Thursday, September 27, 2012

BBQ Chicken Pizza


           Did you make that slow cooker BBQ chicken recipe yet? I sure hope you did or are planning to because for 1, it’s dynamite and 2, this post sorta depends on it! If you did make it, then you know how much chicken it makes. Honestly, even if I had 5 children, I don’t think it all would have went! And if you are hoping to make it sometime soon- get your Tupperware ready my friends!

            So here is a recipe that will help you with your boatload of chicken. I must say this recipe has changed me… To make a long story short, I have never been a chicken-on-my-pizza kinda gal. I like chicken on sandwiches, with mashed potatoes, hot off the grill….ya know, normal platforms for el pollo. Note that pizza crust was not included….on purpose…..until now…. OH-MY-FRIZZY-HAIR , BBQ chicken on pizza is ridiculous. Boy, have I been missing out! This recipe had me full of shame for not even giving it a chance. Now I wouldn’t go too far and say I’m ready to welcome in other chicken pizza varieties, I think for now I’m beyond content with this creation. I can only hope you are too… Enjoy!
         


BBQ Chicken Pizza
Servings: 8 slices
OBJ: TCW be able to get over her anti-chicken on pizza attitude
Ingredients:
1 ball of frozen pizza dough- thawed and risen ( I use House of Pizza brand- it’s my fav)
1 ½ C shredded BBQ chicken from this recipe or cooked shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce
1/2  tomato, thinly sliced and set on paper towels to dry-out
¼ of an onion, thinly sliced
1 C shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ C freshly grated Gouda cheese
2 TBS Parmesan cheese
S & P: salt and pepper
 
Procedures:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and set pizza stone on bottom rack to preheat too!
2. Punch dough down and either use a rolling pin to roll out on a floured surface or use your hands to toss and stretch dough so that it forms a somewhat-of-a-rectangle shape (around 10 in. by 12 in.)
3.  Remove pizza stone from oven and place on top of stove to assemble pizza:
4. Spread ½ of both Cheddar and Gouda on bottom of dough, spread chicken on top of cheeses (leave about ½ in. of crust), place tomato slices and onions on top of chicken, top with remaining Cheddar and Gouda, sprinkle with S & P and Parmesan
5. Place back in oven and let cook for about 10-14 minutes or until crust is golden and cheeses are bubbling
6. Remove pizza stone from oven and place on cutting board, slice pizza and serve!


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken


          I pretty much love anything my mother makes. Maybe it’s because she raised me and my brother with homemade meals or that she always had fresh produce in the fridge or perhaps it’s the value she and my Dad placed on family dinners. Anyway I think about it though, I come up with one conclusion: My Momma is a damn good cook! And since I think cooking skills are genetic, I am so thankful she is a Kitchen QueenJ
                My top five dishes she makes: chicken parm, panko-crusted pork chops, rigatoni Bolognese, breaded & baked chicken with zucchini and tomatoes, and beer can chicken. Which brings us to this post: CP BBQ Beer Chicken. Now when I stumbled upon this recipe while “binging” slow cooker BBQ chicken, I knew I had to try. Just the thought of being able to somewhat replicate Mom’s beer can chicken sans grill was motivation enough to dig out ol’ Mr. Crockpot.
                Results? A-MAZE-ING! Not only did I share this recipe with the Kitchen Queen herself but I also emailed it to Grandma, the Original Kitchen Queen. Needless to say, three generations of cooks all made it, all loved it, and all had way too much leftovers! My plans: BBQ chicken pizza and BBQ chicken enchiladas. The other two cooks I can’t vouch for but I think it’s safe to say Dad and Grandpa might be BBQ’d out by next week! Enjoy…



Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

Adapted from: How Sweet It Is
Makes: A LOT (8-10 servings)

OBJ: TCW be able to make one of her Mom’s favorite dishes in a Crockpot!

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4-6 large)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces of beer (I used a classic amber)
15.5 ounces of barbecue sauce
Sliced cheddar cheese
Kaiser Rolls, toasted

Procedures:
1. Place chicken breasts in Crockpot, add onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and toss around to season chicken well
2. Add beer and BBQ sauce
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours
4. Shred, let sit for 10-15 minutes so chicken can absorb sauce
5. Place spoonfuls on bottom halves of rolls, place cheddar slices on top, top with other half of roll, enjoy!

 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

3-Ingredient Nutella Doughnuts


           Alright so I hate this picture but I LOVE this recipe. And since I think you’re more interested in my food than my photos, I posted this as soon as I could. This recipe is, no joke, one that will make you do cartwheels! I know I was at a loss of words after my first bite. For one I thought- Did I really make these? And two- Were they actually that simple? Awesome-ly – the answer is a resounding yes to both.

                Anyone wondering about that picture? All kinds of goodies going on, right? Oh yes my friends, that is how my family rollsJ You’d think doughnuts would be enough to satisfy some company, yes? Eh, why not round out the last course by offering doughnuts with Klondike Bars and Brownie Sundaes? To be honest, this mentality translates to all our gatherings and what I’ve discovered is this- If you have leftovers for 2 days- you made just the right amount! Well anyway, you get the point- we love food: making it, buying it, serving it, sharing it- the more the merrier- the fullest the happiestJ Enjoy…


3- Ingredient Nutella Doughnuts
Makes: 6 doughnuts (2 servings, haha)

OBJ: TCW be able to make her first batch of doughnuts

Ingredients:
2/3 C Nutella + more for glazing
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
6 TBS all purpose flour
Hazelnuts (optional- I used slivered almonds)

Procedures:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside
3. In a small bowl, mix nutella, egg, egg yolk and flour until smooth batter forms
4. Spoon evenly into pan and spread batter around to fill cavities evenly
5. Bake 8-10 or until thoroughly cooked (mine took 10 minutes)
6. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to let cool completely on rack
7. Spread more nutella over tops of doughnuts and sprinkle with nuts if desired, serve ( FYI-I microwaved my Nutella before spreading as I wanted more of a glazed look)

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers


               Oh the deal of the day! Aka, manager’s special. Or better yet, a great bargain right under your nose! I hope you know what I’m referring to. If you don’t, let me try to explain…What I think it is is some piece of supermarket good that the store has to get rid of asap and so they price it almost ½ off. There are usually a lot of these in the produce aisle but I shy away because old and odd colored fruit/veggies schkeeve me, but there are also some usually in the meat department. And this, my friends, is what I call BINGO! Countless times I’ve bought roast chickens, stir fry mixes, sausage rings, and cutlets at a ridiculously low cost. Now there aren’t always great Ds of the D, so you can’t establish your weekly dinners around them but you can find some awesome eats from time- to- time. So- keep those eyes peeled and scour that meat row!

                Hence, this post: Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers. It really should be titled Jazzed Up Turkey Burgers with Browned Onions and Bacon Smothered in Cheddar. I think you see why I shortened it, J But really, this recipe rocks. I honestly hate plain turkey burgers as does my entire family. They remind me of eating a dried up hockey puck, ugh, they put the ggrrrr in gross! However, when you add bacon, onions and cheddar to them, the world just seems brighter! Haha, well at least your dinner doesJ Not to mention, I got the turkey burgers for $1.00!! Anyway, I think you’ll love this recipe, it’s super easy, a little tedious, but oh-so-yummy. I served it with salad but I’d recommend some oven fries if you have them. Burgers and fries sound way better than burgers and salad, duh!

 Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers
Serves: 4

OBJ: TCW be able to turn a deal of the day into a delicious dinner

Ingredients:
1 lb turkey burgers, already formed
1 onion, diced
2 ½ bacon slices, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS fresh parsley, minced or 1 tsp dried
2-3 C baby spinach, cleaned
12-16 thin slices extra sharp cheddar, from block
S & P: salt and pepper
4 fresh Kaiser rolls

Procedures:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. In a medium sauté pan, heat oil. Once hot, add onions, bacon, parsley, S & P, stir well.  Cook over medium flame for about 15-20 minutes or until bacon is browned and onions are light brown and very soft
3. Scrape mixture onto paper towel-lined plate to sop up grease, pat top of mixture with towel too, transfer mixture to mixing bowl
4. Add turkey burger meat, spinach and a pinch more pepper to bowl, use your hand to mix very well. Divide meat mixture into 4 sections and shape each into a patty
5. Place patties onto rimmed baking sheet and bake on bottom shelf of oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked through
6. Remove from oven, place 3-4 slices of cheese over each patty to just about cover each top, place back in oven for 2 minutes for cheese to melt. Also at this time, place rolls in oven to toast for the 2 minutes if desired
7. Remove burgers and rolls from oven, assemble and enjoy!