Chances are, if I have a grill fired up, there’s going to be a smash burger in my near future. They are my go-to quick-and-easy dinner. Simple. Fast. And oh so good. I want my patties to be packed with flavor. This copycat Freddy’s burger seasoning is an absolutely fantastic way to add great flavor to any burger. This stuff is like magic. A little smoky earthiness. A little garlicky and onion-y. Salty sweet. Add a little or a lot to your next burgers and you’ll be happy.
My Bad. But Still Good.
Oops on me, I didn’t have any turmeric for my copycat Freddy’s burger seasoning. No problem. I used dry mustard instead. You’re just looking for something with a little earthiness to it. Cumin would be great too, but my wife is not quite the big cumin fan, so mustard it was.
Rotisserie St Louis-style ribs are something I’ve been wanting to make for some time. I usually smoke my ribs, low-and-slow or high-and-fast on my smoker. This time I decided to give ribs on my gas grill a shot to see if I would like them as much as my ‘traditional’ method of cooking ribs. Well, by golly, I did and then some! I really enjoyed these ribs. They had great flavor. They were still moist and were as tender as could be. And they had this slight crunchiness to the skin that was just fantastic. Oh, and they were easy to make to boot! These were winner-winner ribs for sure!
Indirect Cooking
When you put your ribs on your grill it’s important that they do not sit (well, spin) over direct heat. If you look at the very far right of my picture above you’ll see that the very end of my rack got a little dark. That’s because there’s a burner right below that part of the ribs. I didn’t realize that until it was too late. I learned from my experience. The rest of the ribs were fantastic and I’d make them again and again (but I’d make sure that they were 100% in indirect heat!).
I put the apple juice into a cheap spray bottle and then spritz the ribs every 30 minutes or so. Spraying them is easier than using a brush and it makes sure I’m not brushing off any of the seasoning.
Spread the mustard on all sides of the ribs. Just a light coating will do.
Sprinkle the rub over the ribs and pat gently to adhere. Don't forget to get the back and sides of the ribs.
Fire up your grill for rotisserie cooking over medium-low heat, around 300 F.
Place a large drip pan under the rotisserie.
Skew the ribs onto the rotisserie. Be careful doing this. Never put your hands where the sharp end can skewer you and not the ribs! Run the spit thru the first and second bone on one end. Bend the ribs slightly (like an 'S') and skewer between the next set of bones where you can skewer without breaking the ribs. Finally run the spit thru the last two bones. Secure with the rotisserie forks. It's ok if you have to remove the spit and try again to get the ribs nice and skewered down the middle. An extra hole or two isn't going to hurt anything!
Place the spit onto the grill and start the motor. Close the grill lid and cook for 2 – 3 hours or until the meat on the bones has pulled back from the ends by about 1/2". I like to spray my ribs with apple juice every 30 minutes while they spin. You can also brush them with the apple juice but do so carefully as you don't want to brush off your seasoning.
Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce and let cook another 10 minutes for the sauce to set.
Carefully remove the spit from the grill using thick grill gloves and remove the ribs.
Cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
I like to use a smoky BBQ sauce to give these even more of a ‘hot off the smoker’ taste.
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 admit that I have a big time addiction to scalloped potatoes. I can make them in all sorts of flavors, like these pimento cheese scalloped potatoes using the Char-Broil Big Easy. Heck, it might be just a few ingredients, but oh, is it so tasty yummy! Leftovers heat up easy too. Well, if you have any. I highly recommend that you double the recipe.
Making the pimento cheese scalloped potatoes
Everything for these pimento cheese scalloped potatoes is pretty much cooked before you place them into your Char-Broil Big Easy. At any rate, you’re using the great infrared heat of the Big Easy to melt the cheese and get a nice brown on the potatoes and a little crunch. They come out of the cooker bubbling hot and crazy addictingly good.
These Dutch oven pans fit into the bunk bed baskets perfectly and they make for easy clean up. Another key point is that you can easily fit two baskets into a Big Easy without any problem. Although three can fit but you’re in for a challenge getting the last one in. Doable, but possible.
Above all, as with any disposable pans, you have to support the bottoms of the pans when lifting them. The bunk bed basket helps with that a lot. Getting the one out of the bottom of the Big Easy is trickier. I sometimes slide a large spatula in from the side to support the bottom while I lift it up far enough to get my heat-proof gloved hand underneath.
Bring to cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Add the potatoes. Add more cream if the potatoes aren't covered.
Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are just becoming tender. This will take 10-12 minutes. If the potatoes stick to each other you can break them apart with a fork but be careful to not poke or break the potatoes.
Remove potatoes from the heat.
Fire up your Big Easy.
Spoon 1/3 of the potatoes into the pan. Also add some of the cream sauce.
Spread the potatoes out evenly.
Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1/3rd of the cheese and 1/3rd of the pimentos.
Add another 1/3 of the potatoes and some of the cream, topped with another 1/3rd of the cheese and 1/3rd of the pimentos.
Finish up with the last of the potatoes, cream, cheese and pimentos.
Transfer the pan to the Big Easy. I recommend using a Bunk Bed basket because it's easier to get in/out of the Big Easy and it provides support to the bottom of the pan.
Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is starting to bubble and the tops of the potatoes start to turn golden brown.
Carefully remove the pan from the Big Easy. If using a Bunk Bed basket remove just the basket.
This is it. The best shrimp I’ve ever made. With the best dipping sauce. I could eat these Parrot Bay coconut shrimp embarrassingly fast, and in embarrassingly large quantities. I’m not ashamed to admit it. They’re fantastic. Lightly crunchy. Lightly sweet. With a wonderful tropical sauce. There’s coconut all around, but it’s not overpowering at all. It’s perfect. These are amazingly good shrimp.
Quality Ingredients Make For Great Shrimp
The key to these Parrot Bay coconut shrimp is to not skimp on the ingredients. Get quality coconut rum. Get good pina colada mix. And most importantly, get great shrimp. I only use wild-caught Florida or Louisiana shrimp. Shrimp to Shore ships as soon as their catch is caught.
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
If you search around, you’ll find quality shrimp that is fresh-caught, not farm-raised, and can be delivered to your doorstep quickly. Or find a local fish monger that can get you shrimp. Don’t settle for less than the best, this dish deserves it.
I could not have been happier with how these spice-brined grilled chicken breasts turned out. I was looking for tender, flavor-packed, juicy chicken to use in a big batch of chicken salad. And that’s exactly what I got. I grilled my chicken (in this case, split chicken breasts, but boneless skinless will work just fine too) on cedar planks for a little extra flavor and aroma, but you can skip that and do them directly on your grill grates too.
For The Best Results, Go Skinless
I am not a fan of skin-on chicken when it comes to brining although you can certainly use it if you want. Leaving the skin on normally does help keep the meat from drying out, but that’s not really needed here. And no way is it going to get crispy enough to enjoy. So, skip it if you want. I did. This spice-brined grilled chicken breasts recipe doesn’t need any tinkering with. It’s great just as it is.
You can use any seasoning on the chicken you want, but I would shy away from anything heavy on salt (you already brined it it) and sugar (it’ll burn over the high grill heat).
You can use any seasoning on the chicken you want, but I would shy away from anything heavy on salt (you already brined it) and sugar (it'll burn over the high grill heat).
Stir in the salt, sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering, stirring often, for about 20 minutes. Make sure that the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
Remove pot from heat, cover and let cool completely, at least 2 hours.
For the chicken
Add the chicken to the brine and transfer the pot to the fridge for 2 hours and up to 4 hours maximum.
If cooking the chicken on cedar planks, begin soaking them in water 30 minutes before using.
Fire up your grill for direct and indirect cooking.
If using planks, char the planks over direct heat on both sides first. Add the chicken and move the planks to indirect heat and continue cooking, 30-45 minutes or until the chicken measures 165 F with a thermometer.
Place chicken directly on the grates over high heat and sear on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Move the planks to indirect heat and continue cooking, 30-45 minutes or until the chicken measures 165 F with a thermometer.
Let chicken rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Great sliced thin for sandwiches or in chicken salad!
I loved this roasted garlic chicken with Parmesan gravy so much that I made it twice in one week. The downside was that the house pretty much smelled like garlic all week. That glorious garlic aroma, in my opinion. Some may not share my enthusiasm about so much garlic, but I definitely would NOT cut back on the amount of garlic in this dish.
Garlic. And Lots Of It.
If you follow this recipe for roasted garlic chicken with Parmesan gravy as it is, you’ll be as happy as happy can be with the end result. I also changed up the garlic a few times. Once I made it with garlic that I had first been cooked in a slow cooker. Fantastic. Once I made it with garlic that I smoked on my smoker while I was smoking a few racks of ribs. Devine.
No matter what garlic you use, use a lot. And I do mean a lot. Twenty cloves may seem like a lot now, but you won’t regret using the full amount or more. The gravy, rich and creamy with a slight nutty Parmesan taste is so good I’d have had it for dinner by itself if I could.
Smoked Cheez-Its are the perfect game-time snack. They’re addictingly good. They’ll disappear unexpectedly quickly, so make sure you make extra. And make all sorts of different flavors. Since I had all sorts of different flavors of Kosmos Q seasonings on hand I was able to make all sorts of variations, from the mild and sweet to the hot and spicy.
You Can Smoke Any Snack Cracker!
Truth be told, the method for making smoked Cheez-Its can be used for pretty much any snack cracker. You’ll want to use a fairly mild-flavored cracker, or use one that compliments the seasoning you want to use. You don’t want the cracker flavor to fight the seasoning.
¼cupyour favorite seasoningto taste. I used around 3 tablespoons of Kosmos Q Honey Barbecue
Instructions
Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use a lighter wood. You want a bit of smoke but don't overdo it.
Place the crackers in a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Drizzle over the crackers and gently stir to coat the crackers. Take your time, you want them all covered well.
Transfer the coated crackers to a large disposable pan, spread out evenly, and place onto the smoker.
Smoke the crackers for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes. The crackers will turn a golden brown. They'll be a little soft, but don't worry, they'll get crunchier when they cool.
Remove from the smoker and let cool before serving. Optionally, spread out onto a wire rack to cool quicker.
Notes
You can also use other flavors of Cheez-It or even try a mix of different ones.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-make remoulade that really shines with seafood, this red pepper remoulade is it. I used the remoulade on crab cakes, but it’d be perfect with shrimp too. Or as a dipping sauce for fried fish fillets. It’s also great with other things, such as onion rings and yes, even French fries! It’s nice and creamy. It’s not spicy, but flavorful. It packs in a lot of flavor despite being incredibly easy to make.
Great On Sandwiches. Fantastic, Actually.
Another great use for red pepper remoulade? Yep, on roasted, grilled or fried shrimp po boy sandwiches. Burgers. Smear it all over those burger buns before serving. Man, that’s good eats!
If you prefer a spicier remoulade, substitute spicy chili sauce. Or just add a few pinches of dried red pepper flake or cayenne. Or just try my spicy remoulade instead!
I created a ‘quick fix’ category here so I’d have a place to click on for my easiest recipes. A short list of ingredients and a short amount of time is the rule. Something you can throw together and yet still enjoy. Like these quick fix pizza tots. It doesn’t take much to take your standard frozen tater tots (one of my favorite go-to quick sides) and give them a little different flavor. In this case, the flavors of pizza.
Pizza Without The Dough
If I’d found some pepperoni slices in the pantry (trust me, I looked) I would’ve chopped them up and added them to these quick fix pizza tots when I added the cheese. Crumbled cooked Italian sausage would be great too! Just keep it quick, and easy. Canned black olives. Onion. Diced green bell pepper. These are all great ideas for topping this super-simple side dish.
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. Get the real stuff.
I created a ‘quick fix’ category here so I’d have a place to click on for my easiest recipes. A short list of ingredients and a short amount of time is the rule. Like these quick fix pizza tots
Here recently I bought my first ever case of Hatch chiles. I had no idea how big a case would be, but I do now. Over 150 peppers. I roasted them all, freezing some (whole) for later use. The rest, well, I put to work immediately. Starting with this wonderful roasted Hatch chile queso dip. The roasted chiles add such a fantastic flavor to what is your pretty-much-standard queso dip. A good queso dip that is mighty good to start with. Nice and creamy, this is the perfect dip for a party. I didn’t add any hot sauce, but you could. Just don’t go crazy with it, you don’t want to hide the taste of the peppers.
Great On Burgers, Too.
You can use this recipe for roasted Hatch chile queso dip to make a great topping for hamburgers. Or hot dogs. Just cut back on the half and half and let the sauce come to the desired thickness.
If you can’t find roasted Hatch chiles, you can substituted canned roasted chiles or, you can roast poblano or Anaheim chiles in the oven or on the grill and use those instead. Or get the real deal delivered directly to your door.
The roasted chiles add such a fantastic flavor to what is your pretty-much-standard queso dip (which is mighty good to start with). Nice and creamy, this is the perfect dip for a party.
