimp, fish, or beef.

Cajun Rice Pilaf

This is one of my favorite ways to jazz up some plain rice for a nice side dish. I throw it all in my rice cooker and let it manage the rest, but if you don't own one yet, it can be done right on the stovetop just as you would do regular rice.

The rice is first sauteed in the pan just until it begins to lightly brown and then simmered in stock or broth as for a pilaf, but I won't tell if you just dump it all in together either. To be honest it works either way and I certainly do both depending on how lazy I'm feeling at the time. Without sauteing the veggies and rice, the texture is a bit more puffy than pictured, but it's all good!

A refreshing summer drink of sour cherries and lemonade.

Sour Cherry Lemonade

It's kinda hard being a blogger of food this time of the year, and especially when it's primarily classic and favorite southern recipes you write about. People are cutting back on calories and passing over comfort foods, for swimsuits and vacation time. On top of that, it's just so darned hot down in this part of the world, that it's pretty hard to think about cooking, much less eating, especially if you've spent any of the day outside. On the rare occasion that we want to stand over the stove or turn on the oven in the summer, it has to be for something special, or to satisfy a particular craving.

This is the time of year that I like to try a variety of cold, fruity drinks. I was recently flipping through the July 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, and saw a recipe for sour cherry lemonade. It sounded refreshing, and a little different, so I thought it'd be a great time to add another lemonade to the mix. Of course Martha's recipe was made with fresh cherries and fresh lemons, neither of which I had on hand. I did know however, that I had a couple cans of Oregon tart cherries in the pantry and a can of lemonade concentrate in the freezer, and so, I wasn't troubled in the least! Fresh cherries would have been nice, although much more work, and canned cherries by Oregon contain nothing but fruit and water and are a great substitute and a winner in my book anytime!

Crispy twice cooked potatoes are topped at the last minute with green onion and just a pinch of bacon and cheese. A perfect side dish for those grilled steaks or chicken.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

A potato is a pretty amazing little side dish. There must literally be thousands of ways to serve them from mashed to casseroles and every way in-between. There are even a variety of ways to simply bake them, such as cut into chunks and open roasted, or sliced and roasted covered, both different from the other and each different from a plain potato, baked naked, directly on the oven rack. Each method provides a different texture.

Summertime Peach Cobbler - super easy cobbler made with fresh peaches, cinnamon sugar and a simple buttery batter.

Summertime Easy Fresh Peach Cobbler

Cobbler has to be just about the one easiest dessert in existence, yet in its simplicity, it is both heart and belly warming. It's hard to see one without throwing a craving on yourself to make one!

Apart from an old fashioned dumpling style cobbler, this is based on a very basic, old school batter that many of us, including me, have used for years, and it works well with a wide variety of fruit.

It is often referred to as cuppa cuppa cuppa cobbler, or 1-1-1 cobbler because it used one cup of butter, one cup of flour and one cup of sugar, though I've revised mine a bit from the original, reducing the butter and, because I like it a little more cakey, I use a method that is just a tad bit different. It's a very simple recipe and it works.

No Bake Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie

A little cool slice of heaven is found in Rose Mary's Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie. It's perfect for your next gathering!

Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie

Today I'm excited to bring you not only a Featured Reader Recipe, but a Featured Guest Post from a lovely lady I have been corresponding with for several months now.  Rose Mary found herself un-expectantly retired by disability, after a long held career in the retail food industry. Not one to be hampered by that, she turned a passion for food and a love of cooking for others, into a self-published cookbook project to help make ends meet. You can find out more about her cookbook at the bottom of this post.

Coming from a background built upon firm parenting under strong Christian values and humble beginnings, Rose Mary is part of a large and accomplished family. She is truly a delight and joy, and the kind of person who can't help but brighten your day. I know you'll enjoy getting to know her, as much as you will enjoy the delicious recipe she is sharing with us. Please welcome and say hello to our special guest.