I’ve made my share of savory popcorn snacks before. Crab boil popcorn for example has long been a favorite of mine. This time I decided to go the sweet route and add in my wife’s favorite: red velvet cake. It’s just that easy too. Make a simple red velvet cake from a box mix (or just buy a cake or cupcakes from your bakery) and add to popped popcorn. Every bite has that wonderful chocolaty red velvet flavor and hey, it looks cool too.
Because Popcorn Loves Cake. Really.
You could use any cake recipe you want when you make this Red Velvet Popcorn (though it wouldn’t be red velvet at that point!). This is also a great way to use up any cake that you might have leftover from a birthday party. It is a messy (but tasty) way to eat cake, so make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand.
I use an old Stir Crazy popper for making popcorn. It’s easy and always makes perfectly popped kernels. Nothing fancy but it does the job. There are new (I dare say, better) popcorn poppers on Amazon. But there’s something fun about using my good old popper.
Make a simple red velvet cake from a box mix (or just buy a cake or cupcakes from your bakery) and add to popped popcorn. Every bite has that wonderful chocolaty red velvet flavor and hey, it looks cool too.
Visit my other site, For The Wing, for all things chicken-wing!
I have cooked my share of wings and then some. On my Char-Broil Big Easy. And on a smoker. Sometimes, on a charcoal grill using the Vortex BBQ. Deep fried. Slow cooked. Any way, any time, I do love wings. Heck, I even put together a free eCookbook full of wings, using homemade and store-bought sauces. But until now I had never cooked wings using a rotisserie basket on my grill. One thing is for sure, this is not the last time I’ll be doing it, either. Perfectly crispy wings cooked up in no time, using a gas or charcoal grill. Nothing but yumminess here with these rotisserie chicken wings!
I coated the wings in a just a bit of oil first. Then I tossed them with my favorite wing seasoning. That’s it. For the rotisserie all you need is a super hot indirect fire. You don’t want flame directly beneath the wings as they will drip, and that’ll cause flare-ups and burning. So keep the fire around the wings, but not below and your wings will come out as great as my rotisserie chicken wings did.
Resist the temptation to open the lid to your grill while the wings cook. But I have to admit, I peaked once or twice because hey, it’s cool to see wings toss around in a basket. It’s the ultimate in food porn.
One thing is for sure, this is not the last time I’ll be making rotisserie chicken wings. Perfectly crispy wings cooked up in no time, using a gas or charcoal grill. Nothing but yumminess here!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword rotisserie, wings
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 546kcal
Ingredients
3-4pounds chicken wingsflats and drumettes separated, tips discarded
Place wings in a large resealable baggie or container. Add the oil and seasoning. Seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Fire up your grill with a rotisserie attachment. You do not want any direct fire beneath the basket. I put a disposable pan under the basket to catch and drippings. On a charcoal grill you'll want to keep the lit coals in front of and behind the rotisserie. For a gas grill you want any burner(s) to the left and right of the basket to be lit if your burners run from-to-back. If your burners run from left-to-right you want to have the burner(s) in front of and behind the basket to be lit. If you have an infrared burner above your basket, light it also and turn it to medium-high. All other burners should be on high.
Transfer the wings to the basket and place on your grill. Turn on the rotisserie and close the lid. You want high heat, so no peaking. Let the wings cook for 20 minutes before checking them. They should start to crisp and the meat will start to pull back from the bones. Mine ended up taking 25-30 minutes until they got how I liked them.
Carefully remove the wings from the basket and sauce and serve.
Notes
Use caution removing the wings as they and the basket are very hot!
I recently smoked a big block of Velveeta. When I first mentioned the idea you could actually hear the gasps. Half were in amazement, half were not impressed. Well, for those not on the smoked Velveeta train, time to admit you were wrong because it’s crazy, crazy good! My first recipe for it? Yep, smoked Velveeta macaroni and cheese!
This Is Something Special
You could make this recipe with ‘regular’ Velveeta instead. But I have to say, smoked Velveeta macaroni and cheese is something special. The flavor is just right. The creaminess is what you’d expect.
This recipe is also fantastic using smoked cheddar cheese, something I’ve made a few times also. You can also find smoked cheddar in most stores. Sadly, you cannot find smoked Velveeta in stores. Yet.
For those not on the smoked Velveeta train, time to admit you were wrong because it’s crazy, crazy good! My first recipe for it? Yep, smoked Velveeta macaroni and cheese!
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, smoked
I was ‘fridge diving’ when I came across a tube of crescent roll dough. I had already forgotten why I had originally purchased it. For all I knew, I was probably going to make chicken salad crescent sandwiches. Well, it didn’t matter because I knew then that with just a few more ingredients I could spruce them up to go with that night’s spaghetti dinner. These garlic-cheese crescent rolls are proof that it doesn’t take much to make plain into … well, not plain! These were the perfect rolls for to go along with my easy pasta dish, perfect for sopping up any sauce on the plate!
You can use any spices and cheese you desire. Whatever you think might go together best. You don’t have to make garlic-cheese crescent rolls exactly like the recipe. I like to substitute smoky chipotle powder for the spices for a nice southwestern, lightly spicy variation. Creole and Old Bay seasonings make for a totally interesting twists that pair well with shrimp dishes. Go crazy with it!
Impress everyone. Use a huge basting brush to brush these rolls. No point in messing around. Plus, it’s great for the grill!
I have been a huge fan of anything Sloppy Joe since I was a kid. Back then I thought there was only one way to make Sloppy Joes: open a can, warm the sauce, slop it on a bun. Well, times have changed and so has my Sloppy Joes. These slow cooker Sloppy Joes put that canned stuff to shame. Rich flavorful tomato sauce with a little kick. I loved the combination of ground beef with breakfast sausage. Different. Perfect. And all so easy to make using a slow cooker.
Add Some Crunchy Contrast
I topped my slow cooker Sloppy Joes with a tangy vinegar-based Delta coleslaw. I liked the crunchy contrast. The vinegar in the slaw complimented the vinegar in the meat sauce. I think a creamy coleslaw would have made the sandwiches too creamy. I never thought I’d say that but like I said, my Sloppy Joe game has risen to a whole new level now.
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.
If you have a family member (or heck, if it’s you!) that loves dark meat, I highly recommend making roasted turkey wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy. They take no time at all and come out crispy and delicious. There’s no special preparation required. Just a little oil and salt and pepper. Sure, you can substitute your favorite poultry rub for the salt and pepper if you want but don’t use anything with sugar in it. The high heat of the Big Easy may cause the sugar to burn.
The Best Turkey Broth
You can often find turkey wings on sale right before or after Thanksgiving. I grab as many as I can and roast them up for making turkey broth. The broth makes for the absolutely best turkey gravy you can imagine. Seriously, I make it by the gallon.
Of course, you can just eat these at wings, too! They’re fantastic!
If you have a family member (or heck, if it’s you!) that loves dark meat, I highly recommend making roasted turkey wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy. They take no time at all and come out crispy and delicious.
It was salad week here. Every few weeks or so, we have salads every night of the week. It’s a nice fresh change sometimes from a lot of grilled foods but that doesn’t mean that it’s a week of sadness. I mix it up by using a large variety of ingredients. And I always make at least one homemade salad dressing. Like this wonderful Thai sweet chili dressing. The dressing is a wonderful combination of tropical flavors, a little heat and a lot of Asian inspiration.
There’s A Lot Of Greatness In This Dressing
Your salad doesn’t have to be Asian in nature to enjoy this Thai sweet chili dressing. It’s great no matter what you toss onto the plate.
I’m a huge fan of coconut milk and I was happy to see that this recipe has plenty of it. And fish sauce. Now, fish sauce is one strong smelling sauce. But don’t fear it. It really makes this dressing amazing. If you’re not sure about it, add a little, taste, and add more if you want. I use an expensive, quality fish sauce. I learned early on that you get what you pay for, specially when it comes to fish sauce.
Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!
The reason I made such a big batch of these Buffalo Ranch pretzel bites isn’t because I needed a huge amount for a family get-together. Sure, I needed some, but not a ton. Nope, I made a big batch because I wanted more for myself. Sorry, but it’s true. I was being selfish, but for a good reason. I love them. Crunchy, and a bit buttery, they taste a bit like spicy Buffalo wings dipped in Ranch dressing.
Not Just For Pretzels, Nope!
You don’t have to use pretzels to make these Buffalo Ranch pretzel bites. If you prefer, any cracker will do, specially oyster crackers or saltines. Just don’t substitute something that is strongly flavored and might not go well with the Buffalo Ranch seasoning. That would make for a bowl of sadness.
The reason I made such a big batch of these Buffalo Ranch pretzel bites isn’t because I needed a huge amount for a family get-together. Sure, I needed some, but not a ton. Nope, I made a big batch because I wanted more for myself.
I’m lucky in that I usually love darn near everything I make. These Mississippi Mud cheesy potatoes are definitely no exception. In fact, love may be an understatement. My wife and I both devoured them. You just can’t beat the tender potatoes, ooey gooey cheese, crunchy smoky bacon, and green onions. It’s a lot like having a loaded baked potato, and yep, you guessed it, I love loaded baked potatoes too.
Spice ‘Em Up
The only possible change (and really, it’s a stretch perhaps) I would make to these Mississippi Mud cheesy potatoes would be to add a roasted jalapeno or two. Actually, that’s not a stretch at all. Or maybe a pinch or two of smoked paprika or chipotle powder. Yeah, I’m going that for sure now! It’s not that this dish NEEDS some spicy kick to it. It’s that I like things with a little heat more than things without it. So why not add just a bit? Me, I figure anything I would add to a bake potato, I can add here too!
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.
It’s the sauce. The wonderful sauce. I could not stop slurping it up. Hey, no one else was here. I can slurp all I want. And I did. Oh yes, of course this chicken and smoked sausage etouffee has great chicken, spicy andouille and a number of other flavors. But man, it’s the sauce that I could not get enough of. This is comfort food at its absolute best.
Lots Of Stuff. But It’s Still Easy To Make.
Chicken and smoked sausage etouffee is one of those recipes that might be a bit intimidating because of the number of ingredients. But it’s actually very easy. And it’s definitely well worth the time and effort. This is one of my favorite things to make, cold day or not.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this soup 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!
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the andouille and brown on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the butter and melt. Whisk in the flour and cook 10-12 minutes or until brown.
Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic to a food processor. Pulse a few times to roughly chop then add to the Dutch oven with the roux. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes to cook out some of the liquid.
Add the beer and deglaze the pot. Make sure to scrape up the yummy bits that may have stuck to the bottom.
Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, paprika and cayenne. Stir.
Add in the chicken pieces and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken has started to fall off the bones.
Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board and pull the meat from the bones. Shred and return to the pot.
Slice the andouille and add back to the pot. Warm thoroughly.
Serve over warm cooked rice garnished with chopped parsley and green onions.
Notes
You can substitute boneless, skinless thighs instead.
