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Gobble Down These Kickin’ Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Spicy Sweet Mayo

I have been on something of a turkey burger kick lately, wanting to try out different recipes that can bring flavor to a healthier alternative to the regular beef hamburgers. I have tried a few different things, and then I found this recipe at allrecipes.com for a very easy turkey burger that makes use of two things I really like on a burger – caramelized onions and a nice, spicy mayonnaise. The recipe itself can’t get much easier than this and you can make the mayo ahead of time so you have it ready to go when you put the burgers on the table.

Kickin’ Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Spicy Sweet Mayo

For the Spicy Mayo:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup coarse-grain mustard

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Hot sauce, to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Turkey Burgers:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

1/2 onion, grated

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Montreal Chicken seasoning

1 teaspoon dry mesquite seasoning

For the Caramelized Onions:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced

Hamburger buns, for serving

For the mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, coarse-grain mustard, honey, horseradish hot sauce and cayenne pepper in a bowl until it is well blended. Adjust seasoning with the hot sauce to suit your tastes. Cover the mayonnaise and refrigerate it until the burgers are ready.

For the turkey burgers, combine the ground turkey, grated onion, jalapeno pepper, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Montreal Chicken seasoning and the mesquite seasoning together in a large bowl. Form the mixture into 5 or 6 patties.

For the caramelized onions, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the sliced onions and cook and stir the onions until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring until the onions are very tender and dark brown, about 15 to 20 minutes more.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until it is shimmering. Add the turkey patties to the skillet and cook, turning them once, until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the middle of the burger, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve the turkey burgers on the hamburger buns and top each burger with caramelized onions. Pass the spicy mayo around the table for additional topping.

You can always add any of your own favorite toppings to the burgers as well, such as any type of cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, bacon or anything that you might like. The spicy mayo turned out really well and added great flavor to the burgers. I have even used it on other sandwiches for topping it tastes great. The burger itself was moist and flavorful and had a really nice smoky taste with a hint of heat from the jalapeno and the mesquite seasoning. Of course, everyone in my house loves caramelized onions and that just made the burger even better for everyone. It’s definitely a great recipe to try when you want to jazz up your turkey burgers. The tropical slaw recipe from yesterday would quite nicely with these as a side dish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on September 4, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Lunch, Poultry, Sandwiches, Sauce, Turkey, Vegetables

Tags: allrecipes.com, caramelized onions, kickin' turkey burgers with caramelized onions and spicy sweet mayo, spicy mayo, spicy sweet mayo, turkey burger recipe, turkey burgers

31 Great Labor Day Grilling Recipes | Kitchen Daily

31 Aug

31 Great Labor Day Grilling Recipes | Kitchen Daily.

Planning on doing some grilling on Labor Day but what to go beyond the usual hamburgers and hot dogs? Kitchen Daily has put together 31 great grilling recipes for you that cover everything from your appetizers and main courses to side dishes and dessert so you can grill every part of your meal and make the most of that last unofficial day of summer. Check out the recipes and find one to try this weekend!

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Posted by MikeG on August 31, 2014 in Appetizers, Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Fruit, Grilling, Lamb, Pizza, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Salad, Sandwiches, Seafood, Side Dishes, Snacks, Vegetables

Tags: 31 great labor day grilling recipes, ideas for grilling on labor day, Kitchen Daily, Kitchen Daily 31 great Labor Day grilling recipes, labor day grilling recipes, Labor Day recipes

A Fast Dinner on Friday (or Any Day) – Chicken Fried Rice

29 Aug

Sometimes you just want a meal that you know you can pull together in just a few minutes and without much of fuss. Maybe you can even make use of some of those leftover items you have in the fridge for the last few days and don’t really know what to do with them. That is when a meal like this can really come in handy. Making any type of stir fry is always a great way to use items, and having fried rice is always a favorite, but sometimes you would like the flavor without having the extra oil and fat involved in frying the rice itself. This recipe for chicken fried rice is originally from Food Republic, but I did modify it just a little to make it fit better with what I had on hand and what we like. It is still just as easy and tasty.

Chicken Fried Rice

2 cups long-grain riced, cooked and cooled completely

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

4 scallions, finely sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

4 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh), diced or cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 tablespoons chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Turn the rice out onto the parchment paper, breaking up any lumps, and spray the surface with the nonstick vegetable oil. Place the pan in the oven and cook the rice for 12 minutes, it should be crisp on the surface. Season the rice to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set the pan aside to keep the rice warm.

Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet with a good coating of vegetable or canola oil set over high heat, fry the scallions, green pepper, red pepper, onions, carrot and green beans for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the peas and the chicken and fry to give the chicken a little color and cook it through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and then add the rice, breaking up any lumps along the way. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce and chili sauce and mix to blend everything well. Stir fry everything for about 3 to 4 minutes. Toss in the cilantro and serve.

Of course, as with any stir fry you can add just about any type of vegetable or protein that you like or have on hand. This would work well with shrimp, pork, beef or even just with the vegetables if you like. The rice does come out nice and crisp without having to deal with all of the frying of it. You do want to make sure that the rice is dry before you put it in the oven so that it doesn’t just steam once it is in there. The whole dish comes together very easily, gives you a great one pot meal and has some great flavor with the chicken stock, chili sauce and soy sauce. This is an easy one you can use anytime.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on August 29, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Leftovers, One Pot Meals, Poultry, Rice, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Tags: chicken fried rice, chicken fried rice recipe, easy chicken fried rice, Food Republic, fried rice

Alton Brown’s Backyard Baby Back Ribs – Sort Of

28 Aug

For me, finding new and different ways to cook ribs mostly means finding a new sauce or glaze to use on the ribs themselves. Since I am limited to just the use of my oven, I don’t have the options of a gas grill, charcoal grill or smoker at my disposal to use different methods to bring out different flavors. When I saw this recipe for Alton Brown’s backyard baby back ribs, I knew I wanted to try it, but I didn’t have the backyard methods to use like he does in the recipe. I also didn’t have any baby back ribs on hand; I only had some St. Louis spareribs in the freezer. I really liked the sound of the rub and the marinade on the ribs however so I decided to adapt it for my purposes. I’ll show you the original recipe here and then tell you what I did to change things around after.

Alton Brown’s Backyard Baby Back Ribs

2 full racks/slabs (about 4 1/2 pounds) baby back pork ribs
Kosher salt
6 tablespoons Rub Number Nine, recipe follows
1/2 cup orange juice (not fresh squeezed)
1/2 cup margarita mix
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rub Number Nine:
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon allspice

Place each rib rack on a sheet of extra-wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil. (The foil should be 4 inches longer than the ribs on either end.) Season the rib racks liberally with kosher salt and sprinkle each rack with 3 tablespoons of the rub. Turn the ribs, meat side down, and tightly seal each foil pouch. Place on a half sheet pan and refrigerate the ribs overnight.

The next day, heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Combine the orange juice and margarita mix in a liquid measuring cup. Open 1 end of each pouch and evenly divide the liquid between the 2 pouches. Reseal the pouches and place the sheet pan in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven, carefully open 1 end of each pouch and pour the braising liquid into a heatproof measuring cup. Reseal the pouches and place them and the measuring cup of liquid into the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

The fat in the braising liquid will have solidified on the top and can be removed at this time. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and add the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, espresso powder and cayenne pepper. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce the mixture to a glaze, about 10 minutes.

Set a gas grill to medium-high and allow it to heat for 10 minutes. Cut each slab of ribs in half and place them on the grill, flesh side down, close the lid and decrease the heat to medium. Leave everything alone for 3 minutes. Flip and cook the ribs for another 3 minutes. Flip and cook the ribs for 3 minutes on each side 1 more time or until each rib has a nice char. Remove the ribs from the grill to a cutting board. and cut the slabs into 2 rib portions, using kitchen shears. Add the ribs and half the glaze to a large serving bowl and toss the ribs to thoroughly coat them. Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

For the rub, place all of the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine. Store for up to 3 months.

Really the only change I made in the recipe comes in the final step. I heated the glaze in a small saucepan while I baked the ribs in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. I then glazed the ribs, turned the heat up to 400 and baked them for another 15 minutes before glazing them a final time and putting them under the broil for 2 or 3 minutes to get the char on them. Keep in mind I was using the St. Louis ribs, which are thicker and larger than baby back ribs, so they do take longer to cook through properly. It may not turn out the same as it would with a gas grill, but the ribs were still cooked well and tasted great. I really love the glaze and although I was skeptical with the use of the margarita mix in the whole thing, it did work quite nicely along with the orange juice, honey and the espresso powder. I would certainly give these ribs a try again. I apologize for the fuzzy picture; I didn’t realize it had not turned out well and didn’t take another one, but trust me, they are good!

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

4 Comments

Posted by MikeG on August 28, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork, Sauce, Spices

Tags: Alton Brown, Alton Brown's backyard baby back ribs, baby back ribs, baby back ribs on the grill, backyard baby back ribs, Rub number nine

Take a Turn at These Turkey Burgers

26 Aug

Sean had been asking me to make turkey burgers one night for dinner because he really wanted to try them out. I figured it was a great alternative to ground beef and was happy to oblige, but I really needed to figure out how to get some great flavor into the turkey burgers. To me, ground turkey has a tendency to be somewhat flavorless unless you add something to it. I love to use it in chili and meatballs, so I really wanted to find a good combination of spices and vegetables to add to the burgers to make them great. I looked at a lot of recipes and really just ended up taking what I liked best from all of them and putting them together to make my own turkey burgers.

Turkey Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 shallot, diced

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning

1/4 cup chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Your favorite slices of cheese, optional

Hamburger rolls, for serving

Sliced red onion, for serving

Sliced pickles, for serving

Combine the ground turkey, diced shallot, egg yolk, chopped parsley, minced garlic, hot sauce and Montreal chicken seasoning with clean hands until everything is well blended but not overmixed. Add a little bit of the chicken broth at a time and mix it into the turkey mixture (you can add a little bit more if it seems like it needs more moisture). Shape the turkey mixture into 4 or 5 equally sized patties. Season both sides of the patties with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Place the patties into the skillet and cook the turkey burgers until they are golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. If you are using any cheese, place slices of cheese on the burgers and cover the skillet for 1 minute or until the cheese is completely melted. Transfer the burgers to a clean plate and serve, along with the hamburger rolls or buns, sliced red onion, pickles or any other accompaniments that you like with your burgers.

I think everyone was a little skeptical as to how flavorful these burgers would turn out, but I have to say that I thought they were great. The turkey burgers were moist and had great flavor. I think the seasonings and that little bit of chicken broth really helped to make a difference. Of course, the great thing about any type of burger is that you can always add whatever you like best to the mix and get the flavors you want. I think the little bit of heat from the hot sauce combined well with the shallots and garlic. You could easily add other vegetables to the mix instead, like grated carrot or some spinach and it would be very good.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 26, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Lunch, Poultry, Sandwiches, Turkey

Tags: ground turkey, making turkey burgers, turkey burger recipe, turkey burgers

Fast and Easy State Fair Salt Potatoes

22 Aug

Finding fast and easy recipes for potatoes can make cooking up a side dish simple for nearly any type of meal. Sure you could make some simple boiled potatoes easy enough, but you want to try to add a little something to them so you can get some great flavor out of the dish. Potatoes by themselves don’t have a tremendous amount of flavor so if you can add something to them you can really liven them up. I found this simple dish at the Cooking Channel website for State Fair salt potatoes that you can make in about 15 minutes and with just a few simple ingredients that you likely have on hand all of the time.

State Fair Salt Potatoes

2 pounds baby red or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and halved

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs, such as oregano, dill, thyme and parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover them with cold water. Heavily salt the water, adding 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 cup of cold water used. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return the potatoes to the pot and toss them with the butter and the chopped herbs of your choice. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

These are very easy to make and you get great taste from the salt and the herbs that you use. I chose to use oregano and dill and loved the flavor that came out of the mix. I served these as a side dish with the roasted chicken I made, but I think they would go really well with any pork, beef or chicken dish that you wanted to make. These are perfect for the small red potatoes, but I think you could really use any type of potato that you prefer for this one.

Just a quick recipe for today, but check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 22, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Potatoes, Side Dishes

Tags: boiled potatoes, Cooking Channel, quick potatoes recipe, salt potatoes, salted potatoes, state fair salt potatoes, state fair salted potatoes

Get Roasting – Roast Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Vermouth

21 Aug

You can never have too many ways to make roast chicken. All you need to do is take a look at some the recipes on my blog and you will quickly see that not only do I make a lot of chicken, but I make a lot of roast chicken. I like the way chicken comes out in the oven with its crispy skin and tender, juicy flavor and if you can get a great sauce out of it as well that is even better. I came across this particular recipe at Food & Wine for a very simple roast chicken with lemon, oregano and vermouth to get a different and fresh flavor.

Roast Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Vermouth

1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) cut into 8 pieces

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat the chicken with 3 teaspoons of the olive oil. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, in a large roasting pan or cast iron pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of the dry vermouth, the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of the olive oil over the top of the chicken.

Roast the chicken until the breasts are just done, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the breasts and wings to a separate plate and cover them to keep them warm. Continue to cook the thighs and drumsticks until they are done, about 5 to 7 minutes longer.

Heat the broiler of the oven. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and return the breasts and wings to the roasting pan. Broil the chicken under the broiler until the skin os golden brown, about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it does not burn. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter.

Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of dry vermouth and the 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any browned bits. Boil the mixture until it is reduced approximately to 2 tablespoons. Add any accumulated juices from the platter the chicken is resting on. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

This recipe is very simple and you get the juicy chicken pieces with really nicely browned skin to go along with it. You also get a really unique pan sauce that has the nice flavor of the vermouth and lemon. It is a quick sauce but it packs some great flavor. You could use white wine instead or even chicken broth if you want to avoid the alcohol altogether, but I do have to say the vermouth adds a nice touch to the dish. You could easily do this dish just with your favorite chicken pieces, like breasts, thighs or drumsticks, instead of using the whole chicken. I served this with some herbed salt potatoes, which I will post the recipe for tomorrow, and some fresh green beans.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

1 Comment

Posted by MikeG on August 21, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: dry vermouth, Food & Wine, roast chicken, roast chicken with dry vermouth, roast chicken with lemon oregano and vermouth.roast chicken recipes

Wrap it Up – Salmon Baked in Paper (Salmone in Cartoccio)

18 Aug

I don’t buy salmon very often even though it is really good for you and I love the flavor. The fact is that, in my opinion, farm-raised salmon has some ethical issues and it just doesn’t taste that good. I hold out for the wild-caught salmon, but the problem is that most of the time it is just too expensive to buy enough for a meal for the three of us. If I can catch it on sale at the fish market and it looks good, then I will make the investment and get some. This was the case last week when I came across some wild salmon for $14 a pound, a lot cheaper than the usual $19 a pound or more, so I decided to get some and make it for dinner that night. I found this simple recipe from Williams-Sonoma for salmon baked in paper and decided to give it a try. The recipe calls for 6 portions, but I simply cut the recipe in half and made it for the three of us.

Salmon Baked in Paper (Salmone in Cartoccio)

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling paper

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 skinless salmon fillets, each about 6 ounces and of uniform shape

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the chopped tomatoes, shallots, marjoram or oregano, lemon juice, the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Rinse the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut 6 pieces of parchment paper into about 12 inch squares. Fold each sheet in half, open the paper like a book and brush the paper to one side of the crease you have made with olive oil. Place a salmon fillet on each oiled side of the paper. Spoon the tomato mixture over the fish, dividing it evenly among all of the packages.

Fold the parchment paper over the fish. Tightly seal each package by folding the edges over several times and creasing the paper firmly. Place the packages on 2 baking sheets.

Bake the packages in the oven until the salmon is opaque throughout, about 15 to 17 minutes. To check for the doneness of the fish, carefully open a package and pierce the fish with a knife.

Slide the packages of the fish onto individual plates and allow the diners to open their own packages individually.

It is a very simple dish that comes out with great flavor, especially this time of year when you can use fresh, local tomatoes as part of the meal. It is an easy combination and the fish is cooked to perfection, cooking in the paper just right with all of the flavors sealed in. I think you could do the dish with any type of fish that you like and just adjust the cooking time according to the thickness of the fish you are using. All in all, it is a very easy and elegant dish you can make any night of the week. I served this with some white rice and some of the black bean and mango salad I had.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on August 18, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

Tags: baked salmon dinner, salmon baked in paper, salmon fillet, salmone in catoccio, williams-sonoma

Copy That! A Copycat Recipe of Chili’s Chicken Crispers

14 Aug

When it comes to family restaurant chains in our area (and there seems to be many more than we need, in my opinion), Chili’s seems to reign as the one that we frequent. Sean has always liked the food at Chili’s since he was little and is well-known throughout our family for his affinity for their cheese fries. Almost as much as he likes those, he and Michelle also both prefer the classic chicken crispers that you can find on their menu. I decided recently that I was going to try and find a copycat recipe for this particular recipe and see if I could make them at home and if they would even be close to what you get at the restaurant. I found the recipe on Chili’s at Home, a blog that features their recipes, and it seemed pretty easy to do so I gave it my best shot.

Copycat Chili’s Chicken Crispers

For the Batter:

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

For the Chicken:

Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for deep frying

10 chicken tenderloins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the batter, combine the beaten egg, the milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined. Add the 3/4 cup of the self-rising flour and the cornstarch, whisking into the mixture until the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

To cook the chicken, Heat the vegetable oil or shortening in a deep fryer or large Dutch oven until the oil registers 350 degrees on a deep fry or candy thermometer inserted into the oil. Place the all-purpose flour in a medium shallow bowl. Coat the chicken pieces with the dry flour and then dip the chicken into the batter, making sure to coat it completely. Allow the excess batter to drip off and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. When the oil has reached the proper temperature, place 3 pieces of the battered chicken into the hot oil and fry the chicken for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the chicken is well browned. Drain the fried chicken pieces on a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Just a couple of things about this recipe. First, if you can’t find self-rising flour near you, you can easily make your own. Take 1 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk in 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and you will have your own self-rising flour. Second, you don’t have to use chicken tenderloins for this; I only had some boneless chicken breast on hand, so I cut them into small strips and used those, so we actually ended up with more than 10 pieces. I have to say that I think this recipe is pretty much spot on. The coating seemed exactly like what you get at the restaurant. I read elsewhere that Chili’s actually uses an MSG as an ingredient, so the chicken broth is a solid substitute to give you the flavor enhancement without the MSG. The coating is light and crunchy and the chicken is cooked through perfectly. I served this with tater tots and the obligatory corn on the cob. You could easily make your own favorite dipping sauce or use whatever you like to dip them in. I actually made Chili’s avocado-ranch dip to use, which is one of our favorites as well, but you could just use ketchup, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, hot sauce or whatever you like best.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 14, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Eating Out, Poultry

Tags: chicken tenderloins, Chili's, Chili's at Home, Chili's chicken crispers, Chili's chicken crispers recipe, copycat chicken crispers recipe

Step Up your Pulled Pork Leftovers with Pulled Pork and Pineapple Tacos

13 Aug

Pulled pork is one of those great meals to serve when you know you are having a crowd over for dinner, but it can also be great for a weeknight meal for the family and then give you plenty of leftovers to do something with. You certainly have your options when it comes to making the pulled pork itself. You can make it in the oven, smoke your own on the grill or smoker if you have one or even make it in the slow cooker to save you some time, energy and prevent the kitchen from overheating in the summer months. However you decide to make it, once you have the leftovers you may get a little tired of having pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork over rice. Sure you can always whip up a batch of pulled pork nachos, but I decided to take some of what I had leftover and make use of this recipe from Kelsey Nixon of the Cooking Channel. While her recipe calls for the use of leftover shredded pork, I liked the way it worked with the pulled pork instead and decided to use it that way.

Pulled Pork and Pineapple Nachos

1 1/2 pounds of cooked pulled pork (in the oven or the slow cooker)

Corn or four tortillas, warmed

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Shredded red cabbage or coleslaw, for garnish

Pickled red onions, for garnish

Guacamole, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Shredded Mexican cheese, for garnish

In a large saucepan, warm the pulled pork over medium heat until it is re-heated through. Warm the tortillas individually in a medium skillet set over high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute or take a stack and wrap them in plastic wrap and heat them in the microwave for 1 minute until warmed through. Top the warmed tortillas with some of the pulled pork and the fresh diced pineapple. Add the other garnishes that you like, such as guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, coleslaw or shredded cabbage, shredded cheese or pickled red onions and serve. Let each person make their own tacos as they like it best.

This can’t get much easier and is a great use of your leftovers. The pineapple and pork go together really well and you get such great flavor from the spices of the pulled pork. I even added some of the black bean salad with mango I had made the day before to the dish for some extra freshness and bite and it really worked well. You could try this with any type of pork you may have leftover, such as tenderloin or chops and just cut them into thin strips and re-heat them lightly with some spice and you can have great tacos from that.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!