Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These grilled bacon and cheese stuffed mushrooms are the perfect grilled appetizer. Tender mushrooms that still have a little ‘bite’ to them. The cheese mixture is fantastic. Three different cheeses and a little seasoning combine with bacon and bell pepper for bite after bite of deliciousness. I say ‘bite’, but if you use small mushrooms you can pop these little treats into your mouth like popcorn. I did.

Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These disposable Dutch oven pans are perfect for making these grilled bacon and cheese stuffed mushrooms. They’re the perfect size for this recipe. They’re sturdy so you don’t have to worry about them collapsing. I use them for a lot of my grilled dishes.

You can pre-make these mushrooms by doing steps 1-8 then refrigerating the mushrooms for later. Then, when you’re ready to finish them, remove them from the fridge and let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to a hot grill to cook and heat thoroughly.

You can also make these on a Char-Broil Big Easy.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Also try my grilled bacon-wrapped jalapeno-stuffed olives.

Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These are the perfect easy appetizers.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword mushroom, stuffed
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 159kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces mushrooms 12-16 small whole mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded or grated
  • ¼ cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2 slices bacon (plus more for garnish if desired) cooked, chopped very fine
  • ¼ small green bell pepper (plus more for garnish if desired) chopped very fine
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • paprika to taste
  • parsley chopped, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 F. Spray a small disposable pan with non-stick spray.
  • Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
  • Dip the mushrooms cap-side down into the butter and place onto the baking dish cap-side up.
  • Pour the remaining butter into the baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt. Bake 10 minutes. The mushrooms should just be soft and most of the water in them should be cooked out.
  • Remove from the oven. Shake any remaining liquid out of the mushrooms into the pan and place them cap-side down.
  • Using a small spoon, gently fill each mushroom with the cheese mixture. Mound it up high. Return to the pan.
  • Sprinkle tops of the mushrooms with paprika.
  • Fire up your grill for cooking at 400 F.
  • Transfer the pan to the grill and cook 15-20 minutes or until the stuffing is hot.
  • Garnish with more bacon, bell pepper and parsley if desired and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spicy Bacon Cheese Fries

Yep, you’re right. It’s nothing fancy. Nothing fru-fru. But boy, can I put a hurt on a batch of these spicy bacon cheese fries. Crispy fries. Spicy peppers, Smoky bacon.. Ooey-gooey cheese. I really don’t need anything else. Heck, serve it to me as dinner and I’m happy! Specially in my younger days, where I might have found myself at a sports bar or two, I’d call these fries dinner and then some!

Spicy Bacon Cheese Fries

Oh sure, you can make these spicy bacon cheese fries a hundred different other ways. You can add chili. Throw on some cheese curds. Squirt on some sour cream. Or you can keep them OG and just enjoy the heck out of a simple plate of fries!

I do strongly recommend that you hand grate or shred your cheeses in this and any other recipes. The difference is noticeable. There are no ingredients in there that keep the shredded cheeses from sticking. Those same ingredients also make it hard for the cheeses to melt.

I prefer to deep-fry my pre-made frozen fries. Yeah, you can bake them. But that takes longer and let’s face it, the fries never, ever come out quite as good as they do deep-fried. I don’t do it every day, mind you, but sometimes you gotta treat yourself!

Spicy Bacon Cheese Fries
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Bacon Cheese Fries

Yep, you’re right. It’s nothing fancy. Nothing fru-fru. But boy, can I put a hurt on a batch of these spicy bacon cheese fries.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, cheesy, fries, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 418kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces frozen fries such as Ore-Ida
  • ½ cup Pepper Jack cheese grated
  • ½ cup Colby Jack cheese grated
  • 2 strips bacon cooked, crumbled
  • 1 large jalapeno sliced

Instructions

  • Cook fries per package instructions. I prefer to deep-fry mine.
  • Transfer fries to an oven-safe platter.
  • Sprinkle fries with the cheeses and crumbled bacon.
  • Put into the oven under a low-heat broiler for one minute to melt the cheese. Keep an eye on it and don't put the plate too close to the broiler.
  • Remove and garnish with jalapeno slices before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Quick Fix Desert Heat Chips

I find myself being un-impressed with most store-bought ‘spicy’ potato chips. Yeah, some are spicy, but they don’t taste good. And some taste great, but they sure aren’t spicy. The solution? Make some quick fix Desert Heat potato chips. Done in minutes, spiced just like I want, these are the chips I was searching for! I owned these chips. I could put as much darned seasoning on there as I want! All I need are some chips and Buffalo Wild Wings Desert Heat Wing Seasoning!

Quick Fix Desert Heat Chips

I prefer to use wavy ruffled chips any time I make my quick fix Desert Heat potato chips. The thick chips hold up to being tossed in the seasoning. And the ridges give the seasoning more and more places to cling to, making sure I get nothing but flavor in each and every bite!

Not that I mean to over-stress it, but I will mention you don’t need any fancy fru-fru chips for this recipe. In fact, I’d stay away from them. You want wavy chips, preferably. And frankly, you want chips that are a bit oily. Yep. Once heated, the chips will release that oil and that’s what you need to get the seasonings stuck on there good!

Also try my quick fix barbecue chips.

Quick Fix Desert Heat Chips
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5 from 1 vote

Quick Fix Desert Heat Chips

I prefer to use wavy ruffled chips any time I make my quick fix Desert Heat potato chips.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword potato chips, quick fix, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 452kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 275 F.
  • Spread chips out onto a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. You should see that the oils in the chips have come to the surface.
  • Gently transfer chips to a large bowl and sprinkle with the seasoning. Use a spatula to carefully stir to coat.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 1020mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

This is it. The best shrimp I’ve ever made. With the best dipping sauce. I could eat these Parrot Bay coconut shrimp embarrassingly fast, and in embarrassingly large quantities. I’m not ashamed to admit it. They’re fantastic. Lightly crunchy. Lightly sweet. With a wonderful tropical sauce. There’s coconut all around, but it’s not overpowering at all. It’s perfect. These are amazingly good shrimp.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

The key to these Parrot Bay coconut shrimp is to not skimp on the ingredients. Get quality coconut rum. Get good pina colada mix. And most importantly, get great shrimp. I only use wild-caught Florida or Louisiana shrimp. Shrimp to Shore ships as soon as their catch is caught.

If you search around, you’ll find quality shrimp that is fresh-caught, not farm-raised, and can be delivered to your doorstep quickly. Or find a local fish monger that can get you shrimp. Don’t settle for less than the best, this dish deserves it.

Also try my other take on coconut shrimp with a dipping sauce.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp
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5 from 1 vote

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

If you search around, you'll find quality shrimp that is fresh-caught, not farm-raised, and can be delivered to your doorstep quickly.
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword coconut, deep-fried, shrimp
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 910kcal

Ingredients

For the Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

For the Shrimp

Instructions

For the Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Shrimp

  • Heat a few inches of oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven or deep fryer.
  • Set out three medium bowls.
  • In the first bowl, place 3/4 cups of flour.
  • In the second bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, sugar and salt. Add the milk and rum and stir or whisk until smooth.
  • In the last bowl combine the panko and coconut.
  • Let the wet batter stand for minutes.
  • Working in batches, dip the shrimp in the bowl of flour. Toss to coat. Shake off any excess flour.
  • Next, transfer the shrimp to the wet batter and dunk and turn to coat well. Shake off any excess batter.
  • Last, place the shrimp in the panko mixture and toss to coat.
  • Fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Serve hot with the pina colada dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 910kcal | Carbohydrates: 135g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 571IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Cheez-Its

Smoked Cheez-Its are the perfect game-time snack. They’re addictingly good. They’ll disappear unexpectedly quickly, so make sure you make extra. And make all sorts of different flavors. Since I had all sorts of different flavors of Kosmos Q seasonings on hand I was able to make all sorts of variations, from the mild and sweet to the hot and spicy.

Smoked Cheez-Its

Trust me told, the method for making smoked Cheez-Its can be used for pretty much any snack cracker. You’ll want to use a fairly mild-flavored cracker, or use one that compliments the seasoning you want to use. You don’t want the cracker flavor to fight the seasoning.

Don’t crowd the crackers in the pan. Make sure they get spread out to get some of the smoke flavor, too.

Also try some smoked Cheetos.

Smoked Cheez-Its
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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Cheez-Its

Don't crowd the crackers in the pan. Make sure they get spread out to get some of the smoke flavor, too.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword crackers, smoked
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
15 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 157kcal

Equipment

  • large disposable pan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use a lighter wood. You want a bit of smoke but don't overdo it.
  • Place the crackers in a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Drizzle over the crackers and gently stir to coat the crackers. Take your time, you want them all covered well.
  • Transfer the coated crackers to a large disposable pan, spread out evenly, and place onto the smoker.
  • Smoke the crackers for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes. The crackers will turn a golden brown. They'll be a little soft, but don't worry, they'll get crunchier when they cool.
  • Remove from the smoker and let cool before serving. Optionally, spread out onto a wire rack to cool quicker.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip

Here recently I bought my first ever case of Hatch chiles. I had no idea how big a case would be, but I do now. Over 150 peppers. I roasted them all, freezing some (whole) for later use. The rest, well, I put to work immediately. Starting with this wonderful roasted Hatch chile queso dip. The roasted chiles add such a fantastic flavor to what is your pretty-much-standard queso dip. A good queso dip that is mighty good to start with. Nice and creamy, this is the perfect dip for a party. I didn’t add any hot sauce, but you could. Just don’t go crazy with it, you don’t want to hide the taste of the peppers.

Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip

You can use this recipe for roasted Hatch chile queso dip to make a great topping for hamburgers. Or hot dogs. Just cut back on the half and half and let the sauce come to the desired thickness.

If you can’t find roasted Hatch chiles, you can substituted canned roasted chiles or, you can roast poblano or Anaheim chiles in the oven or on the grill and use those instead. Or get the real deal delivered directly to your door.

Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip
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4 from 1 vote

Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip

The roasted chiles add such a fantastic flavor to what is your pretty-much-standard queso dip (which is mighty good to start with). Nice and creamy, this is the perfect dip for a party.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, dip
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 cups
Calories 592kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
  • Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add the garlic, stir and cook another minute.
  • Add the flour, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the evaporated milk. Stir and cook until the mixture thickens.
  • Add salt and pepper and stir.
  • Stir in the cheese until melted.
  • Slowly stir in the half and half until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
  • Stir in the Hatch chiles and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 992mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 953IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 809mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mac and Ernie’s Fried Shrimp

I’m a fried shrimp addict. You’d think that by now I’d have enough recipes for making them, but I’m always on the looking for more and more. I came across this recipe from a roadside eatery in Texas, Mac and Ernie’s, and knew I had to make it. Not so much because the breading seemed different, but because it uses evaporated milk. And what a difference it makes! Crispy crunchy lightly spicy outside, tender, slightly sweet inside, Mac and Ernie’s fried shrimp are exactly what I was craving.

Mac and Ernie's Fried Shrimp

I used fresh-caught Florida shrimp for my Mac and Ernie’s fried shrimp. I try to get either gulf shrimp or Florida shrimp and avoid the farm-raised imported shrimp as much as possible. The taste difference is noticeable. Why go through the effort of frying your own shrimp only to use poorer quality shrimp?

Mac and Ernie's Fried Shrimp
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5 from 1 vote

Mac and Ernie’s Fried Shrimp

Be sure to not over-cook the shrimp.
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword deep-fried, shrimp
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 287kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 360 F.
  • Combine the flour, pepper, salt, Cajun seasoning and onion powder in a bowl (I like to use a pie plate).
  • Beat the eggs in another bowl. Add the evaporated milk and beat to combine.
  • Working in batches, dip the shrimp in the egg mixture. Shake off excess then roll in the flour mixture. Shake off excess. Fry 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Garlic Parmesan Pizza Rolls

I was weak. Oh so weak. I made a small batch of garlic Parmesan pizza rolls thinking that I could control myself. That 18 of the little bites are actually 3 servings. Maybe even 4 servings. Well, I’m here to argue that it’s impossible to eat just a few of them.

These bites are insanely good. Lightly crunchy. Definitely garlicky. With just enough Parmesan so you get that taste, that nuttiness, that saltiness. Served with warmed marinara sauce for dipping, these are some of the best appetizers you’ll find.

Garlic Parmesan Pizza Rolls

To make my garlic Parmesan pizza rolls, I first deep-fried them and then tossed them in the delicious sauce. That’s mostly because I had my deep-fryer out still from a delicious shrimp dinner. I think you could bake them instead, and even air fry them if you wanted. I don’t think they’d be quite as good (nothing’s as good as deep fried!), but they’ll still be covered in the delicious sauce.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from the Salty Side Dish.

Garlic Parmesan Pizza Rolls
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4.50 from 2 votes

Garlic Parmesan Pizza Rolls

Delicious little bites that disappear in no time!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic Parmesan, pizza rolls
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 25kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat a few inches of oil to 350 F in a saucepan, or use a deep fryer.
  • Working in batches if needed, deep fry the pizza rolls for 3 minutes, flipping once. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Transfer pizza rolls to a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, stir together the butter and garlic. Drizzle over the pizza rolls and toss gently to coat.
  • Sprinkle rolls with basil and cheese. Toss gently to coat. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Batter-Fried Shrimp

I’m usually a crunchy-fried-shrimp kind of guy. You know, a bit of flour, a bit of cornmeal. These batter-fried shrimp are a bit different, yet still crunchy. The batter is much like you would find on, say, fried cod for a fish sandwich or a basket of fish and chips. Because I have an unnatural addiction to fish and chips, it’s not surprising that I’m now addicted to these shrimp. The batter stuck perfectly, the shrimp cooked up beautifully golden brown delicious, and all was right in the world again. And I ate more than I should!

Batter-Fried Shrimp

The batter makes the shrimp look a lot bigger than they are. Even though it’s thick, it’s not ‘ewwwy’ thick at all. It’s light and crispy, just like I like. I’d definitely use this same batter on cod. Or chicken legs (who remembers peg legs from Long John Silver’s? They were my favorite!).

Since there’s just the two of us, I use a Fry Daddy fryer for these shrimp. It’s the perfect size for something like this.

For a twist, add a few shakes of Old Bay or Creole seasoning to the batter before dipping the shrimp.

Also try my fried shrimp basket.

Batter-Fried Shrimp
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4.50 from 2 votes

Batter-Fried Shrimp

The batter recipe would also be great on code fillets.
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword deep-fried, shrimp
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 395kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pat shrimp dry.
  • Heat a few inches of oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven or a deep fryer.
  • Combine 1/2 cup of oil and the egg and beat well. Add remaining ingredients except oil for frying and stir until smooth.
  • Working in batches, dip shrimp in the batter and coat well.
  • Add shrimp to the fryer and fry for 1 minute. Turn and fry another 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plated or wire rack to drain.

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 609mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Tailgate Cocktail Smokies

For a moment there I thought that Hillshire Farm’s had changed the recipe for their Lit’l Smokies. I mean, I almost thought I was eating a shrimp cocktail. Ah, but it was that combination of ketchup and horseradish that was fooling me. After a few hours in the slow cooker those flavors found their way into every bite of sausage. These tailgate cocktail smokies were really, really quite good. Unexpectedly good. These aren’t your standard issue BBQ-sauce-and-smokies appetizers. I’d make these again. And again.

Tailgate Cocktail Smokies

I’m not usually a big horseradish fan. I mean, I like it but it can get overwhelming for me if there’s too much. Not in this case. I think the recipe for tailgate cocktail smokies is spot-on for the amount. Those 4 hours of time in the crockpot really mellow it out making it a wonderful flavor.

Tailgate Cocktail Smokies
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5 from 1 vote

Tailgate Cocktail Smokies

These aren’t your standard issue BBQ-sauce-and-smokies appetizers. I’d make these again. And again.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword cocktail, sausage
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings 24
Calories 154kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Spray a small slow cooker with non-stick spray.
  • Add all ingredients and stir.
  • Cover and warm on low for 4 hours, stirring every hour or so.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.