Polenta. Just the saying the word makes me happy. Creamy. Pleasantly filling. Great plain but also a great base for many different of flavors. Polenta is and always be my favorite side dish. I consider it to be decadent even though it’s history is more as a peasant dish. The roasted red pepper in this polenta doesn’t over-power that great corn flavor, but it’s there, lightly smoky, lightly sweet.
I always make my polenta using homemade chicken broth or stock. I believe it makes a really big difference in the richness of the dish. You can substitute water, but you’ll find chicken broth or stock to be much, much better. This roasted red pepper polenta deserves only the best ingredients to make it truly great!
I use Bob’s Red Mill Polenta, which is found at just about any grocery store around us. On the off-chance you can’t find Bob’s, follow Chef Vivian Howard’s rule: don’t buy a polenta with more than one ingredient on the label. Bob’s has just one, corn.
Place peppers into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Add the broth to a medium pot along with the salt and red pepper puree. Bring to a boil.
While stirring, slowly add in the polenta.
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir continuously for 3 minutes.
Cook the polenta for 35-40 minutes, stirring often, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. I use a flat wooden spoon for this. If the polenta starts to splatter you can place on lid on the pot, but put it on loosely so moisture can still escape.
Oh me. There are few things as dangerous as a plate of bacon and blue cheese French fries. If ever there was something that causes my self-control to go totally out the window, this is it. It all starts with perfectly crispy, delicious French fries. Homemade. Hot out of the deep-fryer. Then comes the blue cheese sauce. That wonderful funky cheese flavor. Creamy with hints of garlic and shallot. Delicious. And finally, bacon. Crispy, smoky, perfectly-cooked bacon. These are the fries dreams are made of.
If I’m cooking these bacon and blue cheese French fries for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.
If you’d rather not make fries from scratch, you can use frozen ones instead. Just bake the fries per the package instructions, making sure you get them good and crispy While they’re baking, make the sauce and cook the bacon. Serve hot-out-of-the-oven.
For the blue cheese sauce (make first and keep warm while making the fries)
Add butter to a small skillet over medium heat.
Add shallot and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until just starting to soften.
Add the cheese, milk and pepper.
Stirring constantly, raise the heat to medium-high and let the mixture get to a simmer. The cheese should be melted and the sauce will start to thicken.
Remove from heat and cover until ready to use.
For the fries
Fill a large bowl with cold water.
Slice the potatoes into thin, 1/8″-1/4″ sticks. Try to keep them the same thickness.
Place fries into the water. Add more water if needed to keep them full submerged.
Add the oil to the fryer and plug it in according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain the fries. Refill with more cold water. Stir the potatoes. Repeat this step (draining, refilling) until the water is no longer cloudy. This usually just takes me two times.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer to a large kitchen towel. Pat dry. Make sure you get them dry or they will splatter when you add them to the hot oil.
Working in batches if needed, fry the potatoes until just starting to turn a light brown. You are not cooking them fully, you do not want them to be golden brown yet. Do not over-crowd the fryer.
Remove the fries from the fryer using the slotted spoon that comes with the unit. Place on a wire rack over a baking pan to drain. Spread them out evenly.
Let the fries cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, return the fries to the fryer and finish cooking them. You want them nice and lightly golden brown. I’ve found that you can actually crowd the fryer a little more than usual for this step. The fries are mostly cooked, you’re just crisping them up and giving them some color so a little extra potatoes in there isn’t going to hurt. Just don’t over-fill the fryer.
Remove the fries to the wire rack again to drain. Season well with salt and pepper. I prefer to transfer the fries from the rack to a large bowl, sprinkle them with the seasonings, and toss to season evenly.
Transfer the fries to a serving dish and top with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the bacon.
Rodney’s Scott’s cookbook World of BBQ: Every Day is a Good Day is one of the best BBQ-themed cookbooks I’ve ever read. And I do mean read. I didn’t just turn the pages looking at the great recipes (and there are tons of them). I read it. Like a novel. But… yes… oh, the great recipes! Like this pimiento cheese. My wife proclaimed this to be the best pimiento cheese she’s had. That surprised the heck out of me. Not because it isn’t great, but because until this recipe came along everyone, and I do mean everyone, thought her mom’s was the best.
There are two things (I think) that are key to this being one outstanding pimiento cheese. First, you have to use block cheese and then shred it manually. Don’t use that pre-shredded stuff. Yeah, it takes a few minutes to shred it by hand but it’s worth it. Second, you have to use a great BBQ seasoning. It’s up to you whether you use a spice seasoning, a sweet seasoning, or whatever you prefer. We went with a sweet rub, and wow what a mix did it ever make. This is great stuff here.
I recently discovered Blue Plate mayonnaise, which I think is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Shred the cheese using the medium holes on a box grater. This step is important. Do not use pre-shredded cheese. Shredding your own makes a world of difference.
In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise and mix well.
Add the pimientos, BBQ rub, mustard powder and onion powder. Mix well. Gently stir in the cheese.
Pile high on toasted bread for the best pimiento cheese sandwiches ever!
It’s summer time. And summer is good. Summer is better, though, with a big ole plate of spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans. These are some of the most flavor-packed beans you’ll find. And talk about easy to make, too! It’s not quite as easy as open a bunch of cans and heat, but it’s close to being that easy. A little time in the oven and you’re ready to devour some tasty beans. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe and you’ve got a great dish for a picnic or family get-together!
Much of the flavor in these spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans comes from the Ranch style beans. Then along comes a bit of jalapeno spiciness. And just a hint of sweetness. For the BBQ sauce I went with a nice hickory BBQ sauce to add a bit of that outdoorsy flavor.
Ah, glorious sweet corn. It makes me happy whenever corn is in season. I love it any way you can cook it. This slow cooked jalapeno corn version adds a bit of heat (though really, it’s quite tame) from jalapenos, and tremendous creamy sweetness. It’s also perfect for a get-together since it makes a pretty good size batch. You can halve it if you need, or double it for an even bigger crowd.
You can leave out the jalapenos, but I think you’ll want to add something in place of it, like minced sweet onion. Don’t go crazy with it, but you need just a little something for a little bite in this slow cooked jalapeno corn.
Although I slow cooked the corn in my oven, you can also cook it on a grill or even a smoker. Just keep your temperature around 250 F and the corn will come out delicious.
Ah, glorious sweet corn. It makes me happy whenever corn is in season. I love it any way you can cook it. This slow cooked jalapeno corn version adds a bit of heat (though really, it’s quite tame) from jalapenos, and tremendous creamy sweetness.
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!
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!
I’m always up for a quick side dish that lacks in effort but does not lack in taste. These herb roasted potatoes are a great go-to recipe. The potatoes have a wonderful light herb flavor. They’re creamy buttery inside (you can also use fingerling potatoes for even more buttery creaminess!). And they have one of my favorite things: crunchy skin.
Make sure your potatoes are pretty much all equal in size when you make these herb roasted potatoes. You don’t want a bunch of big pieces mixed in with small ones or the cook times will vary. You’ll end up with big not-quite-done-potatoes and little over-done ones. You don’t want that. So if you have to, halve them or even quarter them to get them all the same sizes. You can also make this dish with either baby red potatoes or fingerlings.
I also like to make these potatoes on my grills, either gas or charcoal or even electric. I use a grill basket like this one. It makes cooking them super easy, and I don’t have to worry about anything falling between the grill grates. Clean-up is also super easy. Grill baskets are a win and a must-have for grilling!
One of my favorite side dishes to make are crispy homemade French fries. The thin ones. The kind with crunch on the outside and fluffy yummy inside. I like to season my fries with something tasty, something a bit different than salt and pepper or adobo seasoning (actually a big favorite of mine). This copycat Freddy’s fry seasoning is perfect on hot-out-the-fryer fries. I mean like crazy good. The added sweetness and earthiness of the seasoning adds a totally different flavor than if I’d just used salt and pepper. I go heavy on this seasoning, it’s really flavorful!
There’s only one thing I’d do differently next time I make this copycat Freddy’s fry seasoning: make a bunch more. It’s great on burgers. Baked potatoes. Cottage cheese. Just about anywhere that you think you should be using salt and pepper, use this instead.
I didn’t have turmeric on hand the first time I made this. A good substitute is dry mustard, which is what I went with. It’s a perfect replacement. You can also use cumin if you don’t have turmeric, but I’d use a bit less than the recipe calls for for the turmeric.
If I make a big batch of seasoning I like to keep it in these big spice bottles. I use blue painters tape to write the contents on the bottles. The tape comes off easily when if used up the seasoning!
This is my go-to method for making a small batch of the best-tasting, crispiest French fries. Making delicious crispy fries using a Fry Daddy Fryer takes just a little bit of time and just a handful of ingredients. The end result is mouth-wateringly good and hard to resist. Most double-fried recipes require two different cooking temperatures. But, you can’t adjust the temperature on a Fry Daddy. Don’t let that worry you. These will be the best fries you’ve made. Or had.
There are two key steps to making sure these crispy fries using the Fry Daddy Fryer come out perfectly. First, make sure you rinse the raw potatoes in cold water and keep rinsing until the water is clear. You want all that starch gone, as if you’re making rice. Second, let the fries come to room temperature (or near it) before the second frying.
The fries will crisp up just a bit more after they come out of the fryer so it’s ok to remove them just before you think they’re like you want them. It’s not critical, but after doing these a time or too you’ll get the timing for what’s best for you. Don’t worry, they’ll be great no matter what!
kosher saltor your favorite fry seasoning, to taste
Instructions
Fill a large bowl with cold water.
Slice the potatoes into thin, 1/8"-1/4" sticks. Try to keep them the same thickness.
Place fries into the water. Add more water if needed to keep them full submerged.
Add the oil to the fryer and plug it in according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Drain the fries. Refill with more cold water. Stir the potatoes. Repeat this step (draining, refilling) until the water is no longer cloudy. This usually just takes me two times.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer to a large kitchen towel. Pat dry. Make sure you get them dry or they will splatter when you add them to the hot oil.
Working in batches if needed, fry the potatoes until just starting to turn a light brown. You are not cooking them fully, you do not want them to be golden brown yet. Do not over-crowd the fryer.
Remove the fries from the fryer using the slotted spoon that comes with the unit. Place on a wire rack over a baking pan to drain. Spread them out evenly.
Let the fries cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, return the fries to the fryer and finish cooking them. You want them nice and lightly golden brown. I've found that you can actually crowd the fryer a little more than usual for this step. The fries are mostly cooked, you're just crisping them up and giving them some color so a little extra potatoes in there isn't going to hurt. Just don't over-fill the fryer.
Remove the fries to the wire rack again to drain. Season well with salt. I prefer to transfer the fries from the rack to a large bowl, sprinkle them with the salt, and toss to season evenly.
If you put a paper plate loaded with fried chicken and this sweet and sassy red potato salad in front of me I’d honestly go for the potato salad first. And that’s saying a lot, because I love fried chicken almost more than anything. This salad is different, mostly thanks to the addition of pickle juice in the dressing. That pickle edge take this dish from great to amazing.
This sweet and sassy red potato salad would be the perfect side dish for a family get together, potluck, or just a good old fashioned picnic. It travels well and tastes amazing. It’s perfect cold, and just as good (if not a tad better) served warm. You can’t go wrong with it.
I recently discovered Blue Plate mayonnaise, which I think is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
I don’t like to boil my potatoes when making potato salad. I don’t like them little taters rolling around in the hot water, bumping each other, scraping each other’s skin off (yikes, that sounds even worse than I thought). Instead, I prefer to steam them. So I load up a steam basket, put it above a pot of slowly boiling water, and let it steam until the potatoes are just tender. The skins are left perfectly intact.
Steam or boil the potatoes until done. I prefer steaming them because it keeps the skins intact. Do not peel. Let the potatoes cool and cut into quarters.
Meanwhile, hard-boil and peel the eggs. Chop fine.
In a large bowl, gently combine the potato quarters, pickles, eggs, onion, celery and most of the chives (reserving some for garnish later).
Prepare the dressing (see below) and pour over the potato mixture. Gently stir with a spatula.
Serve warm or refrigerate for at least an hour if serving cold. Serve garnished with remaining chives.
For the dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, Dijon, pickle juice, and vinegar.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.
If the dressing is too thick add a bit more pickle juice and stir.