Smoked and Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham

Spiral-cut hams from the grocery store are already cooked, and often smoked. That doesn’t mean that they can’t get even more awesome with a little more time on a smoker. A sweet glaze doesn’t hurt either. The end result is a lightly smoky flavored ham with a deliciously sweet crust. Like this smoked and glazed spiral-sliced ham that disappeared in no time.

Smoked and Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham

The Perfect Ham

This smoked and glazed spiral-sliced ham was perfect for sandwiches, salads, and just eaten as-is. It has the perfect smoky flavor without being overpowering.

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 used apple for this ham.

If you want to kick up your ham with a coffee-infused gravy, check out my red- and black-eyed gravies. My pepper onion beer sauce makes for a great topping for ham!

Smoked and Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham
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5 from 1 vote

Smoked and Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham

Spiral-cut hams from the grocery store are already cooked, and often smoked. That doesn’t mean that they can’t get even more awesome with a little more time on a smoker.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword ham, smoked
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 35 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 2508kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the basting sauce

Instructions

  • Fire up a smoker for cooking at 225 F. You can also make this in an oven or on a grill over indirect heat, but be careful to not dry out the ham – keep the temperature low and baste it often.
  • Add 2 small chunks of cherry or apple wood. Do not add very much wood or it will over-power the ham, since it is already smoked.
  • Sprinkle the ham with the rub and massage it into the meat. Transfer the ham to the smoker.
  • Combine the syrup and butter.
  • Every 1 hour, baste the ham with the basting sauce.
  • Continue cooking for about 5 hours or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140 F. Remember, the ham is already cooked. You’re just warming it and adding flavor.
  • Let the ham rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Notes

Makes for great sandwiches, too!

Nutrition

Calories: 2508kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 216g | Fat: 173g | Saturated Fat: 63g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 635mg | Sodium: 11921mg | Potassium: 2884mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 9mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spicy Roasted Olives

We absolutely loved this recipe for spicy roasted olives. It combines a little heat, some herbs, and great roasted flavor. These are fantastic. They are salty, briny, hot, and herby. They disappear in seconds! With it just being us I kept the jalapeno slices in the bowl with the olives. For a party I might take them out. Or maybe not. They do let people know that they are in for some heat. I wouldn’t want grandma to accidentally grab an olive expecting the ‘usual’.

Spicy Roasted Olives

Use Dried Herbs In A Pinch

You can substitute dried rosemary if you don’t have any fresh on hand. Make sure you grind it up well in a mortar and pestle or blender before adding it to these spicy roasted olives. You want to make sure that there aren’t any large pieces of rosemary. They’ll be difficult to bite into.

Smoked olives are also out-of-this-world great. Try them and grilled bacon-wrapped olives too!

Spicy Roasted Olives
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Roasted Olives

We absolutely loved this recipe for spicy roasted olives. It combines a little heat, some herbs, and great roasted flavor. These are fantastic. 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword olives, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 208kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  • Place olives, rosemary, jalapeno and garlic into a large bowl. Stir.
  • Squeeze juice from the tangerines into the bowl.
  • Add the tangerines halves in also.
  • Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and stir well.
  • Pour into an 8" x 8" baking dish.
  • Cover and bake for 1 hour.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

If serving as leftovers (as if there will be any), let them come to room temperature first.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Boy, I love a good salad, and this loaded up southwestern Cobb salad was sure easy to love! Go nuts! Put anything you want onto it! We used our smoked turkey breast for extra yummy goodness!

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Get Inspired

Whenever I’m making Cobb salads for dinner, I start at the grocery store. I walk through the product section and grab whatever looks good. It’s easy to find inspiration for a southwestern Cobb salad. I add a protein or two (cubed chicken, ham or turkey always go well). And I add some crunch (bacon, crumbled chips, croutons). Rinsed canned beans are also a great addition to a Cobb salad. The end result is always fantastic.

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 check out my awesome smoked chicken Cobb Salad.

Southwestern Cobb Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Boy, I love a good salad, and this loaded up southwestern Cobb salad was sure easy to love! Go nuts! Put anything you want onto it! 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • Red leaf lettuce chopped
  • Green leaf lettuce chopped
  • Smoked turkey cut into bite-sized cubes
  • Bacon cooked, drained, and crumbled
  • 1 can black beans rinsed, drained
  • 1 can sweet corn drained
  • Radicchio sliced thin
  • Tomato chopped
  • Red onion soaked in water for 10 minutes, then chopped fine
  • Avocado cubed
  • Extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • Blue tortilla chips lightly crushed

Instructions

  • Line a platter with the lettuce and top with the remaining ingredients.

Notes

You can use your favorite salad ingredients.

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Bone-In Maple Turkey Breast

Smoking a turkey breast isn’t like smoking ribs or pulled pork, which I usually cook at temperatures around 225 F. For a turkey skin to get good and crisp you need a higher temperature. I smoked this turkey breast at 350 F. I also basted it with a wonderful maple butter sauce at the end. This smoked bone-in maple turkey breast was fantastic. It’s easier than it might seem and incredibly tasty and moist. The breast meat is amazing.

Smoked Bone-In Maple Turkey Breast

To Brine Or Not To Brine

If you are using a natural turkey breast you will want to brine it before cooking it. If you are using a self-basting breast (like I did), no brining is required. Most frozen breasts are already brined, so read the package first. Either way you’ll enjoy this great smoked bone-in maple turkey breast for dinner. Or lunch.

I smoked this turkey using my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker but I did not put any water in the water pan so I could reach 350 F.

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 used apple for this turkey.

Also try my smoked boneless turkey breast.

Smoked Bone-In Maple Turkey Breast
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Smoked Bone-In Maple Turkey Breast

If you are using a natural turkey breast you will want to brine it before cooking it. If you are using a self-basting breast (like I did), no brining is required. Either way you’ll enjoy this great smoked bone-in maple turkey breast for dinner.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword breast, smoked, turkey
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 176kcal
Author MIke

Ingredients

For the maple butter glaze

Instructions

  • Start up your smoker and get the cooking temperature to 350 F. Add only 1 or 2 small chunks of smoking wood.
  • Rinse and dry the turkey.
  • Sprinkle the breast with rub and massage into the meat.
  • Put turkey onto smoker and cook until meat temperature approaches 155 F.
  • Baste the turkey with the glaze and continue cooking until turkey reaches 165 F, glazing a few times as it cooks.
  • Remove turkey and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Notes

Slice thin or thick for the best turkey sandwiches.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 260mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey

These little crunchy bruschetta with gorgonzola and honey bites combine the bite of Gorgonzola and honey. They’re incredibly addicting. A little crunchy, a little tang, and a little sweet. What’s not to love?

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey

Yummy. And Quick.

Yep, the recipe for this Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and honey is easy to make. It’s the contrast between the blue cheese and the honey that is fantastically addicting. The honey really mellows the cheese, making for a great, flavorful bruschetta bites.

I like to make these on the grill. They make for a great side dish to any grilled meal. You don’t always expect grilled bread so it’s a nice change.

Also try my herbed ricotta bruschetta and my grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta.

Inspired by a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey
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5 from 1 vote

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey

These little crunchy bruschetta with gorgonzola and honey bites combine the bite of Gorgonzola and honey. They’re incredibly addicting. A little crunchy, a little tang, and a little sweet. What’s not to love?
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword blue cheese, bread, honey
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 328kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Cut bread into thin slices.
  • Brush bread with oil and place onto a baking pan. Bake about 10 minutes or until the bread is golden.
  • Top bread with cheese and bake another 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve drizzled with honey.

Notes

You can also use regular blue cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Rib Tips

Any time I cook up a batch of St. Louis-style ribs, I make rib tips. Rib tips are the various trimmings leftover from making a rack of spareribs into a rack of St. Louis ribs. I’m a big, big fan of rib tips. They’re tender and tasty, and best of all, they are done before the ribs are, making for an excellent snack while you’re waiting for the main attraction. To be quite honest, I love ribs tips more than the ribs themselves! Oh my! Blasphemy!

Rib Tips

A Word Of Caution

Remember that there is a lot of cartilage and bone in rib tips. You have to be careful eating them as sometimes you can get a small piece in a bite. Just chew slowly and enjoy the lovely flavor.

Check out my recipe for 3-2-1 St. Louis-style spareribs. They are fantastically tender and tasty, and of course, you can make some tips from the trimmings! It’s a win-win!

Rib Tips
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5 from 1 vote

Rib Tips

I’m a big, big fan of rib tips. They’re tender and tasty, and best of all, they are done before the ribs are, making for an excellent snack while you’re waiting for the main attraction.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Author Mike

Instructions

  • Season rib tips with your favorite rub.
  • Smoke along with your ribs at 225 F, for 2 hours.
  • Remove tips to a pot and add BBQ sauce to cover.
  • Simmer for another hour or until very tender.

Notes

Serve with lots of paper towels.

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Greek Chicken Salad

This grilled Greek chicken salad was one of those “throw-a-few-things-together” dishes. I had some chicken sitting around that I needed to use up. And some Greek yogurt. And I was in a Greek mood… at least in a mood for Greek tastes. The combination of the grilled marinated chicken and the vinaigrette worked very well. The chicken was very tender and moist, while the vinaigrette had a nice vinegar and Dijon flavor. Although not a traditional salad like you might order in your favorite restaurant, it hit the spot and satisfied my Greek cravings.

Grilled Greek Chicken Salad

You Can Skip The Skewers

I skewered the chicken pieces and then grilled them on my Weber grill. My wife isn’t a fan of grilled foods that have holes in them. Next time I’ll butterfly the chicken breast and marinate and grill it whole. No holes. Even better grilled Greek chicken salad.

You can also cut the marinated chicken into pieces and place it into a vegetable basket. This makes grilling easy. No worries about skewers. And cleanup is easy. Just toss the basket into the dishwasher.

Also try my oriental chicken salad.

Grilled Greek Chicken Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Grilled Greek Chicken Salad

This grilled Greek chicken salad was one of those “throw-a-few-things-together” dishes. I had some chicken sitting around that I needed to use up. And some Greek yogurt. And I was in a Greek mood… at least in a mood for Greek tastes. The combination of the grilled marinated chicken and the vinaigrette worked very well. 
Course Main
Cuisine Greek
Keyword chicken, grilled, salad
Prep Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 199kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the salad

  • Grilled Greek chicken see below
  • Vinaigrette see below
  • Greens
  • Kalamata olives sliced
  • Cucumber sliced
  • feta cheese crumbled

For the chicken

For the vinaigrette

Instructions

For the chicken

  • Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large resealable baggie.
  • Seal and shake to mix well.
  • Add chicken and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  • Shake off excess marinade.
  • Place chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and grill, turning occasionally, on all sides until done.

For the vinaigrette

  • Place all ingredients in a small jar. Cover.
  • Shake until well combined.

For the salad

  • Top greens with chicken, olives, Feta and cucumber.
  • Serve with the vinaigrette.

Notes

Use a grill basket and you won’t have to skewer the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1296mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

3-2-1 Smoked St. Louis-Style Spareribs

There are hundreds of variations on this approach, but this is how I make 3-2-1 smoked St. Louis-Style spareribs. The end result is a tender, moist, flavorful rib. Spareribs are our favorite. They are meatier, bigger, and tastier than back ribs. And, when trimmed St. Louis-style, you get an extra bonus: rib tips.

Gorgeous Ribs

Here are the ribs, trimmed and rubbed, ready to go onto the smoker (I used my Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker), followed by the final product. Yummy tasty ribs. I already removed the membrane on the back at this point. You want that pretty, even, rectangular shape. Ok, that doesn’t make them taste better but it’s cool.

3-2-1 Smoked St. Louis-Style Spareribs

3-2-1 smoked St. Louis-Style spareribs are amazing. I can eat them like candy. And I have. But if you prefer baby back ribs, check out my technique for making 2-2-1 smoked baby back ribs. Baby backs are less fatty so they tend to dry out if you’re not careful.

Need a great homemade sauce? Here are just a few of the ones I’ve made and love: smokehouse, southwestern, atomic, Sriracha and sweet-n-spicy.

You can also make delicious St Louis-style ribs on a gas grill or Char-Broil Big Easy!

3-2-1 Smoked St. Louis-Style Spareribs
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5 from 1 vote

3-2-1 Smoked St. Louis-Style Spareribs

There are hundreds of variations on the 3-2-1 approach to smoking St. Louis-style spareribs. The end result is a tender, moist, flavorful rib. Spareribs are our favorite. They are meatier, bigger, and tastier than back ribs. And, when trimmed St. Louis-style, you get an extra bonus: rib tips.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword ribs, smoked
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 960kcal
Author From various sources

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set up your smoker for cooking at 225 F. Add your wood of choice (I used cherry).
  • Trim the ribs St. Louis-style. There is an excellent tutorial on how to do this on the Virtual Weber Bullet.
  • Add rub to the ribs, rubbing into both sides of the slab.
  • Place ribs on smoker and smoke for 3 hours.
  • Remove ribs and place onto a large piece of aluminum foil.
  • Sprinkle top of ribs with half of the brown sugar and honey.
  • Flip and sprinkle bottom side with the remaining brown sugar and honey.
  • Pour apple juice over ribs and seal the foil.
  • Return ribs (in foil) to the smoker and cook another 2 hours.
  • Remove ribs from foil and place them on the smoker.
  • Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce and smoke up to another hour until meat starts to fall off of the bones, basting with more sauce as desired.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

The ribs get a nice smoky flavor. I recommend against using a smoky BBQ sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 960kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 76g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 260mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread

This garlic Parmesan skillet bread is a great way to make a big batch of tasty, savory bread for dinner. It looks cool and is just about as no-fuss as you can get. I cooked the bread in a cast iron skillet, which I think gives the bread a bit more of a crust on the bottom, but you can use a saute pan that is able to handle 350 F in the oven (most can).

Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread

Change It Up. Or Don’t.

I can see making this using cheddar instead of Parmesan, and perhaps a little Cajun seasoning instead of Italian for something a little different. Don’t get me wrong, garlic Parmesan skillet bread is delicious as it is. It’s just fun sometimes to change things up a bit.

This bread is best made in a cast iron skillet.

Also try my Italian herb skillet bread.

Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread
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4 from 1 vote

Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread

This garlic Parmesan skillet bread is a great way to make a big batch of tasty, savory bread for dinner. It looks cool and is just about as no-fuss as you can get. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword bread, garlic Parmesan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 263kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1 can flaky buttermilk biscuits

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Melt butter in an 8″ cast iron skillet (or saute pan).
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Add the garlic, seasoning, and cheese.
  • Stir, coating the bottom and sides of the pan with the mixture.
  • Tear biscuits into 1/4ths and toss into pan. Just put them in there in any order you want.
  • Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

I also like to substitute Cajun seasoning for the Italian seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Classic Wedge Salad

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of iceberg lettuce, but we are. When fresh and cold, iceberg has such a wonderful crunch. And nothing is easier than slicing a head of iceberg into wedges and serving it as a classic wedge salad. We made one with blue cheese dressing and Gorgonzola crumbles, one with ranch dressing and feta…

Classic Wedge Salad

Hey, It’s Fun!

.. and then I used my waffle fry cutter to add a few fancy radishes. They were all fantastic on this classic wedge salad.

The first time I made these for my parents they thought it was the coolest idea. Most restaurants don’t serve wedge salads, so it was something new and exciting to them. I love that about food. Not everyone has seen everything, you can do something totally new every day, every meal!

Also try my Brussels sprout Caesar salad.

Classic Wedge Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Classic Wedge Salad

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of iceberg lettuce, but we are. When fresh and cold, iceberg has such a wonderful crunch. And nothing is easier than slicing a head of iceberg into wedges and serving it as a classic wedge salad. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword salad
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 44kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon cooked, crumbled
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce core removed, cut into 4 wedges
  • salad dressing blue cheese, ranch, etc
  • cheese crumbles blue cheese, Gorgonzola, feta, etc
  • ½ cup red onion diced
  • ½ cup tomato diced

Instructions

  • Place wedges on 4 salad plates.
  • Top with dressing, cheese and your other favorite toppings.

Notes

Serve extra dressing on the side for dunking the wedge bites!

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 832IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.