Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

BBQ Beef Sandwiches



Again, this is more of an idea than a recipe, but who doesn't love a good idea! Making BBQ beef sandwiches can be one of the easiest dinners ever if you do this:

You can use London Broil or a roast, whichever you prefer. I use whichever is on sale.

Put the meat in your crock pot and sprinkle it with this:


I can't believe I've waited this long to tell you how much I love Montreal Steak Seasoning. I couldn't live without it! I know I sound like a drama queen by saying that, but it's true. It is my favorite seasoning. Is sugar a seasoning? If sugar is a seasoning then Montreal Steak Seasoning is my second favorite seasoning. You can use it in so many things! Soups. Eggs. Breakfast burritos. Everything you put on the grill. Potatoes. Asparagus. Cupcakes. HA! I just snuck that one in to see if you were paying attention. Don't put it on cupcakes! Draw the line at cupcakes! You can put it on so many things, and you should! You can buy it at the grocery store but it's WAY cheaper at Costco and you're gonna want this big size once you try it.

So, getting back to our sandwiches, sprinkle the uncooked meat with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Be generous, but don't go crazy. It has a strong flavor. Oh, and it'll make your house smell fab while it's cooking.

You don't need any water in the crockpot, just the meat and seasoning.

Put on the lid and crank it to high. Let it cook until the meat falls apart and shreds easily. How long it needs to cook depends on the size of the meat. Just keep an eye on it, but if you're cooking a big roast it will probably take a good part of the day. If you're cooking it for the first time and you're not going to be home, you might want to set the crockpot to low, but if you have a big roast you should probably set it to high.

Once it's done, shred the meat. (Oh, and if there is any fat, remove it now! Fat is not our friend!) I leave in quite a bit of the juice that has cooked out because it adds great flavor and then the sandwiches aren't dry. If there's a bunch of juice you may want to take some out. I normally take the meat out of the crockpot, shred it, pour the juice into something else, add the shredded meat back into the crockpot, then pour in however much juice I want. Just do it the way you like it. Then add as much BBQ sauce as you like. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I like KC Masterpiece Original Flavor. I've used others, but I always go back to good ol' KC.

You can serve these on hamburger buns or any type of roll you like. Ciabatta rolls work really well! What I usually do, just to make 'em extra fattening and good, is butter the buns and sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese then put them in the broiler until they are golden brown. Oh baby! (Don't broil them too long or they will burn...big time! I've burned more than my fair share of buns in my day. Not good!) Then you slap some of the meat on it, and if you want to you can add a little extra sauce to the sandwich, and prepare to have your eyes roll back into your head!

From whence it came: Me. It came from me. Because I love you. And you are very welcome!

Why it's blogable: I'm so bored with these same old reasons. Easy and good. BORING! But true! And as far as the good part goes, just ask my sonny-in-law about these sandwiches. That cute boy is somewhat obsessed with them. When I visited the cutieweds in Utah a couple of weeks ago I said I'd make whatever they wanted for dinner and these sandwiches were the top choice. And how easy is this? I cooked the meat at home, added the sauce, froze it and took it all those hundreds of miles in a cooler. When we were ready to devour it, I just warmed it up and we were set. I served it with watermelon and The World's Best Pasta Salad. And my sonny-in-law was happy, and that makes me happy, because my sonny-in-law makes my married daughter very happy, and that makes me happy!

What about The Spy Who Love Me: He really likes these, too!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Campfire Potatoes


Ingredients

* 5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1/3 cup chicken broth

Directions

* Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 in. x 20 in.); dot with butter. Combine the cheese, parsley, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes.

* Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 4-6 servings.

From whence it came: I don't think I've ever mentioned Taste of Home magazine on my little blog. Well the time has come to tell you that I love Taste of Home! I found this super great recipe in a Taste of Home magazine years ago and it instantly became a family favorite. If you've never checked out Taste of Home, you must! The recipes are so good and not weird like some of those magazines that have all that fancy yucky silly food in them. I'm happy to finally give Taste of Home the props it deserves!

Why it's blogable: Every time I've made this recipe people have loved it! These potatoes have a great flavor and cooking outdoors is always fun. I have a terrific marinade recipe that I will share with you soon, and if you make that chicken and these potatoes your family will carry you around on their shoulders as if you'd just scored the winning touchdown in in the Superbowl! You'll be a hero for sure. I'll post the marinade recipe tomorrow so you can try it out this weekend if you want to. Hey, here's a great idea...get the hubby and kidlets to barbecue for y'all this weekend for Mother's Day. Pick out a few simple recipes and let them go to town while you take a drooling nap. Don't you just love to take a drooling nap on a Sunday afternoon? You know, the kind where you're so out of it that you wake up and realize to your horror...and delight...that you actually drooled! Look for the marinade recipe tomorrow. Weird ingredients, fabulous flavor! I promise!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Rachel Ray's Tangy Chicken Sandwiches

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 1/3 c. barbecue sauce
½ c. apple cider vinegar
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
6 French rolls
6 ozs Jack cheese

Place chicken in heavy pot with onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1 ½ cups). Add barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops of hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and shred with two forks. Boil the sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (about 15 minutes). Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and heat through. Spoon onto rolls and top with grated cheese.

(I do not add the hot pepper sauce and I cook the chicken longer than 15 minutes.)

From whence it came: Duh! Read the title! I found this recipe in a magazine and I thought it looked good so I gave it a try and I was right. (I usually am. Right, that is. When it comes to recipes. Not so much about other stuff, just mostly recipes.) I'm debating on whether or not to tell you how I feel about Rachel Ray. They thing is, she is a bit too perky for my taste. I admire her for what she's accomplished, don't misunderstand, it's just sometimes she bugs me a little bit. Well, sometimes a lot! I really hate to say these things on my blog because I fear that someday she and I will have an awkward moment in the hall at the Food Network building. You know, when Paula Deen invites me on her show, and then surprises me with Tim McGraw. I worry about running into Rachel Ray, who I'm sure is a very nice person, and having that awkward "I said Rachel bugs me" moment right there in the hall. Oh well, I'll live dangerously and take that chance.

Why it's blogable: These sandwiches make a great summertime, or really anytime, dinner. They go together really fast and my whole family likes them. They are a nice change from barbecue beef and maybe a little bit healthier, especially if you use whole grain rolls. I really like whole grain rolls, they have so much more flavor than white.

Now I feel guilty: Rachel, I'm sorry I said you sometimes bug me. I'm probably just jealous of your success. But you should watch your back, because someday my blog is going to take you down!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!