22. Farmhouse Apple Bread
This cozy quick bread is a DIY JOY original, and the video makes the layering easy to follow. A buttery vanilla batter gets layered with chopped apples and a brown sugar cinnamon mixture, half and half, then baked at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour. Granny Smith apples hold their shape best. Don’t rush the layers, or the apples sink. A simple powdered sugar glaze goes on once the loaf cools.
23. Southern Pea Salad
Pea salad is one of those retro potluck dishes that deserves a comeback. Thawed frozen peas (no cooking needed) get tossed with chopped hard boiled eggs, crumbled bacon or ham, green onion, shredded cheddar and celery, then dressed in mayonnaise and sour cream with garlic powder and a dash of cayenne. Chill it for a couple of hours before serving. It makes 6 to 8 servings and comes together in about 20 minutes.
24. Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
This is the from-scratch pot pie that tastes like it came out of grandma’s oven. A whole chicken simmers with celery, onion, bay leaf and thyme to make a rich broth. The meat gets chopped and stirred into a creamy sauce of butter, flour, milk and broth with potatoes and frozen peas and carrots, then baked between two pie crusts. Skimming the fat from the broth keeps the filling from turning greasy.
