Main Dishes Archives - Page 48 of 49

Four-Pepper Chicken Fried Rice

I’ve been subscribing to Chile Pepper magazine (no longer in publication) for quite some time now. Though I certainly don’t consider myself to be a Chilehead, I do like some heat in my dishes, like this four-pepper chicken fried rice. A lot of people are afraid of using peppers or hot sauces in their dishes, but I’ve found that if you experiment with them you can get a better tasting dish, and one that doesn’t burn off the roof of your mouth.

Fried Rice With A Twist

I found this recipe for four-pepper chicken fried rice in the November 2009 issue of the magazine. It came out absolutely fantastic. You can use whatever peppers you have really. I had some roasted chicken left from a cookout on my Char-Broil Big Easy. It worked just great in this meal. Rotisserie chicken would be fantastic, too.

I’d make this again in a heartbeat.

Kikkoman Japan Made Soy Sauce, 33.8 Ounce

Also try my grilled Kung Pao chicken with egg-fried rice.

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5 from 1 vote

Four-Pepper Chicken Fried Rice

Fantastic flavors with a little kick to boot!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fried rice

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 349kcal

Equipment

skillet

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 pound green beans fresh, trimmed, and cut into 1" lengths
3 jalapenos seeded if desired, cut into strips
2 red bell peppers cut into strips
2 poblano peppers you can substitute green bell peppers, cut into strips
6-8 dried chiles
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce plus more for serving
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 cups chicken roasted, chopped
green onions chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook rice per package instructions.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet.
Add the green beans and cook until slightly tender, about 8 minutes.
Add in the peppers and dried chiles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the vegetables to a large bowl.
Reduce heat to low.
Add the eggs and scramble. Cook until done.
Remove to the bowl with the vegetables.
Add the remaining oil. Increase the heat to medium high.
Add in the rice and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
Add in the chicken, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Stir.
Cook until the chicken is heated.
Add the vegetables and eggs back and heat.
Serve garnished with green onions and a little extra soy sauce on the side.

Notes

Rotisserie chicken is great in this dish!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Smoked Pulled Pork Po Boy

One of my favorite things to throw on the smoker is a pork butt. Pulled pork is well worth the time it takes to make. I made a big batch of BBQ the other day. Now, usually, I’ll throw it on a bun with some BBQ sauce. Or I’ll even put it in a baked potato (soooo good!). This time, I went with a smoked pulled pork po boy.

I Have To Have Slaw

You can pretty much throw anything on a smoked pulled pork po boy and it’ll be good, but start with good BBQ and you end up with a fantastic sandwich! And don’t forget the slaw. That coolness, that crunchiness, that’s what makes a good sandwich great. As does the messiness. A great sandwich makes a mess when you pick it up and take a bite. The juices have to run down your arm and onto your plate. Or into your lap. An ingredient here, an ingredient there will fall out onto your lap. You pick those up, get some of the juices from your plate on them, and into your mouth they go. Hey, I know it’s not pretty. It’s not supposed to be.

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Also try my slow cooker New Orleans roast beef po boy.

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Pulled Pork Po’Boy

Great po’boy!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pulled pork, sandwich

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 160kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

2 loaves French bread halved lengthwise
1 cup Kaw-Cajun Comeback sauce or more, or your favorite remoulade
1 pound pulled pork BBQ
1 pound slaw mix broccoli slaw mix works great too!
1 jar coleslaw dressing regular or Southern

Instructions

Lightly toast the bread, if desired.
Slather the bread halves with the Comeback sauce. Don’t be shy with it, either.
Add the pulled pork.
Add the slaw.
Cut into each loaf into 3 sandwiches and serve.

Notes

You can substitute mayonnaise for the Comeback sauce.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Tiny Tim’s Sub

I recently posted about one of my favorite places to eat back in my college days, Tiny Tim’s Pizza on the square in Fayetteville, Arkansas. My go-to sandwich there is the Tiny Tim’s sub. I’ve been hankering for one ever since I finished the last one, so I decided to make a clone of it. Though it’s not a complicated sandwich, it’s mighty good. I miss my days at Tiny Tim’s. This sandwich brings back great memories for sure!

The Keys To Sandwich Success

There are three things that make this Tiny Tim’s sub my favorite. First, the spicy pepperoni. Second, the delicious Canadian bacon. And last, of course, the Italian dressing. I couldn’t find creamy Italian dressing in my local grocery store, so I ended up making some from this recipe here.

Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Spears, 24 fl. oz. Jar

I like to make my own Canadian bacon. It really makes this sandwich even more amazing!

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5 from 1 vote

Tiny Tim’s Sub

My remake of the classic Tiny Tim’s sub.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken sandwiches, Italian, submarine

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 586kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

3 Hoagie buns
4 ounces sandwich pepperoni not the small pepperoni used on pizzas
6 slices Swiss cheese
5 ounces Canadian bacon finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons Creamy Italian dressing or use store-bought
handful lettuce shredded
Plain potato chips for serving
Dill pickle for serving

Instructions

Lightly toast the buns under your broiler.
Divide the pepperoni between the 3 bun bottoms.
Top with one slice of Swiss.
Add the Canadian bacon.
Slather the top half buns with the dressing.
Add the remaining cheese to the top buns.
Put under the broiler, open-faced, until lightly browned.
Top with lettuce and serve with chips and pickles.

Notes

Serve and eat with a smile.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Smoked SPAM

I fired up my smoker the other day. I was going to smoke a big chub of bologna. I figured I might as well throw a few bricks of SPAM on there too. There was plenty of room. I’m a big fan of not wasting space on a smoker. It’s already lit, why waste it? I haven’t had SPAM in like 100 years, and I’ve heard that smoking it makes it even better, so I figured… why not? Well, believe me, smoked SPAM is awesome!

A Blank Canvas For Flavors

I tried this two ways. One I just scored the SPAM and sprinkled it with Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom before putting it onto the smoker.

The other SPAM was scored in a checkerboard pattern. It expanded sort of like a Bloomin’ Onion. I then inserted some pineapple chunks and onto the smoker it went! Yum! Either way is fantastic. You can’t go wrong with smoked SPAM.

Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket

Also try my cedar planked SPAM and SPAM burnt ends.

I like to get my smoker going using my homemade fire starter cubes.

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked SPAM Two Ways

Smoked SPAM two ways!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword smoked, SPAM

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 5

Servings

Calories 232kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat your smoker to 225 F.
Score one block of SPAM from side-to-side, about halfway through. Sprinkle with rub.
Score the other block in a checkerboard pattern. Sprinkle with rub.
Smoke for 2 hours. Insert pineapple chunks into SPAM with the checkerboard pattern.
Smoke another hour.
Slice the SPAM without the pineapple and serve on sandwiches. (You can also brown them a bit in a skillet or on the grill first).
Serve the SPAM with pineapple as an appetizer with crackers.

Notes

I used regular SPAM but other flavors would be great too!

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Spiraled Hot Dogs

Just tossing a few dogs on the grill is a quick way to get dinner done. But those plain-old looking dogs can get mighty boring after a while. Of course you can put all sorts of fancy toppings on them (my favorite is the Chicago dog or just chili, onions and cheese). Another simple way to visually jazz them up is to score them in a spiral pattern, making spiraled hot dogs. This not only looks cool, it also gives your condiments a way to hold on to the dog.

Easy Once You Get The Hang Of It

To make the spiral, just start on one end with a sharp knife held at a 30-to-45 degree angle (the sharper the angle, the less spirals you’ll get) and start to rotate the dog. I find it’s easier to do with the dog standing up on one end. Start at the top with the knife, rotating the dog until the knife gets to the bottom.

For an extra flash, score the ends with a ‘+’ sign, 1/4″-1/2″ deep.

Grill the dogs until they puff up pretty and golden brown!

SLOTDOG – Hot Dog Slicing Tool – Stainless Steel Cutter Blades for Kitchen, Grilling, Tailgating, Camping and Backyard Outdoor BBQ – 10 inch – Red

Also try my steakhouse hot dogs.

TableCraft 3-Piece Nostalgia Squeeze Bottle Set, 12-Ounce

Smoked Bologna

Sometimes you want to change things up from the usual smoke – ribs, pulled pork and the like. I was feeling that way the other day when I fired up my Weber Smokey Mountain Charcoal Smoker. So, I ran down to the grocery store and picked up a 5 pound roll of bologna. The woman behind the counter wanted to know how I wanted it sliced. She looked at me rather puzzled when I told her I wanted the whole thing as-is. I told her I was making smoked bologna and that it was going to be a happy day.

I’m Scoring Challenged

Scoring the bologna can be challenging, but you don’t have to worry if it doesn’t come out perfect. It lets the smoke in a bit better and gives the BBQ sauce a place to hold on to. You can see my Red Chile smoked bologna for further proof you don’t have to get all fancy when you score your bologna.

The Best Sandwiches Ever

Sliced thin, smoked bologna is the best bologna you’ll ever have. It has a light smoky flavor and makes for absolutely excellent sandwiches. I used Cashman’s BBQ sauce on the bologna and really liked it. Our neighbor’s daughter brought it to us from Defiance, OH. I wish we had it here in Indy! (I think they no longer exist, so substitute your favorite sauce!)

Pecan Wood Chunks 4lb

Also try my pepper jack cheese-stuffed smoked bologna and if you’ve never made it, I highly recommend smoking some Spam next time you have your smoker going!

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Bologna

Sliced thin, this is the best bologna you’ll ever have.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bologna, smoked

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 5

Servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

3-5 pound bologna roll
¼ cup prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ seasoning
⅓ cup your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions

Heat your smoker to 225 F.
Score the bologna with a sharp knife every inch or so in a diagonal, making a diamond pattern. Score the ends also.
Slather the bologna with the mustard and sprinkle with the rub.
Place on smoker and smoke for 3 1/2 hours.
Slather with the BBQ sauce and continue smoking another 30 minutes.
Slice thin.

Notes

Slice thin for the best sandwiches.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Meatloaf TV Dinner Part 1: The smoked meatloaf

My wife and I picked up some old lunch trays at the antique mall recently. Ever since then we’ve been wanting to make a TV dinner-like meal. We settled on this outstanding combination of smoked meatloaf, scratch mashed potatoes with gravy, fantastic herbed peas and carrots, and a light apple pie wonton crunch.

The Star Of The Show

In this part 1 of our dinner, we’ll make the meatloaf. This was made on the smoker. You could also make it on a grill (over indirect heat), or in your oven. The original recipe came from a Texas BBQ Rub newsletter. You should try their rubs – they’re great! And sign up for their newsletter. It’s always full of great recipes, like this one!

Pecan Wood Chunks 4lb

Mashed potatoes and gravy recipe
Herbed peas and carrots recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Meatloaf TV Dinner Part 1: The smoked meatloaf

Fantastic meatloaf. Absolutely the best meatloaf you’ll ever eat.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword meatloaf, smoked, tv dinner

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3 45

Total Time 4 5

Servings

Calories 656kcal

Author Texas BBQ Rub

Equipment

Meatloaf Pan aluminum if smoking or grilling

Ingredients

3 pounds ground beef
1 medium white onion minced
1 medium green bell pepper minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper minced
6 eggs
1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
⅓ cup your favorite BBQ seasoning
1 cup Worcestershire sauce yes, 1 cup!
¼ cup liquid smoke only if baking in the oven
1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce I used Grandma Foster’s Smooth and Spicy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F if cooking in the oven.
If smoking or grilling, cut a few slits about 1/2″ up from the bottom in the pan so that the excess fat can drip out.
Mix all ingredients except for the BBQ sauce in a large bowl.
Place mixture into baking pan.
Form into a loaf.

For the smoker or grill

Smoke or grill at 225 F for 2-3 hours.
Spread BBQ sauce over top of loaf and return to smoker or grill for another 30-45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170 F.

For the oven

Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Spread BBQ sauce over top of loaf and return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170 F.

Notes

Also great sliced thin and served on bread for sandwiches.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Southern Fried Chicken Salad

We ate at a Max and Erma’s the other day. We’ve always enjoyed their southern fried chicken salad. So, I figured I’d try to duplicate it at home. And did I ever. Of course, the key to this salad is the fried chicken. For me that means two things: buttermilk and hot sauce. The rest is pretty much up to you!

The end result was very tasty, and as good as the real thing. Maybe even better. Everything about my southern fried chicken salad was delicious, and not just the chicken. Normally I’d lean towards a Ranch or blue cheese dressing, but the bottled Dijon mustard vinaigrette matched the restaurant original’s taste perfectly. This is a great salad. One that I’d make again and again!

DASH Electric Rapid Egg Cooker for Hard Boiled/Poached/Scrambled Eggs or Omelets with Auto Shut-Off Feature, Black, 7 Egg Capacity

Also try my grilled Greek chicken salad and my copycat of Max and Erma’s Santa Fe chicken salad.

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5 from 1 vote

Southern Fried Chicken Salad

My take on Max and Erma's Southern Fried Chicken salad.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fried chicken, salad

Prep Time 2 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 2 30

Servings

Calories 513kcal

Author Mike

Equipment

Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon onion powder
vegetable oil for frying

For the salad

Grape tomatoes halved
Lettuce cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
Pepper jack cheese grated
9 large eggs hard boiled, halved
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette dressing warmed

Instructions

Place the chicken in a resealable baggie with the buttermilk, hot sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Shake to cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer (3″ worth) to 350 F.
In one bowl, place the eggs and beat lightly.
In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, nutmeg, and onion powder.
Working in batches, remove the chicken from the bag. Shake off any excess marinade.
Dip into the flour mixture. Shake off excess.
Dip into the eggs. Shake off excess.
Dip into the flour mixture again. Shake off excess.
Fry until done, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate
Let cool slightly then cut into thin slices.

For the salad

Place lettuce on serving plates.
Top with tomatoes, garnish with eggs and cheese.
Add chicken.
Serve with warmed dressing

Notes

The dressing is best served warm but can also be served cold.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel

Grilled Turkey Breast Po Boy

I picked up a 3 or so pound boneless, skinless turkey breast the other day. I was going to smoke it and use it in turkey salad sandwiches, but instead I grilled it and sliced it thin for po boys, which I made two ways. Nothing beats a tender, juicy grilled turkey breast po boy on fresh bread with fresh toppings.

You don’t have to make these grilled turkey breast po boys the same way every time. I didn’t.

The first time, I served up on a hoagie roll with Southern broccoli slaw. I’ve always liked slaw on pulled pork sandwiches, and have found it goes just as well on any grilled meat sandwich.

The second po boy (ok, more a sandwich) was served up on a hamburger bun with Kaw-Cajun comeback sauce (recipe courtesy Chez John), lettuce, red onion and tomato. The perfect sandwich.

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Also try my roasted shrimp po boy. It’s mighty good too!

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4 from 1 vote

Grilled Turkey Breast Po’Boys

A great way to serve up grilled turkey (or chicken) breast.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwich, turkey

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 2

Total Time 14

Servings

Calories 347kcal

Author Mike

Equipment

Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

2-3 pound turkey breast boneless, skinless
½ bottle Italian salad dressing
kosher salt
ground black pepper
6 hamburger buns or hoagie rolls

For a classic sandwich

1 medium red onion sliced thin
handful lettuce washed and patted dry
1 large tomato sliced
¼ cup Kaw-Cajun Comeback sauce or more

For the slaw-based sandwich

12 ounce broccoli slaw mix
1 bottle southern-style slaw dressing

Instructions

Place the turkey into a large resealable bag.
Add the dressing. Turn to coat.
Refrigerate overnight.
Start up your grill for two-zone (direct and indirect) cooking.
Salt and pepper the turkey, to taste.
Lightly sear the turkey over high heat then move to indirect heat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 170 F.
Remove and let rest at least 15 minutes.
Slice thin against the grain.
Lightly toast the buns or rolls, if desired.
Slather the buns with the Comeback sauce.
Add turkey.

For a classic sandwich

Top buns with sliced turkey, lettuce, onion, and tomato.
Serve.

For the slaw-based sandwich

Combine the slaw mix and dressing.
Heap the slaw over the turkey. Serve.

Notes

You can also make this using chicken breasts, but you’ll need several to make 2-3 pounds.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Grilled Chicken Wrap with Southwestern Dipping Sauce

This is my take on a recipe for a grilled chicken wrap with southwestern dipping sauce posted on the Kraft website. I liked the original idea, but made a few changes. I really liked the final result. Oddly, my wife did not. She thought it was a tad bland. I found it to be tasty, crisp, and even better when dipped into the sauce.

Any Chicken Will Do

A lot of recipes like this one for grilled chicken wrap with southwestern dipping sauce call for using chicken breasts. I prefer to use chicken tenderloin, specially when I can find them on sale. They cook quicker and are more tender.

The dipping sauce is good for anything. Veggies. Chips. Wraps.

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.

Geedel Rotary Cheese Grater, Kitchen Mandoline Vegetable Slicer with 3 Interchangeable Blades, Easy to Clean Rotary Grater Slicer for Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts

Also try my delicious southwest wraps.

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4 from 1 vote

Grilled Chicken Wrap with Southwestern Dipping Sauce

A lot of recipes call for using chicken breasts. I prefer to use chicken tenderloins, specially when I can find them on sale. They cook quicker and are more tender.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, dipping sauce, grilled, southwestern, wraps

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 50

Servings

Calories 538kcal

Author Mike

Equipment

Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

For the wraps

1 pound chicken breasts grilled, cooled, chopped
1 ½ cups broccoli slaw see below
2 carrots shredded
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
½ cup grape tomatoes sliced
¼ cup Ranch dressing
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 whole wheat tortillas

For the slaw (you’ll have some leftover)

12 ounces broccoli slaw mix
1 jar coleslaw dressing

For the sauce

6 ounces sour cream
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons red onion minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice fresh

Instructions

For the wraps

Combine all ingredients and divide among the 4 wraps.
Roll up and place on a hot grill for about 2 minutes per side.
Serve with the dipping sauce.

For the slaw

Combine the slaw and dressing. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

For the sauce

Combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

Notes

You can substitute chicken tenderloins or even boneless skinless thighs for the breasts.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)