Pimento cheese makes for a great grilled cheese sandwich. Pimento cheese loaded with roasted Hatch chiles makes for an outstanding grilled cheese sandwich. Or dip. Or burger topping. The cheese melts perfectly. And there’s just that slight green chile flavor. Not overpowering, not spicy. Just a really nice pepper flavor. I like that a lot. These sandwiches are different in a very good way.
No Hatch Chiles?
If you can’t find Hatch chiles, you can substitute any mild green chile such as a poblano. Or in a pinch you can use canned green chiles. Our market sells 7 ounce cans of roasted green chiles that would work just fine as a substitute in this Hatch chile pimento cheese. That little can works out to be about the same as 3 Hatch chiles after they’ve been chopped. It’s not quite the same flavor, but it’s as close as you can get without having the real thing.
Pimento cheese makes for a great grilled cheese sandwich. Pimento cheese loaded with roasted Hatch chiles makes for an outstanding grilled cheese sandwich.
Both of the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants near us have closed. Thankfully, I picked up a copy of Margaritaville: The Cookbook, so I can make some of my restaurant favorites at home. And that starts with making the signature burgers, Cheeseburgers in Paradise.
Burgers That’ll Make You Happy
Delicious old-school burgers with a few twists that make them unique and oh-so-yummy. These Cheeseburgers in Paradise are what burgers are supposed to be: moist, seasoned well, and topped with a sauce (and some juices) that drips down your arms with every bite. The messier the better, I’ve always said.
The Perfect Burger Seasoning
I do admit that I used slightly less cumin than the original recipe called for. My wife’s not a big fan of cumin. The seasoning was still out-of-this-world fantastic. I always keep some on hand in an air-tight container for those times when I’m throwing some burgers on the griddle, which is often.
You might think that the dressing looks a lot like Thousand Island dressing. The addition of lime really makes it special and different. That reminds me, you’ll also want to try my Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers.
Delicious old-school burgers with a few twists that make them unique and oh-so-yummy. These burgers are what burgers are supposed to be: moist, seasoned well, and topped with a sauce.
Whenever my wife and I go antiquing we like to pack a light lunch for the trip. Taking our lunch instead of eating out means that way we maximize our antiquing time. But just because lunch is hauled in a cooler doesn’t mean that it’s going to be boring. I made a few fantastic Italian cold-cut wraps and this absolutely delicious creamy pasta salad for our last trip. We both could’ve eaten the salad all afternoon long, but that would’ve meant little time for looking for antiques! Perfectly creamy, with a little crunch from the onion, peas and pickles. Oh, and cheese.
Change Is Good
For a great twist on this creamy pasta salad substitute chopped green or black olives for the diced pickles. Another great change is to use smoked cheddar cheese instead of extra sharp cheddar.
Better The Next Day
This salad is even better (I wouldn’t have thought it could be any better!) the next day. Just cover and put the refrigerator overnight. Give it a quick stir before serving.
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.
Am I the only one that actually enjoyed the pizza from the high school cafeteria? Maybe I was just lucky and our school had a special recipe that resulted in good pizza. This cafeteria-style pizza is mighty good too. Maybe this is the recipe! It’s definitely easy. It’s mighty tasty. And it makes a big ole pan of pizza in no time. That’s a win for me.
Edge To Edge Is Our Pledge
The key to making cafeteria-style pizza is pouring out the batter and getting it nice and even, from pan edge-to-pan edge. It’s actually quite easy to do. And it’s much, much easier than rolling your own dough out, believe me. It’s like making pancakes, really.
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.
Makes Everything Simple : Just forget your bagged…
Premium Material : All parts of the rotary cheese…
You can use whatever toppings you normally like on your pizza. Don’t go crazy with the sauce. You don’t want to drench the dough. A little will go a long ways. In the end you’ll have a great easy pizza!
Am I the only one that actually enjoyed the pizza from the high school cafeteria? Maybe I was just lucky and our school had a special recipe that resulted in good pizza. This cafeteria-style pizza is mighty good 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.
Weber has a line of marinade mixes that you add juice to that are really, really good. They’re perfect for flavoring chicken like this lemon pepper marinated chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy. I picked up a package of each and used them to marinate my favorite, split chicken breasts. The Lemon Pepper marinade is mixed with lemon juice to produce wonderfully seasoned chicken. A little garlicky, a little herby and a little lemony, it’s a nice light refreshing marinade. You’ll love this Lemon Pepper Marinated Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy!
Keep An Eye On It!
Since it cooks at a high temperature you do have to watch that your lemon pepper marinated chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy doesn’t char. One way to help prevent that is to not use marinades containing substances that might burn, like sugar or honey. The other is to rinse the chicken before cooking. Now, you’re going to lose a bit of flavor doing that, but if like me you’re going to remove the skin before eating, it really doesn’t make that big of a difference. Lemon Pepper Marinated Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy is great either way!
This. Right. Here. Absolutely divine ‘fried’ chicken, hot off my charcoal grill. Yes, grill. Before I got a Vortex, I had no idea that not only could I make fried chicken on a grill, I could make it with almost no effort at all. No deep fryer, no mess.
This spicy buttermilk fried chicken using the Vortex is beyond tender and juicy. It has a wonderful spicy kick to it, but it’s not overwhelming. And the skin? Oh, crunchy and delicious. Perfection without the oil.
Perfect Not-Fried Fried Chicken
There’s absolutely nothing I would change about this recipe for spicy buttermilk fried chicken using the Vortex. I enjoyed every single bite immensely. I think it’s the perfect fried chicken, and considering that I made it on my Weber grill without deep frying it, I just could not possibly be happier with it.
To make sure the skin crisps up good and that the chicken pieces cook evenly, do not over-crowd them on your grill. Also, I do not flip my chicken as it cooks. I put it on, close the lid, and don’t mess with the chicken for 45 minutes. Just let it do its thing.
Well, there isn’t one. Fried chicken on the Vortex isn’t smoke and mirrors and magic and what-not. I mean it’s really really easy. You can prepare the chicken any way you want. Any traditional (or non-traditional) fried chicken recipe will work just fine. And it really just as easy as battering up the chicken and putting it on the crazy-hot grill. Then you go away for 45 minutes, though the time might vary depending on how large your chicken cuts are, wind, temperatures, solar activity, etc. You come back to perfectly cooked chicken that you’ll swear was deep-fried in oil.
Combine the buttermilk marinade ingredients (except for the chicken) in a large resealable container.
Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Combine all of the seasoning mix ingredients. Divide into two equally-sized batches.
Fire up your charcoal grill with the Vortex in the center. Make sure the lid and bottom air vents are open.
Whisk together the coating ingredients and place into a large resealable bag.
Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and place into a pie pan or large bowl.
Working in batches, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess.
Sprinkle with one half of the seasoning mix.
Transfer to the egg wash and coat well.
Shake off the excess and add to the baggie. Seal and shake to coat.
Arrange chicken around the edges of your grill (once the coals are hot and ashed over). Cover and cook for 45 minutes, rotating the lid every 15 minutes.
The last 5 minutes of cooking lightly brush the tops of the chicken with the oil to help crisp the skin even more.
Once chicken is done (165 F as measured in several places), remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
To cook 10-12 pieces of chicken at once you’ll need at least a 22″ charcoal grill
Back in my high school days I worked in a no-name sub shop. It was located on an army base, right next door to the Px. It was a high-traffic place. On a Saturday I made 100s of subs. I made some mighty darned good sandwiches if I do say so myself. But honestly, nothing I made was as good as this copycat recipe for Jason’s Deli California Club sandwich. First, we didn’t make sandwiches on croissants, which give the sandwich such a nice light buttery flavor. And I had no idea then what alfalfa sprouts were. Now I love them on a sandwich, along with guacamole. This sandwich would’ve been a big seller at the sub shop where I worked.
I always fret over the bread I use in my sandwiches. It can be a bit of a troublesome endeavor at times. Croissants are always there for me, though. They don’t require any effort at all. They’re always ready to go to work. And they’re always perfect for any toppings I can throw at them!
Go Spicy
I used a spicy guacamole to offset some of the sweetness of the croissant in my copycat recipe for Jason’s Deli California club sandwich. You can use ‘normal’ guacamole instead, or try my copycat of Jimmy John’s avocado sandwich spread instead.
No Sprouts, No Worries
I also could not find alfalfa sprouts at any of the grocery stores near our house. None of them. In fact one doesn’t carry sprouts any more at all. Luckily I found some bean sprouts. They aren’t the same thing as alfalfa sprouts but they did add a similar texture.
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.
Although I don’t eat fast food any more (or at least, it’s been years since I have), that doesn’t mean I don’t get a hankerin’ for it every now and then. Here lately I’ve been jonesin’ for a beef-n-cheddar sandwich from Arby’s, with a side of curly fries. But I wanted something a bit different than the great sandwich I can get at the fast-food chain. I wanted some kick. Some spice. And oh boy, did I get it! Presenting my Fiery Beef-n-Cheddar. Ooey gooey cheese with just the right amount of kick. Thin-sliced roast beef. And my version of Arby’s sauce, also with a punch of heat!
Spicy Satisfaction
My cravin’ for a fiery Beef-n-Cheddar was satisfied (for now)! As much as I love the classic, without any heat, I gotta have some spice now and then. More often than not, really. Life’s too short for boring food!
Ok, I ‘cheated’ one time I made these sandwiches. I just didn’t have to the time to make the cheese sauce. So I grabbed a pouch of Velveeta cheese sauce. I heated it up the microwave real quick. Then I stirred in some pickled chopped jalapenos and chipotles in adobo sauce. On the fly. To taste. The rest of the sandwich and the rest was history as I devoured it in no time.
If you’re in a pinch the Velveeta cheese sauce packets are great. Actually, they’re great even when you’re not in a pinch. I love the drizzle the heated sauce over fries or crispy crowns. Or over hot, steamed or grilled vegetables. And anywhere I need a cheese sauce. You can add stuff (like I did for these sandwiches) or not. It’s really tasty and flexible yumminess!
Presenting my Fiery Beef-n-Cheddar. Ooey gooey cheese with just the right amount of kick. Thin-sliced roast beef. And my version of Arby’s sauce, also with a punch of heat!
This BBQ Shack slaw reminds me of just that: the kind of great slaw you can get at just about any respectable BBQ joint across this country. Nothing fancy, but cool and fresh, the perfect side dish for a big ole pulled pork sandwich. Or, the perfect topping for any BBQ sandwich or grilled hot dog.
Make It Chunky. Or Don’t.
I chopped the slaw ingredients in my food processor, which can be a dangerous thing. I swear it has a big block V8 engine in it. In no time it’ll take a chunk of cabbage and turn it into sawdust. I have to be careful. I had actually intended for this BBQ shack slaw to be a lot more chunky than it came out, but it was still delicious.
Oh I know. You don’t even have to tell me. You’re thinking “What in the world are these? SpaghettiOs deviled eggs? Why!?!” Well, I don’t know why. No, they’re not really deviled eggs. But in their own way, they’re kind of cool. Hey, what kid wants to eat grandma’s boring deviled eggs? On the flip side, what kid wouldn’t want to eat eggs stuffed with SpaghettiOs? Seriously, they’re pretty darned good! Stop making that face!
Go Crazy With It!
Once you warm to the idea of SpaghettiOs deviled eggs (and you will), you can mix up the stuffing. Try RavioliOs. Or SpaghettisOs with meatballs! And there are many themed cans you can try. Mix it up. You could easily make one of the most unique deviled eggs platters ever!
I use a little egg cooker when making boiled eggs. It cooks them perfectly every single time!
