I have a habit of copying recipes from restaurants or food trucks I hear about or see on TV. Here lately I’ve been on a major campaign to copy some of the crazy great dogs from Duke’s Gourmet Dogs in Minster, Ohio, which closed recently. Sadly. Warm chili. Crunchy potato straws (an ingredient I haven’t had in years). And my favorite, ooey gooey cheese sauce. Lots and lots of cheese sauce. Wiz hot dogs are crazy good.
Like I’ve said before, if it’s going to be messy to eat, it’s going to taste great and Wiz dogs are definitely messy and therefore, great to eat!
Crazy Good. And Kinda Fun.
I was tempted to add a few chopped jalapenos to these Wiz hot dogs. I like some kick to my dogs but I went another route and used spicy cheese sauce instead. Nothing beats cheese on a hot dog. Except for maybe macaroni-and-cheese. Yes, on a hot dog.
Smoked Scotch eggs have been on my bucket list for a while. I finally had a little room on my Weber smoker so I jumped at the opportunity. As easy as they are to make, Scotch eggs are really amazing. It’s like breakfast in a bite. Perfectly hard-boiled eggs, smoked breakfast sausage, and a bit of BBQ sauce for dipping. They look great and they taste great. Awesome appetizers for your next cookout.
Want Some Heat? You Got It.
If you want a bit of kick to your smoked Scotch eggs add a bit of cayenne pepper or your favorite spicy rub to the bread crumbs. Not a lot, just enough to bring a little spiciness.
I prefer to use fruit or nut woods when I smoke unless I want a heavier smoke flavor. Pecan, apple or cherry are my favorites. I smoked these eggs using apple wood chunks.
Smoked Scotch eggs have been on my bucket list for a while. I finally had a little room on my smoker so I jumped at the opportunity. As easy as they are to make, Scotch eggs are really amazing.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
I’ve been wanting to make this old school BBQ chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy for some time now. I flashed back to the mid-1970s, to my earliest memory of a cookout, and chicken. Chicken legs, then. Grilled and sauced with off-the-shelf Kraft BBQ sauce. That’s it. Done. Well, this is my take on the classic I remember from 40 years ago. I used split chicken breasts because that’s what we prefer, but any cut of chicken would work just fine. Just chicken and BBQ sauce. Summer.
Not Fancy. Just Delicious.
I didn’t do anything fancy to this old school BBQ chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy. A little oil, salt and pepper and that’s it. No brine, no fru-fru spices. Just simple flavors. With your Big Easy (and specially if you add a Bunk Bed basket) you can cook up a big batch of chicken ahead of time for a picnic or family get-together.
I’ve been wanting to make this old school BBQ chicken on my Char-Broil Big Easy for some time now. I flashed back to the mid-1970s, to my earliest memory of a cookout, and chicken.
Our local grocery store had cheap steak on sale even cheaper, so I picked up one for lunch. Working from home has its advantages, and one is being able to toss a steak onto the charcoal grill during the day. As much as I love just good ole salt and pepper on a steak, sometimes I want something a little different. I had Asian-inspired flavors on the brain, so well, you can probably guess what happened next. An Asian steak marinade combining salty soy with a little sweetness and a little heat. Each and every bite was packed with tons of flavor. I enjoyed my cheap steak big time!
Great Flavor In Every Bite
I loved the combination of heat and sweet in the Asian steak marinade. I would not be afraid to add more chili paste, though. That’s just me. I like a bit of spicy in all of my dishes.
Sear ‘Em First
You do want to be careful cooking the steaks over high heat. Too long and they’ll char. Sear them quickly and then move them to indirect heat to let them finish cooking.
I had Asian flavors on the brain, so well, you can guess what happened next. An Asian steak marinade combining salty soy with a little sweetness and a little heat.
Wow, I just had no idea how much we would both love this Mexican charred corn hot dog. It has such a wonderful combination of tastes, from the bite of the onion, to that great sweetness you get from roasted corn, fantastic citrus lime mayonnaise, all served over a grilled all-beef hot dog. Topped with crumbled Cotija cheese! These dogs were an absolute treat!
Different. And Delicious.
Mexican charred corn hot dogs are light and refreshing, the perfect dogs for a sunny day. If fresh corn-on-the-cob is no longer available in your area, you can use canned or frozen corn kernels. Drain them first and pat dry so that they roast well. Pour the kernels out onto a baking sheet and place under the broiler just long enough for them to start to char. It won’t take long, so don’t walk away and ignore them. Give them a stir or two as they roast to make sure they are charred evenly.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
I’ve really been enjoying my dehydrator. I’m always looking for more things to dry, taking advantage of anything in season or fresh. I recently grabbed a few pounds of oyster and shiitake mushrooms with the goal of drying them for later use in stir-fries or soups. I found that drying them is incredibly easy. Rinse, dry, slice (if you want) and dry. Done. Dehydrated mushrooms on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro are amazing.
Storing The Results
I store the dehydrated mushrooms on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro in resealable baggies or Mason jars. Whenever I need them I just grab them and toss them into the dish. If the recipe I’m using them in doesn’t contain a lot of liquid that can be used to re-hydrate the mushrooms I’ll first toss them into some warm water for a few minutes.
Don’t Slice Them Too Small
If you decide to slice your mushrooms don’t cut them too small. They shrink a lot as they dry, and if you cut them too small they will crumble too easily and can fall thru the holes in the trays on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. I prefer to keep the mushrooms as whole as possible since you never know how you might use the mushrooms in the end. You can always cut the larger pieces later, but you can’t make the smaller pieces bigger!
I like to load up my dehydrator. To do that I picked up a handful of extra trays. They really add a whole lot more drying space! Since I have to rotate my trays, I write a number on each one on a piece of blue painter’s tape so I can keep track of them.
I recently grabbed a few pounds of oyster and shiitake mushrooms with the goal of drying them for later use in stir-fries or soups. I found that drying them is incredibly easy.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword dehydrator, mushroom, nesco snackmaster pro
My wife and I recently visited Scotty’s Brewhouse, in West Lafayette, Indiana (which sadly, is now closed). Before dinner we decided to try an appetizer, the 7 Tidals Buffalo chicken dip. One bite in and we both agreed that I had to make the same dip at home. My version is close, very close. And it’s crazy good. Not terribly hot or spicy, just right actually.
Blue Cheese. Or Not.
To match Scotty’s Buffalo chicken dip you’ll want to also add a few small crumbles of blue cheese to the cream cheese mixture. We found the dip to be fantastic without it. You can also substitute a blue cheese dressing for the Ranch for more blue cheese flavor. And for extra kick, add a few drops (ok, more than a few drops) of hot sauce to the Frank’s wing sauce.
A few times a year my wife and I take a drive down to the Exit 76 Antique Mall in Edinburgh, Indiana. About 30 minutes or so south of Indianapolis, the mall is stuffed with tons and tons of antiques, collectibles, arts, crafts, toys… just about anything you can imagine. To maximize our browsing time I like to pack quick and easy lunches, like these Fiesta tortilla wrap bites. They’re easy to make but full of flavor. And they travel well.
Perfect Meal For That Day Trip
The antique mall has a little sitting area. They have tables that are perfect for grabbing a bite to eat before antiquing. The area used to be a Subway, years ago.
The filling used in these wraps can be used for other treats too. Like for topping cut cucumbers, or as a dip. It’d also be great as the filling for a grilled cheese sandwich. Or on top of hot dogs. It’s great stuff.
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.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
We love French fries. But we don’t like heating up the house on a hot day just to enjoy some fries. That’s where my Char-Broil Big Easy comes in. I can cook (reheat, technically) frozen fries in it just like I would indoors. I like to kick-up my fries, and these Italian herb fries on the Char-Broil Big Easy are definitely kicked-up. A little butter and a few tasty herbs and it’s time to devour some mighty tasty fries!
A Bunk Bed Makes For More Great Cooking
To make these Italian herb fries on the Char-Broil Big Easy I used a bunk bed basket. It lets me double or even triple the amount of cooking space I have. I originally used a similar basket that Char-Broil has since discontinued. The bunk bed is at least as good as it was if not better!
I like to kick-up my fries, and these Italian herb fries are definitely kicked-up. A little butter and a few tasty herbs and it’s time to devour some mighty tasty fries!
Add the fries to the cooking rack, or as I do, place them in 9" non-stick pie pans.
Place into the Big Easy and cook until golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Fries towards the bottom of the rack might get done sooner, so start checking them after 20 minutes.
Pour the fries into a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Stir in the spices.
Pour butter mixture over the fries and toss to coat. Note: It's completely optional, but you can also return the fries to the Big Easy, after coating them, for about 5 minutes to get a little extra crunch on them and kind of 'set' the spices and butter.
My wife and I both agreed that these cedar-plank shrimp and grits were truly something special. The shrimp had a nice little spiciness to them. The grits had a fantastic creamy cheesiness to them. And the sauce had that wonderful (but light) Worcestershire sauce-flavored creaminess. Any one of the star components would be absolutely fantastic on its own, but together, they made for the perfect dinner.
Oh So Good. And Different.
The shrimp do not take long to cook on the cedar plank, so keep an eye on them and don’t over cook them. If you don’t have a cedar plank you can cook the shrimp directly on the grill, or skewer them first.
I can’t recommend the grits and sauce enough, though I’d eat the shrimp off the grill by themselves any day of the week.
Don’t buy any el cheapo cedar planks for this or any other dish. Get the good stuff and you won’t ever look back. Cheap planks split, warm and have splinters. Good planks are thicker, stay flat and have smoother edges.
These cedar-plank shrimp and grits were truly something special. The shrimp had a nice little spiciness to them. The grits had a fantastic creamy cheesiness to them. And the sauce had that wonderful (but light) Worcestershire sauce-flavored creaminess.
