Chicken Salad Crescents

Found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogger's sites...Plain Chicken.  I modified it slightly. 

I'm ashamed to admit I had all of the makings for this for the Memorial Weekend cookout but in all the hub bub I totally forgot to make it.  It worked out for the best though since I wouldn't have been able to take pictures that day.

For tailgate I can chill the mixed up ingredients and take with me in a cooler.  Then I'll assemble them and use the Camp Chef Oven to cook.

Ingredients:

• Rotisserie Chicken (pick meat off and break into small chunks)
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tsp worcestershite sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 2 can of crescent rolls
• 1 package (2 cups) of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take all the ingredients except the rolls and mix together in a bowl. 

Separate out the rolls into triangles.

I then took a scooper from pampered chef and took a generous scoop and placed on each triangle.  Roll the triangle up with the mixture securely inside.

Put in the oven and cook for about 18 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the insides are gooey and melted.

Let cool for a few minutes. 

Hot Crab Dip

Got this recipe from our good friend Robin.  She brought it to an event and it was so good I needed the recipe.

Monday we went to another cookout and swim party.  Decided to bring this and literally it was GONE in 20 minutes.

For tailgate I can use my Camp Chef Oven to cook right there!

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese (softened)
• 4 tbsp mayo (not Miracle Whip)
• 1/4 tsp dryed mustard
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1lb lump crab meat
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 8oz sour cream
• Old Bay to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine all ingredients except crab meat and cheese.  Mix with a blender until smooth.

Fold in the crab meat with a spoon.  (Probably a good idea to take any shells out of the meat if you can before you dump in).

I used a Pampered Chef square stone pan.  Spread the mixture across the bottom evenly. 

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Let cool for 15 mins.  Serve with crackers or carrot sticks.

Pit Ham and Pit Turkey

Seiously...I know I have issues.  Not just with the crock pots but now I'm the owner of an industrial meat slicer.  But it's AWESOME!!!  I feel like I have my own deli now.  Isn't it beautiful!

Anyways since I have my awesome new slicer I decided to do pit beef, ham and turkey.  Put the beef on the grill (see previous post in April).

To cook the ham and turkey (both Kunzler meat that I got from Amrein Foods) I didn't want to dry it out on the grill and I was running out of space on the grill.  I took out my roaster and plopped them in there.  I cut them in half with the cut side down.  The ham I rubbed with some brown sugar and poured a little Sam Adams beer over.  I let them cook for about 1.5-2 hours.

But I wanted them to have the smokey flavor from the grill.  I cut the meat in half and stuck on the grill for 10-15 mins before slicing.

All the meat as so good I was beginning to go into a meat coma :-)

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

The big Memorial Weekend Annual Cookout was Sunday and I always do some experimenting.  This time I wanted a lot of slow cooker foods because I was so busy setting up still.  My family thinks I have a crock pot addiction because I had 7 of them going at one time on Sunday.  They're sending me to counceling :-)

I didn't really get a chance to try them because by the time I got inside from grilling they were all gone!  For tailgate I can stick these in the crock pot overnight and just dump them in a tray and pop into the chafing dishes when we get there.  Super easy!

I got this recipe from this site and modified it a bit.

http://busycooks.about.com/od/precookedmeatballrecipes/r/cpswedishmeatba.htm

The modified recipe is ....

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. pkg. frozen cooked meatballs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cans progresso cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms (drained)

Preparation:

Place all ingredients  in a 3-4 quart crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally.

Maryland / Baltimore Soft Shell Crab Sandwich

So let me start out by saying that I don't know if I will ever actually make these for tailgate.  People seem to either love or hate soft shell crabs so I don't know how many folks in the tailgate like them.  But I LOVE them.  Actually during my pregnancy last summer I had a craving for them and had them once per week so I go pretty good at cleaning them.

So I went to ShopRite today and they had fresh cleaned soft shell crabs.  I thought I died and went to heaven :-)

No one else in the family likes them so I didn't feel guilty for eating both of them on my sandwich. 

If you can't find soft shell crabs fresh and/or cleaned then many seafood places have them frozen.  If you don't know how to clean them there are several You Tube videos out there with instructions.

Ingredient:

• 2 Soft Shell Crabs (cleaned and fresh/thawed)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Flour

Directions:

So start with the crabs...YUM!

Take them out of the package (if frozen make sure you thaw before cooking).  Sprinkle lightly with Old Bay Seasoning.

Coat with flour.  In the meantime heat some vegetable or other oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.

Place the crabs in the heated oil.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until the outsides are slightly browned.

Take them out of the pan.  Let them cool for a few minutes.  Don't want to burn your mouth on the hot oil.

Serve with favorite topping on a roll.  I like mine with tomatoes.  And yes I put them on the same bun.  It was like the soft shell crab version of a double cheeseburger :-)

Loving Local Businesses This Week

So we are getting ready for our annual Memorial weekend bash on Sunday and I'm planning the menu. First stop for food supplies was Jones Family Farm in Edgewood, MD. Love this place! Some of the nicest people in the world work there. Produce is fresh and delicious! The second local place I found was Amrein Foods in Joppa, MD. Family owned and operated since 1963. Going to order my meat from them for pit ham and beef. They buy local and from the Amish whenever they can. Love that!

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans

So for the birthday party this weekend I wanted another side dish that would go in a crock pot / slow cooker because I had the kids all day by myself and we still needed to get a bath.  (I had Warrior Dash on Saturday and on the first pass for a shower I somehow had missed an ear so I was still a little crusty from the mud).  So anyways I decided to use a recipe I found on Budget Bytes blog site called "Slow Cooker Baked Beans".

I started getting into the list of ingredients though and I didn't have 4 of the key ingredients.  So I decided WTF and just made due with what I had at the house to see how it would go.  Surprisingly they were delicious.  Here is my modified list of ingredients.  BTW I added the ground beef at the last minute because I had a 1/4lb left after I was done with the Bacon Cheeseburger Dip.

For the tailgate I will cook them at home overnight/morning and throw them into a tray to put in the chafing dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 jar of Hormel real bacon bits (the original recipe called for a pound of bacon)
• 2 cans of Great Northern Beans (the original recipe called for a pound of dry white beans)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey (the original recipe called for molasses)
• 1/4 cup spicy mustard (the original recipe called for dijon mustard)
• Generous amount of cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat the crock pot on low.

Dice the onion and place in the slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Do NOT drain the beans just throw them in.  You'll need the juices so its not too thick.  Stir every 30 minutes or so.  Cook on low for 3 hours.

Slow Cooker or Oven Mac N Cheese

So it was my sister-in-law's 40th birthday over the weekend and we had a great time...pit beef...pool..boardwalk fries...YUM!

For the party I made Slow Cooked Mac N Cheese in the Crock Pot.  This can be done in the oven also.  For the oven just put in a a 9x13 pan with bread crumbs on top...cook for 40 mins on 350 degrees.

I had gotten this recipe from Paula Deen's site after my sister told me about it.  The kids LOVE it.  This was gone in literally 10 minutes at the party.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

The above is the work in progress!

The finished product!

Sin Cake

A good friend of mine Megan (check out her blog at "Crazy Times 4") gave this recipe to me and everytime I take it anywhere folks LOVE it.  Thanks Meg!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Absolutely Almond Pound Cake (Tastefully Simple)
• 2 of the large boxes of Chocolate pudding
• 1 large container of Cool Whip
• Chocolate Sprinkles

Directions:

Bake the pound cake according to the directions (you will only need the mix, 1 cup of water and 1.5 sticks of butter).  The only difference...instead of a loaf pan...spread in a greased 9x13 pan.  And only cook for 20-25 mins (until the toothpick comes out clean).  Let this cool for several hours.

Take the 2 boxes of pudding and prepare according to the directions on the box (this is gonna take 6 cups of milk).  Let it set in the fridge for about 30 mins.

After the pudding is ready...layer it on top of the pound cake that is cooled.

Take the cool whip and layer on top of the pudding.

Then sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles.

Keep in the refridgerator until ready to serve.  Enjoy!  For tailgate I can take the pan with the lid and keep in the cooler until its time for the desserts to come out.

Bite Size Meatloafs

So I got the idea for this from Pinterest.  But the recipe that was on there had you putting a ton of shit in there that there is no way I'd ever eat.  So I did the meatloaf part like I would do the normal meatloaf at home but bite size portions.

I had 1 pound of leftover ground beef from the Mother's Day triple dipper experiment so I thought...why not!  To make the bite size loafs I used the muffin tin.

Ingredients:

• 1lb of lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• 1/4 tsp of garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp of italian seasonings
• Tbsp of minced onions
• Ketchup
• 1 egg

Directions:

In a large bowl pour in all the ingredients except the ketchup.  Kneed it together.  I added a little more bread crumbs until it lost its tackiness.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the mixture and shape it into puck shapes.  A pound of meat makes approximately 12 meatball pucks. 

Take the muffin tin and spray each hole with a little Pam cooking spray.  Place a puck into each muffin hole.  Drizzle with ketchup on the top.

Cook for approximately 15-20 mins.  Remove and let cool for a few mins.  These are the perfect bite sized meatloafs!!

Perfect for tailgate.  You can make in the morning and transport as an appetizer!

Dip #3 in the Triple Dipper - Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

So the last dip I did in the crock pot was this one.  I got the recipe from Betty Crocker but modified it slightly since I don't do peppers.

Original Recipe...
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-bacon-cheeseburger-dip/7bacb945-25ed-4117-b034-0da7b55df7cd

Modified Recipe....

• Half a jar of the Hormel Real Bacon Bits
• 1/4 lb of lean ground beef
• 8oz of cream cheese
• 3/4 can of drained petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

                                               

Directions

In a skillet brown the ground beef.  Shop Rite only had 1.5 lbs of meat.  I used the other pound for my new post (bite sized meatloafs).

Preheat the crock pot.  Put in the cream cheese and let it soften until you can mix it.  Add the browned beef and the half a jar of bacon pieces (you can use real bacon crumbled up but that sure as hell wasn't happening for me on Sunday morning with both kids and the hubby at work :-)).

Mix this all together well.  Add the 3/4 of the can of tomatoes.  Stir.  Let it heat up about 10 mins.  I do this because it you don't let that stuff heat up the cheese will be hard to melt and will clump together.

Add the cheese.  Cook for 30-45 mins.  Stir every 15 mins or so.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It tasted just like a bacon cheeseburger.  I really need to start taking better after pictures of the food.

**UPDATE**

I made this again for a birthday party and I have a better after picture!

Dip #2 in the Triple Dipper - Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love this one.  Reminds me of TGI Fridays hot spinach dip.

Ingredients:

• 8oz of Cream Cheese (I used 10oz because I had the leftover box of cream cheese)
• 1 cup of mozzarella shredded cheese or pizza cheese blend (I used a little for cheese...I love cheese!)
• Box of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed)
• Jar of Artichoke Hearts (I used the marinated ones)
• Dash of Salt
• Dash of Pepper
• 1/4 tsp of minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat the crock pot a little.  Dump in the cream cheese and let it soften for 15 mins or so.  Until you are able to stir it.

Add the garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir.

Take the artichoke hearts and drain the jar.  I use about 1/2 to 2/3 of the jar.  Take the artichoke and cut it into smaller chunks for easier dipping.  Add to the pot and stir.

Take the thawed and squeezed spinach and add to the pot.  Stir.

I usually let this cook for about 15 mins.  If not the cheese takes forever to melt.  Add the Cheese.  Stir.

Cook for 30 - 45 mins on low.  Stirring every 15 mins or so.  Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite dipper.

Dip #1 in the Triple Dipper - Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip I have made many times.  I got the original recipe from Tastefully Simple website.  I've since adapted it for the slow cooker.  I use their Cheesy Chive dip mix but any cheesy dip mix would do.  I've also used the Beer Cheese dip mix of theirs and it worked out well.

Ingredients:

• 8oz of cream cheese (I used about 10oz...I had some leftover from another box)
• Packet of Cheesy Chive dip mix (Tastefully Simple...any cheesy dip mix would do though)
• 4 tablespoons of Buffalo Wing Sauce (use less for milder taste...more for extreme hotness)
• Can of white chicken meat
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I usually use a tiny bit more..I like cheese...a lot!)

Directions:

I turned on the triple dipper so the crock pots started to warm.  Put the cream cheese in and let it soften for 10-15 mins until you can stir it.

Dump in the packet of cheese mix until its mixed into the cream cheese.  Drain the can of chicken and add.  Stir.

At this point I let it cook for another 10 mins.   I then add the wing sauce and cheese and mix.  Cook on low for another 30-45 mins.  Stirring every 15 mins or so.  Serve with tortilla chips or my personal favorite the pretzel chips.

I took a pic of the finished dip but folks almost finished it off within 15 mins of when I set it out!  So all you see is what was left!

**UPDATE**

I made this dip again for my sister in laws birthday and I finally got a better picture!