In his classic song “Merry Christmas From the Family,” Robert Earl Keen shares a recipe for a successful get-together: “Carve the turkey, turn the ballgame on, mix Bloody Marys ‘cause we all want one.” But instead of turkey, the legendary Texas songwriter serves original dishes like Sonora’s Death Row Casserole and Venison Chili. Meanwhile his wife Kathleen whips up buttermilk pies for the neighborhood. This year they might just save room for a batch of Crock Pot Christmas Crack.
Catch Keen on tour in his 19-city Holiday concert now through December 30. Details available at RobertEarlKeen.com (http://www.robertearlkeen.com/tour.html)
Robert Earl Keen’s Perfect Holiday Party - The Soundtrack to Get the Party Started
Robert: “Every Christmas party needs great music. To make it easy for you, I put together a list of my favorite holiday songs on Spotify. Instant soundtrack - just press play!”
Mix Some Drinks
Robert: “I’m not a mixologist, so my secret to any mixed drink is to us my favorite whiskey or rum or vodka that fits the drink. Use the best and you can’t go wrong. You can say that with complete certainty after you knock back three or four drinks in one sitting.”
REK Bloody Mary
1½ to 2 oz Stoli Vodka
6 oz Bloody Mary mix (of choice)
1 fresh jalapeno slice
4 ounces tomato juice
2-4 dashes of hot sauce
1 tsp horseradish
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 trimmed celery stick (no leafy business)
Pepper to taste
Place jalapeno slice in bottom of the glass before putting in ice. Add vodka, Bloody Mary mix, tomato juice and hot sauce. Stir before adding horseradish and worcestershire sauce. Garnish with pepper and a trimmed celery stick.
Now For the Main Dishes
Sonora’s Death Row Casserole
Robert: “Sonora’s Death Row Christmas Casserole was a result of a conversation my wife Kathleen and I had about a prisoner’s last meal. She was fond of eggplant parmigiana and said that would probably be her last meal of choice. I didn’t think twice. I wanted three chili dogs with mustard and onions and a Big Red to drink. Kathleen scoffed. “Come on you can do better than that,” she said. I thought a minute and mused about how much I loved my Aunt Sadie’s King Ranch Chicken. “But I’d like it with some jalapenos and healthy pinch of cayenne.” It was during the Christmas season, so after a few failed attempts we perfected the dish. We added the red and green bell peppers as a nod to the season. Voila! It’s been a Christmas favorite ever since.”
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder/ to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt/pepper to taste
6 corn tortillas
Hot vegetable oil
3 cups sliced fresh zucchini
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, vinegar, garlic and salt in a pan. Heat and simmer gently.
Slice tortillas into 1/8 inch strips and fry in hot oil. Drain well.
Boil or steam zucchini until it is tender, then drain. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, tortilla strips, corn, green chiles and 3/4 cup cheese. Spoon mixture into a well-greased 9 x 13 baking dish, then spread tomato sauce and remaining cheese on top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until mixture begins bubbling. Remove from oven and spread sour cream on top. Sprinkle with green onions, diced red and green pepper for Christmas Spirit and serve.
Inspried by 410 Diner - San Antonio, Texas
Venison Chili
Robert: “Dump cooking is what Mama Dip called it. She started a soul food restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (it might be Durham) many years ago. Mama has gone on, but I have her cook book. Dump cooking is how I make my chili and all though I did write down my recipe for a magazine, I never make my chili the same way twice. The weird part is that every pot of chili I make is as good as the last one. Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then.”
1 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds venison deer meat, finely ground
3 tablespoons garlic powder
salt, to taste
1 small onion, chopped
2 large jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 handfuls cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoons coarse-ground black pepper
10 whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
23 fl oz tomato sauce
6 fl oz tomato paste
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoons powdered Bloody Mary Mix
15 ounce can of pinto beans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 can Robert Earl Keen's Honey Pils
Let meat warm to room temperature. In a large pot, combine meat, oil, garlic powder and salt then let simmer for 2-3 hours, adding water every now and again to prevent mixture from drying out. Add onions, cilantro, jalapenos and pepper and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir until everything is well combined. Add chili powder and Bloody Mary mix and let simmer until bubbling slightly. Add beans and then put a can’s amount of water into the chili. Add brown sugar and cumin, mix ingredients together. Add a splash of Robert Earl Keen Honey Pilsner or beer of choice, drink the rest. Let sit on low heat/flame for 5-10 minutes then serve.
Desert - Let’s Make it Sweet
Robert: “What would Christmas be without a couple of rocking desserts? Our family classic is Buttermilk Pie from Threadgill’s, and my team in Nashville is suggesting we add some Crack - of the chocolate kind that is.”
Buttermilk Pie
Robert: “This recipe is a holiday favorite around the Keen household between Thanksgiving and Christmas.It’s Kathleen’s calling card. The recipe was inspired by Threadgill’s restaurant in Austin, TX. The result is flat-out the best buttermilk pie this side of heaven. She spends a couple of days delivering them to the townsfolk in Kerrville. She made thirty-two pies this year. Her first recipients were begging for more long before the last pie was delivered.”
2 sticks unsalted butter melted (completely)
1 cup buttermilk
6 eggs whisked
1/4 cup flour
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp real vanilla
3 cups sugar
1 pie crust
Makes 2, 9” pies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let ingredients come to room temperature prior to baking. Melt 2 sticks of unsalted butter. Combine butter, buttermilk and six eggs and mix thoroughly. Add lemon juice and vanilla. After combining liquid ingredients, add flour and sugar. Whisk thoroughly then divide between two pie crusts. Place in preheated oven and bake for 55 minutes or until top is a crunchy golden brown. Let cool and serve either warm or chilled.
Crock Pot Christmas Crack
Robert: "This recipe for “Crock Pot Christmas Crack” looks like one big vat of chocolate peanut heaven. Can you tell how much my girls love chocolate? You can find the recipe on the site Just a Pinch here. Now you know what to do with your new Crock Pot on Christmas morning. Serve with Champagne punch and homemade egg nog (but keep an eye on Mom and Dad).
Merry Christmas!”
