Virginia Willis Blog
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Find well-tested recipes, tips, techniques, instructions, helpful hints, and stories from chef Virginia Willis. Southern chef Virginia Willis is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, writer, and media personality known for her popular blog and delicious recipes.
Virginia Willis Blog
2d ago
This Graham Cracker Chocolate Bark is the third bark-inspired dessert I’ve made in 2 weeks. Here’s to 30 years of professional cooking experience and a Beard award. I’m melting chocolate and pouring it on store-bought crackers! Life is real. Chocolate Bark is this year’s go-to. Need a last-minute gift or an easy dish for the ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
2w ago
Cornbread Dressing is an old-school Thanksgiving favorite. This recipe for Healthy Cornbread Dressing is based on whole-grain buttermilk cornbread. It’s built on traditional flavors yet has less fat and calories than many recipes. (Shh! Don’t tell!) You can feel better about a heaping helping of this Healthy Cornbread Dressing — with Turkey Gravy, of course ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
3w ago
French Potato Soup is a simple comfort food that’s Good and Good for You™ . Potato Soup? Yes! Many potato soups are made with heavy cream or milk, sour cream, grated cheese, and bacon bits. The only vegetables you can identify are the chopped scallions. This French Potato Soup is made with only 5 ingredients ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
1M ago
Chocolate Pudding is like a magic potion that instantly transforms grown-ups into little kids. What’s better than a bowl of chocolate pudding? A really BIG bowl of Chocolate Pudding! Years ago I ordered Chocolate Mousse for dessert at a small Parisian cafe and was served a monstrous tureen of mousse with a spoon and an ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
1M ago
Faux Gras, not Foie Gras. Faux Gras is a play on words for a completely vegan and super delicious mushroom-lentil-pecan spread. Faux means false in French and it’s an important distinction. Foie gras is a fatty goose or duck liver. It’s often made into a terrine, pate, or spread, but it can also be ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
2M ago
Hunter’s Chicken aka Poulet au Chasseur in French or Chicken Cacciatore in Italian is a simple chicken fricassee made with savory mushrooms in a garlicky tomato base. It’s simple, straightforward, and very satisfying. You may ask why it is called Hunter’s Chicken when it contains no game. The dish can be made of rabbit and ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
2M ago
This Easy Skillet Chicken Ratatouille is as much a cooking technique, as a recipe. When we’re stressed out we need easy, not a complicated recipe to follow. This go-to dish has been in heavy rotation. It’s as easy as 1,2,3! Sear meat. Saute veg. Combine and finish in the oven. A little bit of lean ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
2M ago
Hurricane Helene is blowing through the Southeast. Prayers for those in areas that have been devastated. Florida and South Georgia were hit hard. If your power is out save this recipe for later! If you’re hunkered down for the weekend, this Turkey Arrabbiata is an easy dish to put together. Arrabbiata is a bold and ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
3M ago
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole checks the top requirements for a specific type of comfort food – cheese, carbs, and a casserole dish. Many of these type recipes start with a sodium-filled can of “cream of soup,” but this one is made from scratch. As with many recipes that evolved so-called “shortcuts,” this homemade ..read more
Virginia Willis Blog
3M ago
When I initially wrote this post, I hadn’t written a word about my experiences on 9/11 and hardly ever spoke of it. I couldn’t watch reports on TV — and still can’t. I’ve tweaked and re-posted this piece every year since I wrote it. The photo of my sister above was shot mere days before ..read more