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Fresh Homemade Pasta Recipe with Asparagus and Prosciutto Ham

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Fresh Homemade Pasta Recipe with Asparagus and Prosciutto Ham

I’ve said it so many times and I’ll say it again, there is nothing like fresh homemade pasta, nothing.  I’ve made a ton of homemade pasta over the past few years, but it hasn’t come without tons of heartache.  I’ve actually jacked up quite a few pasta dough recipes before I could finally get it right.  I know, my Italian ancestors would be rolling over in the graves but none-the-less I think I’ve got it right now.  Go ahead and throw away any pasta recipe you’ve used in the past, because I can tell you right now every single time you’ve made it it’s been different.  There is no way the eggs you used were the same size that you used in the recipe before.  No way on earth you used the exact amount of water because pasta dough may not need as much or as little due to the size of the eggs.  What I’m getting at is no pasta dough recipes are the same because the elements are never the same.

Just like any good recipe, it all starts with really high-quality ingredients. Bob’s Red Mill makes a ton of wonderful products, but I’d say 1 of the items we use most is the Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour.  It’s just so incredibly versatile to handle just about all of my baking needs.  It has enough protein in it to make fantastic breads and pizza crusts and is delicate enough to make beautiful cakes and pie crusts.  It’s also perfect for making this fresh homemade pasta recipe, but the technique of making it is equally as important.

The process of assembling the dough is really easy.  First start by pouring your flour out onto a clean surface and use the back of your hand to make a well in the flour.  Next crack in a few eggs and begin to whisk.  For an extremely general recipe you are looking at 2 large eggs to every 1 ½ cups of flour, but don’t take that to the bank until we know what you need when the kneading starts.  I like to whisk the eggs with the fork and once they are “scrambled” so to speak, then you want to slowly add the flour into the mixture using your fork.  Once the dough begins to come a bit thicker I usually switch over to a bench knife at this point, so I can scrape everything off of the surface to incorporate it into my pasta dough recipe.  Now is when your recipe may or may not need some tweaking.  If the dough is way too dry, and you’ll know because it won’t come together at all, then you need to add in a little water to help bring things together.  I can’t even give you the amount of water, but I would start with a tablespoon and work from there.  You want your homemade pasta dough to be like a firm pie crust dough.  Outside of the ingredients this next step is probably the most crucial.  Knead the dough for at least 7 minutes and when I mean knead I mean knead, so don’t stop for one second.  Yes, your arms and shoulders will be tired, but this is probably the single most important step into making a successful pasta dough recipe.  After the 7 minutes or so are up, knead it for another 2 minutes just to make sure.  I actually set a timer to ensure I am doing it for the full allotted time.

Once your dough is kneaded, wrap it in plastic or put it in a plastic baggie and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so that the gluten can begin to form which will help when you need to roll it out and stretch it.  After the dough is done resting, remove it from the plastic bag and divide it into 3 equal parts and begin rolling it.  Press one of the dough pieces down to flatten it out and dust each side with flour and using a pasta crank roll it out on the widest setting and run it through 3 to 4 more times before closing the setting in by 1 dial.  I usually get to about the 5 or 6 setting on the dial before it feels good enough to run through to make the actual pasta noodles.  Here is another crucial thing I figured out and it’s to NOT fold the dough after sending it through the pasta crank.  THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO DO IT, NONE!!  I’ve had more issues with folding the dough over than probably any other issue, so keep it flat and keep sending it through.

Last but not least you want to let the pasta dough dry out for about 10 minutes before cutting the sheets of pasta down to about 12 inches, sprinkling on some flour and then cranking it through your desired noodle selection.  I use linguine often because it’s so versatile and for me it’s the perfect size to any pasta recipe.  Once your pasta has run through you can either hang it on a rack or sprinkle on lots of flour and form it into a loose round shaped ball on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  Let the pasta dry for about 10-20 minutes before boiling it.

I serve up this homemade pasta recipe with some fresh asparagus, mushrooms, prosciutto, lemon, ricotta, parmesan and burrata because why not?  This thing is cheesy and so delicious, and even better yet incredibly easy to make.

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Fresh Homemade Pasta Recipe with Asparagus and Prosciutto Ham
Author: 
Recipe type: main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
There is absolutely nothing like homemade pasta. The flavor is so rich and so delicious that you'll never want to eat store made pasta again. This Fresh Homemade Pasta Recipe with Asparagus and Prosciutto Ham has the perfect combo of flavors and right in season as the weather starts to warm up!
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
  • 3 cups of Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 eggs
  • cold water as needed
For the Toppings:
  • 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup each sliced shiitake and portabella mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon of finely mince garlic
  • 12-15 trimmed and sliced fresh asparagus stalks
  • ¾ cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
  • 1 ball of burrata cheese, cut into wedges
  • 6 slices of prosciutto ham
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • parsley leaves for garnish
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Linguine: Add the flour to a clean surface and make a well. Add the eggs to center of a well and whisk using a fork.
  2. Gradually bring in flour from the outside until it is combined. Use a bench knife to scrape together all of the ingredients and knead for at least 7 minutes. You may need to add a bit of water if the dough is too dry.
  3. Once the dough is kneaded form it into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Next, divide the dough into 3 sections and roll out each piece using a pasta roller with hand crank on the lowest setting. Next, turn the setting higher and roll the dough. Repeat until you get to #6 setting and roll it again. The dough should be a long thin sheet. Set aside on a floured surface and repeat with the other 2 dough balls. Cut the dough sheets into 10"-12" sections.
  5. Add the linguine attachment, sprinkle the dough again with flour and roll out each 10"-12" cut sheets of dough and form into little pasta balls on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Rest for at least 10 minutes so that pasta can dry out a bit.
  6. Pasta: Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook the mushroom until they are caramelized. Once brown, about 3 to 4 minutes add in the garlic and mix in.
  7. Turn the heat to low and add in the asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat off.
  8. Add ½ of the pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  9. Transfer the pasta to the saute pan with veggies and toss in ricotta cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper and mix until combined.
  10. Add the tossed pasta to a plate and garnish with prosciutto ham, sliced burrata, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and parsley.
  11. Serve.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans

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Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BUSH’S® Beans. The opinions and text are all mine.

I was just saying to my wife the other day that the opening weekend of March Madness may be the greatest weekend of the year.  While I love Christmas, Easter and the Big Game, I have to admit that this first weekend is so incredibly fun because it’s not just a 1-day thing.  Nope, it’s an amazing tournament that lasts about 3 weeks and the first weekend combines to showcase 48 games.  I mean if you are a college sports fan then there is nothing greater!  With all of these games comes a whole lot of hanging with friends and of course food, so I decided to whip up my Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans that has always been a fan favorite!

One of the things that I love about this dip is it is really easy to prepare, and it is loaded with flavor.  It’s definitely one of those recipes where it’s beyond impossible to eat just 1 bite.  If you notice in the video, I prepare it in a cast iron skillet, however if you’re crazy busy setting up for these weekends packed with games then you can absolutely cook and hold this Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans in your slow cooker.  In addition, if you want to simplify this recipe even more because you are super strapped for time you can replace the fresh salsa that I made with a store bought one, totally up to you!

Cowboy queso is different than your typical queso dip recipe because it’s packed with meat and beans.  I loaded up this cowboy queso dip recipe with crisp cooked bacon, spicy chorizo sausage and ground beef, so yeah it’s filled with meat!  For the beans, I used BUSH’S® Pinto Beans because of the incredible flavor they offer up as well as their perfect pairing with things like bacon and chorizo.  “Pinto” is the Spanish word for “painted,” which perfectly describes these speckled beans (well, they’re speckled before they’re cooked). Although they originated in Peru, they’re now the most common bean in the United States. Of course, BUSH’S® chooses only the very best of them: plump, firm and beautifully speckled. Enjoy their hearty flavor in Southwestern cuisine, chili, soups, salads, Mexican-inspired dishes and more. Try them in Reduced Sodium and Organic!  When you use BUSH’S Pinto Beans you are packing up this cowboy queso dip with even more protein.  SCORE!

Once you’ve cooked all of your protein you then want to add in your cheese and cook it over low heat until it’s melted, or if you are using a slow cooker simply set it to low.  I used an orange prepared pasteurized cheese product but if you want to turn this dip into a white queso dip then you can actually use a big chunk of white American cheese!  The flavor differences are subtle; however it will be a nice bright white dip loaded with delicious colorful veggies.

I’m a college sports nut so while I love this time of year, I also get a little bit sad knowing it’s coming to an end.  I know, I’m one of those crazed fans, but I can’t think of too many events where you can get together with friends and family and eat delicious food and have a great time.  Hope you dig this Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans.


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Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Whether your at a small family or friend get together or you're just looking for something to munch on during a movie or a game, this Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip Recipe with Pinto Beans is ridiculously delicious! This cowboy queso is packed with ground beef, chorizo, bacon, homemade salsa, and pinto beans!
Ingredients
  • 8 slices of roughly chopped bacon
  • ½ pound of loose chorizo sausage
  • ½ pound of ground beef
  • 1 pound of prepared pasteurized cheese product
  • ½ pound of cream cheese
  • ½ pound of shredded white cheddar
  • 1 cup of diced tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can of BUSH'S® Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ peeled and small diced red onion
  • ½ cup of sliced green onions
  • 1 seeded and small diced jalapeño
  • ¼ cup of chopped cilantro
  • tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Add the bacon to a 12" cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy.
  3. Once cooked set the bacon aside and cook the chorizo sausage in the bacon fat until it is cooked throughout.
  4. Next, add in the beef to the pan with the chorizo and cook it until it is cooked through.
  5. Add in all of the cheeses and mix over low heat until melted.
  6. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, red onion, green onions, jalapeño and cilantro and mix until combined.
  7. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until hot and slightly browned on top.

 

Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe

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Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe

Welcome back to another weekly episode of Soigne!  What I am dying to know is how on earth is it October already?  I mean what the crap happened to September, or the summer for that matter?  Time is just ticking along and before you know it, I’m going to be buried in snow up to my behind trying to shovel my way out one smoked pork butt at a time!  Well enough of the jibber jabber and let’s get right into these Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe.  Talk about SIMPLE, I mean this recipe could not get any easier.  I know, I know the last few Soigne’s have been a bit much with the apple rose pie, and lobster stuffed tortellini, or even my char siu skirt steak cooked directly on open coals, sorry about all that I get carried away.  My intent with Soigne was to make simple things really elegant and with as few ingredients and tools and techniques as possible, so sorry if I failed you on those other videos.  At the very least, hopefully you enjoyed them for the beauty of food photography and video… Hopefully!

I wanted to get back to the Soigne foundation of simple and trying to do it all in 1 pan, which these Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe did.  When I eat pork I either want it in the form of bacon, a smoked pork butt or a double thick bone in pork chop.  Pork loins and tenderloins are cool and all, but I want something that’s either ridiculously juicy and flavorful, or smoked to perfection, so these bone in pork chops in this video get the job done.

Usually when you get in bone in pork chops the bone isn’t exactly exposed so you have to French it.  Simply cut around the bone right where the meat connects to it and cut around it and scrape until the bone is clean.  I used to have to do this back in my sous chef days in St. Louis, only I would have about 50 bone-in pork chops and like 20 racks of lamb to do it on… It sucked!  Once your bone is exposed you then want to season it up on both sides with salt and pepper and get it ready for cooking.

I cooked these bone in pork chops in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil.  Olive oil has a low smoking point so I like that I don’t have to worry about it burning too much.  As soon as I thrown the pork in the pan I like to add in some butter, fresh thyme sprigs and garlic cloves, very similar to the bone in ribeye I did earlier in the year.  Once I flip the pork, after it’s ridiculously golden brown of course, I then baste the pork over and over again until it is finished cooking.  Believe it or not you can cook pork to medium to medium-well these days without worrying about getting sick.  I mean seriously when is the last time you heard of someone getting trichinosis from eating undercooked pork?  Exactly, you haven’t so dig into that medium pork!

Once the pork is cooked simply set it aside to the plate and remove all of the oil, thyme and garlic from the pan and return the pan to the burner over medium heat.  You then want to add in a bit more butter because now it’s time to make our apple butter!  I do have a few recipes on my site for apple butter, so I decided to enhance this one by adding a few other ingredients.  First start by adding in some onions and getting them lightly browned.  Follow it up by throwing in some fresh fennel and apples and cooking them until they begin to brown, which honestly only takes about 5 to 7 minutes.  You next want to add in some sugar to help sweeten up the mixture followed up by deglazing with apple cider vinegar.  Season up the mixture and finish it up with a bit more butter.  Now dump all that apple butter recipe goodness all over your cooked bone in pork chops.  You’re welcome!

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Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe
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Recipe type: Main
 
Sink your teeth into this perfect fall dish for Bone In Pork Chops with Onion and Apple Butter Recipe!
Ingredients
  • 2 Frenched bone-in pork chops
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 6 ounces of unsalted butter
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • ½ peeled and thinly sliced sweet onion
  • ½ thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb
  • 2 thinly sliced Tsugaru apples, seeds removed
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ounce of thinly julienne prosciutto ham
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Season the pork well on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Next heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add in the pork.
  3. Immediately add in 2 ounces of unsalted butter, thyme and garlic cloves and cook until the pork is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes before flipping it over.
  4. Baste the pork constantly with the butter in the pan until it is browned all the way around and a medium to medium-well internal temperature is achieved, about 5 to 7 more minutes.
  5. Remove the pork from the pan discard the butter, thyme and garlic in the pan, and then return the pan to the burner over medium heat.
  6. Add in 1 ounce of butter and cook the onions until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Next, add in the fennel and apples and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the sugar and cook for 2 minutes before deglazing with the apple cider vinegar.
  7. Finish the mixture with salt, pepper and remaining 3 ounces of butter.
  8. Pour the apple butter over the pork chops.

 

Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous

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Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous

I say it all the time, but soup is hands down my favorite thing to make across any cuisine, cooking technique, or course.  This Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous is as classic as it comes with a small twist using some baby spinach and the smaller cous cous.  One of my favorite things about soups is how incredibly versatile they are with the opportunity to swap out or enhance a few ingredients without skipping a beat in the flavor category.  Often times changing out ingredients in soup can make things better and more customizable for someone’s health benefits or diet restrictions, for instance swapping out beans for quinoa, or brown rice for white rice, or in this recipe changing out Moroccan for Isreali cous cous.  Regardless, this Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous is amazing and I promise you’ll love it!

September kicks off the soup making frenzy for me because the weather starts to turn a bit and there is football every single weekend!  We usually have people over several times a week and weekend to help eat up all of the yummy food I make, but if there’s a football game then soup is the ultimate food.  It’s therapeutic to me and one of the simple food joys in my life where I can graze upon a huge pot all day long!  I especially like hearty soups that stick to these bones when it’s cold outside so this Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous hits the nail on the head.

My daughter is not a huge meat fan, so often times if there’s chicken or beef in a stew or soup she kind of eats around it, but this Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous is perfect because I cook the meatballs separate and put them in when serving up a single bowl.  This allows the recipe to be customized but also so that the base and broth of the soup aren’t especially cloudy.  Nothing worse than a soggy soup with weird floating ingredients all around.  The same goes with the Moroccan cous cous.  It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Bob’s Red Mill, so if they make a product of an ingredients I am looking for you can 100% guarantee I’ll be buying it.  I trust them, it’s as simple as that, and after touring their incredibly clean and transparent facilities I trust them even more.  Every product they make is superior, even something as old as Moroccan cous cous pasta.  It’s been around forever, and it cooks perfectly and is delicious every time I make it.  Using Bob’s Red Mill Moroccan cous cous was a no brainer in my Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous.

The base of the soup is a simple combination of mirepoix, i.e. onions, celery and carrots, with some minced garlic, bay leaves and chicken stock to finish it off.  Almost 100% of the time I caramelize my onions in a soup before I make it, but I wanted to make sure the broth was a little clearer and the vegetables tender, not over cooked and over browned.  Doing this process could not be easier, just simply add everything to a large pot and simmer it until the vegetables are tender.  Finish off the vegetables and chicken stock with a little salt and pepper and keep it warm

When serving soup that has either pasta or leafy greens, I always leave them separate.  As I stated earlier, there is nothing worse than a soggy soup with a bunch of overcooked ingredients.  The way that I usually prepare soups like this is by cooking the pasta, in this case the cous cous, separate and add it into a single serving bowl before I serve it up.  The same applies to leafy greens as they can wilt incredibly fast in a large pot of hot soup.  Since the broth is so hot, it can cook the leafy greens really quickly, so instead I add in a small handful in that same single serving bowl with the cous cous.  For protein I usually cook it in the soup but meatballs can fall apart when water logged so I add a few of these guys in there at the end before serving as well.

This soup is super easy and really really delicious, and perfect for those cold weekends loaded with friends, family and football.   Happy soup making you guys!

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Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous
Author: 
Recipe type: soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Dip your spoon into a classic with this always delicious Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Moroccan Cous Cous!
Ingredients
For the Soup:
  • 1 peeled and small diced yellow onions
  • 6 small diced stalks of celery
  • 5 peeled and small diced carrots
  • 5 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 cups of good chicken stock
  • 4 cups of cooked Bob’s Red Mill Moroccan Cous Cous
  • 4 cups of packed baby spinach
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Meatballs:
  • ½ loaf of French bread submerged in water for 5 minutes
  • 1 pound each ground pork and ground sirloin
  • ½ peeled finely minced yellow onion
  • 5 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cups of finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of finely minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of finely minced fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dash of hot sauce
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Soup: In a large pot simmer together over low heat the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and chicken stock until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep warm.
  3. Meatballs: Squeeze the water out of the French bread as best you can and add it to a large bowl with all of the meatball ingredients until completely combined.
  4. Next, make mini ½” inch sized meatballs by rolling them in your hands and place them on cookie sheet trays lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until browned and cooked through out. Keep warm.
  5. To Plate: Pour a few ladles of the soup and vegetables into a bowl and add in some cooked cous cous, baby spinach, and a few cooked meatballs.
  6. Serve hot with optional garnishes: parmesan cheese and micro greens.

 

 

Carnitas Al Pastor Nachos Recipe with Pico de Gallo

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Carnitas Al Pastor Nachos Recipe with Pico de Gallo

As much as I love summer, I always look forward to Labor Day weekend the most.  Not only does most of America get an extra day off, it’s also the official start of football, meaning the BBQ’s and get togethers will still be in full effect.  As much as I like main dishes and proteins at BBQ’s and parties, I really like to graze on a bunch of different delicious dishes.  One of my favorite things to do is make up a loaded nachos recipe, so this Carnitas Al Pastor Nachos Recipe with Pico de Gallo was at the top of the list for this weekend.  If you’ve been following me for some time than you’ve noticed how I like to make fun combinations with nachos.  I’ve made Cuban Pork Sandwich Nachos and Loaded Barbacoa Sweet Potato Nachos, so these Al Pastor Nachos fit in perfectly.

Al Pastor tacos are some of my favorite tacos around.  They use incredibly simple ingredients, pork, pineapple, onions and cilantro. The pork, traditionally, is several cuts of seasoned flattened pork that is fused together on a spit and slow roasted.  From there, you carve it off much like you would a gyro sandwich and then serve it up in a tortilla with grilled pineapple, grilled red onions and some fresh cilantro leaves.  I thought slow cooking some carnitas style pork would be even better and easier for the everyday home cook trying to make a great dish for a party.

In addition to those few ingredients that go inside an al pastor taco, I wanted to load the tortilla chips up with other classic taco ingredients like rice, beans, cheese and a very simple homemade pico de gallo.  Since rehabbing our kitchen and loading it up with beautiful Franke kitchen products, washing fruits and vegetables has become a lot easier.  The Franke roller mat is a versatile Stainless steel rack that is held together by Food-grade silicone on the outside, which makes it flexible to roll up and store, roll out to wash produce, dry dishes or use as a hot pad between pans and counter surfaces.  I’ve even seen people roll sushi and hang pasta on a roller mat – it’s that functional.  Since we are having quite a few people over for this Labor Day weekend, we always make sure our kitchen is cleaned up and ready for showing. And because it’s mostly white, the polished chrome Franke Farm House faucet pops so well.

Once the tomatoes and peppers are washed, you then seed them and dice them up small along with an onion and fresh cilantro.  Toss that around with some lime juice, salt and pepper and you’ve got one tasty simple to make pico de gallo recipe.  Be sure to chill it before serving.  If you don’t want to fire up the grill to cook the pineapple and onion, you can certainly brush them with a little oil and roast them up in the oven on a high temperature until they are caramelized.  I prefer the grill because it gets a quick char without over cooking the pineapple making it mushy.

The only part I really don’t like about having a big get together is the clean-up. But, thanks to our oversized Franke farmhouse sink, we can fit plenty of dishes, pots and pans in there without losing any precious counter space for serving food.   In addition, the Franke garbage disposer makes cleaning and scrubbing pans a breeze, since I can just put most of the leftover food right into the sink and the disposer does the rest.  I tell this to everyone, but the Franke Garbage Disposer could power a boat – it’s that strong. And needless to say, I’m obsessed with it!

Once the carnitas are done cooking, you want to use two forks to pull apart the pork so that it becomes shredded.  You can let the pork sit in the slow cooker so that it remains juicy, or you can take it out and toast it up a bit in the oven to make it a little crispier. Either way is great and totally up to you.

Now before you add on all the goodies, you need to add the cheese to the tortilla chips and toast them up in the oven to melt.  From there, you load this thing up as much and as high as you can before serving.

If you’re in the market for new faucets and a sink then be sure to visit my friends over at Franke, as well as giving them a follow on social media at the channels below.  Happy Cooking!!

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Carnitas Al Pastor Nachos Recipe with Pico de Gallo
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Spice up your next party with this delicious Carnitas Al Pastor Nachos Recipe with Pico de Gallo that is topped off with pineapple and onions!
Ingredients
For the Pork:
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of dry oregano
  • ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 3 ½ pound pork shoulder
  • 1 peeled and medium diced yellow onion
  • 1 orange cut into wedges
  • 15 garlic cloves
For the Pico de Gallo:
  • 4 seeded and small diced vine ripe tomatoes
  • 1 seeded and small diced jalapeño
  • ½ peeled and small diced yellow onion
  • juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste:
For the Nachos:
  • 2 large bags of corn tortilla chips
  • 2 cups of cooked white rice
  • 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, warmed
  • 2 cups of roasted medium-diced pineapple
  • 1 roasted, peeled and small diced red onion
  • sour cream, shredded Chihuahua cheese, queso fresco, cilantro and green onions for garnish
Instructions
  1. Pork: In a small bowl mix together the salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and pepper flakes until combined and then season the pork on all sides with it.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add in the pork, onions, oranges and garlic and cook the pork on all sides until it is golden brown.
  3. Once browned, transfer everything in the pan to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours or until is shreds apart with ease. Keep warm.
  4. Pico: Mix together all ingredients in a medium size bowl until combined. Chill before serving.
  5. To Plate: Place down the chips and garnish with cheese. Heat under the broiler on high heat until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Next, top off with pork, pico de gallo, rice, beans, pineapple, onions and garnishes. Serve!

 

Pork Milanese with Spring Kale Salad Recipe

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Pork Milanese with Spring Kale Salad Recipe

To start off, again it’s good to be back and making Soigne [swan-yay] recipe videos again for you all and I hope you are enjoying them, as well as this one for Pork Milanese with Spring Kale Salad Recipe.  If you missed last week be sure to check out Salmon Recipe with Lemon Butter Sauce, it’s a hit!  In these Soigne videos I’m trying to take super classic dishes, or even classic dishes with my own Chef Billy Parisi twist, and then putting them into super sexy (soigne) videos to show just how easy they are to make.  So many people get freaked out when attempting to make a few elegant dishes, whether they be new school or old school, but truth be told they aren’t so bad to make at all.  Just follow along and you’ll be good!

Pork Milanese is a super old school Italian dish, but it’s more about the technique of alla Milanese.  Milanese is the process of coating a thin piece of protein in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs, and then pan frying it in some olive oil.  Essentially you could probably Milanese just about anything.  You can absolutely use steak, or chicken but I much prefer a bone-in pork chop because after you pound it out, it’s huge which means more meat for me!  SCORE!  I like using a bone-in pork as well because it provides a ton more flavor and tends to be a lot juicier.  Score again!

Once the meat is pounded out to about ¼” to ½” thick you then want to bread it using the standard breading procedure.  A standard breading procedure goes like this: flour, whisked eggs, bread crumbs and in that exact order.  You can choose to season your protein before or season the flour, eggs and bread crumbs.  I like to season before because I can see just how much salt and pepper I’m putting on it.  You however can do as you see fit!  You can also add some seasonings to the bread crumbs like garlic powder, onion powder or herbs.  I’m a bit of a purist so I leave it as simple bread crumbs.  If you use few simple ingredients then you will taste what it was meant to taste like, but that’s me and you do you!

After the pork is all breaded up you then want to pan fry it in a bit of olive oil.  Don’t be afraid to add in the fat because this pork Milanese is rather large and the bread crumbs tend to soak up the oil so be mindful that you are going to need quite a bit.  I also like to add in a bit of butter for flavor and for browning purposes.  Yup I too basted this recipe!  Once the pork is done cooking, which only takes about 4 minutes on each side because it’s so thin, you then want to remove it from the pan and let it dry up a bit.

Let’s move on to this kale salad recipe shall we?  What goes in this salad is completely up to you.  You could use red leaf lettuce, spring mix, romaine, frisee, I don’t care just pick a leafy green as the base.  I used a combination of baby arugula and baby kale, which is killer by the way.  I then proceeded to add in cucumbers, peas, radishes, and thinly shaven par-boiled and chilled asparagus.  Again simple ingredients but absolutely delicious.  I made a very easy vinaigrette whisking together fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil, that’s it.  I want this spring kale salad recipe to compliment the pork Milanese not over take it.  You can add in a little Dijon mustard or even some honey if you want to slightly alter the flavor of the salad but again that’s on you.  Season the salad with salt and pepper and then toss it around with the vinaigrette until all of the greens are lightly coated.  After that you simply want to serve it right on top and off to the side of the pork Milanese.  I garnished with a bit of micro-greens and fresh shaved parmesan cheese and I think you should too!!!  Happy Cooking!

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Pork Milanese with Spring Kale Salad Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: main
 
Try this classic and delicious Pork Milanese with Spring Kale Salad Recipe that is sure to wow your family and guests!
Ingredients
For the Pork:
  • 2 1-pound bone-in pork chops
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour, in a bowl
  • 3 whisked eggs, in a bowl
  • 2 cups of panko of bread crumbs, in a bowl
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Salad:
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups of packed baby arugula
  • 2 cups of packed baby kale
  • ½ thinly shaven cucumbers, no seeds
  • 2 thinly shaven radishes
  • ⅓ cup of cooked and chilled peas
  • 8 to 10 thinly shaven cooked and chilled asparagus
  • ¼ cup of micro greens
  • ¼ cup of shaven parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Pork: Using a mallet pound the pork until it is ¼” to ½” thick in between to pieces of plastic wrap. Season it well on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Coat the pork on both sides in the bowl of flour. Then submerge it in the whisked eggs make sure it gets completely coated. Then transfer it to the bread crumbs and press it down to make sure it is covered completely. Remove and set aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat or until it begins to lightly smoke. Add in the pork and the butter.
  4. Fry the pork for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through out. Set aside on a plate.
  5. Salad: In a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and then toss it with the arugula, kale, cucumbers, radishes, peas, asparagus, and salt and pepper and divide it between the two fried pork chops.
  6. Garnish with micro greens and parmesan.

 

Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast

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Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast

First off, drop a comment below in the comments section and tell me your favorite bbq dish to eat for a chance to win a $50 gift card!!

I’ve been having a ball the past 2 years whipping up delicious smoked goodies out on my smoker.  From smoked salmon, to chicken to pulled pork, I’ve been loving experimenting and of course eating all of it.  Something about being outside smoking food and then lighting up the grill to finish it off is just so therapeutic. The grill to me means spring, summer and fall, which in Chicago, means nice weather comes in spurts and is always welcome.  Whether it be grilling a delicious steak to making some amazing BBQ, I just want to be outside cooking over the flames.

If you’ve ever been to Texas and had the opportunity to eat BBQ, which I hope you have, you’ll notice that with every BBQ plate you order, you almost always get a side of Texas Toast.  Well in the spirit of loving Texas BBQ I plan on doing the same, except with New York Bakery®’s Garlic Texas Toast!  If you’ve never had the chance to eat country style ribs then I must say that you’ve been missing out.  Country style ribs come from either the blade cut or shoulder cut, but when those are left whole and smoked then you’ve got some delicious pulled pork.  Essentially, it’s that big pulled pork shoulder sliced down to what are called country style ribs.  There are a few ways to cook these delicious meaty ribs and you can do it in the oven, in a slow cooker, on the grill or smoked.  Since I love cooking I decided I wanted to smoke them and then char them up over the grill once finished.

Almost all BBQ starts with some form of seasoning or rub to further enhance the flavor.  As intricate as I can be with cooking techniques I usually like really simple flavors, and the same applies to rubs.  I used a simple combo of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.  You of course can get as creative as you’d like for the rub or even buy a pre-made one, but this one here is easy and always delicious.  Once you make the rub you want to generously rub them all over the country style ribs, literally over every square centimeter.  I like to let whatever I’m smoking to sit in the rub at room temperature for about an hour. This will allow the chill to come off of your meat and will let the smoke penetrate it much more quickly.  Now if you don’t have a smoker don’t worry.  Once your ribs are rubbed down, simply transfer them to a casserole dish, add in a little chicken stock, cover with foil and slow cook in the oven at 325° for about 3 hours.  However, if you do have access to a smoker, be a true BBQ’er and smoke these up!  Once the ribs are done smoking, or cooking in the oven, it’s time to baste them up and get to grilling.  I’m always interested in trying out new recipes so instead of the traditional red BBQ sauce I made a really tasty mustard baste BBQ sauce and whoa is it good.  It has a perfect blend of sweet, tangy and spicy and compliments the pork perfectly.  You can absolutely use one of your favorite BBQ sauces or make your own, it’s completely up to you.

When you put the ribs onto the grill to crisp up, this is also perfect timing to place the New York Bakery Texas Toast on the grill as well.  Grilling the toast just adds another layer of flavor onto the already delicious garlic taste of the Texas toast.  You get this wonderful smoky flavor that when married with the BBQ is a match made in heaven.  It’s perfect!  Serving up any BBQ with a side of this garlic Texas toast is an excellent way to boost up your recipe, not-too-mention when you just happen to place a big chunk of these smoked ribs on top and eat it.  To prepare the Texas toast all you do is take it straight from the freezer, unwrap it, and place it directly on the grill.  Be sure to stay away from the hottest spot on the grill as you don’t want the butter in toast to create any unwanted flames.  With that being said, you definitely want to brown these up and get some nice grill marks on them.  If you happen to have a second shelf on your grill just pop these up top until they are nice and toasty.

Talk about some amazing BBQ, these Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast will definitely hit the spot!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below in the comments section and tell me your favorite bbq dish to eat for a chance to win a $50 gift card!!

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast
Author: 
 
Turn up your grilling game this year with these Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast!
Ingredients
For the Rub:
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of dry oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 7 pounds of boneless country style pork ribs
For the Sauce:
  • 2 cups of yellow mustard
  • ¼ cup of grainy mustard
  • 1 cup of white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup of brown sugar
  • ½ cup of honey
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1 loaf of New York Bakery Garlic Texas Toast
Instructions
  1. Preheat the smoker to 225° or the oven to 325°.
  2. Combine all of the spices and herbs together in a small bowl and generously season the pork ribs on all sides with the rub. let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
  3. Next place the ribs on a smoker rack or directly on a grill and smoke for 3 hours, or until it reaches 200° internally. Alternately place the ribs in a casserole dish with 1 cup of chicken stock, cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
  4. While they are cooking combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a pot and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and keep warm.
  5. Once the ribs are done cooking baste them in the sauce, making sure to reserve some of the sauce for later, and grill them on the grill at 400° to 450° until grill marks are formed and a light char is on the outside.
  6. While the ribs are on the grill, remove the Texas toast from the freezer, unwrap and place directly on the grill and cook until lightly brown and toasted.
  7. Remove everything from the grill and serve alongside additional mustard BBQ sauce.

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of New York Bakery®. The opinions and text are all mine.



Three Different Homemade Pizza Recipes with No Knead Pizza Crust

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Three Different Homemade Pizza Recipes with No Knead Pizza Crust

People often ask me what my favorite food is and much to their surprise I always say, “pizza.”  I think because they know I’m a chef that I would be saying things like foie gras, or duck, or something a typical foodie would like.  I’m actually pretty simple and easy to please when it comes to eating food rather than cooking it.  I mean I touch, smell and look at food all day, and often times at the end of the day I don’t want what I just cooked.  I had this same issue while I was in the restaurant industry as well.  I had anything I wanted to make myself at my disposal any time of the day, but I really wanted was Del Taco on the way home after my shift.  I’m guessing that’s why I was 6 feet 2 inches and about a buck 35 soaking wet back then.  While I appreciate very much cooking fine dining cuisine I am a huge sucker for pizza.

I used to travel quite a bit and no matter where I went, whether small town or big city, I was always on the hunt for the best pizza around.  Believe it or not the best pizza I’ve ever had is still back in Columbia, Missouri where I went to school.  I know you are going to tell me I’m crazy and that some insane place in New York is the best or Pizzeria Bianco out in Phoenix is the best, but I’m telling you that to me the best pizza I’ve ever had is in the middle of nowhere Missouri.  So now that I’ve found the best pizza in the country I’m now trying to figure out how to make the best pizza right in my very own kitchen, and believe it’s not easy.  I’ve made quite a few pizza recipes on my site where you can see for yourself at this link, but I’m still not sure if I’m there yet.  With all that being said, this homemade pizza recipe with rye crust is DANG close to being one of the best I’ve had.

If you’ve ever worked with rye flour you’ll know that it’s dang near impossible to get it to rise when baking with it, so it’s important to only use a bit of it.  Because you will only use a few tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill Rye Flour, it’s important to cut it with an ap flour.  One of my favorite flours is Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour.  It’s ridiculously versatile and be used for just about all of your baking needs, not-too-mention it’s 100% organic!  I used 5 cups of ap flour to 5 tablespoons of rye flour.  Figure 1 tablespoon of rye for every 1 cup of ap flour when it comes to making a pizza crust.  You can absolutely add more rye flour in, but just know that it is going to take that much longer to rise.  When baking anything with rye flour you must give yourself time to allow the dough to rise, most likely overnight.  The best apart about this recipe is that you don’t have to work it, just simply mix until combined.

I’m trying to get out of the habit of using a ton of yeast in my baking because I often feel that it tastes too strong in some of the things I bake.  I’ve been using about a ¼ of what I normally use and allow for more time to let it rise instead of forcing it by using more yeast.  I only used about a ½ teaspoon in this homemade pizza recipe but I let the dough rise for 12 hours.  I know, I know that’s a long time but the crust was one of the best I’ve ever made or had.  It was so chewy and fluffy and flavorful that it was literally the hero of the pizza instead of the toppings.  Like I said earlier I know I’m close to making the best pizza I’ve ever had but I think it will still take a bit more testing and tuning to get it right, but at least I’ve got somewhere to start that has a solid base.

Toppings to pizza are always up to the baker and what they feel like making.  Like I said I make a ton of pizzas every year at home and it’s always fun to change things up.  I went with a traditional pepperoni, a spicy pepper jack and bacon, and then a simple margherita.  One of the things that I also changed up this time around was the sauce.  Instead of using a ton of tomato paste in a smooth sauce I decided to keep it chunky with no liquid and let it cook down a bit and man was it so good.  I often try to complicate things by putting in more ingredients and almost always realized I can keep it simple while being even more delicious.  Well if you’ve got the time, then I’ve got the pizza recipe starting with these Three Different Homemade Pizza Recipes with Rye Crust!  Happy Cooking!

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Three Different Homemade Pizza Recipes with No Knead Pizza Crust
Author: 
Recipe type: main
 
Learn how easy it is to make these Three Different Homemade Pizza Recipes with No Knead Pizza Crust that are sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
  • 5 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour
  • 5 tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Dark Rye Flour
  • ½ teaspoon of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups of warm water
For the Toppings:
  • 2 15-ounce cans of drained diced tomatoes
  • 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 balls of thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 2 thinly sliced tomatoes
  • 5 thinly sliced assorted color cherry tomatoes
  • 3 strips of crisp cooked bacon
  • 7 large pepporoni slices
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat a pizza stone in the oven to 500°.
  2. Sauce: Combine the tomatoes, garlic and basil leaves to medium size pot and cook over medium heat for 60-90 minutes or until it cooks down but still remains chunky. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Dough: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Don’t knead. Cover with a towel and let stand until it has doubled in size, about 8-20 hours.
  4. Once the dough has risen divide it into 3 balls and let it rise for 1 hour.
  5. Roll out each dough ball using your hands to stretch it and form an outside until it’s about 12” inches wide.
  6. Add on sauce and desired toppings and bake in the oven at 500° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Slice and serve hot.

 

Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin

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Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin

I’m not going to lie, this Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin has been 6 years in the making.  Once upon a time not too long ago I was potentially pursuing opening up a restaurant in Chicago that served breakfast and lunch with a full spread of fresh baked breads and pastries every morning.  Well that quickly came to a halt when I staged at my friend’s restaurant for 1 day reminding me just how grueling the restaurant industry is.  Even though my breakfast/lunch spot never came to life I still had created a menu of what I would have likely made.  My Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin is sort of a rendition of the one I had on the menu which was more geared towards summer with stacks of heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs.  Well it’s winter and I was able to keep the whole wheat English muffin and the tomatoes.  Yes, I know they aren’t in peak season, but wait until you see what I did with them :-).

This was my first time in over 17 years that I had made homemade English muffins, and guess what they’re whole lot easier than you might have thought.  Just like any leavened bread it starts by feeding the yeast in some warm milk and sugar.  I like to get my milk to 120° before adding it to that cold metal mixing bowl which always immediately drops to those optimal temps of 110° to 115°.  Once a foamy raft of yeast is formed on the top of the milk you simply pour in the melted butter, yogurt and salt and mix until smooth.  For the flours I used a combo of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour.  It’s literally the perfect 1-2 combo when used to make bread.  They are loaded with protein and honestly are the only choices for me when it comes to making bread.  I always find that my baked good are tender and moist when I’m using Bob’s Red Mill flours.  Lately I’ve been sifting my flours no matter what type of baking I’m doing.   I mean after all why would incorporating air and removing any flour lumps be bad for something?!  It wouldn’t, plus my daughter likes to do it J.  Pour the flours into the liquid and mix just until smooth and cover and sit for 1 to 2 hours or until it’s doubled in size.

To make the Whole Wheat English muffins you’re going to need a sauté pan or griddle to get them toasty brown before adding them to the oven.  I have a griddle so it was easiest for me to just use that.  You simply scoop out a bit of dough, about 1/3 cup and then you place it right in the pan or on the griddle and push it down with the back end of the scoop so that it’s about 3 ½” to 4” in diameter.  Just a little note, don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly circular or about the bottoms being perfectly flat like the ones you see in the store.  You don’t have a machine that will plop these out making them the perfect size and perfectly flat.  Once they are lightly browned transfer them to an oven on a sheet tray that is dusted with cornmeal.  Simple as that, and honestly you can chill the dough after it rises and make them the next morning for breakfast.  You’re welcome :-).

Now for all of the other craziness that makes up this Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin.  Bear with me because there’s a lot going on this recipe but my promise to you that the final product is mind blowing.  I served it to 7 people and they were absolutely blown away!  On top of the homemade whole wheat English muffin are sweet potato hash browns, Canadian bacon, sautéed kale, oven roasted tomatoes, sliced avocado and soft boiled egg.

The sauces are a homemade chimichurri, hollandaise and a mild harissa crema which is then topped off with shredded Mexican quesadilla cheese.  Yes, I know I get it, that’s a lot so feel free to pick and choose what you want to add in to your eggs benedict.  Remember though I was going to serve this up in my restaurant so of course I wanted to deliver a WOW to my guests.  If you have any questions whatsoever feel free to reach out on any of my social media channels and ask away.  Once you see the ingredients for this Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin below I think you’ll be shocked at how easy some of the things are to make.


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Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
 
If you want to wow your guests for breakfast then look no further than this Ultimate Eggs Benedict Recipe with Whole Wheat English Muffin.
Ingredients
For the English Muffins:
  • 2 packets of active dry yeast
  • 1 ¼ tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups of whole milk at 110° to 115°
  • 10 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 1 ¼ cup of Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 ½ cups of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour
  • 2 ½ cups of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour
For the Toppings:
  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 2 shredded sweet potatoes
  • 12 slices of warmed Canadian bacon
  • 1 tomato confit recipe from my BLT
  • 1 head of trimmed kale
  • 2 peeled, cored and thinly sliced avocados
  • 12 soft boiled eggs
  • 3 cups of shredded Mexican quesadilla cheese
For the Sauces:
  • 1 chimichurri recipe from my tacos recipe
  • 1 cup of Mexican crema
  • 2 tablespoons of mild harissa
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons of chardonnay
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 8 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. English Muffins: Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Whisk together the yeast, sugar and milk in a standing mixer bowl and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes or until it becomes very foamy.
  3. Whisk in the butter, yogurt and salt until combined and then attach it to the standing mixer with the hook attachment on low speed and slowly add in both flours until just combined.
  4. Cover with a towel and let sit for 1 to 2 hours or until it’s doubled in size.
  5. Scoop a ⅓ cup of the dough and sear it in a saute pan with a small amount of butter over medium heat just until it’s lightly brown and then flip it over and brown the other side. Repeat the process 12 more times.
  6. Transfer the muffins to a sheet tray dusted with cornmeal and cook for 10 minutes. Let sit before slicing and serving.
  7. Sweet Potatoes: add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat cook the shredded sweet potatoes to make hash browns, about 10 to 12 minutes or until browned and cooked. Season with salt and pepper and keep Warm.
  8. Kale: Add the 1 tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan over medium-high heat and saute the kale until lightly cooked but not wilted. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
  9. Harissa Cream: In a medium size bowl whisk together the Mexican crema, harissa and salt and pepper. Chill before serving.
  10. Hollandaise: In a metal bowl over low heat whisk the egg yolks, white wine and lemon juice until it becomes frothy and thick. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle in the melted butter while continuing to whisk. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
  11. To Serve: Layer as followed: English muffin, sweet potato hash browns, Canadian bacon, kale, oven roasted tomatoes, avocado, soft boiled egg, chimichurri sauce, Harissa crema, hollandaise and shredded cheese

 

Braised Pork and Fontina Stuffed Ravioli with Sauce Pomodoro

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Braised Pork and Fontina Stuffed Ravioli with Sauce Pomodoro

Hands down the very first thing I miss as we enter the colder Fall and Winter months is fresh tomatoes.  Whether I grow them in my backyard or pick them up at the local produce market they seem to be on my every dish in the summer time.  Now that it’s cold that’s changed a bit, but possibly for the better?

Let me introduce you to Mutti tomatoes, which are straight out of Parma Italy.  They use a unique combination of Rotondo Di Parma, Plum, Cherry, Baby Roma and San Marzano tomatoes to literally bring the freshest tasting tomatoes I’ve ever tasted out of a can.  No Joking!  The second you open the top of the can the loveliest ripe tomato aromatic fills the air and wow is it glorious.  My parents grow some mean tomatoes all summer, with some incredibly nutrient rich soil, and then cans them up for winter.  No offense to my mom and pops, but I’d put these up against theirs any day.

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With delicious tomatoes comes an even more amazing Sauce Pomodoro.  No matter what you are cooking or creating, if you don’t start with quality products you aren’t going to have a good end result.  Don’t let these Mutti tomatoes from a can fool you, they offer up the most amazing fresh tomato flavor without compromising quality since the tomatoes are picked at their peak freshness.  Also let’s be honest the Italians know what’s up when it comes to growing tomatoes, see my last name :-).

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Sauce Pomodoro is probably the most basic of tomato sauces, but wow is it good when paired up with these homemade braid pork and fontina stuffed raviolis that I made.  It all starts with prepping up the garlic and onions.  If you are a movie buff then you’ve most certainly seen Good Fellas.  Well, remember when they’re in prison and they are making tomato sauce and Henry Hill, Ray Liotta’s character, talks about how you slice the garlic super thin with a razor so that it liquefies when it hits the hot oil?  Well I wasn’t in prison when I sliced up the garlic but I did manage to get’em pretty dang thin.  Also no offense to Ray Liotta’s food knowledge but garlic would never liquefy, sorry please don’t shoot me!  Once you lightly caramelize the garlic and onions you add in the Mutti Finely Diced Tomatoes along with some crushed red pepper flakes and a bay leaf, and let it stew over low heat for about 2 hours.

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I totally went into this recipe thinking I needed to add tomato paste to help add some body to my sauce Pomodoro, but after slow cooking the tomatoes for a few hours it naturally thickened up and that already delicious tomato flavor got even tastier.  I finished up the sauce by pureeing it with a hand mixer and stirring in some balsamic vinegar, fresh grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.  If you want, you can definitely add in some fresh basil.  Up to you.

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Now that you’ve got an amazing sauce it’s time to make the raviolis.  I am literally the luckiest man on earth because I just had to braise a pork shoulder roast with vegetables.  So needless-to-say I already had an amazing filling to add in to my raviolis.  To be honest you could stuff it with whatever you want.  It could be Italian sausage, cheese, mushrooms, a combo of all three, literally the possibilities are endless.  If you are like me and just happen to have a braised pork lying around, be sure to use it :-).

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The ravioli pasta recipe is incredibly easy to make, even by hand.  Honestly I rather prefer making and rolling out my own pasta; It’s become therapeutic to me.  If you need a great recipe, then check out my Homemade Fettucini Pasta with Ragu all Bolognese.  Quickly though, it’s simply a cup each of semolina flour and ap-flour mixed together with 3 eggs.  Told you making pasta was easier than you might have thought.

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Once you’ve got your pasta dough rolled out simply stuff them up with some of your ingredients and top off with some more dough and cut.  You can use a hand cutter or one of those handy ravioli cutter maker things that you see in the picture.  Either way, you get the same results.  Boil the raviolis up until they float and serve them alongside the most delicious sauce Pomodoro and some fresh basil and oregano.  Now this is how you make an Italian dinner!

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Be sure to follow my good friends over at Mutti Tomatoes at their social links below.

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Braised Pork and Fontina Stuffed Ravioli with Sauce Pomodoro
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
 
Turn your weekend meal into an elegant evening with this Braised Pork and Fontina Stuffed Ravioli with Sauce Pomodoro Recipe.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 thinly shaved garlic cloves
  • ½ finely minced yellow onion
  • 2 15-ounce cans of Mutti Finely Diced Tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Pasta:
Instructions
  1. In a medium size sauce pot over medium heat add in the olive oil and lightly caramelize the garlic and onions, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Next, add in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and stew over low simmering heat for 2 hours.
  3. Puree the sauce using a hand mixer and finish with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Keep warm.
  4. Once your pasta dough is rolled out stuff up with filling, top off with dough and cut to make raviolis. Be sure to wet the dough with water in the exact spot of where the other dough will be laying on top so that they will firmly stick together. The dough will make 36 raviolis.
  5. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it. Add in the raviolis and cook them until they float, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Serve the raviolis with the sauce Pomodoro and top off with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mutti. The opinions and text are all mine.

Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe

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Are you an early tailgater?  Try this tempting Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe that is loaded with tomatoes, jalapeños, cheese and green onions!

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First you have to par-cook the bacon for a few minutes so that it molds to the inside of a muffin tin.  Be sure to spray with PAM No-Stick Cooking Spray to!

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They bake really quickly will definitely be the talk of your tailgate.

Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe

I like serving this Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe in baskets so you can walk around and serve them up to guests.

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Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe
Author: 
 
Wow your guests for breakfast with this tempting Southwest Bacon and Egg Cups Recipe that is topped of with cheese and chives.
Ingredients
  • 12 strips of uncooked bacon cut in half
  • 9 large eggs
  • ½ cup of whole milk
  • 1 10-ounce can of RO*TEL, drained
  • 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Spray the inside of a muffin tin with PAM No-Stick Cooking Spray. Next mold 2 half slices of bacon the outside of a muffin cup to form an outside ring.
  3. Next, in a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk until completely combined and fold in the RO*TEL, cheese, salt and pepper and evenly pour into the 12 bacon lined muffin cups.
  4. Bake in the oven at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top of the eggs are brown and the bacon is cooked throughout.
  5. Serve hot and garnish with chopped chives.

 

BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe

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Take everything that is delicious about a BLT sandwich and mix into a dip to make this BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe.  It is seriously the most amazing thing ever, especially after it’s been cooked on the grill outside.

BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe

I love serving this BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe with an assortment of dippers including crackers and carrot and celery sticks.

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After you stuff up the bread with the dip you wrap it up in heavy duty foil and cook on the grill for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is nice and gooey!

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Give this BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe a try at your next backyard tailgate.

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BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: appetizer
 
Combine everything that is delicious in BLT sandwich into a dip in this BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl Recipe!
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds of softened cream cheese
  • 1 pound of chopped crisp cooked bacon
  • 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 15 ounce can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes, drained
  • ½ cup of sliced green onions
  • ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground pepper
  • large round loaf of bread
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
  2. In a large bowl fold together the softened cream cheese, chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green onions, salt and pepper until combined.
  3. Next carve out the center of the loaf of bread so that it is hallow.
  4. Add the cream cheese mixture to the inside of the bread bowl until it is completely full. It’s ok to over-stuff.
  5. Wrap the bread bowl in heavy duty foil and place directly on a hot grill and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the BLT dip is hot.
  6. Serve the BLT Dip Stuffed Bread Bowl with remaining bread from the inside that was removed, carrot sticks, celery sticks and assorted crackers.

 

Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe

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Are you looking to spice some things up at your next tailgate, then this Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe is exactly what needs to happen.  It’s easy to make and literally bursting with flavor.

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You simply start by making a 4 ingredient chorizo queso and chilling it so in congeals a bit.  The next thing you do is roll out individual crescent rolls and stuff’em up.  After you’ve molded each of them place them in a bundt pan that is sprayed with PAM No-Stick Cooking Spray.  From there bake them away!

Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe

This Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe should be golden brown and top and cooked throughout.

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Note that it can take up to an hour to bake because the rolls are so tightly packed in there.

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Lots of cheesy deliciousness in this Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe!

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Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Get fancy at your next tailgate with this mouthwatering delicious Pull Apart Bread with Chorizo Queso Recipe.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of loose chorizo sausage
  • 1 pound of pasteurized prepared cheese product cut into 1” chunks
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese cut into 1” chunks
  • 10 ounce can of Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
  • 3 packages of crescent rolls totally 24 crescent rolls
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. For the Queso: In a small pot on medium heat add in the chorizo and cook until all of the pink is gone, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Next, add in the cheeses and Ro*Tel® and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cool.
  4. Next, roll out the crescent rolls and add 2 to 3 teaspoons to the center of each and fold up the edges to make a ball. Repeat until they are all stuffed.
  5. Spray the inside of a Bundt pan with PAM No-Stick Cooking spray and in all of the stuffed crescent roll balls until it is completely full.
  6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then wrap it in foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
  7. Serve hot!

 

Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts

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Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts

One of my favorite things to do as a chef is to feel inspired and to create, and I felt it all in this Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts.  If I owned a restaurant, and I still may one day, this will certainly be on the menu in some capacity.  Talk about delicious flavor combinations!!  From the hash browns to the turmeric mashed chickpeas to the whipped ricotta and poached eggs, DANG is this such a tasty treat.  I’d be happy as a clam if I woke up to this beaut every morning I can tell you that.

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There are obviously quite a few things going on in this dish, but I promise each one is so ridiculously easy to do that even the basic home cook can pull this off no problem!  Also another note would be that if you want to remove some of the things like the chickpeas or chili oil, no problem you just do you and get rid of anything in this recipe that you may not like.  If you keep it all, you will be blown away at the flavor combo.

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I struggled to figure out what would be the base to this Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts.  Would it be hash browns?  Would it be pita?  So I decided to go with hash browns and to make the pita an accompaniment to it so you can rip a piece off and dip it into this Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts.  I was fortunate enough to go to a local organic farm and the lady was so nice to give us these gorgeous fresh organic eggs that let me tell you did not disappoint.   They were so creamy I could have put 10 away no problem.

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For the hash browns I simply grate some fresh Yukon potatoes, peelings on, and fried them up on my griddle.  I know most folks probably won’t have a built in griddle on their stove but a griddle pan or a frying pan will work just the same.  Cook them in a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to squeeze as much moisture out of them as possible before cooking.  You’ll thank me later :-).

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I knew before making this dish that I would have avocado in it, but I wanted a bit more green in the dish so I went with prosciutto wrapped and roasted asparagus.  Bacon and eggs, get it :-).  They had some pretty thin asparagus stalks so I wrapped prosciutto around 5 of them and they roasted up in only 10 minutes!

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Now it’s time to mash up the chickpeas and make the chili oil.  I know both sound crazy and even look crazy using the mortar and pestle, but I promise you it’s nothing.  YOU GOT THIS!!  If you wanted to cheat, throw it all in a blender.  For the whipped ricotta, be sure to use whole milk ricotta and whip it with a whisk in a bowl or on high speed with the whisk attachment in a standing mixer with some lemon zest and a tad bit of honey!

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Lastly to finish off this dish, simply toast up some Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Seed Hearts.  They are beautiful, versatile and have the most delicious nutty flavor to them, especially after toasting them up.  They are loaded with protein and the perfect ingredients to add to oatmeal, shakes, you name it!!  To toast, simply put them in a sauté pan and cook them over low heat while stirring until they begin to turn a light brown.

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Now, poach your eggs and put it all together!  I layered it everything up, but you can certainly put everything side by side.  Don’t forget to follow my good friends over at Bob’s Red Mill at their social links below:

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4.0 from 2 reviews
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Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
 
Start off your morning with the most amazing Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Toasted Hemp Hearts that is loaded with flavor and nutrients.
Ingredients
  • 14 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 pounds of shredded Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 bunch of trimmed asparagus
  • 10 slices of prosciutto ham
  • 2 15-ounce cans of strained chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 16 ounces of whole milk ricotta
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup of Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Seed Hearts, toasted
  • Garnish with fresh dill leaves, sliced avocado and Kalamata olives
  • 8 poached eggs
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large sauté pan or griddle on high heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil sear the potatoes until golden brown and cooked through out. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
  2. Next, divide the asparagus into 10 stacks and wrap each of them in prosciutto ham. Coat them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and roast them in the oven at 400° for 120 to 12 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
  3. Using a large mortar and pestle mash the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, turmeric, salt and pepper until smooth and slightly chunky. Set aside.
  4. Using a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the ricotta, lemon zest, honey and salt and pepper on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Keep cool.
  5. Using a small mortar and pestle mash the paprika, red pepper flakes and 6 tablespoons of olive oil until it is bright red. Set aside.
  6. To plate: Layer with hash browns, mashed turmeric chickpeas, whipped ricotta, chili oil and poached eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Serve alongside roasted prosciutto asparagus bundles, sliced avocado, Kalamata olives and fresh dill leaves. Sprinkle the toasted hemp hearts over top.

 

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

1 · · 4 Comments

 

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I am one of those people who like to graze all day long on backyard BBQ get together type food, like this Summer Pasta Salad Recipe.  Whether it’s bone suckin’ ribs, potato salad or just watermelon, this is comfort food at its finest!  Another huge benefit is the ease of making these delicious dishes!  Outside of smoking BBQ ribs, pork, brisket or chicken these foods should be ready in no time.

Pasta salads are incredibly given the seasonality of the fresh produce you want to throw in there.  For example, pasta salads can change a bit during those cooler months to include things like carrots, fennel or even roasted parsnips.  For me there is no better time than the summer to whip up pasta salads.

I’m Italian so pasta salad is a bit nostalgic for me growing up with a million varieties of it from each aunt and all 40 first cousins on my dad’s side.  After all this time though I think I’ve found my favorite, which is this Summer Pasta Salad Recipe.  Start off this recipe by roasting up some fresh in season zucchini, squash and assorted colored cherry tomatoes just to add a bit more flavor to them and for the pasta salad.

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

While they’re roasting this is perfect time to cook the pasta.  I am obsessed with our pot filler faucet from Franke.  it’s gorgeous sitting overtop my cooking range and it literally is a life safer on your back and legs by not having to carry extremely heavy water filled pots and pans to the sink.  Once the pasta and roasted veggies are done immediately chill them in the refrigerator., because after all this is cold pasta salad J.  You can help cool the pasta by hosing it down with some cold water, which my Franke faucet helps with tremendously with the easy moving sprayer.

Next on the list in the vinaigrette.  I’m a bit of a purist here so balsamic vinaigrette is always my first choice, and to help change it up just a bit I used white balsamic vinegar which is a bit sweeter of the traditional black version.

At the end, add it to a bowl with some cheese and toss together for a full flavored ridiculously delicious Summer Pasta Salad Recipe!  Enjoy!

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: side dish
 
Be the talk of the party with this amazingly delicious and easy to make Summer Pasta Salad Recipe!
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad:
  • 1 sliced green zucchini
  • 1 sliced yellow squash
  • 1 pint of assorted colored cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 pound of Cavatelli pasta
  • 4 ounces each julienne genoa salami, mortadella, capicola ham
  • ½ cup of sliced pepperoncinis
  • ½ cup of sliced black olives
  • ½ cup of julienne sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of bocconcini
  • sliced chives for garnish
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Vinaigrette:
  • 1 small diced shallot
  • ¼ cup of white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of chiffonade fresh basil
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Coat the zucchini, squash and cherry tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper on 500° for 12 minutes. Cool immediately in the refrigerator.
  2. Boil the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente or slightly crunchy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Strain and cool immediately in the refrigerator.
  3. For the Vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients until combined and set aside.
  4. To Make: Combine all total ingredients in a large bowl until completely mixed together and garnish with sliced chives.

 

Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe

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If you’re family is anything like ours then you most likely have about 9 million slices of ham leftover from Easter.  Don’t get me wrong this isn’t a bad thing, but there is only so much ham & bean soup and ham sandwiches with mayonnaise that one person can take.  So if you are looking to use up all that delicious ham in the tastiest way possible then this Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe is exactly what should be on your menu.  It’s not only a great way to use up ham, it’s also a fantastic post Easter brunch recipe that will leave your family and guests begging for more, literally!

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The Kentucky Hot Brown is a staple food at the Kentucky Derby every year, and while there are different variations out there, I think mine takes the cake.  I add a few more ingredients and procedures to the traditional to help spruce it up a bit to give it a little more flavor.  It all starts with the tasty cheese sauce that you pour all over the top of the sandwich at the end.  First make a roux, which consists of equal weights butter and flour.  A roux is used to thicken sauces, so when I make a roux I usually make a little more than I’m supposed to because it refrigerates well and can always be used down the road a few weeks.

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A significant element to the flavor of the sauce is the cheese, this is where you get creative.  Traditionally A Kentucky Hot Brown Recipe uses Parmesan, but I feel like I eat Parmesan like 5 nights a week because I’m Italian.  If you want to you Parmesan too, fine, but I chose to use a combo of Crystal Farms shredded mozzarella and cheddar.  They have the texture and taste of being shredded right off the block, which to me screams quality.  I also appreciate the bigger shreds of cheese because it holds up better under the broiler and is less likely to burn.  Similar to the roux I usually make a little extra of this sauce because it goes amazing on vegetables, which my family also loves.

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Because we are right before getting into season for tomatoes I feel it wise to help concentrate the flavor in fresh tomatoes by slow oven roasting them to ensure they are loaded with flavor.  Simply line up some quartered Roma tomatoes skin side down on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper, drizzle on a little olive oil and throw them in the oven on 275° and forget about’em for 3 hours.  This process is also known as tomato confit and honestly you should to them with peak season tomatoes as well if you love intense flavors.

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To further change this recipe up I am using up all that leftover Easter ham along with a fried egg on top.  Seriously whenever in doubt on what to finish off a dish with, add on either bacon or an egg because as I always say fat equals flavor.  I’m telling you once you get to the center of this Kentucky Hot Brown and the yolk breaks and oozes out all that deliciousness all over the sandwich, you will know exactly why I added it on there.

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To finish it off, toast up some Texas Toast, or perhaps another favorite bread, and then add on some sliced turkey, some leftover ham slices, crispy bacon, fried egg, a few tomato confit and a few tablespoons of the cheese sauce, followed up by sprinkling on a bit more cheese.  Bake it under the broiler until the cheese begins to turn lightly brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes on low.  Do not waste any time, eat it immediately!

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This sandwich is incredibly rich so I caution not to make too many because most likely everyone will only be able to eat just one.

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The last thing I’ll say about this recipe is feel free to get creative.  If you want to add on some roasted vegetables so be it, if you want to use fresh in stead of roasted tomatoes fine, you are only limited by your own creativity, so have fun doing it!

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Be sure to check out all of Crystal Farms cheeses on their website at CrystalFarmsCheese.com and on all of their social channels below.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch
 
Leftover ham from the holidays? No Problem, make this amazingly delicious Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe!
Ingredients
  • 6 Roma tomatoes cut into quarters
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons of flour
  • 3 cups of whole milk
  • 2 cups of Crystal Farms Shredded Mozzarella
  • 2 cups of Crystal Farms Shredded Cheddar
  • pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 8 slices of toasted Texas toast
  • 1 pound of leftover sliced spiral ham
  • 1 pound of sliced turkey
  • 16 slices of cooked crisp bacon
  • 8 fried eggs
  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
  2. Place the tomatoes skin side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzle on olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 3 hours.
  3. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until combined to form a roux.
  4. Reserve ½ of the roux in the refrigerator.
  5. Whisk the milk into the leftover roux in the pot and bring to a boil to thicken, think alfredo sauce. Turn the heat to low to keep warm.
  6. Next, whisk in 1 ½ cups each of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar until completely combined.
  7. Finish the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and keep warm.
  8. Turn the broiler on to low heat.
  9. Place the slices of toasted Texas toast on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and evenly layer on the ham, turkey, crispy bacon, fried egg, oven roasted tomatoes and a few tablespoons of cheese sauce, followed up by adding on some of the leftover shredded cheeses.
  10. Broil on low for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese turns light brown.
  11. Serve hot!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Crystal Farms. The opinions and text are all mine.

Poutine Recipe with Sausage and Pepper Jack Cheese

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It’s pretty much a given that every weekend I’m watching football and with this Poutine Recipe with Sausage and Pepper Jack Cheese it’s even better.  In fact, I even get sad after the opening weekend because that means I’m one week closer to the season being over, ridiculous, I know… But never-the-less the greatest weekend in all of sports is upon us which means it’s time to pull out the big guns in the food department.

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I’m a huge fan of cooking with sausage and not just because I’m Italian.  There are so many delicious sausages out there, and Johnsonville® always brings it in the flavor department so I’m going to make an insanely tasty poutine for my #SausageBowl Party!  Think of a spicy biscuits and gravy sauce meets French fries, pico de gallo and olives for the ultimate appetizer.  Sure there are tons of traditional appetizers out there, but we’re hosting this year and I’m trying to impress everyone who’s coming over with something a little different up my culinary sleeve.

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Like I said earlier I’m going to make a spicy sausage gravy using Johnsonville® sausage patties.  Start by browning off the sausage in a large sauté pan on high heat with just a hunt of butter to help get it going.  From there add a little flour to make a roux, add some whole milk and whisk in some fresh shredded pepper jack cheese.  This is going to help give it a nice spice, and with the tasty Johnsonville® breakfast sausage this is going to be the perfect sauce to go over top over crispy fries.  If you have a deep fryer I recommend deep frying the fries, but if that’s a no go then simply slice’em up, coat them in oil, place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roasted them up in the oven on 450° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.

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To be honest the sauce is fantastic and I had plenty leftover which means I can actually serve it up with some biscuits tomorrow for breakfast.  Nothing like scoring twice before the game even starts!  I topped off the crispy fries and spicy pepper jack sausage gravy with homemade pico de gallo, olives, sliced green onions, little pepper jack cheese chunks and few cilantro leaves.  I know what you’re thinking that this is going to be spicy with the jalapeños in the pico but don’t worry it’s perfectly balanced for your little taste buds.  If you’d like a little more heat I suggest you add on a few chunks from the pepper jack cheese block you picked up and add it to the top, kind of like cheese curds.

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There is really only one way to serve this and that’s on a gigantic sheet pan so people can pick and choose how much they want.  It can be a little messy if you do it this way and if you have to you can do a poutine bar with everything hashed out in little ramekins for people to finger through and decided how much of the toppings they want.  For me, I prefer the sheet pan, it looks cooler :-).

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To make some variations on this you can serve it all over some tortilla chips for some tasty nachos, or if you’re ready for this and are an early tailgater or bruncher, pour the spicy sausage gravy over some hash browns, top it off with a fried egg and then finish it with the pico de gallo, sliced green onions and olives.  I know I know it sounds good, but don’t be fooled because this poutine is incredible and you and your guests will love every bite they eat, promise!

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Poutine Recipe with Sausage and Pepper Jack Cheese
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Check out this ultimate appetizer for Poutine Recipe with Sausage and Pepper Jack Cheese.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
  • 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
  • 1 12 ounce package of Johnsonville® original recipe sausage patties
  • 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 1 pound of shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the poutine:
  • 5 sliced large russet potatoes and deep fried to desired crispiness/doneness
  • 3 small diced roma tomatoes
  • ½ small diced red onion
  • 1 seeded and small diced jalapeño
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Garnishes:
  • sliced black olives
  • sliced green onions
  • cilantro leaves
  • small chunks of pepper jack cheese
Instructions
  1. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a large suate pan over high heat and add in the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through out. Bread up the sausage into small chunks using a spoon.
  2. Next, sprinkle on some flour and mix it in to the sausage until it is incorporated.
  3. Pour in the milk and turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it gets thick, think alfredo sauce.
  4. Whisk in the pepper jack cheese until its completely combined, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
  5. For the pico de gallo: Combine the tomatoes, red onions, jalapeño, lime juice, chopped cilantro leaves, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix.
  6. To make the poutine: Place the cooked fries on a sheet pan and pour on some of the spicy sausage gravy. Top off with several tablespoons of the pico de gallo, sliced black olives, sliced green onions, cilantro leaves and small chunks of pepper jack. Serve warm!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.

Pork Saltimbocca Recipe

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I used to work in this restaurant where we made veal saltimbocca so feeling a little nostalgic and a little more in love with pig these days, I whipped up this Pork Saltimbocca Recipe!

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It all starts with the pork of course, so get’em cut thick!

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Once they are all seasoned up go get out that big ol’ cast iron skillet, spray it up with PAM Original No-Stick Spray and sear’em until they are a perfect golden brown.

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Next place on a few fresh sage leaves followed up with some prosciutto ham slices and fresh sliced buffalo mozzarella.  From there, they’re going in the oven at 400° for a little over 20 minutes.

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While the pork is in the oven I made a really simple candied bacon glaze, that I actually learned while in culinary school some 17 years ago.. Dang I’m gettin old :-/

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Glaze up the melty pork chops and you’ve got one tasty meal!

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Here’s a real up close one for ya!

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Pork Saltimbocca Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
 
Twist up a classic with this Pork Saltimbocca Recipe that is loaded with fresh sage, prosciutto ham and buffalo mozzarella!
Ingredients
For the Pork:
  • PAM® non-stick cooking spray
  • 3 double thick cut pork chops
  • 9 large fresh sage leaves
  • 3 sliced of prosciutto ham cut in half
  • 6 slices of provolone cheese
  • 6 thick slices of buffalo mozzarella
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Glaze:
  • 6 chopped slices of bacon
  • 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
  • ½ cup of simple syrup – ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of sugar boiled together
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° and season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Spray a large cast iron skillet with PAM® Non-Stick Cooking Spray and place it on high heat.
  3. Sear the pork chops until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  4. Next, evenly layer on the sage, prosciutto ham, provolone slices and buffalo mozzarella to each pork chop and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and lightly browned.
  5. In a separate medium size saute pan over high heat cook the chopped bacon until it is very crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  6. Next, add in the sherry vinegar and cook until it is almost gone and then add in the simple syrup and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Serve the pork chops with the sweet bacon glaze.

 

Queso Stuffed Homemade Pretzel Recipe

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So now you get the best of both worlds in this Queso Stuffed Homemade Pretzel Recipe!  I mean seriously this may be one of the most amazing things I’ve made!

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Simply start by making a queso dip with Original ROTEL and then with pasteurized prepared cheese product and for a kick I added in some chorizo sausage, you’re welcome :-).

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And then for the homemade pretzels.  believe it or not it’s incredibly easy to make.  Just a simple yeast dough really.

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After resting the dough, form little balls and then press them down, followed up by stuffing them up with some chilled queso dip!

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Ready for the baking soda bath or simply to the oven, you decide!

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You can definitely garnish the pretzels with salt, but there is a lot of seasoned flavor in the queso so I decided not to salt all of them!

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Here’s a shot at all that ooey gooey goodeness!

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Another one stacked up.

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Perfect few bite size!

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Queso Stuffed Homemade Pretzel Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
 
Up your game with this amazing Queso Stuffed Homemade Pretzel Recipe that is packed with flavor!
Ingredients
For the Queso:
  • 1 pound of loose chorizo sausage
  • 1 pound of pasteurized prepared cheese product cut into 1” chunks
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese cut into 1” chunks
  • 10 ounce can of Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
For the Pretzels:
  • 2 cups of warm water (110° to 115°)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt + more for seasoning
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of dry active yeast
  • ½ cup of melted unsalted butter
  • 6 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 egg yolks whisked with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash
  • Kosher Salt
Instructions
  1. For the Pretzels: Preheat the oven to 450°.
  2. For the Queso: In a small pot on medium heat add in the chorizo and cook until all of the pink is gone, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Next, add in the cheeses and Ro*Tel® and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted. Immediately cool in the refrigerator.
  4. In a standing mixer bowl add in the water, sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt and sprinkle on the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes or until it begins to foam.
  5. Place on the hook attachment and pour in the butter and flour and knead the dough on high until it begins to pull away from the bowl, about 5 minutes.
  6. Pour the vegetable oil into a bowl and place in the dough. Cover in plastic wrap and keep in a dry warm place for an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
  7. Before it is time to form the dough, bring 1 cup of baking soda and 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot.
  8. To form the dough, take a small piece and roll it into a bowl and then press it down with the palm of your hand on a cutting board to flatten it out.
  9. Take a teaspoon of the chilled queso dip and put it in the center of the dough and wrap the dough from the outside in completely enclosing the queso dip and set aside. Repeat the process until the dough is gone.
  10. Turn down the boiling water to a simmer and cook each pretzel dough 1 at a time for 30 seconds each and then place back on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  11. Once all of the pretzels have been cooked in the baking soda solution, brush the tops with the egg wash and season heavily with Kosher salt.
  12. Bake in the oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm!

 

 

Homemade Fettuccini Pasta with Ragu alla Bolognese

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There is nothing, I mean nothing like homemade pasta.  Sauce just sticks to them better, they are more tender, more flavorful and just DANG ARE THEY GOOD!  I’m sure to some folks it can be really intimidating to make homemade pasta dough, but I promise it really isn’t that bad.  Heck you can even use a Kitchenaid® to roll out the dough for you.  However, I much prefer rolling it out by hand because that way I can gauge when it’s done by the feel of it.  I also think by doing it by hand you get the full feel of really how to traditionally make pasta, like they do in Italy.  I think it ignites more of a passion for what you are doing, but I’m weird!

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For the dough of the pasta, I used a blend of sifted Bob’s Red Mill® All-Purpose Flour and Semolina Flour.  It’s the perfect combination and really makes the noodles so tender and so good.  Simply said USE THIS BLEND :-).

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To make the dough simply sift both flours onto a clean surface and make a well.  Next, crack your eggs in the well and mix them with a fork until they are beaten.  From there start combining the eggs with the sifted flours until they are combined.  You will most likely need to add ¼ cup to a 1/3 cup of water because the dough will be pretty dry.  The key is to get the dough to a not-too-wet and a not-too-dry consistency.  Once the flour, eggs and water are combined kneed with it with the palm of your hands for 2 to 5 minutes and place it in a plastic bag and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Now to roll it out!  Like I said earlier I like to do it by hand!  Simply put dust a clean surface with flour and roll out a 1/3 of the dough at a time until it is very thin.  You should be able to see through the dough, and be the consistency of Resume Paper.

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From there you want to let the pasta dry out a little bit, so let it set out on a flour dusted surface after it’s been rolled out for about 30 minutes.  Then, fold it over and slice it as thin or thick as you’d like!  Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, sprinkle on some flour and toss to coat, and spread out.

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What would pasta be without a good sauce?!  I made a traditional Ragu alla Bolognese which is more of a brown meat sauce or gravy instead of a tomato based sauce.  It’s delicious and you should make it!  It starts with crisping up some Italian Bacon, Pancetta and then adding in some blended onions, celery, carrots and garlic.  From there add in some ground pork, ground beef and some Sangiovese wine and let it cook.  You then simmer the sauce in a bit of pureed tomato, beef stock, bay leaves and a Parmesan cheese rind four at least 60 minutes.

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Now you get to see the final product!

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I was absolutely in love with how well this turned out.  I had fun doing it and man is the sauce delicious and the noodles even better!

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You will be amazed at just how rich homemade pasta is.  You can’t eat as much as a premade pasta, but Maybe that’s a good thing.

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Another nice close up shot!!  Be sure to follow my good friends over at Bob’s Red Mill on all of their social channels!

  • Facebook.com/bobsredmillnaturalfoods
  • Twitter.com/bobsredmill
  • Instagram.com/bobsredmill

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Homemade Fettuccini Pasta with Ragu alla Bolognese
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
 
Learn how to make stress free pasta dough in this delicious recipe for Homemade Fettuccini Pasta with Ragu alla Bolognese!
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
  • 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill® All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill® Semolina Flour
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup of water
For the Ragu:
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 8 roughly chopped thin slices of pancetta bacon
  • 3 roughly chopped carrots
  • 3 roughly chopped stalks of celery
  • 1 roughly chopped yellow onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 pound of ground pork
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 cup of Sangiovese wine
  • ½ cup of pureed tomato
  • 3 cups of beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. For the Pasta: sift both flours onto a clean surface and make a well.
  2. Next, crack your eggs in the well and mix them with a fork until they are beaten. Start combining the eggs with the sifted flours until they are combined.
  3. Add ¼ cup to a ⅓ cup of water because the dough will be pretty dry.
  4. Once the flour, eggs and water are combined kneed with it with the palm of your hands for 2 to 5 minutes and place it in a plastic bag and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out a ⅓ of the dough at a time until it is very thin. You should be able to see through the dough, and be the consistency of Resume Paper.
  6. Let the dough set out on a flour dusted surface after it’s been rolled out for about 30 minutes.
  7. Then, fold it over and slice it as thin or thick as you’d like! Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, sprinkle on some flour and toss to coat, and spread out.
  8. Boil the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente or cover and store in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
  9. For the Pasta: In a large pot on high heat with olive oil cook the bacon until crispy and then remove it and set it aside.
  10. Next add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic to a food processor and process until finely chop and add it to the pot with rendered pancetta bacon fat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  11. Next, add in the ground pork and beef and cook until there is no pink. Next deglaze with the wine and cook it until it is absorbed and almost gone.
  12. Pour in the pureed tomato, beef stock, bay leaves and cheese rind, and stew over low heat for60 to 90 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  13. Toss the sauce in the fresh cooked noodles and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Pork Confit and Split Pea Soup Recipe

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Always enjoy making soup in the fall and winter months.  I also like to change up classics with my own twist, just like in this split pea and pork confit soup recipe.  Obviously the traditional version is ham and split pea, BUT if you’ve never had pork confit that you have no clue what you’ve been missing.

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Confit is the process of cooking something in it’s own fat.  You can confit just about anything, literally.  You just put the pork tenderloin right in a pot with veggies, herbs and olive oil and pop it in the oven on 300° for 4 hours.  Just as a side note, if you have lard laying around then use it, it will be amazing.  The other cool thing about the confit fat that’s left over is that you can strain it and reuse it to confit other proteins.  You’re welcome :-).

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I used Bob’s Red Mill® Green Split Peas for the base of this soup, because simply their products are superb.  Today’s garden pea is believed to be a distant relative of the field pea that was native to the Middle East and Central Asia. Since prehistoric times, dried peas have been consumed and were prized by the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, China and Rome. Delicious, hearty dried peas are so easy to prepare, requiring no presoaking and cooking in just about 30 minutes. Green split peas are not only tasty and simple to cook, but also a good source of protein, iron and dietary fiber.

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Maybe it’s my chefness, but I swear small diced vegetables just taste better.  Come on you know you think that way too when you cut something a little bit different than normal, it just tastes better!  Now for safety reasons you don’t have to cut them quite as small as mine, but do your best!

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Once the pork confit is done cooking, I like to sear it in a really hot pan to crisp up the outside, trust me you want to do this.  From there it’s just like pulled pork, grab two forks and shred it up.

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Because I am all about garnishes and accoutrements I topped the split pea soup off with some crème fraiche, crispy leeks, the pork confit obviously, some fresh rosemary leaves and finally some montamore cheesy garlic bread!

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Here’s a closer look into those yummy toppings.  The bread is just a French loaf sliced in half, topped off with melted butter, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and some shaved montamore cheese.  Went in the oven on 375° for only 15 minutes and boom you’re done son J  For the leeks, just julienne and deep fry in some canola oil on 350° for 1 minute or until crispy. Strain on a paper towel before serving.

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There may only be 2 pieces of cheesy bread In my soup but make no mistake, I ate atleast 10.  Be sure to pin all of these big ol pics and follow my friends at Facebook.com/BobsRedMill and check out their site at bobsredmill.com.

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Pork Confit and Split Pea Soup Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
 
Try this comforting and delicious Pork Confit and Split Pea Soup Recipe that is loaded with flavor! Serve it with a side of cheesy garlic bread!
Ingredients
For the Pork:
  • 1 pound of pork tenderloin cut into 3 chinks
  • 1 large dice yellow onion
  • 8 cloves of garlic
  • 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of olive oil
For the Soup:
  • 1 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 very small diced yellow onion
  • 2 very small diced carrots
  • 3 very small diced stalks of celery
  • 4 very small diced cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup of chardonnay
  • 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill® Green Split Peas
  • 6 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 medium diced large russet potato
  • tabasco to taste
  • Worcestershire sauce to taste
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes:
  • crispy fried leeks
  • montamore cheesy garlic bread
  • crème fraiche (store bought)
  • fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
  1. Pork Confit: Preheat the oven to 300°.
  2. Season the pork heavily on all sides with salt and pepper and add it to a medium size pot along with onions, garlic, fresh herbs and submerge in olive oil, and cook in the oven for 4 hours.
  3. Remove the pork from the pot and sear in a very hot saute pan on all sides until golden brown, about 3 mintues on each side.
  4. Shred the pork with two forks once it’s done and set aside.
  5. Soup: In a large pot on high heat, melt the butter and add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  6. Deglaze with the chardonnay and cook until it is almost gone.
  7. Next, add in the peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes followed up by add in the split peas.
  8. Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
  9. With about 20 minutes left in the cooking process, add in the potatoes.
  10. When the soup is done cooking some of the peas should be broken up while others are still whole.
  11. Adjust the seasonings with tabasco, Worcestershire, salt and pepper before serving.
  12. Top off with garnishes.

 

Easy Jambalaya Breakfast Burrito Recipe

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If you are a Southern tailgater in creole country than you know all about how important jambalaya is as a tailgate.  Now here’s a recipe for you if you’ve got an early afternoon game and want to get out early to tailgate, Jambalaya Egg Burritos!

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Pack your breakfast burrito full of spice, sausage, chicken and buttery scrambled eggs for an amazing tailgate recipe!

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To prepare this at a tailgate, you’ll need a big pot and 1 cast iron skillet.  Place the pans/pots on grill grates or on a portable burner.

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You may not even need the eggs, because the jambalaya by itself is fantastic!  You may fry up the eggs and put it right on top, shakshuka style :-).

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Pin the picture below for your next tailgate.

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Easy Jambalaya Breakfast Burrito Recipe
 
Wake up to this amazing tasting Easy Jambalaya Breakfast Burrito Recipe that is sure to impress!
Ingredients
For the Jambalaya:
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1” pieces
  • 12 ounces of sliced andouille sausage
  • 1 seeded and small diced green bell pepper
  • 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
  • 1 small diced yellow onion
  • 3 small diced stalks of celery
  • 28 ounce can of Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups of long grain white rice
  • 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning
  • Kosher salt to taste
For the Eggs:
  • 12 eggs whisked with ⅓ cup of whole milk
  • 12 12-inch flour tortillas
  • PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
  • 2 cups of shredded smoked Cheddar cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. For the Jamabalaya: In a large pot on high heat with olive oil, add in the chicken and cook until they are golden brown and cooked through out. Next, add in the sausage, peppers, onion and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Pour in the Hunt’s® Tomatoes and juice and refill it with water and pour it in the pot as well.
  3. Stir in the rice, seasonings, and salt, and place a lid on the pot and cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until the rice is done. Keep warm.
  4. For the Eggs: Spray a large cast iron skillet with PAM® Cooking Spray and cook the eggs until they are scrambled by using a rubber spatula and moving the eggs back and forth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. To Make: Place 1 cup of cooked jambalaya into the center of a tortilla along with some scrambled eggs and smoked Cheddar cheese and roll it up.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Empanadas with Buffalo Ranch Sauce

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If you are looking to tailgate on the go and bounce around you’re going to need to pack some food with you, and these delicious Pork Manwich® Sloppy Joe’s Stuffed Empanadas with Buffalo Ranch sauce is where it’s at!

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The coolest thing about Manwich® is that you can put it on anything to enhance the flavor, just check out our beer can chicken.

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The dough is incredibly easy to make, however if you are crunched for time pre-made frozen puff pasty will work just fine!

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You can wrap them up in parchment or foil and take them with or eat them fresh out of the oven.

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Big picture below for pinning.

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Sloppy Joe Stuffed Empanadas with Buffalo Ranch Sauce
 
Looking for a delicious recipe for your next tailgate? Try these Sloppy Joe Stuffed Empanadas with Buffalo Ranch Sauce!
Ingredients
For the Dough:
  • 5 cups of all-purpose flour + more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
  • 6 ounces of cold unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup of cold water
  • 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of whole milk whisked to make an egg wash
For the Substitute:
  • 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry dough
For the Filling:
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 small diced medium sized yellow onion
  • 1 seeded and small diced medium sized red bell pepper
  • 1 seeded and small diced medium sized green bell pepper
  • 2 pounds of ground pork
  • 15 ounce can of Manwich® Sloppy Joe Sauce
For the Ranch Dipping Sauce:
  • 1 cup of ranch dressing
  • 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper sauce
Instructions
  1. For the Dough: In a food processor add in the flour, salt, baking powder and butter and pulse until it is combined and becomes mealy. Next, slowly drizzle in the cold water while continuing to pulse on high speed until it forms a ball. Add the dough to a bowl, wrap in plastic and keep cool in the refrigerator.
  2. Sloppy Joes: In a large sauté pan on high heat with olive oil, add the onions and bell peppers and saute, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once they are browned, add in the ground pork and cook until all of the pink is gone. Finish by pouring in two 15 ounce cans of Manwich® Original Sloppy Joe Sauce and mix until combined. Chill until completely cooled, about 60 minutes.
  3. To Assemble: Preheat the oven to 400°.
  4. Form the dough into 10 balls and roll out each on a clean surface dusted with flour until it is about 10” in diameter. Place about ½ to ¾ cup of Sloppy Joe to the center of the rolled out dough and fold the top of the dough over to the bottom and pinch together using a fork. Brush the tops with egg wash. Repeat 9 more times until the dough is used up.
  5. Substitute Dough: Roll out the puff pastry until it is ⅛” thick on a clean floured surface and cut them into 8 total squares. Place about ½ to ¾ cup of Sloppy Joe to the center of the rolled out puff pastry and fold the top of the puff pastry over to the bottom and pinch together using a fork. Form the dough to a half moon shape. Brush the tops with egg wash. Repeat 9 more times until the dough is used up.
  6. Place the stuffed empanadas on a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and flaky on top.
  7. For the Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the ranch dressing and pepper sauce until combined and serve alongside the cooked empanadas.

Chili Huevos Rancheros with Bacon and Salsa Fresca

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Back in the hills of Missouri, where I went to college we used to eat this amazing breakfast called “The Stretch.” It is a layered dish with potatoes, chili, eggs, cheese and onions.  Well I did some of that, but of course with my own twist in these Chili Huevos Rancheros.

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Of course I had to add bacon, a homemade restaurant style salsa and avocado to the mix.

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If you are looking for the ultimate early morning tailgate food then this is it, no questions asked!

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Everything in this dish can be made right on the grill, just bring a pot for the Wolf® Chili and for the eggs, everything else, including the bacon, goes right on the grill!

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Big guy below for Pinterest!

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Chili Huevos Rancheros with Bacon and Salsa Fresca
 
Early morning start to your tailgate? No worries, because this Chili Huevos Rancheros with Bacon and Salsa Fresca recipe is exactly what you need!
Ingredients
  • Two 10 ounce cans of Original RO*TEL®, undrained
  • ½ small diced sweet onion
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, divided in half
  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 15 ounce can of Wolf® Brand Chili with Beans, heated
  • 12 strips of cooked crisp bacon
  • 8 fried eggs to your desired doneness (can make them scrambled also)
  • 2 cups of shredded smoked mozzarella
  • 1 medium diced avocado
  • ½ cup of sliced green onions
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a blender add the RO*TEL®, sweet onions, vinegar, sugar, ½ cup of cilantro leaves, salt and pepper and pulse 4 to 6 times on high speed until slightly chunky. Keep cool.
  2. To Assemble: Heat the tortillas on a grill or in the oven on high heat and layer them as followed: 1 tortilla, 2 tablespoons of Wolf® Brand Chili, 1 tortilla, 2 more tablespoons of Wolf® Chili, 3 strips of crisp bacon, 2 fried eggs, ½ cup of shredded mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of avocado, 2 tablespoons of green onions and 2 tablespoons of cilantro.