Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Way back in years gone by, this recipe used to be on the Bisquick box.  I don't know why it isn't anymore, because it still works :)



I have not tried it with GF Bisquick; if anyone tries it that way, please share your results.



Saute 1lb ground meat and drain.  Optional: 1/2 diced onion.  Sprinkle with 1/4 ts. salt and spread in pie plate. (I use Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of the plain salt)



In medium bowl, mix:

1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 c. milk
2 eggs


Pour over meat in pie plate.


Sprinkle with 1c shredded cheddar cheese


Optional: crumbled bacon, chives, sauteed mushrooms


Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Serve with salsa or barbecue sauce.

Best Ribs I Ever Made... Ever!

My experiments with brine went so well with chicken and with pork chops that I wanted to try it with pork ribs.  I have made ribs in several different ways over the years, but many of those recipes have too many steps, and some of them didn't come out very well.

Brining ribs has turned out to be the most successful so far - they were juicy and flavorful and falling off the bone with only a few steps.

Boil 4 c water with 1c kosher salt.  Stir until salt dissolves, which is only a few minutes.

Add 1 tsp red pepper flakes.   (optional)

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add 3-4c apple juice.  Soak ribs in brine at least 6 hours.  You can make more or less brine, as long as you have enough to completely cover the meat.  I usually do this in a plastic container, but you can use a plastic bag also.

Remove ribs from brine, place on a piece of foil in grill with low/indirect heat for 2 hours, flipping only once.  It helps to spray the foil with cooking spray before putting it on the grill...


Baste with bbq sauce and roast for another 10-15 minutes.  Flip ribs, removing foil, and baste the other side with sauce too.  After 10 minutes or so, flip once more just to flame the last side a little bit and caramelize the bbq sauce.

That is really all there is to it: soak the meat, then grill.  No parboiling, no messy pans, no browning in oil, no fussing with tons of ingredients, and no need to heat up the oven.

There now, wasn't that easy?

2 Ingredient Shortcake!

The awesome part is that one of the ingredients is ICE CREAM!  you can use any kind you like, which opens up a lot of opportunities for different flavor combinations.


You will need:

4 c. softened ice cream
3 c. all purpose flour

Mix together, spread in greased pan.

The dough doesn't rise, so the finished product will look the same as it does before baking.



This quantity will make one 8x8 baking pan, one loaf pan, or 12 muffins.


Bake 350F.
30 minutes if loaf or baking pan.
18 minutes if muffins.


Turn out onto wire rack to cool.



Don't use bread flour - comes out sticky.

DO use ice cream with fruit or nuts, or mix some in with the flour.

Serve as you would any shortcake, topped with ice cream, fruit, whipped cream, maybe even a cherry...

Cheesy Cornbread!

For years I've been on a quest for the perfect cornbread. This recipe is the most successful so far.  The only drawback is that they are much better when hot, so you can't really make them in advance and serve cold.  It is best to serve right after baking.

Blend well in medium bowl -

1 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs

Add:
1/2 c. milk
14oz can creamed corn
optional - 2 TB chopped jalapeno

Blend well in large bowl:
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 ts. baking soda
1/8 ts. salt

Gradually stir dry mix into wet mix.

Pour into greased muffin pan or 8x8 baking pan.


350F for 40 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes.
Turn out onto wire rack.
Cool 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy right away!

Veggie Shake & Bake!

This is an easy one to toss on the grill or in the oven as a side dish or a veggie main dish.


Peel large carrots, cut into big pieces.

Small (fingerling) potatoes - cut in half.  I got the kind that has red, yellow, and blue potatoes, but any small potatoes will work.

Large onion - cut into large pieces.

I threw in the broccoli florets just because I had some, but any fairly crunchy vegetable would work.  They should all take about the same amount of time to cook.

If you want to make this into a non-vegetarian main dish, throw in some ham cubes.

Toss all into a plastic bag or container.  Drizzle with olive oil and shake to coat.

Sprinkle in any or all of the following:  rosemary, celery salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cooking wine.

Dump into metal pan or onto foil with the sides folded up.  Grill on low or bake at 375F for 2 hrs.  Stir occasionally.

The point is to roast slowly, which brings out the natural sugars in the veggies and adds a lot of flavor.

Keep On Brining - Cider Pork Roast

Since the brine worked out so well on the chicken, I had to consider other meats to experiment on... mwah ha ha!



This is a pork shoulder with the fat rind still on.

Boil 2 c water with 1/2 c kosher salt and 1 tsp mustard seeds. Stir until salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool and add 4 c apple cider.

Soak meat with brine and black peppercorns in refrigerator at least 5 hours; overnight is best for thick cuts like this.  You will want to start the brining early because the roasting stage takes about 5 hours.

Remove from brine, transfer to foil sheet on grill.

Cook with fat side up on low heat (I only turned on the two burners at the far sides and left the two middle ones off so the heat would be indirect).  This takes about 3 hours before the temp is about 140F.

Flip roast over so fat side is down.  Spread top with a mixture of brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Keep heat low for another 2 hours or so, until temp at bone is 160F.

Allow roast to rest on platter for 10 minutes, then hack off some slabs and enjoy!

Juicy Chicken in Brine

This is the easiest way to juicy grilled chicken!

Seriously, these come out awesome with very little effort.


In a saucepan over high heat, boil:

1 c. water
1/4c. kosher salt
1 tsp black peppercorns

Stir until salt dissolves, about 3 minutes.





Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

Add 1c ice and 2c apple juice. Stir when ice is melted, or use cold water.

Brine should be room temp before adding to meat.



Arrange 2# boneless, skinless chicken thighs in zipper bag or plastic container.


Add sprigs of thyme or rosemary and a spoonful of crushed garlic. (optional)

Pour cooled brine over chicken and seal.

Refrigerate for 4-5 hours.  Remove from brine and shake excess off.

(if you want to brine overnight for convenience, rinse chicken after to remove some of the salt)


Grill on medium or bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes, until browned with an internal temp of 170F.  Be careful not to overcook!


If you don't want the finished result to taste very salty, rinse the chicken with water before cooking.  The salt is needed during the initial phase because it allows the flavors from the herbs and juice to permeate the meat.

Fresh Salsa with Olives

It has been a few weeks since I posted a recipe; between vacation and other busy-ness it seems like time slides by very quickly!  I'm back on track now and have an easy and fun recipe for you to try...

I hadn't considered making my own salsa before, since there are many fine ones commercially available.  But then I tried it, and found that freshly made salsa is MUCH better than store-bought.  Plus, I can customize it for my own personal tastes.

I used a food-chopper to cut up the veggies into chip-sized bits.  Beware of pieces that are too large - you want each bite to have several flavors and not just one piece of something.

1 jar sliced green olives and 1 jar sliced black olives
(drain and chop small)

1 small can green chilis

2 roma tomatoes - cut into pieces, chop small.

1 green or red bell pepper and 1 jalapeno - remove seeds, chop small

green scallions - slice into small circles

mix with:

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder

splash olive oil, cider vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil.


I usually dump everything into a plastic container with a tight lid, and just shake the container every  hour.

Keep in fridge for at least 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend. I tried making it a day in advance, but the tomatoes got too soft. 

Cherry Pie Bites

Simple to make with only a few ingredients.  Folding the wontons gets faster with practice...


Start with small wonton wrappers.

Those round black things in the photo are CHERRIES.
I used a can of pie filling cherries, but you could probably use fresh ones if you don't mind the horrible laborious job of taking the pits out. Or if you have children who you can foist off this step to :)

Place one or two cherries in a wonton.
Brush two adjoining edges with water.
Fold in half to make a triangle.
Press dry edges to wet edges, then fold the corners under.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Lay wontons across, then spray the tops with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.


There are other variations for fillings that I will post at a later time.

The cherry ones are also good with a little sprinkle of coconut inside.

These are more filling than they appear.  A package of wontons will make enough to serve 6 people as a snack.

Salami Snack Loaf

This one is really easy to put together when you have guests, and comes out soooo gooood... (keep in mind that when i say "good", i usually mean "salty":)


I used a ciabatta loaf, but you could use any relatively soft bread.  you don't want it to be too crusty.


Slice loaf lengthwise.


Spread both halves with garlic herb cheese spread.  I use Alouette spreadable cheese, but you could make it yourself by blending softened cream cheese with garlic powder and black pepper.

Layer one side with salami, then layer of shredded mozzarella, another layer of salami, a layer of drained sliced olives, and the final layer of salami.
You can mix it up a bit by using different kinds of salami for each layer, as I did here, or even try hot capicola or ham.

Top with second half of bread.


Place stack on a piece of foil, then pull the sides of the foil up to hold it together.  You want the whole thing to get warmed through and melt the cheese without making the crust too crunchy.  I leave the top open to let the heat in.

Place on baking sheet in 350F oven for 20 minutes.


Slice and serve hot.

I like to serve with condiments: diced pickles, ranch dressing, and marinara sauce.

Awesome & Easy Roasted Cauliflower

This is a fun and easy way to cook cauliflower, and the testing group loved it! 


It also works with broccoli.  They will come out crispy on the edges, and the slow roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies.


Cut off all of the florets of either veggie and drop them into a zipper bag.

Drizzle with about 1/4c olive oil, close bag and shake until each piece has a light coating.


Dump in 1/4c breadcrumbs and 1/4c parmesan cheese.

You can use seasoned breadcrumbs, or use plain ones with a little salt & pepper.


Shake bag to coat.


Pour onto greased baking sheet.



Roast @ 300 for 45 minutes.


Serve hot as a side dish or as a snack with ranch dressing for dip.

Huevos Rancheros

If your long weekend includes plans for brunch, try this!  Its easy, and very tasty...



Huevos rancheros is a mexican farm-style breakfast food, and there are many ways to make it.  I just made this one up, but you can easily customize it to include your favorites.



In large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.

Add 1 diced green pepper and scallions.

Saute 3 minutes, then add:
    1 can white beans, drained
    1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
    1 7oz can green chilis
     8oz diced ham
     optional:  black olives



Cover, simmer 20 minutes.



There should be some liquid in the pan, which is needed to poach the eggs.


The key is to slip each egg from a small bowl or cup into divots dug in the mix.  If you hold the bowl close to the surface of the mix, the yolk won't break.

Use a big spoon to dig a little hole, then slip an egg in it. Keep digging holes until it has as many eggs as you want. I usually plan on three per person.



When all eggs are in, simmer covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.




Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and cook covered for another 5 minutes.



Serve with english muffins, sour cream, hashbrowns, guacamole & sour cream, and tabasco sauce.

Zesty Buffalo Chicken Calzone

Calzones are fast and easy to make!



2 Pillsbury Pizza Crust dough (not thin crust)
1 pkg Perdue Short Cuts - original roasted
1/2 c diced ham
1 pkg microwave bacon, cooked crispy
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 c. blue cheese crumbles
16oz shredded mozzarella
Buffalo Chicken Sauce (I use Franks)


Spread one dough on cookie sheet or baking stone.

Layer with chicken, celery and ham.

Splash with sauce, then top with bacon and cheeses.


Stretch second dough over top and crimp edges.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes - it will take a little longer than the package directions because it is thick with cold ingredients.


I use Franks Buffalo sauce because it tastes the way I think buffalo sauce should, but you should use your favorite if you have one...

Even with the cheese and bacon, this version has lower calories than a similar calzone from a restaurant, and lower cost too :)