It’s summer time. And summer is good. Summer is better, though, with a big ole plate of spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans. These are some of the most flavor-packed beans you’ll find. And talk about easy to make, too! It’s not quite as easy as open a bunch of cans and heat, but it’s close to being that easy. A little time in the oven and you’re ready to devour some tasty beans. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe and you’ve got a great dish for a picnic or family get-together!
Ranch Beans For The Win
Much of the flavor in these spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans comes from the Ranch style beans. Then along comes a bit of jalapeno spiciness. And just a hint of sweetness. For the BBQ sauce I went with a nice hickory BBQ sauce to add a bit of that outdoorsy flavor.
Ah, glorious sweet corn. It makes me happy whenever corn is in season. I love it any way you can cook it. This slow cooked jalapeno corn version adds a bit of heat (though really, it’s quite tame) from jalapenos. It’s tremendously creamy and sweet. It’s also perfect for a get-together since it makes a pretty good size batch. You can halve it if you need, or double it for an even bigger crowd.
Light On The Heat. Heavy On The Flavor.
You can leave out the jalapenos. But I think you’ll want to add something in place of it, like minced sweet onion. Don’t go crazy with it. I think you need just a little something for a little bite in this slow cooked jalapeno corn. I mean, it does have ‘jalapeno’ in the name!
Magic Corn Peeler – Get the fresh corn kernels in…
Corn Stripper Tool – It cuts the kernels quickly…
Although I slow cooked the corn in my oven, you can also cook it on a grill or even a smoker. Just keep your temperature around 250 F and the corn will come out delicious.
Ah, glorious sweet corn. It makes me happy whenever corn is in season. I love it any way you can cook it. This slow cooked jalapeno corn version adds a bit of heat (though really, it’s quite tame) from jalapenos, and tremendous creamy sweetness.
Yep, you’re right. It’s nothing fancy. Nothing fru-fru. But boy, can I put a hurt on a batch of these spicy bacon cheese fries. Crispy fries. Spicy peppers, Smoky bacon. Ooey-gooey cheese. I really don’t need anything else. Heck, serve it to me as dinner and I’m happy! Specially in my younger days, where I might have found myself at a sports bar or two, I’d call these fries dinner and then some!
Get Creative With It
Oh sure, you can make these spicy bacon cheese fries a hundred different other ways. You can add chili. Throw on some cheese curds. Squirt on some sour cream. Or you can keep them OG and just enjoy the heck out of a simple plate of fantastic fries!
I do strongly recommend that you hand grate or shred your cheeses in this and any other recipes. The difference is noticeable. There are no ingredients in there that keep the shredded cheeses from sticking. Those same ingredients also make it hard for the cheeses to melt.
Makes Everything Simple : Just forget your bagged…
Premium Material : All parts of the rotary cheese…
I prefer to deep-fry my pre-made frozen fries. Yeah, you can bake them. But that takes longer and let’s face it, the fries never, ever come out quite as good as they do deep-fried. I don’t do it every day, mind you, but sometimes you gotta treat yourself!
I’m always up for a quick side dish that lacks in effort but does not lack in taste. These herb roasted potatoes are a great go-to recipe. The potatoes have a wonderful light herb flavor. They’re creamy buttery inside (you can also use fingerling potatoes for even more buttery creaminess!). And they have one of my favorite things: crunchy skin.
Consistency Means Better
Make sure your potatoes are pretty much all equal in size when you make these herb roasted potatoes. You don’t want a bunch of big pieces mixed in with small ones or the cook times will vary. You’ll end up with big not-quite-done-potatoes and little over-done ones. You don’t want that. So if you have to, halve them or even quarter them to get them all the same sizes. You can also make this dish with either baby red potatoes or fingerlings.
Grab A Grill Basket
I also like to make these potatoes on my grills, either gas or charcoal or even electric. I use a grill basket like this one. It makes cooking them super easy, and I don’t have to worry about anything falling between the grill grates. Clean-up is also super easy. Grill baskets are a win and a must-have for grilling!
One of my favorite side dishes to make are crispy homemade French fries. The thin ones. The kind with crunch on the outside and fluffy yummy inside. They’re so addictingly good. I like to season my fries with something tasty, something a bit different than salt and pepper or adobo seasoning (actually a big favorite of mine). This copycat recipe of Freddy’s fry seasoning is perfect on hot-out-the-fryer fries. I mean like crazy good. The added sweetness and earthiness of the seasoning adds a totally different flavor than if I’d just used salt and pepper. I go heavy on this seasoning, it’s really flavorful!
Make A Batch. Keep It On Hand.
There’s only one thing I’d do differently next time I make this copycat Freddy’s recipe fry seasoning: make a bunch more. It’s great on burgers. Baked potatoes. Cottage cheese. Just about anywhere that you think you should be using salt and pepper, use this instead.
I didn’t have turmeric on hand the first time I made this. A good substitute is dry mustard, which is what I went with. It’s a perfect replacement. You can also use cumin if you don’t have turmeric, but I’d use a bit less than the recipe calls for for the turmeric.
If I make a big batch of seasoning I like to keep it in these big spice bottles. I use blue painters tape to write the contents on the bottles. The tape comes off easily when I’ve used up the seasoning, so I can use the bottle for the next batch of whatever I’m making.
You can substitute a sugar substitute for the sugar. I think that’s with an asterisk though. The consistency between the two is different, so I’d say it depends on what you plan on using it on. For fries, I liked to see those sugar granules. Not a powder. For burgers, it really wouldn’t matter.
This is my go-to method for making a small batch of the best-tasting, crispiest French fries. Making delicious crispy fries using a Fry Daddy Fryer takes just a little bit of time and just a handful of ingredients. The end result is mouth-wateringly good and hard to resist. Most double-fried recipes require two different cooking temperatures. But, you can’t adjust the temperature on a Fry Daddy. Don’t let that worry you. These will be the best fries you’ve made. Or had.
The Fry Daddy isn’t a big fryer. It’s perfect for a few people, not a crowd. It uses just a bit of oil, making it a great money-saver when it comes to deep-frying. It gets hot fast and does a good job of recovering from food being added. You don’t want a wimpy fryer that takes forever to get back to the right temperature. The Fry Daddy is inexpensive, lasts forever, and is perfect for fries. Oh and wings? It makes for amazing wings, too!
The Keys To Perfect Fries Every Time
There are two key steps to making sure these crispy fries using the Fry Daddy Fryer come out perfectly. First, make sure you rinse the raw potatoes in cold water and keep rinsing until the water is clear. You want all that starch gone, as if you’re making rice. Second, let the fries come to room temperature (or near it) before the second frying.
The fries will crisp up just a bit more after they come out of the fryer so it’s ok to remove them just before you think they’re like you want them. It’s not critical, but after doing these a time or two you’ll get the timing for what’s best for you. Don’t worry, they’ll be great no matter what!
The Presto Fry Daddy is perfect for making smaller batches of food. It only uses a few cups of oil and comes to temperature quickly. Clean-up is easy too!
kosher saltor your favorite fry seasoning, to taste
Instructions
Fill a large bowl with cold water.
Slice the potatoes into thin, 1/8"-1/4" sticks. Try to keep them the same thickness.
Place fries into the water. Add more water if needed to keep them fully submerged.
Add the oil to the fryer and plug it in according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Drain the fries. Refill with more cold water. Stir the potatoes. Repeat this step (draining, refilling) until the water is no longer cloudy. This usually just takes me two times.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer to a large kitchen towel. Pat dry. Make sure you get them dry or they will splatter when you add them to the hot oil.
Working in batches if needed, fry the potatoes until just starting to turn a light brown. You are not cooking them fully, you do not want them to be golden brown yet. Do not over-crowd the fryer.
Remove the fries from the fryer using the slotted spoon that comes with the unit. Place on a wire rack over a baking pan to drain. Spread them out evenly.
Let the fries cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, return the fries to the fryer and finish cooking them. You want them nice and lightly golden brown. I've found that you can actually crowd the fryer a little more than usual for this step. The fries are mostly cooked, you're just crisping them up and giving them some color so a little extra potatoes in there isn't going to hurt. Just don't over-fill the fryer.
Remove the fries to the wire rack again to drain. Season well with salt. I prefer to transfer the fries from the rack to a large bowl, sprinkle them with the salt, and toss to season evenly.
Serve immediately.
Notes
If you haven’t tried your fries dipped in mayonnaise, now’s a great time to give it a whirl!
If you put a paper plate loaded with fried chicken and this sweet and sassy red potato salad in front of me I’d honestly go for the potato salad first. And that’s saying a lot, because I love fried chicken almost more than anything. This salad is different, mostly thanks to the addition of pickle juice in the dressing. That pickle edge takes this dish from great to amazing.
The Perfect Side Dish
This sweet and sassy red potato salad would be the perfect side dish for a family get-together. Or a potluck. Or just a good old fashioned picnic. It travels well and tastes amazing. It’s perfect cold, and just as good (if not a tad better) served warm. You can’t go wrong with 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.
I don’t like to boil my potatoes when making potato salad. I don’t like them little taters rolling around in the hot water, bumping each other, scraping each other’s skin off (yikes, that sounds even worse than I thought). Instead, I prefer to steam them. So I load up a steam basket, put it above a pot of slowly boiling water, and let it steam until the potatoes are just tender. The skins are left perfectly intact.
Steam or boil the potatoes until done. I prefer steaming them because it keeps the skins intact. Do not peel. Let the potatoes cool and cut into quarters.
Meanwhile, hard-boil and peel the eggs. Chop fine.
In a large bowl, gently combine the potato quarters, pickles, eggs, onion, celery and most of the chives (reserving some for garnish later).
Prepare the dressing (see below) and pour over the potato mixture. Gently stir with a spatula.
Serve warm or refrigerate for at least an hour if serving cold. Serve garnished with remaining chives.
For the dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, Dijon, pickle juice, and vinegar.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.
If the dressing is too thick add a bit more pickle juice and stir.
I picked up a case of Hatch chiles once they were in season last summer. I ended up roasting most of them. They freeze really well. That’s great because I can then use them throughout the rest of the year, in everything from sauces to slaws. Roasted Hatch chile slaw is a sweeter, more mellow version of my roasted poblano slaw. The Hatch chiles add such a great mild chile pepper flavor without a spicy kick. Now, if you prefer spiciness, add a minced jalapeno or two or three.
No Hatch Chiles? Use Green Chiles Instead.
Not everyone has access to fresh Hatch chiles (which is kind of sad, really, because I’ve really fallen in love with cooking with them). You can substitute canned chopped green chiles, or green bell pepper if prefer. Of course you can’t call it roasted Hatch chile slaw if you !
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.
To roast the pepper a grill is best, but you can also throw them on a pan under the broiler, turning often, until the skin is nice and charred. Place in a bowl, covered, for 15 minutes then remove the charred skin. Don’t place the roasted peppers under running water, that’ll wash away some of that great roasted flavor.
Roasted Hatch chile slaw is a sweeter, more mellow version of my roasted poblano slaw. The Hatch chiles add such a great mild chile pepper flavor without a spicy kick. Now, if you prefer spiciness, add a minced jalapeno or two or three.
Cotija cheesecrumbled, or topping (or substitute crumbled Feta), optional
Instructions
Roast the chiles on your grill or under your broiler until the skin is blackened. Let cool slightly then remove the burnt skin. Remove the seeds and stem and chop.
Place the chiles, cabbage and cilantro into a large bowl. Combine.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients not including the cheese.
I find myself making more and more dishes from Chef Vivian Howard’s book, Deep Run Roots. Her southern-inspired recipes are packed with flavor and tradition. I made a big batch of Chef Howard’s pimento cheese, which by itself is insanely good. Half went for sandwiches while the other half ended up in these delicious pimento cheese grits. Creamy and yummy. I love grits. Adding pimento cheese to them makes me love them even more. I didn’t think that was possible.
Quality Grits Make For… Great Grits!
I use corn grits polenta from Bob’s Mill. They cook up in about 30 minutes and always have the perfect texture and flavor, great for pimento cheese grits. You can substitute quick-cooking grits in a pinch. They only take about 5 minutes.
Who wants boring frozen fries? Not me! And not you either! In just minutes you can transform that bag of frozen sadness into something great with this copycat recipe for Taco Bell Nacho fries. Spicy (as spicy as you want) seasoning that’ll wake you up and make you forget those tasteless fries of yesterday. And the cheese sauce! Oh my! Double the recipe and you’ll thank me, because you seriously cannot get too much of the sauce on your fries!
Let’s go make spicy fries!
Crinkles Hold More Of The Good Stuff
For my copycat recipe Taco Bell nacho fries I used crinkle fries. That’s not what you’ll get at the fast food joint. Why did I commit such a heinous crime? Well, those crinkles hold more cheese sauce and the cheese sauce is yummy! Old-school skinny fries aren’t going to give the glorious sauce as much to cling to. Go crinkle and get happy, I say!
I admit that at first, I was pretty sure I didn’t want or need an air fryer. Heck, I can bake my fries in my oven I thought. I can cook my wings on my grill, I said. Yes, I made a lot of excuses for not getting one. Well, the neighbor gave me one of her old ones and I’ve never looked back! I used it to cook these copycat Taco Bell nacho fries and whole bunch more!
You can still make these in your oven though. I just like an air fryer for my fries. Convection ovens I think also do a great job of crisping up fries. And you gotta have that crisp!
I use a pretty straight-forward air fryer, that doesn’t have a lot of bells (ok, it has a bell for when the timer goes off!) and whistles. It gets the job done.
2poundsOre-Ida Golden Fries frozen French friesor your favorite kind
Instructions
For the fries
Prepare the fries according to the bag. I recommend making them in an air fryer or deep fryer to get them good and crunchy. While the fries are cooking, making the seasoning and sauce.
Transfer the cooked fries to a large bowl and sprinkle with the seasoning blend (using however much or little as you want, you might have leftover seasoning). Toss lightly to coat. Serve with the warm cheese sauce on the side.
For the seasoning
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. I like to put them in a resealable container, close the lid, and shake gently to combine.
For the cheese sauce
Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheese and heat through. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Keep warm until needed, stirring occasionally.
Notes
The cheese sauce is great for dipping tortilla chips, too!
