Hot, crispy French fries scream ‘dip me!’ I made a big ole batch of crispy fries in my Fry Daddy fryer the other day. On the side, I made a copycat Freddy’s fry sauce. Nope, no ketchup this time. Just a delicious creamy sauce that has just the perfect amount of spiciness. Time to get to dunkin’ and dippin’!
Mayonnaise And Fries Were Made For Each Other
Mayonnaise-based sauces are common all over the world, served right alongside fries. Not so much here in the US. That should change starting with this sauce!
I use these little dipping cups for serving my copycat Freddy’s fry sauce. They’re the perfect size for dipping wings, nuggets, tenders and even vegetables, too. And they’re easy to clean!
I recommend making a double batch of this sauce. Why? Well, not only is it great for fries, it’s also fantastic on burgers! And if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself double-dipping fries because you just can’t get enough of it!
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!
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.
Smash burgers are by far my favorite things to grill. They always come out juicy and packed with flavor. And they get that great crusty edge, reminding me of the diner burgers of my childhood. These meatloaf smash burgers put all of the flavors of a delicious meatloaf in a convenient hand-held package that hits the spot. Add traditional glaze and simple toppings (just onion and lettuce!) and you’ve got a real winner of a burger!
So Good. And Messy.
I can’t say enough how great these meatloaf smash burgers were. And they checked one of my required boxes for burgers: messy. The messier, the better. If it isn’t messy it doesn’t have enough ‘stuff’ on it. These burgers have stuff and then some. And the glaze? Oh so good!
The patties on these burgers are larger than I usually use for smash burgers. They were close to 6 ounces a pieces. That’s not a bad thing. You can adjust the recipe if you’d prefer smaller, 4 ounce patties, instead and end up with 6 servings instead of 4.
Making these burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a grill press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.
The only even remotely tropical-flavored chip I’ve ever had is Maui onion. These quick fix mango chile-lime potato chips put those to shame. These chips are decidedly fruity, with a good hint of heat. They also have just a touch of citrus. They’re different in a very good way. The seasoning I used (from Pepper Palace my favorite hot-sauce store!) was original intended for wings or shrimp, but it is just as amazing on chips.
Ready In Minutes. Gone In Seconds.
My quick fix mango chile-lime potato chips take only minutes to make. You end up with great-tasting chips that are seasoned YOUR WAY. My goodness, is there nothing worse that getting a bag of “The best chips you’ve ever had!” chips home only to find that half the chips don’t have enough seasoning. Or any seasoning for that matter. Well, you can go right ahead and season the heck out of them now. Any way you want. Do it.
Not that I mean to over-stress it, but I will mention you don’t need any fancy fru-fru chips for this recipe. In fact, I’d stay away from them. You want wavy chips, preferably. And frankly, you want chips that are a bit oily. Yep. Once heated, the chips will release that oil and that’s what you need to get the seasonings stuck on there good!
Oh man, did these Swamp Sauce smash burgers ever hit the spot. Juicy patties. Crisp fresh toppings. All with a wonderful creamy sauce that is a combination of just about every good burger sauce you can think of. It’s got a little heat. It’s got a little sweetness. A little tang. This will solve your problem if you find yourself opening the fridge, looking at the condiment bottles, and trying to decide what to use. These burgers are proof that even the simplest sauce can make a ‘plain’ burger something special. Sure, there are a few ingredients, but nothing fancy and nothing complicated.
I Dream About These Burgers
Making Swamp Sauce smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.
Oh man did these Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers ever hit the spot. Juicy patties. Crisp fresh toppings. All with a wonderful creamy sauce that makes you think of you-know-who’s Special Sauce but with a definite twist. Chili sauce adds a bit of heat and a tad bit of sweetness. Worcestershire makes you think steak sauce. And of course, there’s the BBQ sauce. I used a nice smoky hickory BBQ sauce because I wanted to make sure I got that wonderful BBQ flavor in my burgers. And I did. These burgers are proof that even the simplest sauce can make a ‘plain’ burger something special.
Easy And So Delicious
Making Thousand Island BBQ smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.
These spicy fried chicken sandwiches are proof that out-of-this-world crazy good crispy chicken sandwiches are really quite easy to make. Tender, juicy chicken that is just the right thickness. A light, flavorful coating with just the right crunchiness. Topped with a creamy, spicy mayonnaise that isn’t too hot but you’ll definitely know it’s there. This is a great sandwich.
This Sandwich Is A Winner
If you want your spicy fried chicken sandwiches a tad bit spicier, add a bit (or a lot) of hot sauce to the buttermilk while the chicken is marinating.
If nuggets are more your thing this recipe makes for crazy good nuggets too! Just cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before marinating. Skip the spicy mayonnaise and serve with your favorite chicken nugget dipping sauce.
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.
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
If you want your spicy fried chicken sandwiches a tad bit spicier, add a bit (or a lot) of hot sauce to the buttermilk while the chicken is marinating.
Add the buttermilk. Turn the chicken pieces a few times to coat.
Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For the dredge
In a shallow baking dish or large resealable bag or container, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Whisk together.
Add in a few tablespoons of the buttermilk from the chicken marinade and mix.
For the spicy mayonnaise
Whisk together the mayonnaise and hot sauce.
For the sandwiches
Heat oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven, skillet or deep fryer.
Working in batches if needed, remove chicken from the marinade. Shake off excess and transfer to the dredge. Coat well on all sides.
Transfer to the hot oil and fry 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly.
Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Make the sandwiches by spreading plenty of the spicy mayonnaise on the bun halves.
Top with the fried chicken and dill pickle slices.
Notes
Skip the pickles and add a few jalapeno slices for more kick.
When I grow up I want to be just like Todd Wilbur. First, he’s an author of many of my favorite recipe copycat cookbooks. I can read them all day long. And the cool part is there are a whole bunch of them! He hacks the heck out of the foods we all eat every day, from restaurant dishes to grocery store favorites. Like this copycat Fritos hot bean dip. I hadn’t thought of this dip in years. I loved it in college, though it was a rare treat because it wasn’t cheap. If only I’d had this recipe from Todd’s awesome site Top Secret Recipes back then!
Chunky Or Smooth. Your call.
The cool part about this copycat Fritos hot bean dip is that you can control how creamy smooth it gets. I like mine just a bit chunky. Not like ‘oh here’s a bean’ chunky, but still with a bit of texture. You can keep your ole food processor going longer and get a super creamy, super delicious version instead if that’s what you’re after!
Todd Wilbur Rocks
I can’t say enough about how cool Todd Wilbur is. Follow him on your favorite social media. He’s hilarious on Facebook but he’s also serious about hacking food. He isn’t messing around when it comes to recipes. You can go to his site and sign up for his Top Secret Recipes club (it’s quite reasonably priced) and get his new recipes right as they come out!
There are as many variations of Over The Top smoked chili as there are variations of ‘regular’ chili. Often referred to as OTT chili, the basic idea is that you smoke a ground beef mixture over a pot of chili mixings, such as tomatoes, beans (oh no! I used beans!), etc. As the beef cooks some of the fat drips into the chili pot, adding flavor. And of course the smoked beef picks up on some smoke flavor, too.
This is how I make it. I won’t ever make it any other way. I don’t need to. This is amazingly good chili.
Par-Smoke The Beef First
One of my biggest concerns with the idea of Over the Top smoked chili was that the beef drips into the chili as it smokes. I knew I wanted some of that fat (fat is flavor!) in the chili but I didn’t want a lot of it floating on top of my chili. Some recipes call for using low-fat (90/10 or even 95/5) beef. Well, that’s expensive. So my solution? Use cheaper ground beef and par-smoke it first. Let much of the fat drip down into a pan, not into the chili. Then add the chili and let the remaining fat drip into it. Problem solved.
Light On The Smoke, Big On Flavor
I went very light on the smoke when I made this. I used just a small chunk or two of fruit wood. Ground beef loves to soak up smoke and I didn’t want that flavor to bury the taste of what is a fantastic chili base.
Fire up your smoker for cooking 250-300 F. Use a lighter wood such as fruit wood for smoke.
Note: You can get the beef mixture prepared and onto the smoker while preparing the tomato mixture. Since the beef smokes a bit first, you don't have to have the tomato base ready at the beginning.
Place all ingredients into a large bowl.
Using your hands, combine the ingredients and form into a loaf.
Transfer the loaf to the top rack of your smoker.
Optional: Place a disposable pan underneath to catch any drippings. I do this only to make cleanup easier. If the drippings will directly onto hot coals or a hot surface, you may want to catch them in a pan so they don't burn.
Smoke the loaf for 1 hour – 1 1/2 hours to cook out some of the fat. It's up to you how much fat you want to remove, just remember that you want some of that fatty flavor in the final chili so don't completely cook the loaf.
Remove the disposable pan (if using) and replace it with the pot of the tomato mixture.
Continue smoking another 3 minutes – 1 hour or until the beef loaf has reached 155 F.
Remove the loaf and chop into small bite-sized crumbles.
Transfer to the tomato mixture and stir.
Smoke another 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the chili is your desired consistency.
Serve!
For the tomato mixture (The Bottom)
Heat the oil in a large (6-quart) Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add the onion and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes or until the onion is just starting to soften.
Add the garlic, stir and saute another 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredient.
Set aside until ready to transfer to the smoker.
Notes
In my opinion, you want to go light on the smoke when making this chili. You don’t want it to overpower the great flavors.
Stand back! It’s big time messy burger time! Messy means good, and this copycat Freddy’s burger sauce makes for some mighty messy good burgers! This isn’t the time to be shy saucing up some buns. Lesser is not better. More is! So spread it on thick and enjoy some lightly-spicy delicious creaminess. This perfectly seasoned sauce is destined to quickly become a favorite in your house too!
Burgers And Fries For The Win
I recommend that you make a batch of fries to go with burgers served with copycat Freddy’s burger sauce. You’ve already got the best fry seasoning, since the sauce calls for it in the recipe. Make some sauce, then sprinkle them fries, slap some burgers together and get to eatin’! And enjoyin’!
I made smash burgers because I knew they’d really shine with this sauce. Any burger will do, of course. I’m just partial to smash burgers because they’re easy and open to just about any toppings you can conjure up. I like to use a burger press when I make burgers. It, in combination with some patty papers, enables me to crank out a whole bunch of equally-sized burger patties in no time at all with little cleanup.
