Category Archives: Memorial Day Weekend

Sliders are a great way to keep everyone happy whether you’re hosting a football party, entertaining with appetizers, or trying to be creative with school lunches.  They really are a crowd pleaser with so many different flavors!  I recently tried 3 different kinds of sliders and want to share them with you today.  Each is delicious in its own way and something I will definitely make again! Sliders are incredibly easy to make.  You slice the rolls in half, layer the ingredients, place the other half of the rolls on top, brush with a buttery topping, bake, and enjoy! Caprese Sliders Pizza Sliders Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders   Caprese Sliders are light and refreshing.  The combination of fresh sliced mozzarella with tomatoes and basil is perfection!  Next year, we plan on using the tomatoes and basil from our garden to make these sliders – it doesn’t get any fresher than … Continue reading

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Margarita Chicken is one of my new favorite dishes.  It’s quick and easy to make, healthy, and a tasty meal you can enjoy all year round.  The chicken is grilled to perfection, then topped with melted cheese, pesto, tomatoes, and basil. The recipe can be found here. Here’s how you make it: Start by combining the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a bowl.  Add the chicken and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil and lemon. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook the chicken on each side for about 8-10 minutes.  I like to cook the chicken low and slow, so I don’t burn the meat if the chicken breasts are thick.  You can always cover the skillet to help evenly distribute the heat.  If you are better with a grill it’s OK to cook the chicken that way too! … Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

Posted in 4th of July, Christmas, Halloween, Holidays, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sliders

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

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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

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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

Posted in 4th of July, Halloween, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Baked Chicken Wings

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

Posted in 4th of July, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on (Chicken) Burger Bar

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

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