Bob’s Bama Hoecake Sliders

Bob Carlton, Birmingham, AL - Martha White Charity Cook-Off Winner

Ingredients

2 cups Martha White® Self-Rising Enriched White Corn Meal Mix
1 large egg
1¾ cups buttermilk
¼ cup Crisco® vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons of Crisco® shortening (optional)
12-ounce container of pimento cheese (your favorite brand or see recipe below)
1 pound of smoked sausage
1 16-ounce jar of spicy pickle slices

Directions

1. Beat egg in medium bowl. Add buttermilk, vegetable oil and corn meal mix and stir until smooth. Set aside.
2. Slice smoked sausage into 2-inch pieces. Then slice pieces lengthwise to cut in half. Set aside.

*If making your own pimento cheese, follow the recipe below or use a favorite family recipe.
3. Cut individual pickle slices into quarters. Set aside.
4. Heat a 12-inch Lodge Cast Iron skillet (or a Lodge Cast Iron griddle) over medium to medium high-heat.
5. After skillet gets hot, add the sliced sausage and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. After sausage reaches the desired degree of doneness, remove from skillet and let drain on paper towel. Repeat this step until all of the sausage is cooked.
6. Leave remaining sausage drippings in skillet, and while skillet is still hot, drop heaping spoonfuls of corn meal mixture into skillet to create medallion-sized hoecakes (about 2 inches in diameter). Brown for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes and then flip. Brown other side for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes and then remove hoecakes. Place on a cookie sheet and keep warm in oven on low heat (about 200 degrees). Repeat this step until all of the corn meal mix is cooked. If sausage drippings run out, add 1 tablespoon of shortening to the pan for each batch of hoecakes.
7. To build the hoecake sliders, take one hoecake and spread with pimento cheese. Top with two slices of sausage and about four of the pickle quarters. Spread pimento cheese on another hoecake and then place it on top to create a small sandwich or slider. Hold it together with a toothpick if necessary. Repeat this step until you have used all of the ingredients.

Serve immediately and enjoy.
SERVES 16

Optional pimento cheese recipe:
8 ounces of sharp white cheddar cheese
8 ounces of red-wax hoop cheese
2-ounce jar of diced pimentos, drained
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Grate cheese into large mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and pimentos and stir thoroughly until all ingredients are blended. Serve immediately or store in a sealed, plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.