I love putting hot dogs in baked beans. I think it harkens back to being a kid eating beans-and-weenies. That joy of digging around in the beans, in search of the never-enough hot dogs. Well now that I’m (much) older, I can add as many hot dogs as I want. No countless minutes wasted here trying to find hot dogs. My hot dog baked beans on the Char-Broil Big Easy aren’t lacking in anything. Hot dogs or flavor.
Super Easy Cook. Super Easy Cleanup.
One of the great things about the Char-Broil Big Easy is easy cleanup. I cook my hot dog based beans in a disposable pan. It’s great. You couldn’t get any easier. Just put everything in the pan and sit back and relax while the cooker does its job. The sauce will thicken as the beans heat through. In the end you get the perfect baked beans. Without any fuss.
4mediumhot dogsgrilled, boiled or roasted, sliced thin
Instructions
Preheat your Big Easy.
Empty the cans of beans into a large bowl.
In a small bowl or glass, add the cornstarch and water and stir until dissolved.
Stir the mixture into the beans.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Lightly spray the pan with non-stick spray.
Transfer the mixture to the pan. Place the pan into a Big Easy basket (or better, use a bunk bed basket for easier handling). Be careful handling the pan. Always support it from the bottom so that it doesn't buckle.
Bake the beans in the Big Easy for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cooks.
Carefully remove the basket from the Big Easy. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
I don’t think of my Char-Broil Big Easy as just a grill. Or just an oil-less fryer. It’s also great at baking. Pretty much anything I can make in my oven, I can make in it. Like my manicotti on the Char-Broil Big Easy. Crazy delicious, with plenty of hot, melted cheese, this dish is easy to put together. And the Big Easy cooks it up perfectly, with hardly any cleanup required.
Dutch Oven Liners To The Rescue
I get these disposable aluminum Dutch oven liners online for baking large dishes like this manicotti on the Char-Broil Big Easy. They are perfect. They’re about 8″ wide and a few inches deep. They hold a lot. They’re heavy duty. Even though you need to still support them on the bottom when lifting them, you can fill them up and be confident that’ll not collapse on you.
Bunk Bed Baskets To The Rescue
My second big key to making on the Big Easy is to have a few bunk bed baskets on hand. Yes, I could get by with just one. And one fits easily into the Big Easy basket. But two are just easier. It’s hard to reach down in the original basket and get something off the bottom. With a bunk bed basket (or two), I just lift the basket and the food right out and onto my countertop (well, cutting board if it’s hot).
It’s a bit of a science to get two bunk bed baskets into the Big Easy but it’s quite doable. Play with it a few times first, without any food in them, and you’ll get the hang of it.
The Big Swap
Food near the bottom of the Big Easy basket tends to cook or bake faster than food higher up. Most of the time that’s not an issue. With this manicotti, I decided to swap the two pans of food around towards the end so they both browned evenly. With two bunk bed baskets this was very easy to do.
Oh Yeah, The Food!
Did I mention that this manicotti is delicious! The Italian sausage and spinach stuffed pasta tubes get cooked perfectly, and are just packed with flavor. I used a good quality, tasty marinara sauce. And plenty of cheese. Maybe a little extra. It’s possible. Boy, did this come out great!
Cook the pasta per the manufacturer's instructions. Drain well and spread out onto a baking sheet to cool and dry.
Meanwhile, crumble the sausage (remove from casings first if using links) into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until almost done.
Add the onion and continue cooking until it has softened and the sausage is cooked through.
Add the spinach. Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes or until wilted.
Remove skillet from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan along with the egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Spray the two pans with non-stick spray.
Fire up your Big Easy so it heats up while you stuff the pasta tubes.
Spread 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of each pan.
Stuff each manicotti with the sausage mixture. I prefer to block one end of the tub with one hand while using the other hand to stuff the tubes (gently).
Place stuffed tubes into the pans. Do not stack. You might have to kind of wiggle and shove them in to get them to fit.
If you have leftover meat mixture just sprinkle it around and in between the manicotti.
Divide remaining sauce over the tops of the manicotti.
Cover the fans with foil.
Place one pan in the bottom of your Big Easy. If you have 2 Bunk Bed baskets, put the pan in a basket instead and lower it to the bottom of the Big Easy basket and attach at the sides.
Place the other pan in a Bunk Bed basket and lower it into the Big Easy basket. It will rest on top of the first basket if you are using two. Otherwise, just attach it to the sides of the Big Easy basket just above the first pan.
Cook for 35 minutes. There is no need to swap the pans.
Remove the foil. Top the pans with the remaining cheeses.
Return the pans to the Big Easy and cook another 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and turns golden brown. The top pan will cook slower than the bottom. If desired, rotate the pans after 15 minutes.
Remove pans from the Big Easy and let rest 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
The instructions above are for cooking both pans at the same time on a Big Easy. This requires a Bunk Bed basket (or two to make it even easier). If you do not have a Bunk Bed basket you’ll have to cook one pan at a time.
Got a Char-Broil Big Easy? Think you can’t join the tailgating crowd with it? That it’s just for turkeys? Well, wrong! It’s time to fire up and make some fantastic crispy Cajun wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy! These great wings take just a little effort, just a little time, and they come out absolutely fantastic. And the sauce is nothing to sneeze at either! These are great tasting wings too!
It’s Super Easy
There are just two simple steps to making crispy Cajun wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy. First, you need to air dry the wings coated in seasoned baking powder (not baking soda) overnight in a fridge on a wire rack. This helps dry out the skin, making it easier to get it crispy later. And second, when it comes time to cook the wings, make sure you don’t over-crowd your Big Easy. The high heat circulates around the wings, helping crisp up the skin.
Load Up
You can use a bunk bed basket (and you’ll want to) for more wings. And in fact, if you’re patient, you can fit two bunk bed baskets into the Big Easy at once. Or do like me and get more than one Big Easy and have a wing-cooking funfest!
Sure, you can use any sauce you want on these wings. But you’ll want to keep that Cajun theme going and make a batch of the sauce below. It has a nice spicy kick to it with a great flavor that compliments the seasoned wings perfectly.
It’s always a good idea to keep a few spare grease trays on hand for your Char-Broil Big Easy.
Place the wings in a large bowl or resealable container.
Combine the baking powder and Cajun seasoning.
Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the wings.
Using your hands, toss the wings to coat.
Add the remaining seasoning and repeat.
Transfer the wings to a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Place in the fridge 12 hours or overnight to dry out the skin.
Fire up your Big Easy.
Lightly spray the basket and the bunk bed basket with non-stick spray. Let the Big Easy preheat for 5-10 minutes.
Add the wings to the baskets and lower into the Big Easy. Do not let the wings touch or overlap. You can stand them on end if you want to fit more wings into the baskets. You can also use up to two bunk bed baskets at a time, adding more cooking area.
Cook until the wings are lightly browned and crispy, usually 30 minutes. While the wings are cooking make the wing sauce.
Transfer the wings to a large bowl. Pour as much sauce as desired over the wings and toss to coat. Serve hot.
For the sauce
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the hot sauce and Worcestershire.
Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to use.
Notes
Wings towards the bottom of the cooker may cook faster so check them after 30 minutes.
Slice it thick, and serve it with gravy and mashed potatoes. Slice it thin and pile it high for a delicious sandwich. Chop it into small chunks for a crazy good chicken salad. No matter how you serve it, this simple roast chicken using the Char-Broil Big Easy is spot-on fantastic. As with anything cooked on the oil-less fryer, you can’t get any easier. Just season and cook. The skin comes out crispy. The meat, dark and white, is juicy and flavorful. Each and every bite is perfect. This is why I love my Big Easy.
A No-Worry Cookout
I go with 20 minutes/pound as my base cooking time. Simple roast chicken using the Char-Broil Big Easy usually doesn’t take any longer than that, but it can depending on the wind and temperature. I check it after 20 minutes/pound and go from there. A little over-cooked is ok, but under-cooked isn’t, so err on the side of caution if you aren’t sure it’s done!
Better with Butter
You can baste the bird with a little melted butter right before removing it from the cooker. It adds a bit of color and helps crisp up the skin a bit. While it’s optional, I like it. But then, I’m a butter-aholic so there’s that…
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
This is one of the best side dishes we’ve made. Roasted garlic Parmesan potatoes on the Char-Broil Big Easy was crazy easy to make, used simple ingredients, yet came out absolutely delicious. The idea for these roasted garlic Parmesan potatoes came to me after making roasted mushrooms with the same sauce. The sauce is so good I had to find other dishes that would use it, and here it is!
Super Easy. Super Delicious.
I like to partially cook my potatoes first before placing them into the Char-Broil Big Easy. It makes this dish easier and quicker. It also helps ensure that the potatoes in this roasted garlic Parmesan potatoes dish on the Char-Broil Big Easy are cooked evenly, and that’s important.
The sauce is amazing, and has quickly become one of our favorites.
You have to get a bunk bed basket for your Big Easy. Or get a two. You can get two in the cooker at once, but it takes some gymnastics. It’s the quickest way to double or triple the cooking area on your fryer.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the garlic and Italian seasoning along with a few pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking while cooking for another 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low and whisk in the vegetable broth.
Turn the heat back up to medium and bring the mix to a slight simmer. Continue whisking as the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
Add the cream, cheese and parsley and whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes creamy and smooth.
Reduce heat to low and stir often until the sauce is as thick as you want it. If you get it too thick add a bit more broth or cream and stir.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir, and keep warm until ready to use.
For the potatoes
Fire up your Big Easy.
Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on medium high, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender.
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.
Gently stir in the sauce.
Divide the potatoes between the two pans. Place one pan in the bottom of the Big Easy basket. Place the other in a bunk bed basket and transfer it to the Big Easy basket.
Lower the basket into the Big Easy. Cook until the potatoes start to turn golden brown and the sauce begins to bubble.
Carefully remove the pans from the Big Easy basket.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
These garlic butter potatoes on the Char-Broil Big Easy were made in just minutes and made for the perfect side dish. The potatoes are tender, soft inside. With just a slight crunchy exterior. Oh, and the garlic butter sauce! Oh my goodness! The sauce is so creamy good. I just love garlic! You just want to swirl the potatoes around in the sauce. Get them good and coated. Then…. Boom! Devour!
A Bunk Bed Basket Means More!
You can fit a single disposable pan (for 3/4 pounds of potatoes) in the basket that comes with your Big Easy. Get a bunk bed basket and you can do a full 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes at once. You have to get a bunk bed for your Char-Broil Big Easy to make great side dishes like these garlic butter potatoes. It also gives you the ability to cook a side dish on one level and a main dish on another!
Fire up your Big Easy. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes.
Place the potatoes into a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 3 minutes on high. Stir and check for doneness.
Microwave another 2 minutes (or longer if needed) until just tender. Do not over-cook, they need to have a little bite to them.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat completely.
Divide the potatoes between two disposable pans and transfer the pans to a Big Easy basket fitted with a Bunk Bed so you can cook both pans at the same time.
Place the basket into the Big Easy and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes start to turn golden brown around the edges.
Stir the potatoes.
Divide the mozzarella and Parmesan between the two pans and return to the Big Easy for another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to get golden brown.
Carefully remove the pans from the Big Easy.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Be careful removing the potatoes from the Big Easy. Make sure you support the pan from underneath.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
These Swiss scalloped potatoes using the Char-Broil Big Easy are proof that it can make fantastic side dishes. I actually already knew that. I use my Big Easy for everything from potatoes to beets to whole turkeys. It’s a great cooker, ideal for something as simple as these potatoes in a creamy cheese sauce that is the perfect side dish. The potatoes are all cooked perfectly, every single one, so every bite is perfect!
These Potatoes Are Always A Big Hit
I’ve made these Swiss scalloped potatoes on my Big Easy several times. The keys to success are equally-sliced potatoes (you want them to cook evenly) and good cheese. If you don’t have a bunk bed basket you’ll have to make the potatoes in two batches, which isn’t a big deal, but having that extra cooking space makes a big difference!
The best way to cook these potatoes is using a bunk bed basket. It doubles (or even triples) the cook space you have available to you. It can also make removing cooked items easier.
Bring to cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Add the potatoes. Add more cream if the potatoes aren't covered.
Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are just becoming tender. This will take 10-12 minutes. If the potatoes stick to each other you can break them apart with a fork but be careful to not poke or break the potatoes.
Remove potatoes from the heat.
Fire up your Big Easy.
Spoon 1/3 of the potatoes into the pan. Also get some of the cream. Spread the potatoes out evenly.
Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1/3rd of the cheese.
Add another 1/3 of the potatoes and some of the cream, topped with another 1/3rd of the cheese.
Finish up with the last of the potatoes, cream and cheese.
Transfer the pan to the Big Easy. I recommend using a Bunk Bed basket because it's easier to get in/out of the Big Easy and it provides support to the bottom of the pan.
Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is starting to bubble and the tops of the potatoes start to turn golden brown.
Carefully remove the pan from the Big Easy. If using a Bunk Bed basket remove just the basket.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you have any leftovers you can also use the Big Easy to re-heat them.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
Who doesn’t love a big ole bowl of cheesy, delicious scalloped potatoes? The Char-Broil Big Easy is famous for cooking chicken and turkey, but it’s also great for making fantastic side dishes such as these potatoes. They really take no time at all to prepare. The potatoes are tender. The sauce is creamy. And oh, cheese! Glorious cheese! The best part!
The Perfect Side Dish
Cooking sliced potatoes in the Char-Broil Big Easy ensures that they all cook evenly and are done at the same time. Whole potatoes can be a chore to cook. Not these scalloped potatoes. Each bite comes out perfect, with a little sauce and a little cheese. We made these potatoes a few nights last week. And leftovers are great, too! You can re-heat them in the Big Easy (you might add a bit more cream if they have gotten a bit thick) or the microwave.
I highly recommend that you get a bunk bed basket or two for cooking on your Big Easy. It more than doubles your cook space and makes getting things in and out much easier.
Bring the cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Add the potatoes. Add more cream if the potatoes aren’t covered.
Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are just becoming tender. This will take 10-12 minutes. If the potatoes stick to each other you can break them apart with a fork but be careful to not poke or break the potatoes.
Remove potatoes from the heat.
Fire up your Big Easy.
Spoon 1/3 of the potatoes into the pan. Also get some of the cream. Spread the potatoes out evenly.
Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1/3rd of the cheese.
Add another 1/3 of the potatoes and some of the cream, topped with another 1/3rd of the cheese.
Finish up with the last of the potatoes, cream and cheese.
Transfer the pan to the Big Easy. I recommend using a Bunk Bed basket because it’s easier to get in/out of the Big Easy and it provides support to the bottom of the pan.
Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is starting to bubble and the tops of the potatoes start to turn golden brown.
Carefully remove the pan from the Big Easy. If using a Bunk Bed basket remove just the basket.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make sure you support the pan from underneath as you remove it from the Big Easy.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
You probably usually think of using your Char-Broil Big Easy only when cooking a main dish. Like a turkey or chicken. But, don’t forget that it’s also great for making delicious, easy, side dishes. Certainly ones like these garlic potatoes in dill sauce using the Char-Broil Big Easy. In no time you have the perfect potatoes. Tender inside. Lightly crunchy outside. All in a lip-smacking great dill sauce that I just could not get enough of. Dill and potatoes are the perfect match.
Add A Bunk Bed Basket For More Room
You can fit a single disposable pan (for 3/4 pounds of potatoes) in the basket that comes with your Big Easy. Get a bunk bed basket and you can do a full 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes at once. For this reason, you have to get a bunk bed basket for your Char-Broil Big Easy to make more great side dishes like these garlic potatoes in dill sauce!
Fire up your Big Easy. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes.
Place the potatoes into a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 3 minutes on high.
Stir and check for doneness.
Microwave another 2 minutes (or longer if needed) until just tender. Do not over-cook, they need to have a little bite to them.
Place the cream cheese, milk and peppers in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high 40-50 seconds or until the cheese is melted.
Stir in the dill. Add to the potatoes and stir to coat completely.
Divide the potatoes between two disposable pans and transfer the pans to a Big Easy basket fitted with a Bunk Bed so you can cook both pans at the same time.
Place the basket into the Big Easy and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes start to turn golden brown around the edges.
Carefully remove the pans from the Big Easy and serve.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
Oh me. Just thinking back to these apple pie baked beans on the Char-Broil Big Easy has me wanting to make another batch. Now. Right now. In just over an hour I could be enjoying these slightly sweet, flavor-packed beans. And so could a few others, because this recipe makes a big batch.
A Bunk Bed Basket makes it even easier
To make these apple pie baked beans on the Char-Broil Big Easy, I needed a few things. First, a Bunk Bed basket. This is the first thing you should buy after getting a Big Easy. It nearly doubles your cooking space and makes sides dishes like this one a breeze. It also makes it easier to add and remove dishes from your cooker. You can fit three baskets in the Big Easy at once, but it takes a good bit of adjusting and luck to make it work.
Next up, I needed pans for the apple pie baked beans on the Char-Broil Big Easy. I recently discovered that Dutch oven line pans fit perfectly. They are 8″ in diameter and have tall sides so they hold a lot of food. They’re great so I ordered a big lot of them. I know I’ll use them up quick because I use my Big Easy a lot.
Place pie filling into a blender and pulse a few times. You don't want to puree the filling, you just want to chop up the larger pieces of apple. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the beans, BBQ sauce and BBQ seasoning plus any add-ons if using. Stir to combine.
Divide the bean mixture between two pans (they'll be completely full) and carefully transfer the pans to the Big Easy basket and bunk bed basket.
Lower the basket into the Big Easy and cook for 1 hour. If possible, stir the beans every 15 minutes or so. It can be hard to stir the bottom pan. Don't worry if you can't stir they'll be just fine either way. If you've added bell pepper or onion you might want to check if they've cooked to your liking. They might require another 15-30 minutes of cooking time.
Once the beans are hot and bubbly remove the basket from the Big Easy.
Let cool slightly before carefully removing the pans. Remember the pans are full and aren't rigid. Try to support the bottoms of the pans as you remove them.
