Sriracha Honey Ham Glaze

It’s Easter time, and among other things, that means hams go on sale. I can’t pass up a cheap ham, so I grabbed a smoked spiral-sliced ham at the market. I warmed it up per the package instructions (does it get any easier?), but instead of using the odd-looking and somewhat questionable packet of glaze that came with the ham I brushed it with this great Sriracha honey ham glaze. Man, was it ever good! Just enough of that great Sriracha flavor and kick, with a tad bit of sweetness!

Sriracha Honey Ham Glaze

The Perfect Ham Sandwich

The Sriracha honey glazed ham was great by itself. It was flat-out perfect on toasted ciabatta with extra sharp sliced cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and yellow mustard. I also chopped up the ham after glazing it and used it in an out-of-this-world great omelet. It was so good that I think I’ll go to the market early tomorrow and grab another ham while they are still on sale.

If you’re looking to step up your ham with a coffee-infused gravy, check out my red- and black-eyed gravies. Also make my cherry sauce glaze!  My pepper onion beer sauce makes for a great topping for ham!

Sriracha Honey Ham Glaze
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5 from 1 vote

Sriracha Honey Ham Glaze

The Sriracha honey glazed ham was great by itself, but flat-out perfect on toasted ciabatta with extra sharp sliced cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and yellow mustard. 
Course Glaze
Cuisine American
Keyword ham, honey, spicy
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 1251kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat and heat thoroughly while your ham is cooking.
  • When the ham is done brush the glaze over the ham. If you want, save a bit of the glaze for brushing on the sliced ham.

Notes

Use hot honey for a slightly spicy version of this glaze.

Nutrition

Calories: 1251kcal | Carbohydrates: 335g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1615mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 333g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

18000 Island Dressing

You could put boring ketchup on your hamburger. Or maybe some mayonnaise. You could slather on some Thousand Island dressing. Or, you could just skip all that and go with big flavor instead. Bold flavor. And kick. 18000 Island Dressing is truly 18 times more flavorful than the classic. There’s nothing boring about it, thanks to a healthy dose of chopped jalapenos. Anywhere you used the ‘boring’ stuff, use some of this instead.

18000 Island Dressing

A Great Sauce For Everything

18000 Island Dressing isn’t just for burgers either. It’s great on sandwiches or our favorite, wraps. And hot dogs (if you haven’t tried mayonnaise-based sauces on your hot dogs you should, it’s a very welcome change from just using mustard). Anywhere you want bold flavor, it brings it.

These little sauce dipping cups are great for serving salad dressings. They keep me from over-dressing my salads, which is something I’m prone to do since I’m a dressing-aholic. They’re easy to clean up, too. And they’re also great for dipping nuggets, tenders or even chicken wings.

Check out some of my other great burger sauces, like Nancy’s, a copycat of Smashburger’s sauce,  and of course, a copycat of the sauce on the McDonald’s Big Mac.

Also try my more traditional dressing.

18000 Island Dressing
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5 from 1 vote

18000 Island Dressing

18000 Island Dressing is truly 18 times more flavorful than Thousand Island dressing. There’s nothing boring about it, thanks to a healthy dose of chopped jalapenos.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade salad dressing
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 1602kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a blender.
  • Process until smooth.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

This dressing is crazy good on grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, sub sandwiches and even hot dogs!

Nutrition

Calories: 1602kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 168g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 2358mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 797IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Shake’N Bake

It has been a long, long time since I have made Shake’N Bake pork chops. They were a staple in my bachelor days. I also recall my mom making Shake’N Bake chicken or pork chops back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Honestly, I’d forgotten all about it until the other day when I came across a copycat recipe for Shake’N Bake. I instantly flashed back to the pork chops of years passed, and thought… boy, I really need to make those again. So I made the copycat of the mixture, but of course I had to add my own little twist. That twist came in the form of great, spicy smoky chipotle powder. What a great addition. I so loved these chipotle Shake’N Bake pork chops.

Chipotle Shake'N Bake

Smoky Spicy Greatness

Don’t go crazy adding the seasoning to this chipotle Shake’N Bake. You want just enough to get a hint of smokiness. A hint of heat. Subtle is what you are after and that’s what you’ll ended up with. If you want less subtle and enjoy curry, try my curry Shake’N Bake. My lowcountry smothered pork chops are a true treat too!

My favorite way to use chipotle Shake’N Bake is on pork chops cooked in my Big Easy.

Chipotle Shake'N Bake
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5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Shake’N Bake

Don't go crazy adding the seasoning to this chipotle Shake’N Bake. I wanted just enough to get a hint of smokiness. A hint of heat. Subtle is what I was after and that’s what I ended up with. 
Course Seasoning Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword pork chops, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 3 cups
Calories 616kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Copycat Shake’N Bake

Instructions

Copycat Shake’N Bake

  • Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • Add the oil and stir until the lumps are all gone.
  • Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months until ready to use.

For pork chops

  • Preheat oven to 425 F.
  • Rinse chops and pat dry.
  • Working in batches, transfer chops to a resealable bag.
  • Add chipotle Shake’n Bake mix.
  • Seal and shake to coat chops.
  • Shake off excess coating and transfer chops to a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

For chicken

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Working in batches, transfer chicken pieces to a resealable bag.
  • Add chipotle Shake’n Bake mix.
  • Seal and shake to coat chicken.
  • Shake off excess coating and transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes for bone-in chicken or 20 minutes for boneless chicken until done.

Notes

Always stir before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 3161mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1095IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Guacamole Spice Mix

I looked up ‘guacamole’ on Wikipedia. Why? I wanted to see if just adding a spice mix to smashed avocados actually qualifies as ‘guacamole’. And yes, it does. This spice mix is a great substitute for fresh-made.

Guacamole Spice Mix

The great thing about this mix is that it uses items right out of my pantry. Ready to make at any time. Easy and fast, and great on a hot dog or as a dip for warmed tortilla chips. And it has some kick to it (it has to if I’m going to eat it). If you love guacamole, you’ll love this spice mix. If you happen across some Hatch chiles, make my spicy green chile guacamole!

Oh if you haven’t ever tried it, guacamole is great on hot dogs! I highly recommend it!

Also try my dry onion soup mix.

Guacamole Spice Mix
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5 from 1 vote

Guacamole Spice Mix

This guacamole spice mix is a great substitute for fresh-made guacamole.
Course Spice Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword guacamole, seasoning
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 8kcal

Ingredients

Guacamole

  • 2 medium avocados seeded, mashed
  • guacamole mix from above

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
  • To make guacamole add 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons of mix, to taste, to mashed avocados and combine.
  • (Optional) Add diced Roma tomatoes and the juice of half a lemon.
  • Serve.

Notes

Best served immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 8kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mango-Basil Dipping Sauce

I love using cocktail sauce for dipping boiled or grilled shrimp. When I don’t make my own I grab a bottle or two of cocktail sauce at the store. But there are times when you want something different. A different flavor than cocktail sauce, something fruity. Something without horseradish.

Mango-Basil Dipping Sauce

Bring On The Shrimp

This mango-basil dipping sauce is different. It has a fantastic tropical flavor, making it perfect for shrimp.

You can make other variations of this great mango-basil dipping sauce simply by substituting other fruits for the mango, such as papaya or pineapple. If you want a little kick to your sauce, add a bit of hot sauce (preferably something fruity, like a habanero sauce) or even some red pepper flakes. You can use different flavored hot sauces too, to come up with totally new versions of this dipping sauce. Cholula, one of my favorite hot sauces, makes this 5-pack that has all sorts of different flavored sauces.

These little sauce dipping cups are great for serving this sauce. They’re easy to clean up, too. And they’re also great for dipping nuggets, tenders or even chicken wings.

For the shrimp, I made a batch of copycat Bubba Gump shrimp on my Char-Broil Big Easy.

Also try my Delta Dippin’ sauce. It’s mighty yummy too!

Mango-Basil Dipping Sauce
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4 from 1 vote

Mango-Basil Dipping Sauce

This mango-basil dipping sauce is different. It has a fantastic tropical flavor, making it perfect for shrimp.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword dipping sauce, fruity, herbs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 267kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Notes

Stir before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 799mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 4499IU | Vitamin C: 179mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoky Chipotle Rubs

I love my smoker. My Weber Smokey Mountain gets a workout all through the year, making everything from jerky to pulled pork. Sometimes I want a great smoky flavor (and some heat) from my gas grill or my Big Easy. That’s where these smoky chipotle rubs come in.

The smoked paprika in both versions of rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. The big difference between the two versions? I use the first when I want an earthier, more southwestern flavor. I use the second when I want a bit more texture, a little heat, and the added flavors of garlic and onion.

Smoky Chipotle Rub

Great On Everything

These smoky chipotle rubs are great on poultry, pork, and beef. Sprinkle them on your burgers. My favorite way to use them? On chicken wings.

I keep my rubs and spice mixes in a dark, cool pantry, in air-tight containers. To remember what is what and when I made it, I write the name and the date I made them on blue painter’s tape and affix it to the container. The tape comes off easily when I’m done with the mix so I can re-use the container for other things.

Chipotle rub #1 is fantastic on my (wet) smoky chipotle chicken wings.

Smoky Chipotle Rub
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3.50 from 2 votes

Smoky Chipotle Rub #1

The smoked paprika in my smoky chipotle rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. 
Course Spice Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword rub, smoky, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 272kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into an air-tight container.
  • Seal and shake to combine.

Notes

Shake or stir before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7027mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 3544IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle rub #2 is fantastic on my smoky chipotle dry wings.

Smoky Chipotle Rub
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5 from 1 vote

Smoky Chipotle Rub #2

The smoked paprika in both versions of smoky chipotle rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. 
Course Spice Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword rub, smoky, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 56kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into an air-tight container. Seal and shake to combine.

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4674mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2278IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Malt Vinegar Aioli

This malt vinegar aioli is absolutely yummy. I made a batch and served it as a dipping sauce for tater tots and fries. What a great change from ketchup! That wonderful malt vinegar flavor, tamed just enough by the tarragon and garlic. All in a great creamy sauce. Anywhere you can possibly think of using malt vinegar, use this aioli instead.

Malt Vinegar Aioli

I Love This Stuff

Oddly enough, as a kid my favorite thing about going to Long John Silver’s was the malt vinegar. Truth is, I could drown a piece of fish in that stuff. I consider this malt vinegar aioli to be the grown-up version (and hey, it does have malt vinegar in it!).

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.

This aioli is also absolutely amazing for dipping deep fried fish filets (like my awesome copycat Long John Silver’s fish filets), or just slather it on some crab cake sliders.

Malt Vinegar Aioli
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4.50 from 2 votes

Malt Vinegar Aioli

This malt vinegar aioli is absolutely yummy. I made a batch and served it as a dipping sauce for tater tots and fries. What a great change from ketchup!
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword aioli, malt vinegar
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 780kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together all ingredients.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Stir or shake before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 780kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 84g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 798mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Homemade Italian Sausage

I have been making a lot of pizzas on the grill this year. It took a long time of testing, trying, and testing some more. Now, I’m very happy with our homemade dough and homemade sauce. And now I can say I’m also happy with our homemade Italian sausage. It’s very easy to make but still packs a nice spicy flavor. It’s perfect for pizzas, calzones, or hoagies.

Homemade Italian Sausage

Great Sausage For Pizzas

Nothing beats a pizza hot off a charcoal- or wood-fired grill, specially if it’s loaded with homemade Italian sausage. I use a Kettle Pizza adapter on my 22″ Weber charcoal grill. It’s great any time I want to recreate that awesome classic pizza flavor.

Also try my homemade beef summer sausage.

Homemade Italian Sausage
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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Italian Sausage

I’m very happy with our homemade Italian sausage. It’s very easy to make but still packs a nice spicy flavor. It’s perfect for pizzas, calzones, or hoagies.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade, Italian, sausage
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes
Servings 3 pounds
Calories 1231kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the pork in a large bowl.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients.
  • Mix well. I found using my hands to be the best way. Just make sure you get all of the spices distributed evenly throughout the pork.
  • Let pork refrigerate for 12 hours before using to distribute the flavors.

Notes

I froze the sausage in 1/2 to 1 pound packages for use later on pizzas or in pasta sauces.

Nutrition

Calories: 1231kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 78g | Fat: 97g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 2612mg | Potassium: 1490mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 571IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Delta Dippin’ Sauce

I’m always on the lookout for a good sauce for dippin’. Ya know, dippin’ chicken tenders… or fries… or onion rings… or corn dogs… or shrimp! Something with some kick. Like this Delta dippin’ sauce.

Delta Dippin' Sauce

Creamy Deliciousness

This sauce is nice and creamy smooth. Not too thick so you don’t get a big gloppy mess on whatever you’re dippin’. It’s a little thin for burgers, but so tasty, so if you want to make a batch for burgers (and you will want to), leave out some if not all of the vegetable oil.

This Delta Dippin’ sauce is a copycat of a sauce by the same name that was available at Popeye’s, but it was discontinued back in 2011 (it was a regional thing). I wouldn’t have taken it off the menu, that’s for sure!

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.

Also try my mango basil dipping sauce.

Delta Dippin' Sauce
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4 from 2 votes

Delta Dippin’ Sauce

I’m always on the lookout for a good sauce for dippin’. Ya know, dippin’ chicken tenders… or fries… or onion rings… or corn dogs… or shrimp! Something with some kick. Like this Delta dippin’ sauce.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Cajun, dipping sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 697kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients.
  • Whisk until smooth.
  • Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Notes

Stir again before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 697kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1182mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 471IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Blue Cheese Dip

This is a slight variation on my used-to-be-favorite wing dipping sauce. Now I love them both. The other version has a little kick thanks to Cholula hot sauce. This recipe for blue cheese dip is creamier and more blue cheesy, with a little green onion bite. It also works great on more than just chicken wings. But, it was perfect for cooling me off after a few bites of my scary hot wings.

Blue Cheese Dip

A Great Dip For Everything

Unlike some recipes for blue cheese dip, this one does not include lemon juice. Lemon juice can break down the sour cream so you have to use the dip that day. This version will last for a while in the fridge, so no need to rush! Although, honestly, it’s not going to last a day so maybe a little lemon juice wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all!

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.

I made a big ole batch of this crazy good dip and served it with some homemade Buffalo Wild Wings teriyaki chicken wings and a basket of deep fried jalapeno bottle caps.

There were no leftovers.

Blue Cheese Dip
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4 from 1 vote

Blue Cheese Dip

A fantastic dip for everything from chicken wings to deep fried jalapeno bottle caps.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword blue cheese, dip
Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 1 cup
Calories 860kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together the sour cream, mayo, salt and pepper until smooth.
  • Gently fold in the blue cheese and green onions.
  • Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Notes

Add a little milk and stir if the dip is too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 860kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 84g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 3723mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1772IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 529mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.