Mike, Author at Life's A Tomato

Southern Toasted Pecans

I’m mighty partial to my dad’s pecans. They’re the best in the world as far as I’m concerned. I’m always ready to dig into a bowl of them.

This recipe for southern toasted pecans is a little different than your usual sweet or hot pecans. These are quite savory, and highly addictive to boot. If you have fleur de sel on hand I recommend using it over large-grained kosher salt – the flavor boost is amazing.

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Prefer walnuts instead of pecans? Try my cheddar walnuts and my sweet, spicy and salty candied pecans.

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4 from 1 vote

Southern Toasted Pecans

I’m mighty partial to my dad’s pecans. They’re the best in the world as far as I’m concerned. I’m always ready to dig into a bowl of them.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword pecans, roasted, southern

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 447kcal

Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning or more
1 pound pecans halves
kosher salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 300 F.
Combine the butter, Worcestershire, kosher salt, and seasoning in a medium bowl.
Add in the nuts and toss to coat.
Pour nuts out onto a sheet pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring and flipping every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.

Notes

Store in an air-right container.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Creole Pizza

This started out as an attempt to make Cajunlicious’ Cajun Calzones, but I failed at getting the calzones to seal correctly, so I went with Plan B – Creole pizza, and I have to say, these were darned tasty good! Tremendously flavorful and packing a nice spicy punch, each bite is fantastic. And different.

Andouille For The Pizza Win

Andouille sausage on a pizza is fantastic. It’s a nice change from your usual pepperoni or Italian sausage. The Creole meatball sauce is quite tasty, like a regular pizza sauce but with the addition of celery, bell pepper and a little Creole seasoning.

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.

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I always use my fantastic Creole meatball sauce when I make this pizza.

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4 from 1 vote

Creole Pizza

Pizza with a fantastic Creole twist!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Creole, pizza

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

1 pizza dough
1 tablespoon butter melted
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup Creole meatball sauce
1 Andouille sausage lightly browned, sliced thin
¼ cup green bell pepper sliced thin
¼ cup red bell pepper sliced thin
¼ cup sweet onion sliced thin
Mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven per dough instructions. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface.
Stir the Creole seasoning and garlic powder into the butter and brush onto the dough.
Add the sauce and top with remaining ingredients.
Cook as the dough instructions say.

Notes

If you can’t find andouille you can substitute smoked sausage.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Roger Staubach’s Chili-in-a-bag

When I was a young lad, Roger Staubach was my hero. I was too young to really understand football, but I knew enough to realize that Roger “The Dodger” was the real deal. I had my Dallas Cowboys pajamas, and a Cowboy’s leather (ok, fake leather) jacket, and I even played football on the 5th grade Cowboy’s team (that didn’t last long, but that’s a whole other post entirely). Anyway, here’s Roger Staubach’s Chili-in-a-bag.

Nothing Fancy, But It’s Mighty Good

So, because he and I are so connected (!), I figured I’d better make Roger Staubach’s chili-in-a-bag recipe! This isn’t one of those cook-all-day, fancy fru-fru chili recipes. But it is darned good. Seriously good. I poured it into small bags of Fritos and they disappeared in minutes! In many ways it reminds me of another of my favorites, a Walking BBQ (BBQ in a bag!),

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Also try my slow cooker Lone Star State chili.

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5 from 1 vote

Roger Staubach’s Chili-in-a-bag

Darned good chili that is very easy to make. The Ranch-style beans are what really make this chili. Substitute kidney beans if you have to, but it won’t be quite as good!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, chili

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 644kcal

Author Based on Roger Staubach’s favorite chili

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
½ white onion chopped
½ green bell pepper chopped
1 ¼ cups ketchup do not substitute tomato sauce
½ cup water plus a little more
2 tablespoons chili powder mild or hot
15 ounces Ranch-Style Beans un-drained
kosher salt
ground black pepper
hot sauce to taste
cheddar cheese shredded
2-3 green onions chopped
4 1 ounce Frito chips

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven or medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown.
Add in the onion and bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has started to soften.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Add in ketchup, water, chili powder and beans.
Add salt and pepper and hot sauce, to taste.
Stir. Add more water, a little at a time, if the mixture is too thick.
Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour.
Let cool slightly.
Spoon into chip bags.
Top with cheese and green onion and serve.

Notes

Best served with plastic spoons. Trust me.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Grilled Caramel Apple Cheese Sandwich

Jessica over at How Sweet It Is posts some fabulous food. Her idea for a grilled caramel apple cheese sandwich is just one of them. The combination of the crisp apple, sweet caramel and creamy cheese is to die for. This made for the perfect lunch.

Good Caramel Makes A Difference

A good (read: expensive) caramel will take this sandwich over the top. You will still enjoy it with a less costly alternative. Just don’t use something overly sweet and candy-ish. This grilled caramel apple cheese sandwich is somewhere between dessert and lunch.

My Cuisinart Griddler was made for making sandwiches just like this one. Even though it can do a lot of things, it’s the star of the show when it comes to getting bread just the perfect crispiness. And getting cheese just the right meltiness. And for me at least, one that is sandwich-flipping-challenged, I find it much easier to handle sandwiches on this press. Heck, I don’t even have to flip them since it has hot griddles above and below the sandwiches! You can’t beat that!

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The Griddler is a champ at making grilled cheese sandwiches, like my spicy grilled cheese, muffuletta grilled cheese, grilled spinach and artichoke cheese, and pepperoni pizza grilled cheese.

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4 from 1 vote

Grilled Caramel Apple Cheese Sandwich

The combination of the crisp apple, sweet caramel and creamy cheese is to die for.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled cheese, sandwich

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 460kcal

Author Jessica from How Sweet It Is

Equipment

Cuisinart Griddler

Ingredients

4 slices multigrain bread
2 tablespoons butter softened
4 ounces brie cheese sliced thin (or more, depending on the size of your bread slices)
1 honey crisp apple thinly sliced (a mandolin works best)
3 tablespoons caramel sauce

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Spread the butter on one side of two slices of the bread and place them, butter-side down, into the skillet.
As the bread cooks, drizzle each with a 1/2 tablespoon of caramel.
Divide half of the brie between the two bread slices, add another 1/2 tablespoon of caramel, the apple, the remaining caramel and finally the rest of the cheese.
Butter one side of the remaining bread slices and place on top.
Flip sandwich once the bottom slices are well browned.
Continue cooking until the bread is browned and crispy and the cheese has melted. You might find that the cheese melts better if you put a lid over the skillet while cooking.

Notes

If you want to cool the sandwiches a bit before serving, do so on a wire rack so that the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Mini Cinnamon Rolls

I’ve made my share of homemade cinnamon rolls, but always the full-sized ones. These mini cinnamon rolls from Iowa Girl Eats are fantastically sweet. They’re easy, and a nice lighter alternative to large, morning nap-inducing rolls. I woke up early one morning and made these for my wife to take into work. Everyone really enjoyed them.

Great For A Crowd, Too!

Mini cinnamon rolls are a great thing for feeding a crowd. Well, if you can keep everyone from grabbing two handfuls at a time, that is! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made these and every time they are a big hit. As easy as they are, they always make people happy!

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Keep the mini theme going with some mini corn dog muffins and some mini baked ham and Swiss sandwiches. And wow everyone with my homemade cinnamon brown sugar Pop Tarts.

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5 from 1 vote

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

These mini cinnamon rolls are fantastically sweet, easy, and a nice lighter alternative to large, morning nap-inducing rolls. I woke up early one morning and made these for my wife to take in to work. Everyone really enjoyed them.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 172kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces Pillsbury crescent roll dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
cinnamon
brown sugar

For the maple icing:

1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk
¾ cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Unroll the dough into two squares of 4 triangles each.
Pinch the seams between the dough triangles together.
Lightly roll out with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4" thick.
Brush the dough with the butter.
Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Don’t go crazy, just enough to lightly cover the dough.
Roll up the dough pieces into tight logs.
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each dough log into 8 pieces.
Place into miniature muffin pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake 9-15 minutes until the rolls have risen and are golden in color.
Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the icing.
Remove the rolls from the oven.
Remove from the pan and drizzle with the icing.

Notes

Reheat leftover rolls in the oven for 5 or so minutes at 350 F.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Beef and Italian Sausage Chili

This beef and Italian sausage chili is a wonderfully tasty chili. The Italian sausage really adds a lot to the flavor. It isn’t spicy. But it can be if you add a lot of hot sauce or use hot Italian sausage. The broth is flat-out crazy delicious. That’s what distinguishes a good chili from a great chili. This is great chili.

Sausage And Beef Make For Great Chili

This recipe actually changed my view of beef-only chili. Now, I almost always add Italian sausage to my chili. At least most of my beef chilis that is.

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I found this recipe in Marjie Lambert’s great cookbook, The Real Chili Cookbook. I did make a few minor changes for our tastes. Also try my deluxe version of beef and Italian sausage chili.

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4 from 1 vote

Beef and Italian Sausage Chili

Fantastic take on traditional beef chili.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, chili, Italian, sausage

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings

Calories 329kcal

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

½ pound Italian pork sausage
2 pounds beef chuck cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium white onion chopped
1 medium green pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 14 1/2 ounce beef broth
8 ounce tomato sauce
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
hot sauce to taste

Instructions

Crumble the sausage into a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until cooked.
Add the beef and cook until browned. Spoon off excess fat.
Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook another 4 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Add water (or more broth) if the chili gets too thin.
Season with salt if needed. Serve hot.

Notes

Even better with a dollop of sour cream on top!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Homemade Cheezit Crackers

Oh wow these homemade Cheezit crackers were great! And what fun to make! This was the perfect project on a very cold winter’s day. What’s better than something that’s fun to make and has the added bonus of being fun to eat?

Fun To Make. More Fun To Eat.

These homemade Cheezit crackers taste just like the ones you buy in the store. Next time, I’m going to add some Creole seasoning to give them some kick! Or, maybe I’ll make my Cheez-It-alianos!

You’ll want to use a pastry wheel when cutting the crackers. I picked one up for cheap off Amazon. It’s a fun little toy!

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I also love making homemade gummy bears, Jolly Rancher lollipops, and cheese straws!

Print Pin

4 from 1 vote

Homemade Cheezit Crackers

What’s better than something that’s fun to make and has the added bonus of being fun to eat?

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword crackers, homemade

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 237kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Double Bugs

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces sharp cheddar shredded (I used Tillamook)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ stick butter softened and cut into 4 pieces
½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water ice cold

Instructions

Combine the cheeses, garlic powder, butter, and salt in a mixer using the dough paddle. The dough will be very crumbly.
Mix in the flour and slowly add in the water (make sure you use very cold water!) until the dough is the consistency of a pie dough.
Divide the dough into halves and form into discs.
Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Place dough on parchment paper or silicon mat and roll out to a 1/8" thickness. Try to make the dough as square as possible.
Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1" squares.
Poke a hole in the center of each square with a toothpick and transfer to un-greased baking sheets.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.
Remove to cooling racks and sprinkle with additional salt if desired.

Notes

Try other cheeses for great flavor variations.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Creole Meatballs and Spaghetti

We’ve really been enjoying the big batch of Creole meatballs we made. As appetizers, on subs and over pasta, they are tasty and my favorite part, they have kick! This Creole meatballs and spaghetti came out quite tasty, and it definitely has some great spicy kick to it.

Our Creole meatballs are so tender and tasty. Definitely not bland like plain old meatballs. Topped with a great spicy tomato sauce, this is a great dinner dish. Just add some of our Gotta-Have-It garlic bread and a little salad on the side, and you’ll be in heaven!

A Great Meal In No Time

I keep these meatballs and sauce on hand for a quick meal. Just heat them up and serve over pasta with some Parmesan and you’ve got dinner. Creole meatballs and spaghetti never disappoint.

Geedel Rotary Cheese Grater, Kitchen Mandoline…

Makes Everything Simple : Just forget your bagged…
Premium Material : All parts of the rotary cheese…

Also try my chicken and smoked sausage etouffee.

Print Pin

4 from 1 vote

Creole Meatballs and Spaghetti

These Creole meatballs and spaghetti came out quite tasty, and it definitely has some great spicy kick to it. Our Creole meatballs are so tender and tasty. Definitely not bland like plain old meatballs.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword meatballs, spaghetti

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 377kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

2 ounces spaghetti or your favorite pasta
12 Creole Meatballs
1 cup Creole meatball sauce
Parmesan freshly grated

Instructions

Cook the pasta per package instructions and drain well. Divide between two plates.
Top pasta with meatballs and sauce.
Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese.
Serve.

Notes

Best served with garlic bread.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Creole Meatball Sub Sandwich

My wife proclaimed this to be the ‘best sandwich I’ve ever made’. It’s messy, has some kick and it is very yummy. I wouldn’t change a thing about this Creole meatball sub sandwich next time I make it, which will be very soon!

A Great Messy Sandwich

My Creole meatballs pack a bit of a punch. I like that. A lot. They’re tender and just perfect on a Creole meatball sub sandwich, loaded with lots of my Creole meatball sauce and topped with cheese. Don’t skimp on the sauce. The sign of a good sandwich is one that drips when you pick it up and take a bite.

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I make a big batch of the Creole meatballs and freeze a good number of them. They defrost in minutes and make for the perfect quick dinner.

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4 from 1 vote

Creole Meatball Sub Sandwich

This is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever made. It’s messy, has some kick and it very yummy. I wouldn’t change a thing about this Creole meatball sub sandwich next time I make it, which will be very soon!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword meatballs, sandwich

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 289kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread split lengthwise
12 or more Creole meatballs warmed
1 cup or more Creole meatball sauce warmed
Mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Lightly toast the bread in your oven.
Add meatballs, top with sauce and cheese.
Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Cut into 4-6″ slices and serve

Notes

Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping your sandwich!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Creole Meatball Sauce

This is the sauce I use on my Creole meatballs if I am serving them over pasta or on meatball sandwiches. The meatballs already have some kick, so this sauce is a little more mellow. But, if you want more heat, just substitute Rotel tomatoes for the diced tomatoes and pucker up!

How can you pass up a Creole meatball sub sandwich, smothered in this great sauce? I can’t, that’s for sure. The messier the better I always say!

Or meatballs over pasta, heaped with delicious sauce?

I double or even triple this recipe to make sure I always have some sauce on hand. It freezes well and makes for a quick and easy dinner over noodles.

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This sauce is also fantastic on my Creole pizza.

Print Pin

4 from 1 vote

Creole Meatball Sauce

This is the sauce I use on my Creole meatballs if I am serving them over pasta or on meatball sandwiches. The meatballs already have some kick, so this sauce is a little more mellow.

Course Sauce

Cuisine Creole

Keyword Creole, meatballs, sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 87kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Deep South Dish

Equipment

Saucepan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup white onion chopped
¼ cup celery chopped
¼ cup green bell pepper chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
15 ounces petite diced tomatoes undrained
2 teaspoons sugar
Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook until slightly softened.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook another 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add sugar, Creole seasoning to taste, and the basil.
Stir and continue simmering for 15 minutes.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers. Warm over medium heat before serving.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Magnetic handles keep Cups together for storage…