I had a big time hankerin’ for some Doritos the other day. I was craving that classic crunch and flavor. Well, sorta. I was craving a little something different too. So I made some cedar-plank nacho cheese Doritos. I didn’t go crazy with the cedar. After all I’m not making salmon here. I just wanted to add a little crunch and to kick the flavors up a bit. And boy did I ever get what I was lookin’ for!
Flavors And Crunch Enhanced
Cedar-plank nacho cheese Doritos get a nice little roast, and little char to them. The cedar aroma is there, but it’s light. Perfect. There’s just a slight taste of cedar to the chips. The nacho cheese flavor that we all love is still there but it’s stronger. Better. Hot off the grill, these little bites of heaven disappear in seconds.
Make Extra. You’ll Need Them.
You’ll definitely want to make several planks of these. Nice thing is that they take only minutes too make, so you can always just toss some more chips on the same plank over and over. I think you can get at least four good batches of chips on a single soaked plank before needing to soak it more.
Soak plank (or planks if you need more than one) in water for at least 1 hour.
Fire up your grill to medium-high heat, around 400 F.
Place the plank over indirect heat. Add the chips. Close the lid.
Let the chips grill for 2-5 minutes. Check them at least once. If they start to turn dark brown or char on the edges, remove them.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Note: If you prefer a stronger cedar flavor and aroma, place your soaked plank over direct heat for a few minutes first. Get a nice char on the plank. Then move it to indirect heat and add the chips.
You can’t go wrong with these pico de gallo smash burgers. They’re very easy to make and come out very juicy. A simple pico de gallo topping adds flavor and freshness, without overpowering the thin, crispy delicious patty. A little cheese and you’re good-to-go. Nothing fancy here, just a fantastic easy burger.
The Perfect Refreshing Burgers
I make smash burgers a lot. They’re the perfect quick dish. And there are literally an unlimited number of ways to top them. My pico de gallo smash burger is a great example. If don’t have pico in your grocery store, and don’t want to go through the trouble of making it, you can substitute a good chunky salsa.
I like for my pico de gallo to be good and cold before I top my burgers.
The equipment
Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.
The griddle
First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.
Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.
Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
Season the ground beef and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
Add 1/4 cup of cheese to each patty. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
Toast the buns.
Remove, add the patties and serve topped with 1/4 cup of pico de gallo each.
Oh me. Make me drool. These juicy smash burgers were packed with flavor. And oh, so juicy good! Smashed to perfection and cooked on a hot griddle, the patties get that nice little char around the edges. That crunch. That’s the sign of a good smash burger right there!
Keep It Simple
I tend to keep the toppings on my juicy smash burgers (and all my smash burgers for that matter) pretty simple. The patties are the real star of the show here. So for me, it’s a not-too-strong-of-a-cheese (Swiss), chopped iceberg, a little onion and some ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. There’s nothing fancy going on here. The patties have a great texture to them thanks to the bread crumbs. The flavor comes from beef-flavored onion soup mix. And the juiciness comes from adding mayonnaise into the patties. This recipe makes 8 patties, which is a good thing because I could easily eat two!
The equipment
Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.
The griddle
First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.
Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.
True story. I could eat an ultimate smash burger with secret spicy sauce, turn around, and eat another. Oh gosh, please don’t tell my doc. He’s already on me about chicken wings. I don’t want him to take away my delicious, juicy, nice-and-lightly-charred burgers! Oh, and that spicy sauce! It’s as if the special sauce from McDonald’s grew up and got some kick! Man is it ever good! So heck, make yourself two of these crazy good burgers and get to eatin’ and enjoyin’!
You can load up your ultimate smash burger with secret spicy sauce with whatever toppings you like. Sometimes I like mine piled high. Sometimes just some cheese and sauce will do. No matter what, they’re going to be fantastic!
The equipment
Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.
The griddle
First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.
Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.
In small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, hot sauce and jalapenos.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the smash burgers
Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
Season the ground beef and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
Add the cheese slices. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties and serve with plenty of the secret spicy sauce and desired toppings. Devour immediately.
Notes
The more napkins you have to use, the better the smash burger.
I’m a big-time shrimp addict. These spicy grilled shrimp with Cajun butter and lemon remoulade are just another reason why. I can’t stop eating them. Everything about this dish is fantastic. The shrimp are seasoned with two of my favorite seasonings: Cajun and Old Bay. Then it’s onto the grill they go, where they get basted with a wonderful spicy butter sauce while they cook to perfectioon. Oh me, the butter sauce… Finally, the tasty shrimp are served with a cooking lemon remoulade that has just a hint of spiciness and citrus. This is a great plate here!
Shrimp Heaven
You can cook these spicy grilled shrimp with Cajun butter and lemon remoulade directly on a grill if you prefer. Or you can skewer them. Me, I prefer to use a grill basket. I don’t have to worry about anything falling thru the grates when I use a basket. And I don’t have to worry about the shrimp spinning around on the skewers (though that problem can be solved by using two skewers!).
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Cajun Butter
Stir together all ingredients.
Keep warm until ready to use.
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
Place the shrimp into a medium bowl.
Add hot sauce to shrimp and stir to coat.
Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and Old Bay and stir to coat.
Fire up your grill for medium heat cooking.
Transfer the shrimp to the grill. For ease of cooking, you might want to skewer them first or use a grill basket.
Brush the shrimp with the Cajun butter. Watch out for flare-ups as you brush them. You might need to momentarily move the shrimp away from the fire until the flames die down.
Grill the shrimp 4-5 minutes per side, brushing with the butter as they cook.
Remove the shrimp from the grill and place on a serving platter.
Sprinkle with more Cajun and Old Bay seasoning and garnish with parsley.
I’m a big lover of cooking outside on a grill. Gas or charcoal, I like to mix it up. Grilling outside is a great substitute for cooking inside on or in an oven, plus you just can’t beat the experience and the added flavor. I made this spicy hot meatloaf using a grill and it came out fantastic. As a bonus, it picked up a light smokiness, which went great along with the spicy meat mixture that was packed with flavors, some traditionally found in a meatloaf and some not.
The Meatloaf Of Dreams
I cooked my spicy hot meat loaf using a grill in a large cast iron skillet. I could’ve used a large aluminum disposable pan. But, the skillet gets hotter and adds a nice crunchy layer around the edges and bottom of the meatloaf. That added texture made a noticeable, welcome difference. It kinda reminded me of the old Pizza Hut deep pan pizzas. You know the ones. They cooked them in iron skillets with a little oil. That oil helped get the bottoms and sides of the crust a little bit crunchy. That was the best part of the pizza!
If you’re going to make garlic cheeseburgers, don’t do it halfway. Don’t just sprinkle a bit of garlic salt on a patty and call it done. No. Get some garlic in there. Everywhere. In the patties. On the patties. On the buns. And then add some more. These aren’t sorta-garlic burgers. Nope. Your goal is to make sure no vampires would dare come within 500 feet of you. Get ready for it. Here comes the garlic!
Nothing Fancy. Just Delicious.
You’re not going to find a much easier burger to make than these garlic cheeseburgers. We’re not making some fru-fru $22 brew pub burger here. And we’re not making some burger that you’re going to make for that first date, either. These are gonna hang with you for a while, so to speak. So share them with close friends and loved ones. The ones that won’t mind the garlic. A lot of garlic.
You don’t have to have a bunch of fancy equipment (an injector is a must!) or ingredients to make a really, really great dish for Thanksgiving. My easy grilled turkey breast takes less than two hours to make. It comes out delicious, moist, and tender, with the best crunchy skin ever. And other than a little time basting, it’s about as fuss-free as you can get. And pretty much pretty hard to goof up, too!
This recipe for an easy grilled turkey breast starts with a frozen breast that has already been brined. Most frozen turkey comes this way. The brining process means you don’t have to brine it yourself. It also means things are going to be easy.
You can get by without an injector if you don’t have one, though I highly recommend the investment. If you don’t have one, simply (and carefully) separate the skin from the turkey on the front part of the breast. Just go slow, gently sliding your fingers in between the skin and meat and it will come apart. Then, dip your fingers into the butter mixture (after letting it cool slightly!) and rub it on the meat beneath the skin where you separated the two. That’s it. Get plenty up in there (about half of the mix) and you’ll have great results!
A Quality Injector Is More Than Worth It
You’ll need (and want) a quality injector when you prepare your turkey breast for grilling. This is not the time to skimp and get a flimsy injector. You want strong needles with the right-sized holes for making sure your injection liquid gets in to every nook and cranny of the turkey breast. I use one similar to the injector below and love it!
Rinse the breast and pat dry. Trim off any excess fat.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the seasoning
Fill an injector with half of the butter mixture (working in batches if necessary) and inject throughout the turkey. Get the needle deep into the meat of the thighs and breast.
Blot the turkey breast dry.
Place the turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and let sit out at room temperature for 1 hour.
Place the breast over the aluminum pan. Close the lid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with the remaining butter mixture every 20 minutes.
After 1 1/2 hours, and once the breast has started to turn golden brown, keep cooking and basting until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Make sure to measure the temperature in several locations, and do not let the thermometer touch the bone when testing.
Remove turkey and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. and serving.
Notes
Use a BBQ seasoning that will dissolve easily in the butter. You don’t want big chunks of ‘stuff’ that might clog the injection needle. If you have to, strain the butter mixture before injecting.
I find myself watching re-runs of Steven Raichlen’s grilling shows on PBS over and over. It seems that no matter how many times I’ve seen an episode I run across something that I have to add to my to-cook list. His wood-grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta hit me as something I needed to make and soon. So I did. This recipe proves that it really doesn’t take many ingredients or much time to make a delicious side dish. Some good bread, ricotta and cherry tomatoes and you’re just about done. I almost always have a grill going, and there’s always enough room left for a few tomatoes. This is fantastic summertime dish, but you can make it year-round too!
Tomato ‘Pop’
There’s a wonderful contrast between the crunchy bread, the pop of the tomatoes, and the creaminess of the cheese in this grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta. Roasting the tomatoes adds such a wonderful flavor. I could’ve added fresh herbs like the original recipe called for, but decided to leave them out. I’m glad that I did.
Create food never thought possible in a grill with…
Designed to perfectly roast small, delicate food…
I recommend that you use a grill basket when making the tomatoes for this dish. It makes cooking easier and you don’t have to worry about anything falling through the grates. And cleanup is easier too!
These chophouse smash burgers hit the spot and then some. I’m a big smash burger fan, and although I usually make them more traditional with lettuce, tomato and onion, the sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and steak sauce on these burgers was fantastic. Good and messy, these burgers are destined to show up on our menu often.
It’s Easy. And Fun.
Making Chophouse smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill (I use and love my Weber grills!), cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and top them with a little cheese and sautéed mushrooms and onions . And steak sauce.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the onion slices and cook until just turning soft, about 5 minutes or so.
Add the mushrooms. Stir and cook until the mushrooms and onions are caramelized and get some brown color. This can take up to 10 minutes. If too much liquid accumulates in the pan it will boil the vegetables not brown them, so drain some off if needed.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Form the beef into 4-equally sized balls or patties. Season well with salt and pepper.
Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
Top the patties with cheese and grill until they've reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
Toast the buns as desired.
Make the burgers by placing the patties on the bun bottoms.
Add the mushroom and onion mix followed by a good drizzle of the steak sauce.
