Saucy Slow Cooker Baked Beans

 Saucy Slow Cooker Baked Beans

·         6 slices bacon, regular or thick cut, diced

·         1 cup small diced onion

·         2 cans (15-ounces each) pinto beans

·         2 cans (15-ounces each) navy beans

·         3/4 cup ketchup

·         2/3 cup brown sugar

·         1/4 cup molasses

·         1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

·         1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tablespoon dijon or yellow mustard

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until the bacon is cooked through and starting to crisp and the onions are translucent, 5-7 minutes. Drain excess grease.

2.     Rinse and drain only two cans of the beans. Add the rinsed and drained beans to slow cooker, along with the two cans of undrained beans.

3.     Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add bacon and onion mixture and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until bubbling and slightly thickened. They'll thicken up more as they cool slightly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-saucy-baked-beans/?

Turkey Burgers

These burgers were really good.  The recipe calls for a tablespoon of Asian chili paste but I left that out so that the kids would still eat them.  I also left the water chestnuts out because I didn't feel like using them, and I didn't use the cilantro because I forgot to buy it, but I'll try that next time.  But feel free to try it with them and let me know what you think. :)
I'm not sure that I would add the water next time.  After I mixed everything together the burgers were really wet and I wasn't sure that we could even cook them on the grill.  So I added 1 egg and some bread crumbs to help out a little.  And then we ended up not eating them til the next day and I think that helped to let the bread crumbs soak up and everything worked fine.  :)  So anyway, I had to play around with this recipe a bit but it was yummy.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

Burgers:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste, optional
1 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
One 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped, optional
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Optional Garnishes:
4 slices Cheddar
4 seeded burger buns
1/4 cup mayo mixed with 2 teaspoons Asian chili paste (or just plain mayo)
4 slices beefsteak tomatoes
4 slices raw red onion
Butter lettuce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F to keep the first batch of burgers warm.
For the burgers: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and bring to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro and the cooked onions and garlic. (Reserve the onion pan to cook the burgers in later.) Add one-quarter to one-half cup water; this will help the burgers stay nice and moist. Using your hands, squish everything together until they are really well combined.  Form the mix into 4 equal size patties.
Coat the saute pan with new olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the pan. Be sure not to crowd the pan, if you need to work in batches go ahead! Cook the burgers for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place the cheese, if using, on the burger and cook for 1 more minute.

Alternatively, grill on medium-high heat until cooked through.
Toast the buns in a broiler or toaster, or on the grill. Add desired garnishes and enjoy!


Recipe altered slightly, from Food Network  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/turkey-burger-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Marvelous Chicken Marinade

Ok, I hate the name of this marinade...someone needs to come up with something more creative.  :)  But the flavor is really good.  Some of the ingredient amounts kind of scared me but I decided to try it anyway and it was great.  Originally she called for 3 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic and 3 tablespoons of pepper so I cut those down.  Jeff said he loved it and gave it 4 stars and he hates mustard with a passion.  So if you're worried about the mustard, don't worry - it's not mustardy.  :)

Marvelous Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons dry Mustard

1 tablespoons Pepper

1/3 cup Seasoned Rice Vineagar

1 1/2 tablespoons dried Parsley 

2-3 Garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

Measure ingredients and pour into bag.

Zip bag closed and shake to mix everything up.

Add meat to Ziploc baggie.

 Make sure all of the meat is covered. 

 Let marinate for 4 hours or longer.*

I usually flip my bag over after the first two hours.

Remember the longer it marinates the better it is!

Yeah...so...I let mine marinate for 30 minutes because, you know...I never read a recipe ahead of time. :)  

Recipe slightly adapted from: http://robynsview.com/marvelous-marinade-the-best-marinade-ever/

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

It's Bar-B-Que time!

For each serving:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat and gristle
2 slices thick bacon
Old Bay seasoning
1 slice Muenster cheese

Sprinkle each chicken breast with Old Bay seasoning. Wrap 2 slices of thick bacon around the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Grill until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Place sliced cheese on chicken and allow to melt.

Using thick sliced bacon keeps it from burning (quite so much :)

Bobby's Philly Burgers

This is our version of Bobby Flay's Philly Burgers. We made these for Becky's birthday dinner tonight.

Bobby's Philly Burgers

1 1/2 Ib (80/20) ground beef

Canola oil

Salt

Pepper

8 slices provolone cheese

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

1 Onion (Bobby suggests a Spanish onion, I used white cause I didn't know what a Spanish onion is and you know, it's not like Waldemort ever has anything out of ordinary...)

Sliced peperoncini peppers

Hamburger buns

Divide hamburger into 4 equal portions and gently shape into patties, no more than 3/4 inch thick (don't overwork the meat). Make a depression in the center with your thumb so the burger won't bulge, the indent will rise as the patty cooks. Heat the grill to high. Brush the burgers with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, turning once (7 minutes for medium-rare). Avoid pressing with a spatula! Add cheese the last minute of grilling and close the lid so the cheese melts.

Meanwhile, slice the peppers into thin slices and slice the onion into rings. Saute the peppers and onions in a little oil until soft and delicious.

Top burgers with peperoncini (to taste) and peppers and onions and of course the bun!

Thanks Bobby Flay!

Twice Grilled Potatoes

We made these for our bbq yesterday and it was a nice change of pace. The original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of dijon mustard but we only had honey mustard or yellow mustard which would have given very different flavors so we left it out completely. You could certainly add in whatever you like though when you mix the filling.

Twice Grilled Potatoes

4 russet potatoes

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Filling:

1/2 C whole milk

1/2 C grated provolone cheese (we just cut up sliced provolone into small pieces)

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

1/2 C cooked crumbled bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C sour cream to garnish

Wash the potatoes really well and cut in half lengthwise. Generously brush cut side with oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare grill for direct grilling at low heat. Oil the grill well* and place potatoes cut side down. Close the lid and cook for 30 minutes, turning once until soft and flesh side is caramelized. Remove from grill and cool slightly.

Scoop out the insides leaving a 1/2-inch border all around the potato so that it won't fall apart on the grill. Place scooped potato in a bowl and add milk and cheese and mix until well blended. Add chives, bacon, salt, and pepper and stir until well combined but still chunky. You can sprinkle a little cheese on top if you'd like. (And who wouldn't like?)

Fill the potato shells with stuffing. Place back on grill at medium low heat. Cook until warmed through and cheese has melted and caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. Remove and top with sour cream.

Makes 8 potato halves.

*Grill oiling tip: (I originally learned this from Steve Raichlen's BBQ tips.) Fold a paper towel up, hold it in tongs and dip it in vegetable oil then brush the oil over the grill grates. Just do one section at a time and watch out for any flare ups. This works fabulously and I do it every time I grill now. Amazing how things don't stick to the grill if you oil it. haha!

Altered from More Grilled to Perfection by Chris Knight.

Country Style Grilled Ribs

I made these last night for the J who is a big rib fan. He and his friend both thought they were go-od! They're easy to make but ribs do take time so you just have to plan ahead a little.

Country Style Grilled Ribs

3 lbs country style pork ribs

Salt & pepper

1/2 C water

1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 C water

1 C ketchup

1/4 packed brown sugar

1/4 C cider vinegar

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Tbsp celery seed

1 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce

Dash black pepper

Rub ribs with salt and pepper to taste. Put 1/2 cup water and the garlic in shallow roasting pan, add ribs to pan. Cover and bake at 325˚ for 1-1/4 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160˚.

Toward the end of the cooking time, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove meat from oven and discard water. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over ribs, turn to coat and let sit for 15 minutes.

Grill ribs over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, basting with remaining sauce and turning occasionally. Serve with any remaining sauce.*

*There’s not too much sauce left with this so if you want sauce to serve on the side you might want to make an additional half recipe or so.

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

This was so yummy. Jeremy gave it a 10 and he's not very liberal with his 10 ratings. :)

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

1 can refrigerated pizza dough (or ready made dough of your choice)
mozzerella cheese, to taste
.25 lb gouda cheese
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
diced onions, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll pizza dough on cookie sheet. Spread generous amount of barbeque sauce on dough (around 1/4 cup). Top with mozzerella cheese and gouda cheese then add chicken and diced onions. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is medium brown and cheese is crispy.

This really is better with the cheese a bit crispy, not just melted. Also, gouda is expensive, but you can get it by the pound at most stores and then it's not too bad. And it's worth it on this pizza. :)

Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwiches

We intended to make this for the 4th of July but we had a bone-in roast so it took much longer to cook than we expected... So, we threw some hamburgers on the grill while this finished and had our pulled pork sandwiches the next night. It was worth the wait! They're really yummy - even I ate one. This is barbecue from the Memphis Blues Barbeque House cookbook (they have a restaurant where it all originated) so there are several parts and it takes a long time to cook but it's worth it. We used an 8 lb roast (double the recipe) so Becky took some home and we also froze enough for two more meals.

Oven Roasted Pulled Pork

Pick a pork shoulder that’s not too lean, because you will render the fat through the lean meat during the long roasting time. You’ll lose up to 30% of the raw weight when it’s done. Even in the oven, expect about 4-4 1/2 hours of cooking time. It’s slow food - don’t rush it!

4 lb boneless pork shoulder or picnic shoulder

1/4 C All-Purpose Dry Rub

Heat oven to 225˚. Rub the pork shoulder liberally with the All-Purpose Dry Rub. Place the shoulder in a roasting pan, fat cap up, and cook in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, wrap in tinfoil, and cook for another hour. To know when it’s done, test it by pushing down on the pork shoulder. It should feel tender and ready to fall apart. If it’s still too firm, cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and unwrap the pork**. Use two forks to separate the pork while it rests in the roasting pan. There will be natural juices and drippings that you can incorporate back into the pulled pork. Just massage them in with your hands (clean, of course!). This will add extra flavor and keep it nice and moist.

Serve on a bun, with a salad, or as a meal. It’s versatile!

**At this point I removed the shoulder from the pan and cut off the fat cap because A) it’s rather large and B) you don’t want all that in your meat anyway. Then put the meat back in the pan to pull apart. While pulling it apart remove fat.

All-Purpose Dry Rub

1/2 C dried parsley

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C Lawry’s Seasoned salt

1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano

1 1/2 Tbsp sweet paprika

1/2 Tbsp mild mustard powder

1/2 Tbsp celery salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Make sure there are no clumps. Store any leftover rub in an airtight container in the cupboard for up to 6 months.

Memphis Blues Classic Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp dark brown or demerara sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned salt

a dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce (Tabasco)

1/2 C water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk thoroughly or combine with a handheld blender to ensure that there are no lumps. Simmer over low heat while stirring frequently for 1 hour (this pasteurizes the sauce). Cool for at least 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

And finally, to pull it all together -

Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwich

1 1/2 lb pulled pork

1 C Memphis Blues Classic Barbecue Sauce

1 C cream coleslaw

4 large white hamburger buns

Reheat the pulled pork in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop. In a small saucepan, heat the barbecue sauce. Pile the coleslaw on the bottom half of the buns. Divide the warm meat into 4 portions and heap onto the slaw, then smother with as much sauce as you like. Now dig in! Try to just have one...

We did not use the coleslaw on the sandwiches but next time we're going to try it. :) We served them with corn on the cob and Fumi salad. Delish!

From the Memphis Blues Barbeque House: Bringin' Southern BBQ Home cookbook.

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans

1/2 lb bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup mild flavor (light) molasses
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder, heaping
2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
2 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

In 3 1/2 to 4 quart crock pot, mix all ingredients, including reserved liquid. Cover, cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

These beans are super tastey and just the right mix of sweet and tangy!

From Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2010

North Carolina Pulled Pork

North Carolina Pulled Pork

Ingredients

1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 lbs pork butt roast
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups water
5/8 cup ketchup
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix paprika, brown sugar, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vingear, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, white pepper and liquid smoke. Continue whisking until brown sugar and salt have dissolved. Place shredded pork and 1/2 to 3/4 of the vinegar sauce in a large crock pot, coat pork. Cook on high for 5 hours and low for 2. Reserve the rest of the sauce in refrigerator.

3. Once pork is done, shred and remove fat. Drain the fat from the sauce that was in the crock pot. Place shredded pork back in crock pot with rest of sauce and heat through.

**Can be served alone or with bbq sauce on top.

I made this for Jeremy and he loved it! It looks like a lot of work, but really it's pretty fast and pretty easy. Also, I only used 4 lbs of pork but I didn't cut the rest of the recipe in half and it worked out well. I did have a bit too much of the sauce, though, so you might try leaving the dry rub as is and then cutting the sauce down.