Category Archives: Memorial Day Weekend
January 31, 2019
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe’s
When was the last time you ate a Sloppy Joe? It’s not a common meal in my house but there is something about a Sloppy Joe that reminds me of family dinners as a child. I wanted to create a new version of a Sloppy Joe that combines another favorite food of ours – buffalo chicken. The result was a Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe. It was amazing! These Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe’s have enough heat without being too spicy and veggies hidden within the meat that add great flavor. I recommend drizzling some ranch or blue cheese dressing on top to offset the heat. And because who can enjoy buffalo sauce without ranch or blue cheese? It really completes the sandwich! The recipe can be found here. Let’s get cooking! Start by doing all the prep work. I like to chop my veggies, measure out my dry and liquid ingredients, … Continue reading
January 5, 2019
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Do you ever crave those soft, chewy, irresistible smelling soft pretzels you get from street vendors or mall kiosks? If so, you’re in luck! I have a recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites that is a perfect replica. These Homemade Pretzel Bites have a perfectly doughy center, crispy crust, and buttery and salty flavor. They are fun to make and fun to eat. Great for dipping – the perfect finger food! A bit of work is required to make these but it’s worth it. They are SO good right out of the oven. The recipe can be found here. Start by preparing the dough. I recommend using a stand mixer if you have one. You can mix the dough by hand, but your arms will be quite sore! Add the water, brown sugar, yeast, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. Add … Continue reading
December 22, 2018
Sliders
For many years I thought the word “slider” meant a tiny hamburger, but boy was I wrong! Sliders are small sandwiches made with slider rolls that come in a variety of flavors, and they are all the rage. Think meat and cheese melted together in the oven on a crisp roll – yum! I can attest that all the recipes I’m about to share with you are not only delicious but easy to make. You can even customize for various occasions – Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders for a Kentucky Derby Party, Apple Turkey Cheddar Sliders using the apples you purchased at the Apple Orchard, Chicken and Waffle Sliders when hosting brunch, etc. You get the idea 🙂 Ham and Swiss Sliders are probably the most common slider (in my world at least). These are filled with juicy ham and Swiss cheese nestled in a Kings Hawaiian Roll. The tops of … Continue reading
September 7, 2018
Kabobs
Most Minnesotans are familiar with kabobs because we love to grill when the weather is warm. However, if you aren’t familiar with kabobs you are in for a treat! Kabobs are basically cubes of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and other foods placed on a skewer and grilled to perfection. And with the MN State Fair recently ending all I can think of is food on a stick so blogging about kabobs seemed like the perfect fit! I have 4 different kabobs to share with you today. Chicken Breast Kabobs (available from the meat counter) Black Angus Beef Sirloin Kabobs (available from the meat counter) Salmon Kabobs with Rainbow Veggies Ham and Pineapple Kabobs The Chicken Breast Kabobs and Black Angus Beef Sirloin Kabobs are available from the meat counter at your local Festival Foods. The veggies are fresh, including green pepper, red pepper, and red onion, and the meat is thick cut. Each skewer … Continue reading
June 9, 2018
Refreshing Summer Cocktails
Summer is the best time of year for a refreshing cocktail. Whether you are sitting on the deck enjoying the weather, hosting a BBQ, spending a day at the beach….you get the idea 😊…a festive cocktail can really help beat the heat. I’ve compiled a list of 4 of my favorite cocktails. They are fun, bright, and full of flavor. Blue Hawaiian Cocktail This cocktail is essentially a blue version of a Pina Colada and promises a little taste of tropical paradise. It’s designed to make you feel like summer no matter how bad the weather is outside. I chose to serve this drink “on the rocks” style by pouring over ice but you can also create a blended version of the cocktail by mixing all the ingredients with ice in a blender. It’s very easy to make – shake the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker, pour over ice, … Continue reading
May 23, 2018
Baked Chicken Wings
There’s no denying it – I love chicken wings! With so many flavor varieties and dipping sauces, they’re not only a delicious meal but allow you to try something different each time. Think potluck, football party, backyard BBQ, afternoon snack, etc. Chicken wings fit the menu for most occasions. I have 4 baked chicken wing recipes to share with you today. These are some of my favorite recipes, so I hope you enjoy them. Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings are super easy to make. You basically toss the chicken wings and oil and bake until crispy, then toss in a delicious combination of hot sauce and melted butter. These are probably the most popular wings around due to the mildy sweet and sour taste with a spicy aftermath. I prefer to dip mine in ranch dressing, but blue cheese dressing is a great alternative. Because the wings can be spicy it’s … Continue reading
May 18, 2018
(Chicken) Burger Bar
There is nothing like a juicy burger hot off the grill, chilled cocktail in hand, and warm weather to cure those winter blues. I want to share some of my favorite chicken/turkey burger recipes with you now that it’s starting to feel like summer! These are all a nice break from typical hamburgers and healthier for you (well, maybe not once you add all the toppings). I think they are very flavorful, simple to make, and delicious to eat. The first recipe I want to share is for Buffalo Chicken Burgers. These are ¼ pound burgers that taste just like buffalo wings but without the mess. Who wouldn’t want that? I like to top my burger with extra buffalo sauce and a little ranch dressing, then add a small amount of each onto my plate for extra dipping sauce. This burger would also pair well with blue cheese. The recipe … Continue reading
May 9, 2018
Black Bean Burgers
Black Bean Burgers are all the rage…in my life 😊 I know, I know…why would you want to eat a bland black bean burger when you could eat a juicy beef burger, you ask? Because they are quick and easy to make, packed with flavor, and a delicious (meatless) option. I dare you to give them a try! Plus, these are a great alternative to the frozen kind and will make you never want to eat a frozen burger again. The recipe can be found here. The recipe involves mixing all the ingredients in a food processor, forming into patties, refrigerating, frying, and enjoying – all in 15 minutes! Forming the patties can be slightly sticky so I recommend coating your hands with oil and forming the mixture into 4 balls, then flattening into patties. Allow the patties to cool for at least 1 hour but keep them in the … Continue reading
September 25, 2017
Chicken Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes seem to be a family tradition in many households but we always forget about them when deciding what to have for dinner. They are quick and easy to make, yet fairly inexpensive because you tend to have many of the ingredients already in your pantry. And for those of you with kids, they tend to be a kid-friendly option even for the picky child, so it’s a win for everyone. Needless to say, now that we’ve made them once they will become a recurring meal in our house. I don’t eat red meat so I like to use ground chicken instead. Ground chicken tends to have a little less fat and little more protein than ground beef so it’s also a slightly healthier option. The consistency between the ground chicken and ground beef is very similar, or so I’m told by Andrew because he’s the only one that would … Continue reading
September 22, 2017
Seasoned Chicken Juicy Lucy
One thing I’ve always been curious to try is a Juicy Lucy. I’ve never had the opportunity because I don’t eat red meat so I decided to create my own version using ground chicken. It took some tweaking to get the texture and size of the patty right but the result was yummy! The recipe can be found here. I didn’t want to use plain ground chicken without any seasoning because the burger wouldn’t have much flavor then. I followed the seasoning recipe from the Buffalo Chicken Penne recipe. I use this seasoning mix all the time at home. It’s great on a grilled chicken breast or veggies because it adds a salty flavor with a bit of spice, but now I’m getting off topic! I thought this seasoning would complement the cheese inside the burger nicely. I mean, I had to start somewhere and this was my best option! … Continue reading
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