The sun shines bright on our old Kentucky home, and the abundance of southern food glistens. While much of the attention given to Kentucky stems from the annual Kentucky Derby and production of coal, there are many Kentucky food recipes that have gained national recognition as well.

One of the most recognizable Kentucky foods is the famed Kentucky Fried Chicken of the KFC restaurant chain. The “Original Recipe” chicken has been around since 1940. It might be the most sought after tastes for fried chicken in the world, and now you can make it in your own home.

To make the “Original Recipe” seasoning, you will need two tablespoons of salt, two cups of flour, two tablespoons of black pepper, four tablespoons of paprika, one teaspoon of garlic salt, one teaspoon of ground mustard, one tablespoon of ground French thyme, one tablespoon of sweet basil, one teaspoon of ground oregano and one tablespoon of ground Jamaican ginger. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and you now have KFC’s best kept secret to use for any dinner, potluck, or picnic you please.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two bowls to make the chicken; one with raw beaten eggs and one with the KFC seasoning. Roll the chicken in the beaten egg first, then in the seasoning. Fry the chicken in peanut oil, then transfer to a metal or glass pan and bake for 45 minutes. Just throw the chicken in a bucket and it will be exactly like eating at KFC.

Colonel Sanders’s original recipe is not the only thing that brings Kentucky national attention; the Kentucky Derby is a widely recognized Kentucky exclusive as well.

Although the Kentucky Derby is not until May, it is never the wrong time to enjoy a good slice of Derby Pie. While some Kentuckians have been led to believe Derby Pie is a difficult dish to fix, it is actually quite simple.

You will need half a cup of flour, one cup of sugar, two beaten eggs, half a cup of melted butter, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, one cup of chopped walnuts, one and one fourth of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, one pinch of salt and one ready-made pie-crust. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by combining the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the eggs and the butter, and then mix the ingredients to smoothly combine. Next, stir in the walnuts, the chocolate chips, the vanilla and the salt. Then pour all of the ingredients into the unbaked pie-crust. Finally, bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes. Make sure you let it cool before slicing. Now you are ready to put on your Sunday best and enjoy this Derby favorite.

Even though many of us dream of dessert-only meals, the Kentucky Derby boasts many different types of foods. Homemade biscuits and country ham is a popular dish in Kentucky, as well as in other states of the south. In this next recipe, we will put a Kentucky twist on this southern favorite. You will need one cup of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, one eighth a teaspoon of salt, one fourth a teaspoon of dry mustard, one fourth a teaspoon of onion powder, three tablespoons of vegetable shortening, one half a cup of milk and your favorite brand of country ham. For this recipe we will use Broadbent Kentucky country ham.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then start the biscuits by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, mustard and onion powder in a large bowl. Mix in the shortening with a hand mixer until it the mixture is coarsely mixed. Add the milk and mix the ingredients until you have soft dough. Pour the dough onto a floured board and knead it for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then roll the dough out until it is three fourths of an inch thick.    You can use a cookie cutter to cut the biscuits out of the dough and then place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve the biscuits with a slice of Broadbent Kentucky country ham, and you will have a nice southern snack.