Smoked Sausage Breakfast Skillet

This is a great, easy, winter-time dish. You can substitute frozen hash browns for the tater tots if you like.


I found the leftovers to be great for lunch the next day. Add some diced jalapeño for a little kick.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen tater tots, thawed
• 6 eggs
• 1 lb smoked sausage, diced
• 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cook tater tots, onion, and peppers in large skillet over medium-high heat until the vegetables start to soften. Break the tater tots into smaller pieces while heating.

2. Add sausage and heat thoroughly. Lower heat to medium.

3. Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk well. Add to skillet. Add salt and pepper as desired.

4. Stir, cooking, until eggs are done. Add cheese, stir, and serve.

RO*TEL Dip

Yummy. Just flat-out yummy.


Depending on how much heat you want, you can use the regular RO*TEL or hot and add more (or no) jalapeños.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bulk sausage roll
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, minced
• 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 8oz bricks cream cheese
• 2 cans RO*TEL tomatoes
• Tortilla and Frito chips, for dipping

1. Crumble sausage into a large pan and cook until done.

2. Add cream cheese and tomatoes and stir until the cheese is melted.

3. Add Monterrey Jack cheese and the jalapeñno. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.

4. Serve warm with chips for dipping. You can also put the dip into a crockpot to keep it warm.

Chicago Italian-Style Beef

Beef roasts were on sale last week, so I picked one up with the intent of making some sandwiches.


I've made a Dutch oven version of this before. This recipe is spicier, though not quite as tender. Still, it's very good, specially when topped with hot giardiniera.

Here it is rubbed down and ready to go into the oven.



Makes: 10 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lb boneless beef roast, trimmed
• 1 T fresh ground black pepper
• 2 t garlic powder
• 1 t onion powder
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 t dried basil
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper flake
• 6 cups water
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 10 hoagie rolls, or 5 large sub rolls cut in half
• 2 large green bell peppers, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 cup hot giardiniera

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Combine the pepper, garlic and onion powder, oregano, basil and red pepper. Rub all but 1 tablespoon of the mix on the meat, covering it well. Let the meat sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

3. Heat the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the beef bouillon and dissolve. Remove from heat and add the remaining rub mix.

4. Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour the water into the pan. Place in oven and cook until the meat reaches 140 F in the center of the roast, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Remove roast and let sit for 30 minutes. Reserve the juices. Wrap beef in foil and place in fridge for 1-2 hours until the meat firms up slightly.

6. Slice meat very thinly.

7. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green pepper and cook until tender-crisp, about 15 minutes.

8. Add juices to a pot and reheat. Add beef slices and heat for 1 minute.

9. To assemble the sandwiches, split the buns and spoon juices on bottom. Add beef. Top with pepper slices and giardiniera. Add more sauce and enjoy! You can also use the sauce to dip the sandwiches in, ala French Dips.

Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies

Anita was heading over to her dad's with her sisters the other day, so I decided to make a batch of cookies for her to take along.


These didn't last long. They are very tasty and soft. I used the smaller chocolate morsels to make them look like they had more chocolate in them. You can use the bigger chips if you wish. I used pecans from my dad's pecan trees. I think that adds a lot, even if you might not be able to taste it.

This is my adaption of a recipe from Nestle.

Makes: About 24 cookies
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick), softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 t vanilla extra
• 2 large eggs
• 1 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and combine.

3. Place butter, margarine, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixer and beat until creamy. With the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time. Next, add the flour, slowly and combine. Turn off mixer and add the chocolate and nuts. Mix by hand.

4. Form batter into roughly 2" rounds and place on baking sheets. Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Frito Pie

I used to have this quite often back in college. Granted, I didn't use homemade chili back then.


Good football-watching food, that's for sure.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups leftover chili
• 1 large bag Fritos corn chips
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (I used Tillamook)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, diced
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Heat the chili.

2. Mix the jalapeños and sour cream in a small bowl.

3. Divide corn chops among serving bowls. Top with divided chili. Garnish with cheese, onion, and sour cream.

Pork Loin Piquant with Herbed Mushrooms and Garlic Bread

This meal of pork loin piquant, herbed mushrooms, herbed garlic bread and sauteed carrots came out fantastic.


Everything was absolutely great! The pork recipe came from Saveur. The mushroom recipe came from Purple Foodie.

Pork Loin Piquant

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb pork loin, cut into 1" thick slices
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 T red wine vinegar
• 1 cup white wine
• 8 cornichons, sliced
• 2 T Dijon mustard

1. Season pork loin with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook loin slices until lightly browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

2. Add remaining oil to the skillet and add the onions. Saute until lightly browned.

3. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes.

4. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 7 minutes.

5. Add in the cornichons and mustard. Stir. Reduce heat and let thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the skillet and heat. Serve.

Herbed Garlic Bread

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T fresh chopped parsley
• 2 T fresh chopped basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf French baguette bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine the butter, garlic, parsley and basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Split bread in half and spread butter mixture over each half.

4. Sprinkle baking dish with olive oil. Add bread and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Herbed Mushrooms

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 oz cremini mushrooms
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t dried thyme
• 2 T butter, cut into small cubes
• Olive oil
• Mozzarella cheese, cut into small slices
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop. Place stems into a small bowl. Place mushrooms, gill-side up, in a baking dish.

2. Add garlic and thyme to chopped stems and mix. Stuff into mushroom caps.

3. Place one small cube of butter on top of each mushroom.

4. Add a small slice of cheese, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.

5. Bake under broiler for 6-7 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tomato Olive Caper Sauce

The sauce over this chicken is definitely a winner. Anita loves olives and capers, so she was more than happy with this meal!


The original recipe came from Robert Irvine.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 32oz can crush or diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup green olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, seeded and chopped
• 2 T capers, drained

1. Combine one tablespoon of the oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub mixture onto chicken, coating well.

2. Preheat grill over high heat.

3. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes while chicken cooks.

4. Cook chicken over high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium and finish cooking chicken over indirect heat.

5. Serve chicken topped with sauce.

The Caves of Windsor

About 30 years ago, when I was a teen, I bought a Commodore VIC-20 computer. I was on it every minute of the day.

After a few months, I ended up writing a text adventure game called The Caves of Windsor. The goal was to get the gold from the caves to save the town.

Ok, it wasn't that great, but I was pretty proud of it at the time. It came on a cassette (!) and was sold for $14.95. My mother designed the package artwork, and a local computer store printed them and sold them. I think they sold 14 in all!

In college I started to write the sequel, Escape from Windsor Castle, but never finished it.

Recently, I bought a Commodore C64 computer off of eBay and decided to see what the game looked like. The C64 has a wider screen, so the text alignment is a little off, but it still played.

My, have games changed in 30 years.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

I had a coupon for Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce, so I decided to pick up a bottle and use it for dipping these awesome coconut shrimp.


These were great. Fresh gulf shrimp were out of season, so I ended up using American farm-raised shrimp instead. This is similar to the coconut shrimp we made a while back, except for the dipping sauce.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 20-24 count shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded and sweetened coconut flake
• Oil, for frying

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Place flour in a bowl or pie pan. Beat eggs and place in another bowl. In a third bowl, place the coconut.

3. Working in batches, put the shrimp in the flour and coat. Shake off the excess. Next place shrimp in eggs and coat. Shake off the excess. Finally, cover shrimp in coconut and fry until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Serve hot with Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce.

Mushroom Gravy

I know, it's just gravy, but it's an outstandingly good gravy.


The original recipe calls for using button mushrooms. I used portabella mushrooms instead.

We had this over some turkey breast I smoked, along with some fried okra. Good eats!

Makes: 2 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 T butter
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced thin
• 1 t fresh thyme, chopped (or dried, to taste)
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 t fresh ground black pepper
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
• 1 T celery, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 t Emeril's Essence

1. Heat saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt.

2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes.

3. Add flour and stir well. Cook until the flour starts to brown, about 6 minutes.

4. Add onion and celery and cook another 2 minutes or until softened.

5. Add the broth and Essence and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Double-Stuffed Potatoes

There's just something about the creamy goodness in a double-stuffed potato.


The original recipe came from here.

Makes: 2 potatoes
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large Russet potatoes, cleaned
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (recommend Tillamook)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prick potatoes with a fork a few times then put into water and boil until almost cooked. Remove, drain and let cool.

2. Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until almost crisp. Add green onions and cook for 1 more minute. Remove and drain.

3. Preheat boiler to high.

4. Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

5. Add sour cream and mash well. Add cheese, bacon, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add filling back into potatoes and broil until brown, about 5 minutes.

Cajun Mini Muffins

These muffins are insanely good. You could make them larger if you want, or even make them in a large cornbread pan.


The original recipe came from the Pioneer Woman's blog.

Makes: 24 muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes (longer if making large muffins)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper (any color will do), diced
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 T butter, melted
• 2 T sugar
• Block cheddar cheese, cut into 24 small cubes

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cornbread mix, egg, milk, and butter. Add jalapeño and bell peppers and sugar. Mix.

3. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray. Add batter to pan, filling each about 1/3 of the way. Add cheese cubes and fill the rest of the way with the batter.

4. Bake for 10 minutes until done. Larger muffins will take longer.

Green Olive Chicken Salad

Anita loves olives, so this variation on chicken salad was a big hit with her.


The olives add just the right amount of saltiness to the sandwich. I got the original recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Makes: Enough for 6 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup large stuffed green olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 t brine from olive jar
• 2 t fresh lemon juice
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1 t celery seed

1. Combine the mayonnaise, olive brine, lemon juice, Dijon, and celery seed and a bowl. Season with pepper (and maybe a little salt. Add to taste as the olives are salty) and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken, celery, and green onions. Add the dressing in batches, stirring. Gently mix in the olives. Serve over toasted bread.

Croque Madame

The classic French ham, cheese and egg sandwich.


I found this recipe over at Rouxbe, the online cooking school site.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter
• 1 T all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• Pinch white pepper
• 2 T plus 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• 2 T fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices Italian bread
• 3 T plus 1 t butter
• 4 slices thick cut ham
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saute pan. Stir in the flour and let cook for it starts to brown slightly, about 2 minutes.

3. Whisk in the milk. Add the nutmeg and pinches of salt and white pepper.

4. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of the Gruyere and all of the Parmesan cheeses. This is the Mornay sauce you will use later.

5. Spread remaining butter on both sides of the bread slices. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Flip and lightly brown other side. Remove.

6. Spread Dijon on two of the pieces of bread. Top each slice with 2 pieces of the ham and 2 tablespoons of the remaining Gruyere cheese.

7. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Mornay sauce over the cheese then top with other slice of bread. Place on a baking sheet and top with remaining Mornay sauce and cheese.

8. Place sandwiches in the oven and cook for 3 minutes. Then place under broiler for another minute or until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden.

9. Meanwhile, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a small skillet. Add eggs and cook as desired. Place cooked eggs on sandwiches and serve.

Skillet Cornbread with Bacon and Jalapeños

This is another great recipe find from The Real Chili cookbook. I can't believe I picked up a copy at the antique mall for only $3.50.


This recipe requires a cast iron skillet. I used a 10" Lodge skillet, but a larger one will work fine too.

This cornbread has a nice, dense feel to it. It's not your light-and-fluffy store-bought boxed stuff, that's for sure!

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 2 T sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 4 jalapeños, seeded and minced

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Cook the bacon in the skillet. Remove and drain. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet into a cup and reserve.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Brush bacon fat that remained in the skillet around the edges of the pan. Put in the oven.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, jalapeños, and reserved bacon fat.

6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Crumble the cooked bacon into the batter and stir.

7. Remove skillet from oven (it should be hot and even smoking slightly). Pour in the batter. It will sizzle when it hits the hot pan. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until it is golden brown.

8. Cool slightly, cut into pieces and serve.

Pizza Dough Croutons

Super-easy, and a nice change from the garlic homemade croutons we usually make using leftover bread.


We seasoned these with just salt, but you can always use something else, like Creole seasoning or garlic powder.

Makes: 3 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen pizza dough, thawed
• Oil, for frying
• Salt

1. Roll out the dough. Take a pizza cutter wheel and cut the dough into 1/4" slits, left-to-right. Next, cut the slits into squares by running the pizza cutter up-and-down over them.

2. Heat 1" of oil in a large skillet. Add dough pieces in batches and fry until golden brown, turning once. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season.

Pizza Pasta

I ran across this recipe over on the Johnsonville website and decided to make it.


I was looking for something quick and easy. This was both, and tasty to boot!


Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb package Italian sausage links (I used hot)
• 8 oz rotini pasta
• 2 cups pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups Italian cheese mix

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until done. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.

4. Add sausage, pizza sauce, and Parmesan cheese to pasta. Mix well.

5. Grease a 8" x 12" baking dish. Spread pasta mixture evenly in the dish. Top with pepper, olives, and Italian cheese mix.

6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly hot.

Mushroom and Prosciutto Grilled cheese Sandwich

We found this great grilled cheese sandwich on a blog we follow, Closet Cooking. These sandwiches are absolutely delicious.


Make sure to check out Kevin's blog. He comes up with some fantastic food ideas. And for sure, his picture of these great sandwiches came out much better than mine!

Makes: 2 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bread
• 1 T oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 8 oz whole mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t dried thyme, chopped
• 4 T white wine
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 6 slices fresh mozzarella
• 2 T butter

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until caramelized, about 30 minutes.

3. Add garlic and thyme and saute an additional minute.

4. Add broth and scrape pan bottom until liquid is absorbed.

5. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

6. Divide mushroom mixture between two slices of fresh and top with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.

7. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in skillet and add sandwiches. Brown on one side. Flip, add remaining butter, and brown sandwiches on uncooked side. Remove and serve.

Cajun Nachos

Anita requested nachos the other night. I was going to make our favorite, chorizo nachos, but then I ran across this recipe that comes from the book Cajun Men Cook: Recipes, Stories, & Food Experiences from Louisiana Cajun Country.


These nachos are insanely good. I did make some changes to the original recipe since I didn't have jalapeño cheese spread on hand.

Makes: 8 large servings, 16 appetizer servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalepeño peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
• 1 16 oz jar picante sauce
• 3 T taco seasoning mix (or use 1 packet of the pre-made mix)
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped, for garnish
• 1 large bag yellow corn tortilla chips
• 1 large bag blue corn tortilla chips

1. Brown meat in a large pot. Drain.

2. Add taco seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Mix, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, picante sauce, jalapeño, olives, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F.

5. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread a few ladles of the meat mixture in the pan. Add a layer of chips, then top with cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with a good amount of cheese on top.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with more chips, topped with green onions.

Chicken Scallopine

Anita really loves capers. The more capers, the merrier. So, this chicken hit the spot!


This great recipe is adapted up from the Plain Chicken site.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 12 oz button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 t capers
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh grated Parmesan, for garnish
• 1/2 lb Linguine or angel hair pasta

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. Dredge chicken in flour. Melt butter in large saute pan with olive oil over high heat. Add chicken and fry until done and golden brown on both sites. Remove chicken.

3. Add mushrooms to pan, along with wine and lemon juice. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

4. Reduce heat and add the cream, capers, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Place chicken on pasta and cover with sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Beef Stew

This is a pretty good stew. I'm not a big stew kind of guy. Anita liked it, but she would've left out the pearl onions.


Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 T oil
• 2 pounds chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 t Creole seasoning
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 2 14 1/2 oz cans beef broth
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/4 t dried thyme
• 1/4 t dried oregano
• 1/4 t dried basil
• 1/8 t ground allspice
• 1 pound small potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 T fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Season beef with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Brown by cooking 2-3 minutes per side.

2. Add butter, mushrooms, flour, stock, tomato paste, and herbs. Cover and cook over high heat for 1 hour.

3. Add the potatoes and carrots. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 6 hours.

4. Add onions and cook for one more hour.

5. Stir in peas and parsley just before serving.

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

I have a tomato sauce that I often use for pizza, spaghetti, or even as a dip sauce for hors d'oeuvres. I was searching for a version that was more of a meat sauce, and I ran across this one from Paula Deen.


We had this great sauce over multi-colored pasta, topped with shaved Parmesan. No one complained about it, that's for sure!

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (can substitute Italian-style bulk sausage)
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 6oz cans tomato paste
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes (diced or petite cut work well too)
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 cup water

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and brown. Drain fat.

2. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering for about 30 minutes.

Pork Tenderloin Sliders

These were a great hand-held treat for football-watching night.


The original recipe comes from the Indy Star.

Makes: 12 servings
Prep time: 1 day plus 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 t paprika
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 package dinner rolls
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3 dill pickles, diced
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 1 t grainy mustard

1. Cut tenderloin into 1" thick slices. Pound out to 1/4" thickness about the size of the rolls. Place into a plastic container and add the buttermilk. Put in refrigerator overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Combine the bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a pie pan or bowl.

4. Remove tenderloins from buttermilk, let excess drip off, then roll in the bread crumb mixture, coating completely. Transfer to wire racks over baking pans.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle with melted butter and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until the pork is tender and golden brown. Remove.

6. Place buns in oven for 1-2 minutes until lightly warmed.

7. Combine tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise and mustard. Put tenderloins on halved rolls and top with tomato topping.

Shrimp Remoulade

This recipe comes from Chef John Folse.

It's a nice, kicked-up remoulade. We spread it on French bread and made a loaded shrimp po'boy. Yummy!

Makes: 2 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Creole mustard (I used Zatarain's)
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce (I used Cajun Power)
• 1 t hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced fine
• 1/4 cup celery, diced fine
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine
• 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1. Mix all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Chuck Wagon Chili

I love a big ole pot of good chili!


This chili is different than many I've made before since it has chocolate in it. The combination of the chocolate and cinnamon really, really rocked. Adding the masa harina at the end helped thicken it up and also adds a new taste dimension. I'll have to remember to use that in the other chilis I make.

The original recipe came from Emeril Lagasse. I made only minor changes to it.

Makes: 2 1/2 quarts
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 1/2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef chuck cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 3 T chili powder
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 1/2 t Creole seasoning
• 3/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups yellow onion, chopped
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 2 bottles dark beer
• 3 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 t salt
• 1 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 T masa harina
• Shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, etc, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, Creole seasoning, cayenne, cinnamon, pepper flakes, and the bay leaf. Cook until meat is browned.

2. Add the onions and continue cooking until they soften.

3. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

4. Add the beer and cook for another minute.

5. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, salt, and chocolate. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover partially and continue cooking until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Stir occasionally while cooking.

6. Skim off any fat and stir in the masa harina. Simmer and season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve garnished with cheese, onions, sour cream, etc.

Chicken Chili with Cornbread Topping

This chili is fantastic. It's pretty thick, but mighty tasty. The cornbread topping came out great.



This is my adaption of a recipe from Emeril Lagasse.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T Creole seasoning
• 3 1/2 T vegetable oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 cup corn
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes. Season with Creole seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove.

3. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to skillet and add the yellow onions, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring.

4. Add the garlic, cumin, bay leaf, salt, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add corn and cook for another 3 minutes.

6. Add tomatoes and liquid from the can, along with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and stir, reducing until thickened, about 10 minutes.

7. Add chicken to pan and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf. Add cilantro and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.

9. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add mixture to the cornmeal mix. Blend, but do not overmix. Pour over chicken mixture.

10. Place skillet in oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve garnished with green onions.

Loaded Lobster Roll

This lobster roll was awesome! The avocado and bacon really kicked it up a notch!


The original recipe came from Aaron McCargo Jr. You can substitute imitation lobster if desired.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lobster meat, diced
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 2 T sour cream
• 3 T shallots, diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 T chives, chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced
• 8 slices thick cut bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 4 sub rolls

1. Place lobster in a large bowl. Add all ingredients except the bread and combine well. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes before using.

2. Split rolls and brown in the oven or on a grill.

3. Divide lobster mixture among rolls and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

We really enjoyed this salad. It's a great take on the classic Buffalo wings.


The original recipe came from Rachael Ray. I made a few small changes.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 T butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)

1. Preheat skillet over high heat. Add oil. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to pan and sear for 3-4 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add the hot sauce. Stir, cooking, for another 5 minutes until the chicken is done. Remove from heat.

3. Combine dressing and blue cheese in small bowl.

4. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, carrots, and celery. Add the dressing and toss to mix.

5. Add chicken to salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Smoked Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is an excellent soup. And it's very easy to make.


I had some leftover smoked chicken from my last smoke on the Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. You could substitute shredded cooked chicken breast if you don't have smoked chicken on hand.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

• 1 lb smoked chicken (or turkey), shredded
• 2 T butter
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups wild rice, cooked
• 1 t dried tarragon
• 1/2 t white pepper

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender.

2. Add stock and tomatoes. Stir. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

3. Add the rice, tarragon, chicken and pepper. Simmer until chicken is well warmed. Serve.

Cheesy Chicken with Sauteed Carrots

The sauce on this chicken is insanely good. And the carrots were fantastic, too!


The sauce is a combination of this recipe and this one. I really kicked up the sauce by using my favorite, seriously hot, hot sauce. I can't say the name of the sauce since this it might offend some. Let's just say that it came from the adult area of the hot sauce section in Jungle Jim's outside of Cincinnati.

We served the chicken over mini-penne pasta. You can skip that or use rice or any other kind of pasta.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into cutlets
• 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
• 1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Pasta, cooked (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix bell pepper, jalapeño, and olive oil. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with pepper sauce and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add the green onion and sautee for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk in batches. Continue stirring and cooking until sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Add the cheese, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Remove chicken from oven. Pour sauce over chicken and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is done. Set oven to broil and lightly brown the cheese and chicken.

5. Serve (optionally, over pasta) topped with cheese sauce.

Sauteed Carrots

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 T butter
• Parsley, to taste

1. Place carrots along with 1/3 cup of water and salt and pepper in a saute pan. Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook 7-8 minutes until the carrots are just starting to soften.

2. Add butter and cook, uncovered, another minute, or until the water has evaporated.

3. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Soup

This is a great fall soup. You could omit the sausage if you want a vegetarian version.


You can also add croutons, crackers, or even popcorn.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 1/2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash, about 4 pounds
• 2 T olive oil
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 2 cups corn
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Peel and seed the squash. Cut into 1" chunks. Place in bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the squash is tender. Remove and let cool.

3. Place squash into a blender or food processor and puree with 2 cups of the chicken stock.

4. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 cups of stock and 1/2 cup of the onions. Bring to a simmer.

5. Add the rice and continue simmering until the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.

6. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining oil. Add sausage and brown, about 3 minutes.

7. Add remaining onion and all of the corn. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes.

8. Add remaining stock and the squash puree. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

9. Skim off any fat and add the rice. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes.

10. Remove from heat. Add the cream. Season and add the parsley and serve.

Zucchini and Corn Boats

This is a nice, simple fall or winter recipe.


And it has bacon in it, so you know that it's good!

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 medium zucchini
• 2 strips bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup white onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups corn
• 2 T cilantro, chopped

1. Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and boil for 3 minutes. Remove and let cool. Cut 4 of the zucchini in half and scoop out the middles. Chop the insides and reserve. Chop the 5th zucchini and reserve.

2. Cook bacon in a skillet. Remove and drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan.

3. Add the onion and cook until softened.

4. Add the chopped zucchini and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

6. Add corn and tomato and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Add cilantro and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Fill hollowed zucchini with filling and serve.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

These came out so good. This recipe makes a LOT. We ended up freezing quite a few for eating later.



I used our go-to tomato sauce. If you want your shells with more sauce, just double the amount below.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz package jumbo pasta shells
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 32 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 8 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 T dried parsley
• 2 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 3 cups tomato sauce (or use a jarred pasta sauce)
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta per package instructions. Drain.

3. Mix the eggs, ricotta, parsley, salt, pepper, and half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in a large bowl. Pipe into pasta shells and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

4. In another bowl combine the sauce, mushrooms and remaining cheeses . Pour over the stuffed pasta shells.

5. Bake 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and shells are starting to harden a bit.

Meatball Sliders

We love our favorite meatball recipe, along with the tomato sauce we make with them. So, we decided to make them again, but this time have them as sliders.


We made our own slider rolls for the first time. They came out great. The same recipe makes great hamburger buns.


Makes: About 24 sliders

Ingredients:

• 24 meatballs and sauce (from this recipe)
• 24 slider rolls (see below)
• 24 thin slices fresh Mozzarella cheese

1. Warm meatballs and sauce.

2. Cut rolls in half and top with 1 tablespoon of sauce.

3. Add meatball and top with cheese.

4. Place on sheet pan and put under broiler until cheese melts and bread is golden brown. Serve with warmed sauce for dipping.

Bread Machine Slider/Hamburger Rolls

Makes: about 24 rolls
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 T butter
• 1 egg
• 3 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 t salt
• 3 t yeast

1. Place all ingredients in bread machine and process on dough setting.

2. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 pieces. For slider rolls, divide each resulting piece into thirds. Form dough into desired shape (round buns, square slider rolls, etc).

3. Place dough on greased cookie sheets and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F.

5. Bake in for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool on wire racks.

Spicy Fried Chicken Bites

These make great appetizers. Fantastic munchies for the football bowl games!


Adjust the heat to suit your tastes. I doubled (or maybe even tripled) the hot sauce and cayenne for extra kick.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 2 hours (or overnight)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
• 4 pieces thick-cut bacon
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 T hot sauce
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 t cayenne pepper
• 2 t paprika
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 T salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• Dipping sauce (see below)

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

2. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces. Turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

3. Cook bacon. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and use for making the dipping sauce. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

4. In a pie pan, combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken and cover well. Return chicken to the buttermilk mixture and coat well. Once again, put chicken in the flour mixture and coat well.

5. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or pot to 350 F.

6. Working in batches, add chicken to oil and cook until done, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to paper towel-lined plates. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 T mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Combine all ingredients.

Ultimate Beef Chili

This is my adaptation of a recipe I found in the October 2010 issue of Louisiana Cookin'.


Louisiana Cookin' is chock full of great recipes and articles. It's well worth the cost to subscribe.

Makes: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 1/2-4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 3 medium white onions, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
• 2 T ground cumin
• 2 T chili powder
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t dried oregano
• 1 bottle good beer
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 19 oz cans light red kidney beans
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped plus a little more for garnish if desired
• 1 fresh lime, juiced

1. Season beef. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over high heat. Add beef and brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Reduce heat and add onions and peppers. Cook until vegetables are softened, 10-15 minutes.

3. Add jalapeños, garlic, cumin, chili powder,paprika and oregano. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add beer and stir well. Simmer another 3 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

6. Add beans, stir, cover and continue simmering for 30-45 minutes until sauce is nice and thick.

7. Remove bay leaves and add cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste. Serve garnished cilantro if desired.

Grown-Up Sloppy Joes

These are very similar to the Sloppy Joes you remember from your childhood, but with a more grown-up taste.


We found that these taste better after the sauce gets time to set and 'get happy'. The flavors marry more, resulting in a richer sauce.

The original recipe comes from Deep South Dish.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 loaf French bread, split, or 4 hamburger buns
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 T sweet pickle relish
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 5 T onion soup mix (see below, or use a packet of Lipton's)
• 1/2 small onion, chopped, for garnish
• 2 small tomatoes, seeded, chopped, for garnish
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded, for garnish

1. Crumble ground beef in a medium sized pot and brown. Drain most of the fat.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, relish, mustard, onion mix, and black pepper. Add to ground beef along with the beef broth. Mix well. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Let the sauce sit for 5-10 minutes.

3. Warm or brown bread or buns. Top with meat mixture. Garnish with onion, tomato and lettuce.

Lipton Onion Soup Mix Copycat

Makes: Equivalent of 4 packets, or 20 tablespoons

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup beef bouillon powder
• 4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t crushed dried celery seed
• 1/4 t sugar

1. Combine ingredients well.

Homemade In-n-Out Burgers

We've never actually had real In-n-Out burgers. They're located in the western US.


These burgers came out really, really tasty. Seriously good. I think we got very close to the real thing, except I made the patties a little thicker and bigger.

The key to these burgers is the onions, which take a while to make, and putting the mustard on the patties while they cook.

I found the recipe for these on Serious Eats.

Makes: 2 quarter pound (or larger) burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 to 1 lb ground chuck (I used 75/25), see note
• 2 t vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large white onion, chopped fine
• 2 T plus 2 t mayonnaise
• 1 T ketchup
• 2 t sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t white vinegar
• 2 hamburger buns
• Dill pickle slices
• 2 large slices tomato
• Iceberg lettuce, cut into bun-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 4 slices American cheese

Note: In-n-Out apparently uses 2 oz patties, so you really need only 1/2 pound of beef to make 2 double burgers. I made 4 oz patties, so I ended up needing 1 lb of beef.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place buns in oven and cook for 2 minutes. Remove.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook over medium low heat until the onions are browned. Add 1 tablespoon of water and cook until water evaporates. Repeat adding the water and cooking until evaporated, 3 times. Remove onions.

3. Wipe out skillet. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add buns face down and cook until dark brown around the edges, about 1 minute. Remove.

4. Form beef into equal-sized patties. Salt and pepper generously. Heat remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties. Top each patty with 1 tablespoon of the mustard. Cook until patties start to get crusty along the edges, about 2 1/2-3 minutes. Flip patties over using a thin spatula (I used a fish turner) and cook for another minute. Top with cheese and remove.

5. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Place a large dollop of the spread on each bun bottom, along with 4 pickle slices, the tomato, and the lettuce. Add patties, onions, and top buns. Serve hot.

Ham, Gruyere and Apple Panini

These sandwiches are super easy to make, and they are so very yummy! Apples and thyme really go well together.


The original recipe came from Giada de Laurentiis.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices thick white or Italian bread
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 4 slices thick sandwich ham
• Panini press

1. Preheat panini press.

2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple and thyme and cook until the apples are somewhat soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Slather one side of each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon mustard each. Top each with 1/4 cup of the cheese and one slice of ham. Add apples.

4. Put on panini press and grill until golden and the cheese has melted, 4-5 minutes.

Chicken Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo

This is my take on a Mexican Torta. I followed the basic recipe, but served them on regular burger buns instead of French bread.

Makes: 3 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs (I used Panko)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Oil, for frying
• Rolls or buns
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 slices tomato
• 6 slices avocado
• 6 slices red onion
• Chipotle mayo (see below)

1. Butterfly breasts and season with salt and pepper.

2. Put the flour in a pie pan and season with salt and pepper. Put the bread crumbs in a second pie pan. Put the beaten eggs into a shallow bowl.

3. Heat 1/2" of oil in a large skillet to 350 F.

4. Dip breasts into flour, then the eggs, and finally into the bread crumbs. Cover well with the bread crumbs.

5. Fry until golden brown and juices run clear, about 3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the chicken). Drain on paper towels.

6. To make the sandwiches, spread chipotle mayonnaise on the rolls. Add chicken and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and onion.

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

Ingredients:

• 2 canned chipotle chiles in 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
• 1 t fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1. Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

Blue Cheese Dip

If you're not a fan of blue cheese, fear not. Simply substitute gorganzola.


The original recipe calls for making homemade chips. Although I love making homemade chips, I didn't have enough potatoes on hand (or the time). So instead I used some good, store-bought, thick-cut kettle cooked chips.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 T butter
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1/2 pound blue cheese crumbled (can substitute gorganzola)
• Chips

1. Place milk in sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

2. In another sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.

3. Add the flour to the onion and cook for another minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue whisking until thick.

4. Season with the salt and cayenne pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

5. Remove from heat and add the cheese, stirring. (If the sauce gets too thick, add a little milk and stir to thin).

6. Serve warm with chips.

Smoked Sausage and Black-Eyed Peas

This is one of those go-to recipes I make any time it's a bit chilly out. It's easy, tastes great, and it'll fill you up.


Serve with a big ole chunk of corn bread.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 t dried thyme
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas

1. Heat a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add onions, salt, cayenne, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Saute for 5 or until onions are softened.

3. Add chicken stock and peas. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.

4. Serve with cornbread.