From the Beloved Loveless

Some of America’s best food is served at small roadside eateries. The two recipes featured this week come from the Loveless Cafe, a beloved restaurant on the outskirts of Nashville, Tenn., that has been serving Southern-style meals to country music stars and regular folks since 1951.

Hash brown casserole, a staple on the restaurant’s breakfast menu for 20 years, is regularly served with the Loveless’ signature country ham and made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits. The casserole also makes an ideal side dish to serve at home for breakfast or brunch.

Carol Fay Ellison, a Loveless Cafe cook for a quarter of a century, says the recipe is easy to make and customers often ask how it’s prepared. “It’s been a secret” up until now, she adds.

Southern pecan pie, a nutty, lip-smacking dessert recently added to the Loveless’ menu, is a scrumptious way to top off a hearty, home-cooked meal, especially a roasted turkey or fried chicken dinner.

The Loveless, which recently underwent a three-month renovation and expansion to accommodate more diners, is scheduled to reopen by June 5. For more information on the Loveless Cafe, call (615) 646-0067, or log on to www.lovelesscafe.com.

Hash Brown Casserole

4 pounds shredded hash brown potatoes
8 ounces diced onion
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded American cheese
1 20-ounce can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together well. Spoon into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serves 8 to 10.

Southern Pecan Pie

3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups pecans
1 10-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs slightly to combine yolks and whites. Add corn syrup and sugars. Melt butter and add to the egg and sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla and pecans until well blended. Carefully pour into pie crust, being careful not to overfill. Bake for 50 minutes or until set. If the edges of the crust begin to brown too early, cover the edges with aluminum foil. Cool before serving.

first appeared: 5/9/2004