We were on vacation in Sevierville TN when we had to swing by a Publix grocery store for a few items. I always make sure I peruse the snack and wing sauce aisles of grocery stores when I’m out of town. I never know what I might find. Well, this time, the food gods were shining down on me because I found Old Bay Goldfish crackers. But when I returned home, I could not find them in our stores. That one little bag I had bought did not last long. I needed more. So I made homemade Old Bay Goldfish crackers instead! Just as good, and actually a bit better.
Better. Much Better.
Why are my homemade Old Bay Goldfish crackers even better than the stuff in the bag? Because I added a lot more Old Bay seasoning is why! I’m addicted to that stuff. I loaded my crackers up big time. Heck yeah, they were finger-licking good! I didn’t let any of the seasoning go to waste, that’s for sure.
Get Your Crunch On
Just a little note. These crackers come out of the oven still a bit soft. Good, but not quite crunchy. They will be. Just let them cool a bit. Resist eating them and let them cool. Or don’t resist.
This cheesy chicken fajita melt was a huge hit in our house. Huge. The chicken, vegetable and cheese filling is incredibly tasty. The chicken is tender and juicy and packed with classic fajita flavor. Oh, yes, there’s cheese. And lots of it. This is one fantastic sandwich. We made it on the griddle on our grill, but you can use a countertop griddle, an outdoor griddle such as ones from Blackstone or Weber, or even a large skillet. No matter what you use, you’ll love the end result for sure!
More Seasoning Makes These More Better
Don’t be shy with the fajita seasoning when you make this cheesy chicken fajita melt. Get to shaking that bottle. You’ll be happy you did. You want the chicken to have that fajita flavor. You want the vegetables to have that fajita flavor. And yep, get some on top of the cheese too. Last thing you want to have happen is that you take a big ole bit of sandwich only to ask yourself “Where’s the fajita?”.
These are not light fare. You’re not going to the leave the table hungry after devouring these sandwiches. That’s for sure!
Season the thighs with the fajita seasoning. Don't be shy with the seasoning. Let the chicken set for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Preheat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over high heat. I used a large griddle on my gas grill, but a flat top griddle, Griddler or the like will work just fine. You'll want a large surface as this recipe makes a large batch.
Also preheat your oven to 400 F. Note: Since I was using a griddle on a gas grill, I used the grill as my oven instead.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the griddle. Add the thighs and cook for 4 minutes per side until lightly charred and cooked to 165 F.
Remove the chicken to a platter to cool slightly then cut into small cubes.
Add remaining butter to the griddle and add the onions and peppers. Cook until lightly softened and charred, stirring often.
Add the chicken to the vegetables. Season with more fajita seasoning and stir to combine.
Add half of the cheese and mix until melted. Remove to a plate or bowl.
Slice off the top of the bread loaves and remove most of the contents. You want a completely hollowed loaves, but be careful to not poke any holes in the sides or bottoms!
Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with more fajita seasoning. Transfer to the oven (or a hot grill over indirect heat) and toast for 10 minutes or until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is melted. If you want a little color to your cheese, place the loaves under the broiler for a minute or two.
Top with chopped fresh cilantro and Mexican crema and serve!
Very few things go together as great as guacamole, bacon, cheese, onion and a burger. These bacon guacamole smash burgers are a real winner in our house. I love the coolness from the guacamole on a hot-off-the-grill patty. Smoky bacon is always a great addition. Ooey, gooey cheese is a must. A little onion adds a great crunchiness. Every bite is fantastic.
Good Guacamole Makes For A Great Burger
I don’t skimp on the guacamole when I make bacon guacamole smash burgers. Sometimes I’ll use a spicier guac for a little kick. But normal, good-ole mild guacamole is fine too. If you’re looking for heat, you can also add a good pepper jack cheese. Jalapeno jack is a real winner, too.
Delicious Hot Juiciness
I like to serve this burgers as soon as they come off the grill. I love the cool guacamole on the hot patty. Oh, I already said that. Well, I’d apologize for repeating myself but I was remembering just how great every bite was as I was writing this.
The equipment
Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.
The griddle
First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.
Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.
In small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, hot sauce and jalapenos.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the smash burgers
Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
Season the ground beef and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
Add the cheese slices. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties and serve topped with two pieces of the bacon and 2 tablespoons each of the guacamole. Add the onion and tomato if using.
Well, that was embarrassing. I’m guessing that these slow cooker Ranch corn chips were supposed to last at least a few hours. Heck, it says ‘makes 12 servings’ in the recipe. So much for that idea. They’re just a little too good to sit around. They didn’t last long and I’d be tempted to say it’s more like 4 servings…. or 2. Packed with Ranch flavor, you can’t beat this simple snack recipe. The fact that I’m addicted to Ranch flavors didn’t help me with my self-control. Again.
The Search For Corn Chip Perfection
The recipe for slow cooker Ranch corn chips calls for a single 9.75 ounce bag of chips. I found that our bag had about a cup of crumbs at the bottom. You can’t use those in this recipe. I recommend that you grab 2 bags and sort through them, only using the best chips you find. Save the crumbs to grind and thicken chili. Or sprinkle them on top of salads in lieu of croutons or bacon.
I would point out that the recipe does say to let the chips cool before serving. You’re probably going to find that difficult to do. “The waiting is the hardest part” as Tom Petty once sang.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and the dip seasoning.
Pour butter mixture over the chips, gently stirring them with a spatula as you pour so they get covered.
Gently stir until the chips are well coated with the butter mixture.
Place chips in a slow cooker on high, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so.
Spread the chips out on a large piece of wax paper and let cool before serving.
Notes
You might need to grab 2 bags of chips so that you can get enough perfect chips to make a batch. Our bag had quite a few crumbs in it so we ended not being able to use a good cups worth of them.
Oh, how I do love perfectly battered, perfectly fried shrimp. As soon as I took my first bite of this copycat Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Fried Shrimp I knew I should’ve made more. And I should’ve doubled the sauce recipe, too. The shrimp are seasoned just right. They’re tender. The batter stays on and that’s a major plus. The dipping sauce is different. Kind of cocktail sauce-like, but mayonnaise-based. It’s quite good and would be great with fried fish or even on a fish sandwich. These are great shrimp.
The Perfect Combination
The key to making these copycat Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ fried shrimp is to not over-cook them. For me, that means about 90 seconds. I use 16-20 count (large) shrimp. If you’re new to frying shrimp, I recommend starting with just one little ole shrimp. Fry it, and keep an eye on the time. When you think it’s done pull it out and try it (after cooling of course). If it’s too done, knock 15 seconds off the cook time and try another test shrimp. Not done enough? Add 15 seconds and try again.
If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.
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!
Heat 3" of oil to 350 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
In a pie plate or shallow bowl, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne.
In another pie plate or shallow bowl, stir together the buttermilk and water.
Place a wire rack over a cookie sheet.
Coat the shrimp in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.
Roll the shrimp in the buttermilk and shake off any excess.
Return the shrimp to the flour mixture and coat again. Shake off any excess and transfer to the wire rack.
Working in batches if needed, fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes (I prefer 1 minute and 30 seconds), turning once, until golden brown. Remove the another wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate.
Wow. Just wow. Someone went and messed with my beloved Sloppy Joes and to my shock, they made them better. I didn’t think that was possible. And they’re not just a bit better, but a WHOLE LOT better! These sour cream Sloppy Joes are different. Totally different. It’s a cross between a traditional version with a creamy sauce and Asian-inspired flavors. It might sound weird, but it works and it works great!
A Crazy Good Variation On The Classic
I’m not sure I would’ve eaten sour cream Sloppy Joes as a kid. I was pretty much stuck on the usual old-school way of making them. Now, I’d jump on these like a bull dog on a pork chop. I loved them. My wife loved them. They were a big hit here. If I could back in time, I’d tell little kid me to ask mom if she would make these instead. She’d probably leave out the hot sauce, though.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this soup and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
Why is it that any burger served on Texas toast just tastes better? There’s just something special about it. It certainly rounds out these great spicy Texas Toast smash burgers. Thin patties, cooked perfectly, with that little crust around the edges. Ooey gooey cheese. Bacon. Roasted jalapenos and caramelized onions. Oh, and a sauce. A fantastic burger sauce. This is my kind of burger.
Stay Cheesy, My Friend
I prefer Colby jack cheese on my spicy Texas toast smash burgers. It’s so creamy and it melts so well. Any good melting cheese will work. But trust me on the Colby jack. If you’re lucky, you can find jalapeno Colby jack. A little more heat is a good thing.
The Right Bread for the Job
Go big with the burger sauce. Don’t just dollop a teaspoon or two on the bread. Load it up. The sauce is fantastic, lightly smoky, lightly spicy. And don’t worry, the Texas toast can more than handle it without getting soggy and leaving you with burger sadness. That isn’t going to happen here.
The equipment
Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.
The griddle
First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.
Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.
In small bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the burger topping
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Note: You can make this on the grill, just place the skillet over a hot part of the grill. I prefer to make it on the stovetop ahead of time.
Add the onion and season with salt. Sauté for 40-45 minutes or until the onions are completely softened and turn golden brown, stirring often.
Remove the onions to a plate.
Add a splash or two of oil to the skillet and add the jalapeno.
Sauté until the jalapenos are softened and are starting to turn golden brown.
Remove to another plate and reserve until ready to use.
For the smash burgers
Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
Add the cheese slices. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
Toast the bread. Slather one side of each slice with the sauce.
Cut the bacon pieces in half and put 3 halves onto 4 of the slices of bread.
Remove the patties from the grill and place on top of the slices of bread with the bacon. Top with the onions and some jalapeno slices. Devour immediately.
I had a big time hankerin’ for some Doritos the other day. I was craving that classic crunch and flavor. Well, sorta. I was craving a little something different too. So I made some cedar planked nacho cheese Doritos. I didn’t go crazy with the cedar. After all I’m not making salmon here. I just wanted to add a little crunch and to kick the flavors up a bit. And boy did I ever get what I was lookin’ for!
Flavors And Crunch Enhanced
Cedar planked nacho cheese Doritos get a nice little roast, and little char to them. The cedar aroma is there, but it’s light. Perfect. There’s just a slight taste of cedar to the chips. The nacho cheese flavor that we all love is still there but it’s stronger. Better. Hot off the grill, these little bites of heaven disappears in seconds.
Make Extra. You’ll Need Them.
You’ll definitely want to make several planks of these. Nice thing is that they take only minutes too make, so you can always just toss some more chips on the same plank over and over. I think you can get at least four good batches of chips on a single soaked plank before needing to soak it more.
Soak plank (or planks if you need more than one) in water for at least 1 hour.
Fire up your grill to medium-high heat, around 400 F.
Place the plank over indirect heat. Add the chips. Close the lid.
Let the chips grill for 2-5 minutes. Check them at least once. If they start to turn dark brown or char on the edges, remove them.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Note: If you prefer a stronger cedar flavor and aroma, place your soaked plank over direct heat for a few minutes first. Get a nice char on the plank. Then move it to indirect heat and add the chips.
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…
Fire up your Big Easy. Optionally, spray your Big Easy basket with non-stick spray.
Season the chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Do not be shy with the seasoning.
Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Get all sides of the chicken seasoned, don't miss anything! Do not be shy with the seasoning.
Transfer the chicken to the Big Easy basket and place into the hot cooker.
Cook for 20 minutes per pound or until the chicken breast reaches 160 F as measured in several places.
If using butter, gently lift the basket from the cooker and brush with the butter. Return to the cooker for 5 more minutes to brown the skin with the butter.
If not using butter just leave the chicken in for another 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the Big Easy and let rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
If I was going out to grab a sub, I’d be heading to Jersey Mike’s. No question about it. I’d get a sub Mike’s way, with vinegar and oil and salt and pepper and it’d disappear in no time. And if I wanted to make the same great sandwich at home, I’d make my copycat Jersey Mike’s sub. But if I’m in a big hurry and still want a great sandwich, I make my quick and easy cold cut sub sandwich. It’s not too different than what I can get at Jersey Mike’s. Main difference is that I use an off-the-shelf sub dressing that makes every sub great.
Don’t Forget The Salt And Pepper
It may sound odd, but I actually think the two ingredients that are essential to a tasty quick and easy cold cut sub sandwich are salt and pepper. Onions need seasoning. The tomatoes definitely need seasoning. And of course the lettuce needs it too.
