Baked BLT Dip

1 lb bacon
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
6 oz shredded cheese (cheddar or similar)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped and mashed to a paste

1 romaine lettuce heart, shredded

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Crostini or toast points

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and fit with a wire rack.  Arrange bacon slices in an even layer on rack, and bake in preheated oven until crisp, 30 0 35 minutes.  Cool bacon, reserving 1 Tbsp bacon grease; chop bacon, and set aside. 

Toss tomatoes with reserved bacon grease.  Spread on rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees until tomatoes burst about 10 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.  

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, 1 cup of the chopped bacon, and 1 cup of the tomatoes in a large bowl; transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly, 15 - 20 minutes.  Top with lettuce, remaining tomatoes, and remaining chopped bacon; drizzle with lemon juice.  Serve with crostini or toast points.  

 

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon and ranch belong together . . . it's indisputable.  Rich and smoky bacon makes the perfect match for a sauce that's both tangy and packed with the flavors of fresh herbs.  This combo offers the perfect indulgent coating for pasta and some cherry tomatoes.  

10 slices of bacon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 (0.4 oz) pkg ranch seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic powder

12 oz cooked cavatappi or elbow pasta

1 cup shredded Parmesan

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsp freshly chopped dill, plus more for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with several layers of aluminum foil.  Place bacon on baking sheet and transfer to oven until bacon is brown and crisp, 25 minutes.  Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Discard bacon grease and aluminum foil.  Chop bacon; set aside.  

In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, ranch seasoning, and garlic powder.  Add pasta, chopped bacon, Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and dill.

** Note:  It's important to heavily salt the boiling water before you cook the pasta, as this seasons the pasta while it cooks.  

 

Mini Potato Skins

This five-ingredient recipe makes a bite-sized appetizer that every guest will rave about, and it will feed a crowd.  This is not only a great recipe for a home dinner party, but will work as a great tailgate recipe -- it's easily portable.

1 1/2 lbs Baby potatoes (about (20) 2" potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Scrub potatoes, and pat dry thoroughly.  Place potatoes in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in preheated oven until tender, 17 - 20 minutes.  Cool potatoes completely on baking sheet, about 30 minutes.  

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise.  Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Place potato skins, flesh side down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Flip potatoes over and bake until crispy, 8 - 10 minutes.  

Top potatoes evenly with cheese and bacon crumbles.  Bake at 450 degrees until cheese melts, 1 -2 minutes.  Top each potato skin with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle evenly with fresh chopped chives.  

BBQ Burnt Ends

We, in the Midwest, sure do love our BBQ.  A few years ago I had my first taste of burnt ends in a Kansas City BBQ restaurant.  I was hooked from the first bite!

Brisket:

1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt

1/2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp dry mustard powder

5 lbs brisket, fat cap trimmed

BBQ Sauce:

6-oz can of tomato paste

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp liquid smoke

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

For the brisket:  Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, cumin, granulated garlic and dry mustard in a small bowl.  Sprinkle the brisket on all sides with the spice rub.  Place the brisket into a slow cooker and cover with the lid.  Set the slow cooker to high and cook until tender, about 6 hours.  

Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and set aside until cool enough to handle.  Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a fat separator.  Discard the fat.  

For the BBQ sauce:  Pour the cooking liquid into a stockpot and place over medium heat.  Stir in the tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, liquid smoke, cayenne, granulated garlic and dry mustard.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, at least 20 minutes.   

Slice the brisket into 1" chunks.  Remove and discard any large pieces of fat.  Spread the brisket in a 9" x 13" pan and pour the sauce over the meat.  

Turn the broiler on high.  Broil until crispy and slightly charred on the edges, about 5 minutes.  Serve warm with white bread or rolls.  

Citrus BBQ Chicken

Bright, tangy flavors of orange and lemon come together with an easy barbeque sauce base to pull triple duty as a marinade, glaze, and sauce.  Thank you, Food Network, this is a good one!

4 chicken thighs (skin on)
4 chicken legs (or wings could work too)
1 1/3 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. 

Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, a few grinds of black pepper together in a 4 cup measuring cup until combined.  

Remove 1 cup of the sauce and add the remaining sauce to the resealable plastic bag with the chicken.  Seal and toss the bag to evenly coat the chicken.  Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to overnight.  

Meanwhile, add the remaining sauce to a small saucepan.  Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.  Reserve reduced sauce for glazing and serving.  

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.  **

Remove the chicken from the marinade and allow any excess marinade to drip off.  Arrange the chicken skin-side down on the grill, leaving some space between each.  Cook until deep grill marks form and releases easily from the grill, about 4 minutes.  Flip the chicken skin-side up.  Cover the grill and cook until the thickest part of each thigh is 165 degrees, 20 - 25 minutes more.  

Brush the skin side of the chicken with some of the reduced sauce.  Flip the chicken pieces and brush the other side with the sauce and continue to cook, sauce-side down, for an additional minute.  Flip and grill for 1 minute more.  Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken with the remainder of the sauce.  

Note **   In the event you can't use a grill to prepare this chicken you may substitute a large cast iron skillet and finish in an oven preheated to 450 degrees.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

 Have you ever found yourself without a needed ingredient to finish your dish?  Well, me too.  I've used this homemade BBQ sauce recipe more than once.  It's awesome!!

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

5 Tbsp brown sugar

5 Tbsp sugar

1/2 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1/2 Tbsp ground mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  

Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Looking for a little something sweet to serve for your next brunch?  This is the perfect choice.  It could be breakfast too, but I don't like to get up early, so brunch it is at our house.

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 (16.3 oz) cans refrigerated southern homestyle biscuits (separated and cut into fourths)

1/2 cup salted butter, melted plus 2 Tbsp softened

4 large eggs

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup plus 2 - 3 Tbsp half and half, divided

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

3 oz cream cheese, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided

Line the bottom and sides of a 6-quart slow cooker with aluminum foil; lightly coat foil with cooking spray.  Stir together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Toss together biscuit pieces and 1/2 cup melted butter in a large bowl until biscuits are coated.  

Working in batches, add biscuits to granulated sugar mixture and toss to coat; transfer biscuits to prepared slow cooker.  Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over biscuits in slow cooker.  

Whisk together eggs, salt, 2/3 cup of the half and half, and 1 tsp of the vanilla in a bowl until well combined; pour over biscuits in slow cooker.  Sprinkle with pecans.

Beat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.  Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and remaining 1 tsp vanilla; beat until smooth, about 1 minute.  

Gradually add remaining 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar to cream cheese mixture alternately with 2 Tsp of the half and half, beating on high speed until frosting is smooth, creamy and a little loose, about 1 minute, adding remaining 1 Tbsp half and half, 1 tsp at a time, if needed to reach desired consistency.

Drizzle half of the frosting over biscuit mixture in slow cooker.  (Cover remaining frosting and set aside until ready to serve.)  Cover slow cooker; cook on low until center of casserole is set and biscuit bottoms are browned, 3 1/2 - 4 hours.  Drizzle casserole with remaining frosting; serve warm.

 

French Onion & Mushroom Soup

I was a Pampered Chef consultant for more years than I can count.  I have a kitchen that is Pampered Cheffed out!  This is a Pampered Chef recipe that I absolutely love.  Give it a try.  It will not disappoint.

6 Tbsp butter, divided

6 oz French bread, sliced into 1/2" slices

8 oz Cremini mushrooms, quartered

5 large sweet onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp sugar

1 cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)

3 Tbsp flour

8 cups unsalted beef stock

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 Tbsp of leaves

6 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a 4-quart Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Toast the bread 1 - 2 minutes per side or until light golden brown, remove bread and set aside.

Add 1 Tbsp of the butter and the mushrooms to the Dutch Oven; cook, uncovered 8 - 9 minutes, or until mushrooms are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Remove mushrooms.

Meanwhile, slice onions into 1/4" rings.  Add remaining 4 Tbsp of butter, onions, garlic and sugar to Dutch Overn.  Cook uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes or until onions are dark brown.  Stir occasionally.

Add wine; cook uncovered for 5 - 7 minutes or until liquid is no longer visible, but onions are still moist.  Stir in flour; cook one minute.  Stir in the stock, salt, pepper and mushrooms.  Add the thyme sprigs.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Cook, covered, 8 - 10 minutes or until the soup comes to a gentle boil.  Remove from heat and remove the Thyme sprigs.

Preheat the broiler.  Arrange toasted bread over soup and sprinkle evenly with cheese.  Place Dutch Oven 2 - 4" from heating element; broil 2 - 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Enjoy!