Sure, I normally roast my garlic in the oven or on the grill, but I found this technique which uses a slow cooker to be completely fool-proof, and it has the added benefit of making the house smell wonderful all day long. Slow cooker roasted garlic is easier than the same thing made any other way. And cleanup is a breeze, too.
Sure, I normally roast my garlic in the oven or on the grill, but I found this technique which uses a slow cooker to be completely fool-proof, and it has the added benefit of making the house smell wonderful all day long.
We made an awesome Cajun-injected turkey breast on our Char-Broil Big Easy for Christmas this year. Since it was just the two of us we ended up with quite a bit of leftover turkey meat. The last time we had extra turkey we made the most outstandingly good chipotle turkey salad sandwiches. This time, we made a sweet and savory turkey panini that was beyond fantastic. Maple bacon, crispy fried shallots, cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise. A little heat, a little crunch, a whole lot of flavor.
Oh, The Chipotle Mayonnaise!
After making a sweet and savory turkey panini you’ll want to put chipotle mayonnaise on every sandwich you ever make. And you’ll want to top them with fried shallots. Trust me. It happened to me. I went on a fried shallot kick like the world has never seen! They’re like onion rings but so much better. The cayenne pepper really goes well against the sweetness of the shallots.
I made this sandwich on my Cuisinart Griddler. It is a sandwich-cooking beast of a kitchen tool. I use mine often, for a heck of a lot more than sandwiches, too. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn’t matter. It can handle it.
1 ½pounds turkey breastcooked, sliced thin, warmed slightly if desired
1loaf focaccia bread
8slicessmoked cheddar cheesesliced (I substituted extra sharp cheddar slices)
½tablespoonunsalted buttermelted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a baking sheet pan with foil and add bacon. Do not overlap (use a second baking sheet if you need to). Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake another 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness) until starting to crisp. Remove and place bacon on a paper-towel lined plate. Cover to keep warm.
Add enough oil to a small Dutch oven or pot to have 2″ of oil. Heat to 375 F.
Combine the flour, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
Add the shallots and toss to coat well.
Working in batches, shake off excess flour mixture and add shallots to the hot oil.
Fry 2-3 minutes per side until crispy golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Whisk together the mayo, chipotles, adobo sauce, cilantro, lemon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cut bread loaf in half horizontally.
Slather bread with chipotle mayonnaise on both cut sides.
Add cheese, bacon, shallots, turkey to bottom bread piece and cover with top piece. Cut into 8 sandwiches.
Brush tops of sandwiches with melted butter.
Preheat a large skillet, Griddler, or panini press.
Working in batches, cook sandwiches 3-4 minutes until bread starts to crisp. If cooking in a skillet cover sandwich with another skillet to press down on it while cooking.
Notes
You can make these using thick-cut turkey sandwich meat, too.
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 picked up a set of kabob holders for my Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer from Amazon the other day. I’m always excited to try something new in my Big Easy. Besides roasting some red potatoes (hiding in the background in the first picture below), I decided to use the kabobs to make some super-easy (and tasty) sausage sandwiches. I grabbed some fresh Italian sausages, a few bell peppers and a sweet onion, skewered them and lowered them into my Big Easy. About twenty minutes later my sausage sandwiches on the Char-Broil Big Easy were done.
Great Sandwiches, Ready In No Time
I chopped up the peppers and onion and mixed them with a bit of Zatarain’s Creole mustard and some brown mustard. The combination of the two mustards (I call it Spicy Breole mustard….) is fantastic. A serious kick with serious mustard flavor. Served on a toasted hoagie roll. Oh, and I also made these same sandwiches using smoked sausage (as shown below). Perfect!
If you don’t have a set of kabobs for the Big Easy, you can also make these great sandwiches using the standard basket along with the available bunk basket, which gives you a lot more cooking space.
It’s always a good idea to keep a few spare grease trays on hand for your Char-Broil Big Easy.
I grabbed some fresh Italian sausages, a few bell peppers and a sweet onion, skewered them and lowered them into my Big Easy. About twenty minutes later everything was done.
Thread the sausages, pepper strips, and onion onto the kabobs.
Lower into the Big Easy and cook for about 20 minutes or until the sausage reaches 150-155 F internal temperature and the peppers and onion have started to soften and char.
Remove from the Big Easy.
Chop the peppers and onion and place in a large bowl. Stir in the mustards.
Serve sausages on rolls topped with plenty of the veggie-mustard mix.
Notes
If you don’t have kabobs, just use the standard Big Easy basket with the available bunk basket.
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 recently picked up a few stackable ovens for my oil-less fryer. For everything from pizza on the Char-Broil Big Easy to bread to pies, I knew I’d get a lot of use out of them. I actually bought a single oven to try and then after great success I ordered two more. The ovens fit together so that you can have up to 3 at a time in the Big Easy. Each has a lid, but of course I removed the lid for the picture below… otherwise you’d just see a black lid!
Perfect For Small Pizzas
I picked up some store-bought mini crusts (the insides of the ovens are about 9″ in diameter) and made some super-simple pizzas: homemade sauce, fried pepperoni (if you can fry pepperoni slices without sampling any, you are super human or from another world), mushrooms, and cheese. 10 or so minutes later we were enjoying a great little pizza hot off the Big Easy!
Note: When you first get your ovens I suggest you ‘season’ them a bit by first washing them with soap and water, and then put them into a hot Big Easy for 20 or so minutes to burn off the ‘new’. Let them cool completely before using. Also, stacking the ovens can be a challenge if they aren’t nice and round. Mine weren’t very round when I first received them. But with a little work you can get them to fit inside each other.
Ever since my wife and I went to Pittsburgh a few years ago and had lunch at Primanti Brothers, I have been jonesin’ bad for another one of their sandwiches. Good sandwich meat, warm fries, and the best part, fantastic slaw. All on good fresh bread. Soft on the inside, with a chewy crust, bread. Time to make a copycat recipe of a Primanti Brothers sandwich, by golly! Time to bring back those great memories. Oh how I wish there was a Primanti Brothers here!
Note: There was a restaurant in Indianapolis for a brief time, and I was lucky enough to eat there a few times. That’s where I also discovered Terror Tots! You need to make those too!
One Great Sandwich
Some folk complain about these sandwiches getting a bit soggy. I’ve never had one last long enough for that to happen, but if you drain the slaw really well you shouldn’t have a problem. That’s the beauty of making a copycat recipe of a Primanti Brothers sandwich at home. You can tweak it to your liking. But I gotta say, make it like it’s written and you’ll enjoy the heck out of this sandwich. I sure did.
Squeeeeeze
I like to squeeze my sandwich before I eat it. They a bit thick. Oh, I don’t mean that in a bad way, nope. But I like to pile my toppings high and well, it’s hard to get my dainty (ha!) mouth around them. So I put a hand on top of the bread and push down and give it a good squeeze first!
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.
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 use my Char-Broil Big Easy for a lot more than cooking ribs, chicken wings, turkey. I also use it to make side dishes, like these roasted Brussels sprouts. First, they’re very flavorful. Second, they’re easy (and second-and-a-half, they cook up fast). And third, they free up the oven in the house if I’m doing a large cook for the holidays. Cooking on the Big Easy is always a win-win, whether you’re cooking the main dish or a side.
Great Roasted Flavor In Every Bite
I didn’t pre-cook the sprouts at all. Just drizzled and seasoned them, skewered them, and then cooked them. Done. I used the kabob skewers available from Char-Broil but you could also just place the sprouts in the standard Big Easy basket (or get more on with the optional bunk basket). These roasted Brussels sprouts on the Char-Broil Big Easy came out great!
I use my Char-Broil Big Easy for a lot more than cooking ribs, chicken wings, turkey. I also use it to make side dishes, like these roasted Brussels sprouts. First, they’re very flavorful. Second, they’re easy.
Wow. Slow cooker caramelized onions were so much better than I ever thought they could be. They were incredibly tasty. And perfect on grilled cheese sandwiches. And on burgers, in French onion dip or soup. Any recipe that calls for onions needs caramelized onions.
The Easiest Caramelized Onions Ever.
You might get thrown out of a fancy (or actually, even a not-so-fancy) restaurant kitchen if you suggested making slow cooker caramelized onions. But you won’t get thrown out of my kitchen. I’d make these again in a heartbeat. My favorite onions to use are Vidalia onions, but unfortunately they aren’t available for very long each year.
I’m a huge fan of gumbo. Taking the time to make a great roux really pays off with fantastic flavor. It’s my go-to comfort food during cooler times. Not that a good stew isn’t great when it’s cold out, but a gumbo is what a stew wants to grow up to be. This smoked turkey and file gumbo pot pie turns gumbo into an all-in-one-dish pot pie. The biscuits were crazy good. In fact, I was quite proud of myself. They came out great. Usually anything I bake from scratch is uh… er…well, let’s just say you don’t see many pictures of anything I’ve baked on this site.
Smoked Turkey Deliciousness
I found smoked turkey wings in the meat case at our grocery store near the hams and smoked ham hocks. Smoked turkey legs also work in this smoked turkey and file gumbo pot pie.
You can still make this dish without smoked turkey. It’s a great way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make the gumbo and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
Use your fingers to rub 3 tablespoons of the butter into the flour until the mixture is sandy. Patience is a good thing here.
Use your fingers to work in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until it forms pea-size pieces.
Stir the lemon zest into the milk.
Stir the milk into the flour mixture to make a soft dough, mixing with your hands.
Lightly flour a work surface and your hands.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and form into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
Fold the dough on top of itself and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick circle, like a pizza dough.
Cut out 14 (if you get a few less, that’s okay) biscuit rounds using a 2″ biscuit cutter. Remove cut dough to a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the smoked turkey and file gumbo
Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook (making a roux), stirring constantly (don’t stop!), until the mixture thickens to a paste and turns medium brown, about 10 minutes..
Add the celery, onions and bell peppers and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, turkey meat, Cajun seasoning and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the soup thickens slightly, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Add the file powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne and the oysters (or shrimp) with any reserved liquor. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Divide the rice between 2 6″ cast iron skillets that have been greased lightly.
Divide the gumbo between each skillet.
Top with the biscuit rounds, brushing lightly with milk.
Top with 8 cups of gumbo. Arrange the biscuit rounds on top of the gumbo and brush lightly with milk.
Place skillets in the oven on the top shelf. Put a large baking sheet (or two) beneath them on the lower shelf in case some of the gumbo bubbles over.
Bake 202-5 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
It’s not as good as you think. It’s even better. This slow cooker dulce de leche is creamy, sweet, and oh so tasty. I started a batch first thing in the morning. By the time dinner was done that evening, I was enjoying a nice bowl of ice cream. Drizzled with this amazing caramel sauce, it was fantastic. Creamy. Sweet. So much richer than just caramel. It sorta reminds me of toffee, too. Or maybe even butterscotch. And oh, did the house ever have a fantastic aroma! It actually reminded me of having a caramel candle burning.
Storing The Results
Slow cooker dulce de leche sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks, but you won’t have to worry about it being around that long. It’s so creamy delicious you’ll find yourself craving it time and time again. Heck, grab some cheap ice cream. This stuff’ll make it taste expensive and fancy fru-fru!
This bone-in Cajun-injected turkey breast came out absolutely fantastic. A bit spicy, unbelievably moist, and darned good. I made it in our Char-Broil Big Easy, and believe me, it can’t get any easier. Poultry in the Big Easy normally takes 10 minutes per pound and this was no exception. Just shoot up the breast with a simple, spicy marinade, drop it in a lit Big Easy, and 80 minutes later (for my 8 pound breast) you have a perfectly cooked turkey that is incredibly juicy. The skin on this bird does not crisp up thanks to the amount of liquid in the marinade. Fans of munching on crunchy skin will be disappointed with that, but the flavorful Cajun-Injected Turkey Breast on the Char-Broil Big Easy more than makes up for it.
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 just noticed that my turkey breast looks like a Conehead.. or an old Spanish helmet!)
Bone-In Or Boneless, Either will Do!
You could make this recipe for a Cajun-injected turkey breast on the Char-Broil Big Easy using a boneless turkey breast. You’ll probably have to adjust the cooking time, and you can probably get away with using half the amount of marinade.
An upgrade for the standard basket that comes with…
Collapsible design makes loading and unloading…
For injecting my turkey (and anything else), I use a meat injector. It can handle absolutely anything you put into it. I learned early on not to buy a wimpy injector. They don’t last. Spend a bit more and only cry once, as they say!
Cajun-Injected Turkey Breast on the Char-Broil Big Easy
This bone-in Cajun-injected turkey breast came out absolutely fantastic. A bit spicy, unbelievably moist, and a lot good. I made it in our Char-Broil Big Easy, and believe me, it can’t get any easier.
Trim any excess skin from the breast. Rinse it and pat it dry.
Place marinade ingredients into a blender and puree for 5 minutes until smooth.
Inject turkey with the marinade in many places. Go crazy, but not so crazy that you create a turkey pin cushion (I try to slide the needle under the skin and inject in several spots so there aren’t as many holes).
Fire up your Big Easy.
Spray the Big Easy basket with non-stick spray.
Insert the turkey breast and lower the basket into the Big Easy.
Cover (see my note) and cook 10 minutes per pound.
Check temperature in multiple spots. Once the turkey reaches 165 F remove it from the Big Easy and cover it in foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Carve as desired.
Notes
I usually don’t cover my Big Easy with the lid until the last 30 minutes of cooking, otherwise the top part of the turkey gets too dark compared to the rest of the turkey.