Beer-Cheese Sauce

I made this great beer-cheese sauce the other night and poured it all over grilled hamburgers. The end result was crazy good. And even better was the fact that any of the cheese sauce that dripped off was immediately sopped up by hot-out-of-the-oven fries. Next time I’ll make extra sauce and pour some over the fries.

Beer-Cheese Sauce

A Cheese Sauce For All Occasions

This sauce is also great for dipping warmed pretzels. Trust me. I did it. And it’s also great over grilled hog dogs. Anywhere you need cheese sauce, you need beer-cheese sauce.

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.

Also try my other version of beer cheese sauce. Same great flavor, but a little creamier and thicker. Ideal for just about anything, including as a dip!

Beer-Cheese Sauce
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4 from 1 vote

Beer-Cheese Sauce

I made this great beer-cheese sauce the other night and poured it all over grilled hamburgers. The end result was crazy good. 
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword beer, cheese, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 cups
Calories 333kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
  • ¾ cup beer more or less depending on the desired consistency
  • ½ cup half-and-half cream
  • 1 ½ cups extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • green onions chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the flour and mustard powder and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the flour is cooked but not brown.
  • Whisk in the beer and bring to a simmer.
  • Whisk in the half-and-half and let simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. If too thick, add more beer in very small amounts.
  • Add the cheese and horseradish and stir until melted.
  • Fold in the chives or green onions and serve.

Notes

Better beer makes better sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 726IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 468mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Homemade Chicken Stock

I’m a big fan of making and using my own chicken stock. Homemade chicken stock is so much better than store-bought, and it’s incredibly easy to make. Since cooler months are here, I decided to haul out my Bayou Classic burner along with my Bayou Classic stockpot, which has an insert that makes it super simple to remove all the ‘stuff’ that goes into making great homemade chicken stock.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Save Your Trimmings

You can actually make stock for free, or close to free. Just keep the vegetable and chicken trimmings you accumulate thru the year in a bag or container in the freezer. Things like onion and carrot ends, less-than-ripe celery, and the tips off chicken wings make for great stock. They don’t have to be pretty. They’re going to cook all day and flavor the stock, and in the end, when they’ve served their purpose, they’ll be discarded.

I made a lot of chicken wings. When I trim them I end up with the tips that I don’t cook. And sometimes little trimmings. I save them for making stock, too.

Sadly, our cats do not like the chicken after the stock is made. Most of the flavor is gone from the meat since it’s in the liquid itself, so I can’t really blame them. But you can save it if you like.

I do not recommend adding salt to the stock as you make it. Save the salt for when you use the finished stock in recipes at a later time.

Also try my slow cooker chicken stock.

Homemade Chicken Stock
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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Chicken Stock

You can actually make stock for free, or close to free. Just keep the vegetable and chicken trimmings you accumulate thru the year in a bag or container in the freezer.
Course Stock
Cuisine American
Keyword broth, chicken, homemade, stock
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 hours
Total Time 18 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4 quarts
Calories 407kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Note: The following will fit into a 12-quart stock pot. You can double or triple the recipe for a larger stockpot.
  • 3-4 pounds chicken cut into pieces, rinsed (Note: I also save the tips when I make chicken wings. Freeze them and throw them into the pot when making stock)
  • 2 large onions skin on, quartered
  • 2 large carrots unpeeled, rinsed
  • 2 large celery ribs halved, rinsed
  • 12 peppercorns
  • 1 head garlic skin on, broken into cloves
  • water

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a stockpot.
  • Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to simmer and let simmer for 5-6 hours.
  • Scrape any fat off the top of the liquid.
  • Let pot cool for 2-3 hours then place in fridge overnight.
  • The following day, return pot to stove and heat until just warm.
  • Scrape any fat that is present if desired.
  • Strain liquid and use within 3 days.

Notes

Leftover stock and be frozen for later use. Keep in mind that the liquid expands as it freezes so do not over-fill your containers.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6256IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

No-Burn Rib Rub

I’ve become more and more a believer in cooking ribs over high heat. Now, I still love my low-and-slow smoked ribs, don’t get me wrong, but high-and-fast ribs are great too. They are still tender and still have great taste. Often they have a nice little crust to them that I really like. And that’s where my no-burn rib rub comes in.

No-Burn Rib Rub

High Heat, No Worries

But, you have to be careful what rub you use on ribs when you are cooking them over high heat. Anything with brown sugar in it will burn, and burn bad. That’s why I use this great no-burn rib rub. It packs seriously good flavor. And best of all you don’t have to worry about it charring.

I’m A Celery Seed Addict

I am a huge fan of celery seeds in my rubs. I have to warn you, this rub has a LOT of celery seed in it. If you’re not as big a fan of it as I am, I suggest adding just a bit of celery seed at a time. Taste as you go, until you get the flavor you want.

Store any leftover rub in spice bottles in your pantry.

I apply a generous amount of this rub to the ribs the night before I’m going to cook them. I wrap them in foil to let them get happy in the fridge. This is the perfect rub for cooking ribs on a charcoal grill over direct heat, or on a Char-Broil Big Easy.

Also try my basic BBQ rub.

No-Burn Rib Rub
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5 from 1 vote

No-Burn Rib Rub

You have to be careful what rub you use on ribs when you are cooking them over high heat. Anything with brown sugar in it will burn, and burn bad. That’s why I use this great no-burn rib rub.
Course Spice Rub
Cuisine American
Keyword ribs, seasoning
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 batch
Calories 119kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients.

Notes

Keep in an airtight container until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2478mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3240IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bourbon Street Sauce

There’s no doubt in our house that this Bourbon Street sauce has quickly become our favorite sauce. We used the first batch of sauce on chicken wings, and they were absolutely fantastic. A bit of sweet, a bit of heat, a hint of bourbon, and a ton of flavor. The very next time I slathered some Bourbon Street sauce on grilled burgers (and on the bacon I put on the burgers). They were just as insanely good as the wings.

Bourbon Street Sauce

The Perfect Sauce For Darn Near Everything

From wings, to burgers, to smoked ribs, to pulled pork sandwiches, to grilled chicken, to hot dogs, to whatever you are cooking, this sauce is fantastic. It’s nice and thick, but not so thick to be gloppy. Perfect for brushing on anything. Or squirting for that matter.

Squeeze some of this sauce on some ribs!

Bourbon Street Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Bourbon Street Sauce

There’s no doubt in our house that this Bourbon Street sauce has quickly become our favorite sauce. A bit of sweet, a bit of heat, a hint of bourbon, and a ton of flavor.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, BBQ, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 931kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
  • Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Notes

For a smoother sauce let the sauce cool slightly and puree in a blender, or use a hand blender to make the sauce super smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 931kcal | Carbohydrates: 196g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 4008mg | Potassium: 861mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 175g | Vitamin A: 1583IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Habanero Sauce

My wife and I tried planting a garden a few years ago. We had all the usual things, like lettuce, and corn, and tomatoes. Well, even with a fence around it, the deer, rabbit, raccoon and possum had an absolute field day eating all of our produce. We ended up with maybe half a head of lettuce and a small head of cabbage in the end. It was a total loss.

We still plant a garden, but it’s now in pots, and it consists solely of peppers. Pimento, jalapeno, Cajun, and habaneros. No animals bother them at all. Victory!

Habanero Sauce

A Great Sauce On Anything

I decided to make a simple sauce of the habaneros this year. This makes for a perfect hot sauce by itself, and it also is a great way to add flavor to other sauces.

I keep my sauce in these squeeze bottles. It’s fun squirting sauce out. I can get artsy with it. No one needs to know that.

This habanero sauce has a great fruity flavor to it. I added mango, but you could use just about any fruit, such as papaya or even pineapple. I found it to be not overly hot at all, but it’ll still wake you up and tingle your lips and tongue.

Also try my Yum Yum sauce.

Habanero Sauce
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4 from 1 vote

Habanero Sauce

I decided to make a simple sauce of the habaneros this year. This makes for a perfect hot sauce by itself, and it also is a great way to add flavor to other sauces.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword sauce, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 184kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 cup carrot chopped
  • 1 sweet onion chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 10 habanero peppers more or less depending on how much heat you want, seeded and chopped. Optional: Roast or smoke the peppers before seeding and chopping
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 mango skinned, chopped

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add the carrot, onion, and water.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering until the carrots are soft.
  • Remove from heat and add the habaneros, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and mango.
  • Let cool slightly then transfer to a blender (or blend in the pan using an immersion blender).
  • Puree until the sauce reaches the desired texture.
  • Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Notes

Stir well before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1239mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 12301IU | Vitamin C: 129mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spicy Creamy Coconut Salad Dressing

I smoked a few shrimp the other day since I already had the smoker going. I figured they’d be great in a Cobb salad, and I was right. For some reason, I was hankerin’ for a nice creamy dressing to top off the salad. But not any ole wimpy dressing. Something with a kick, something spicy. And something that makes you think about the tropics. Like coconut. I love the taste and creaminess of coconut so I made a spicy creamy coconut salad dressing that satisfied all of my cravings!

Spicy Creamy Coconut Salad Dressing

Nice And Coconut-y. And Spicy.

This spicy cream coconut dressing is really refreshing and spicy. It’s not only perfect on a salad, but it’s great as a dip for veggies. If it’s too thick for your liking just add a bit more mayonnaise or a splash of milk.

I love making and eating Cobb salads, specially in the summer when there are so many great ingredients to choose from. Check out my smoked chicken Cobb and my southwestern Cobb salads. They are all great!

Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!

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.

Also try my Cajun dip and salad dressing and my Honky Tonk sweet and spicy salad dressing.

Spicy Creamy Coconut Salad Dressing
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Creamy Coconut Salad Dressing

This spicy cream coconut dressing is really refreshing and spicy. It’s not only perfect on a salad, but it's also great as a dip for veggies.
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword coconut, homemade salad dressing, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 468kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

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

Notes

Stir before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1427IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Copycat Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce

I have to admit, I shy away from bottled BBQ sauces. I do make an exception and occasionally I’ll pick up a bottle or two at the store. But, if you like making your own sauces, a store-bought sauce can make a great starting point. Or you can do like I did and make a copycat version of a pre-made sauce, like this Bull’s Eye barbecue sauce.

Copycat Bulls Eye Barbecue Sauce

Perfect On Ribs

I smoked a few racks of St. Louis-style ribs that were rubbed down first overnight with a copycat of Famous Dave’s rib rub. With only 30 minutes left in the smoke session I slathered the ribs with this great sauce. That extra 30 minutes lets the sauce set up on the ribs.

Thick. Like You Want It.

This sauce is perfectly thick, great for ribs. It has a little sweetness, a little tang, just a hint of heat, and a little smokiness. Don’t like liquid smoke? Leave it out and still enjoy a great sauce that’ll keep in the fridge for weeks, if you have any left. Or substitute smoked salt (and leave out the kosher salt) and still enjoy that great smoky flavor.

I like to keep my leftover sauces in squeeze bottles. Thicker ones like this one do mean I have to cut a bit off the top of the nozzles so it squeezes out easily.

This sauce is also great on pulled pork or grilled chicken.

Also try my copycat of the great BBQ sauce from Sweet Baby Ray.

Copycat Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is perfectly thick, great for ribs. It has a little sweetness, a little tang, just a hint of heat, and a little smokiness.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, BBQ, copycat, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 623kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
  • Reduce to a simmer and simmer 30 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved.
  • Optional: Allow sauce to cool slightly then transfer to a blender and pulse a few times for a smoother sauce.

Notes

This sauce is even better the next day. Refrigerate it overnight and then warm slightly before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 2891mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 1362IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spicy Avocado Salad Dressing

I grilled up a great batch of cedar-planked spicy shrimp the other day. They were perfect in a big Cobb salad. I didn’t want a wimpy dressing to tone down the kick from the shrimp. Since avocados were in season and on sale, I grabbed a few ripe ones and made this incredibly easy spicy avocado salad dressing.

Spicy Avocado Salad Dressing

Refreshingly Delicious

This spicy avocado salad dressing is reminiscent of guacamole. In fact, it’s thick enough that you can also use it as a spread on sandwiches or wraps, or even as a dip for chips or vegetables. If you find it to be too thick you can thin it with some milk or buttermilk. Or just add a bit more sour cream.

You can leave out the jalapeno if you like and still have a great dressing that won’t scare your non-heat-loving friends off.

Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!

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.

I love making and eating Cobb salads, specially in the summer when there are so many great ingredients to choose from. Check out my smoked chicken Cobb and my southwestern Cobb salads. They are all great!

Spicy Avocado Salad Dressing
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4 from 1 vote

Spicy Avocado Salad Dressing

Since avocados were in season and on sale, I grabbed a few ripe ones and made this incredibly easy spicy avocado salad dressing.
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword avocado, homemade salad dressing, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 437kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados chopped
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeded, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place all but the salt and pepper into a blender and pulse until smooth.
  • Season with salt and pepper and pulse a few more times.
  • If you have any leftover dressing place it in a container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly over it, contacting the dressing without any gaps.
  • Refrigerate for up to two days.

Notes

Stir before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 1092mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 866IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Copycat Famous Dave’s Rib Rub

I was hankerin’ for some tender, almost-fall-off-the-bone smoked ribs, and lo and behold, spareribs were on sale at our grocery store. So I grabbed a few racks, trimmed them up St. Louis-style and started contemplating how I was going to cook them. Normally, it means an overnight rub down with some Memphis rib rub, then onto my Weber Smokey Mountain smoker using the 3-2-1 cooking method. This time, I decided to try a copycat of Famous Dave’s rib rub (the one they use in the restaurants for making their totally outstanding ribs) and cook the ribs low-and-slow for 6 hours.

Copycat Famous Dave's Rib Rub

The Perfect Rib Rub

This copycat Famous Dave’s rib rub is outstanding. It has a little heat, a little sweet, and a little saltiness. And celery seeds, which I think are just about required in any rub. And just a hint of cloves, which I don’t think I’ve seen in a rub before. I ended up liking the flavor from them much more than I thought I would. It’s amazingly complex, and oh so good.

Although I sauced my ribs, I easily could’ve eaten them ‘dry’, without sauce. I cannot wait to use this same rub on a pork butt in the very near future. With just one cook it has become my go-to rub.

Also try some copycat Famous Dave’s Country-Roasted chicken.

Copycat Famous Dave's Rib Rub
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4.10 from 11 votes

Copycat Famous Dave’s Rib Rub

This copycat Famous Dave’s rib rub is outstanding. It has a little heat, a little sweet, and a little saltiness. And celery seeds, which I think are just about required in any rub.
Course Spice Mixture
Cuisine American
Keyword copycat, ribs, seasoning
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 6 cups
Calories 482kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Note: The version of this rub stated above uses less salt than the version you’ll find on the internet. Add more (or use less) salt as you desire.
  • Combine all ingredients.
  • To use, spread liberally on ribs (or pork shoulder or butt), wrap in foil, and let refrigerate 12 hours before smoking or grilling.

Notes

Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 23719mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 97g | Vitamin A: 512IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Pork Chorizo Stuffing

This is my go-to stuffing for a whole lot of dishes. I use pork chorizo stuffing in baked potatoes, on grilled potato skins, in stuffed mushrooms, dips, omelets, you name it. It’s very versatile and very tasty. It has just enough spicy kick to it but not so much as to overwhelm no matter how I use it.

Here are my tasty mushroom caps with pork chorizo stuffing. Grilled on a cedar plank for even more outstanding flavor.

Pork Chorizo Stuffing

Great For Stuffing Darned Near Anything

This recipe makes a big batch of stuffing. I divide it into smaller portions and freeze it so I always have some on hand.

Looking for a great appetizer? Stuff some Fritos with this mix. Add some cheese. Toss them in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes. Devour.

I make this stuffing in a cast iron skillet.

Cedar Planked Chorizo Portobellos
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5 from 1 vote

Pork Chorizo Stuffing

This recipe makes a big batch of stuffing.
Course Main or Side
Cuisine American
Keyword pork, stuffing
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 pounds
Calories 1296kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
  • Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to soften.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Add the crumbled pork, chorizo, cumin and paprika and cook until the meats are done.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Great in mushrooms or on hot dogs!

Nutrition

Calories: 1296kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 102g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 312mg | Sodium: 1259mg | Potassium: 1089mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1689IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.