I don't know about y'all, but after almost 6 weeks, I'm really missing "normal life" and especially my favorite local restaurants and bars. In an effort to give our night a little flair and structure, I made our Sunday dinner theme "Raleigh"! Here are three recipes I made, with a bonus drink on the side. They're all SUPER easy and have ingredients that can be easily sourced from the pantry or grocery delivery.
1. Cheerwine BBQ Sauce: This one was so simple, I barely needed a recipe! Start by adding 2 tbs of butter to a large skillet, and sauté one small onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Once the onion is soft and translucent, grab these ingredients and stir to combine:
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Cheerwine
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Let it simmer for about 15 minutes until thick.
2. Poole's Macaroni Au Gratin: This one is much easier than I imagined! You do need some trickier-to-find cheeses, but I was able to substitute (I used Pecorino Romano instead of Grana Padano) and find most at Publix, Harris Teeter and Wegman's online. Here's a link to the full recipe from Garden and Gun Magazine!
3. Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie: This classic pie was perfected by the mother of Angus Barn's current owner, Alice Eure, along with a waitress named Betty Shuggart. It's no cheese spread, but it's the second best thing on their menu (in my opinion!). I followed this recipe from Our State Magazine!
Bonus round: Missing your local watering holes? Many places are offering take-away cocktail mixes where you can add your own spirit and be a bartender right in your own living room. Here are a few, but if you hear of more, let me know! Want to watch me be my own "bartender"?! I did a short tutorial video on the Painkiller bottled with love from Sidebar and Oakwood Pizza Box. Tune in below: