Worlds of Flavor: Southern Inspired Sunday Dinner

Ever since I settled into our new home, I was anxious to resume hosting dinners for friends. So once I broke in my new kitchen, the date was set and friends came over. My friends know the drill... they come hungry and with containers to bring home leftovers. As usual, I came up with a theme to help set the mood and make menu planning easier. Thanks to the lovely folks of Glory Foods, they provided me with some amazing Southern inspired ingredients, especially their hot sauces which I'm a fan of. Rice Select, also sent me a jar of their Rice Select Texmati Rice to inspire me. Immediately, I decided on a Southern Inspired Sunday Dinner and served up this rice as the perfect accompaniment to my menu.

Texmati is the most widely recognized brand of aromatic rice in the United States and is frequently requested by name in leading magazines, newspapers and cookbooks. Our award-winning Texmati White Rice combines the qualities of basmati with that of traditional American long grain rice. Similar to basmati, Texmati has a delightful aroma of popcorn and a delicious nutty flavor. Like traditional American long grain rice, cooked grains swell in both length and width and are dry, separate and fluffy. Its delicious flavor, delightful aroma, unique texture and easy cooking characteristics set Texmati White Rice apart from all other aromatics. It tastes great served on its own as a side dish, or is perfect in dishes that are enhanced by its fluffy texture and exotic aroma. Texmati White Rice is also available certified as 100% U.S. organically grown.

Inspired by the south with Texmati rice, I prepared the following Southern Inspired menu for friends who came over for Sunday dinner...

Shrimp, Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo
A melange of shrimp, chicken and Andouille sausage make this gumbo a
classic Southern specialty that is perfect with Rice Select's Texmati Rice!

Cajun Fried Chicken
In my family, fried chicken was always served with rice {then again, everything and
anything paired with rice!} & this Southern favorite had a little Glory Foods hot sauce for heat.

Green Chile, Bacon & Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
What's a Southern meal without cornbread? These golden muffins have
green chiles, crisp bacon and sharp cheddar cheese swirled in.

 

Praline Apple Cake a la Mode
To finish on a sweet note, this cake takes advantage of seasonal apples, buttery
caramel praline sauce and a healthy scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for good measure!

Overall, it was a delicious meal that was made better with the Texmati rice we enjoyed it with. Thank you to the folks of Rice Select and DailyBuzz for the opportunity to prepare such a great meal! Stay tuned for recipes from my above menu which will be featured here all this week.

This post is brought to you by Glory Foods & Rice Select.
 As part of the DailyBuzz Tastemaker Program, I received product from Rice Select and a stipend.
Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that I am pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor.