Beer Braised Sausage On Sweet & Spicy Warm Slaw

February 24, 2016 by

guiness beer braised sausage

Beer Braised Sausage On Sweet & Spicy Warm Slaw

This yummy beer braised sausage recipe offers taste of summer year round!  Guiness beer. Sausage. Peppers. Those are just a few of the ingredients that make this dish a stand out!  That Guiness beer also makes it just perfect to serve as a St. Patrick’s Day meal!

For this recipe you won’t need your grill, so if it is stored for the winter .. not a problem.  This sausage is braised and slow cooked in beer and served over a slaw.  No, not cole slaw – that would be for summer.  We are talking about a warm slaw with a kick.  Sweet & spicy to keep you warm this winter.  The recipe is easy to adjust the spice level just in case you are not a fan of spicy.

Just look at all this color !  Fresh, crunchy, flavorful.  It won’t be long before this is a new favorite in your household.

Beer Braised Sausage On Sweet & Spicy Warm Slaw

Ingredients
  1. 1 bottle Guiness Beer
  2. Sausage of your choice (we used a German Cheddar Sausage)
  3. 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  4. Salt & Pepper
For the slaw
  1. 1 cup shredded cabbage
  2. 2 large carrots, shredded
  3. 1 red pepper, sliced thin
  4. 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  5. 1 tablespoon white sugar
  6. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  7. 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  8. 1 teaspoon olive oil
  9. Salt & Pepper
For the sausage
  1. In a skillet on medium high heat, drizzle olive oil and add sausages. Brown on each side (about 1 minute)
  2. Add the beer, mustard and a pinch of salt & pepper.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.
  4. Cook for 15 minutes covered and an additional 10 minutes without the cover.
  5. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
For the cabbage
  1. In the same skillet, over medium heat drizzle olive oil and add vegetables
  2. Mix in the vinegar, sugar, garlic and seasonings.
  3. Saute for about 10 minutes, add sausage back to the pan on top of the slaw.
  4. Heat through together covered until sausage is warmed again.
  5. Serve hot with a drizzle of dijon mustard!

Guiness Braised Sausage On Sweet & Spicy Warm Slaw

Filed Under: Lunch, Main Dishes Tagged With: , , , , ,

10 All Star Juicy & Cheesy Burger Recipes

November 18, 2015 by

burgers-with-title 

10 All Star Juicy & Cheesy Burger Recipes

There is only one time of year for burgers…   ALL YEAR!   I personally never put my grill away, no matter how much snow.  We keep it covered and close on the deck.  One trick I learned that works amazing for burgers indoors,  is to sear it on high heat real fast (about 1 minute each side)  and then finish them in the oven on about 400 for 10 minutes.  If you are stuck inside for the winter and want a taste of summer,  try one of these great burgers! 

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Merlot Burgers | Yours and Mine are Ours

Peppercorn Pileup Burger | A Family Feast

Barbeque Bacon Cheeseburgers | Tastes of Lizzy T’s

South of the Border Turkey Burger | Flour on my Face

Gnarly Mexican Burger | The Crumby Cupcake

Copycat Red Robin Bonzai Burger | A Mom’s Take

French Onion Beer Burgers | Snappy Gourmet

Jalapeno Jack Burger with Picante Mayo | Cincy Shopper

Asian BBQ Burger with Sriracha Mayo | Flavor Mosaic

Turkey Burgers with Lemon Dill Yogurt | Hot Eats & Cool Reads


Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , ,

Southwestern Style Cornbread Recipe with Ham and Cheddar

November 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

Disclosure Affiliate

Southwestern Style Cornbread Recipe with Ham and Cheddar

This recipe will make the perfect side or main dish! It’s a great way to use up any leftover ham (or if you don’t have leftover, you can buy a piece from the deli.) If you have a favorite homemade cornbread recipe feel free to use it. In the interest of time, I used a boxed mix.  Jiffy Cornbread Mix is our go-to!

This recipe will feed a lot of people, so try taking this to your next dinner with friends or a family potluck. A 13×9 pan serves about 12-15 people.

Southwestern Style Cornbread

Ingredients
  1. 3 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix prepared
  2. 1 cup of diced ham ( use leftover or you can purchase a 1/4 inch thick piece from the deli)
  3. 1 cup shredded cheddar, pepper jack or your favorite cheese
  4. 1 jalapeno – fine dice
  5. 1/4 small onion- fine dice
  6. 1 small tomato- chopped
  7. 1 ear of corn- peel and remove corn from cob
  8. salt/pepper to taste
  9. 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven according to the package instructions
  2. Grease a 13×9 pan with butter
  3. Saute (in olive oil) the ham and veggies until tender ( only about 2-3 minutes for added flavor)
  4. Add the ham, veggies, shredded cheese to the prepared cornbread batter, mix well
  5. Pour evenly into pan
  6. Bake according to package instructions.
  7. Serve warm OR cooled!

SWCornbreadPIN

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

How To Steam or Boil Lobster Perfectly Plus Other Tips

July 27, 2014 by

How To Steam or Boil Lobster Perfectly Plus Other Tips

How To Steam or Boil Lobster Perfectly Plus Other Tips

Summer in Maine (or actually any time of year) means Lobster. All things lobster.  Lobsters boiled, steamed, lazy, fried, in a roll , you name it.  If you are a fan of lobster you may know it is one of those things that makes most people second guess themselves every single time before cooking.  The first question is usually should I steam or boil? Then, for how long? I have cooked my share of lobster and still question it each time.  The last thing anyone wants is an over cooked lobster. They are way too expensive for that! 

How To Steam or Boil Lobster Perfectly Plus Other Tips 2

My favorite way to cook a lobster is to boil it. Usually I am preparing a lobster bake and will have potatoes, corn, clams and other goodies for the pot. To boil the perfect lobster every time, simple follow these instructions courtesy of LobsterfromMaine.com:

Boiling Instructions:
Choose a pot large enough to hold all the lobsters comfortably; do not crowd them. A 4- to 5-gallon pot can handle 6 to 8 pounds of lobster. Fill with water, allowing 3 quarts of water per 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of lobster. Add sea salt (to taste) to water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the live lobsters one at a time, and start timing immediately. Do not cover. Stir the lobsters halfway through cooking. Let the lobsters rest for 5 minutes or so after cooking to allow the meat to absorb some of the moisture in the shell.
For timing, use the weight of individual lobsters, not total weight of all lobsters being cooked.

If the lobster weighs: Boil:
1 pound 8 minutes
1 1/4 pounds 9-10 minutes
1 1/2 pounds 11-12 minutes
1 3/4 pounds 12-13 minutes
2 pounds 15 minutes
2 1/2 pounds 20 minutes
3 pounds 25 minutes
5 pounds 35-40 minutes

If you prefer to steam your lobster :   Steaming Instructions 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Tutorials Tagged With: , , , , ,

Stuffed Chicken Breast With Homemade Gravy in 30 Minutes

April 5, 2014 by 2 Comments

 Stuffed Chicken Breast With Homemade Gravy in 30 Minutes

Stuffed Chicken Breast With Homemade Gravy in 30 Minutes

Craving a hearty, warm you up kind of meal on a cool , drab day? This is the perfect recipe.  Add some mashed potato and you will be on your way to a comfort food coma! 

What you need: 

What to do:

Using the technique shown in the video below, butterfly each chicken breast.  

 

 

Fill with prepared stuffing, be careful not to over stuff you want the chicken to fold closed easily.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle seasonings (optional) like garlic powder, salt & pepper, Italian blend 

Bake on 350º for about 30 minutes , cook times will vary, make sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly, stuffed meat tends to take longer. 

Cut in half diagonally, serve with gravy! 

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Homemade Gravy in Under 30 Minutes

For the gravy: 

Packet method- Well, the quickest and easiest way to make your gravy may not be considered homemade, but at least it doesn’t come from a can-   mix one chicken gravy packet into 1 cup of water, whisk well and microwave on High for 2 minutes. This will bring the liquid to a boil.  Mix, then let sit.  Will thicken upon standing. 

Bouillon cube-  This is quick also, but I think it can be too salty. Usually I make my own gravy from pan drippings, this recipe just doesn’t create enough to do that.   Dissolve the cube into 1 cup of water, heat on High in the microwave for about 2 minutes.  Mix the flour into 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry then add it to the chicken bouillon.  Mix well, heat on high for 1 minute, mix, then let sit.  Will thicken upon standing. 

Stuffed Chicken Breast With Homemade Gravy in 30 Minutes

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , , ,

Easy Restaurant Style Italian Chicken Meatballs

April 4, 2014 by 14 Comments

Easy Restaurant Style Italian Chicken Meatballs

Easy Restaurant Style Italian Chicken Meatballs

We recently went to eat at Olive Garden and tried their new chicken meatballs. I was impressed, I usually don’t care for chicken meatballs or sausage, I like my ground beef. I was surprised at the flavor AND the price…2 for $5.  Craziness. My first thought, of course, was I can make these just as good and at a fraction of the cost per serving. So the next day I grabbed some ground chicken ($3.58lb) a few other ingredients and made my own chicken meatballs. These came out amazing. I knew they would. Here is why…

Chicken has a really low fat content, so if you do not cook it just right it will turn out dry. To compensate for this I used mayonnaise in the recipe. It is commonly used to keep chicken moist. Win.win.  Even if you are a die hard fan of beef meatballs, give these a try. You will be surprised, I was!

What you need:

  • 1lb ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fresh, minced garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Italian blend seasoning (or a pinch of each basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary)
  • pinch salt & pepper

Note* If you do not have all of the seasonings above, it is ok the seasoned bread crumbs make up for it. 

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350º

Whisk the egg and mayonnaise together

SAMSUNG CSC

 

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well ,  use a fork or your hands

SAMSUNG CSC

 

Drizzle a cookie sheet with olive oil, roll mixture into 2-3 inch meatballs.

Place on the cookie sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Easy Restaurant Style Italian Chicken Meatballs

 

You want to make sure to cook these all the way through since it is chicken. Do not be afraid to cut one right in half to check if you don’t have a meat thermometer.

Enjoy!

SAMSUNG CSC

EASY RESTAURANT STYLE ITALIAN CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , ,

Sweet & Spicy Skillet Chicken with Rice in 20 Minutes

March 27, 2014 by 6 Comments

 

Sweet & Spicy Skillet Chicken with Rice in 20 Minutes

Sweet & Spicy Skillet Chicken with Rice 

This is one of those easy, single pan in a hurry kind of dishes that you can make any time.  The ingredients are few, the cook time is short and there is virtually no prep time.  The end result is still a satisfying, homemade meal that was not handed to you in a paper bag with a bill. Sweet & Spicy Chicken with Rice can also be made ahead of time and frozen! 

What you need: 

1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken (or use 1 bag of Tyson Grilled & Ready fully cooked chicken strips)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 red bell pepper- sliced in 1/4 inch strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper- sliced in 1/4 inch strips
1 medium carrot- julienned 
carrot_chop5
 
(Photo Courtesy- Mediterrasian.com How To Julienne Carrots) 
1 jar of Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce 
1 cup of uncooked white rice
2 cups of water
 

What to do:

In a large skillet on medium high, add the olive oil , then heat the chicken for about 3 minutes.

Add the carrots & peppers, stir, cook for about a minute.

Add the rice, water and 1/2 the bottle of Franks Sweet Chili Sauce. Mix.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.  

TIP*  Cooking white rice is easy if you do this one thing….  DO NOT take the lid off during the cooking process. White rice is usually cooked by steaming. Removing the cover let’s out the steam. You may have some sticking on the bottom of your pan, but that is just part of it and better than uncooked or mushy rice. 

Top with the remaining Sweet Chili sauce and serve!

SAMSUNG CSC

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’9′] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour

March 23, 2014 by 10 Comments

SAMSUNG CSC 

 Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour

Beef Stew is one of those dishes that most people think has to cook all day or for hours to taste good. It is true that the longer the cooking time, the more flavors and tender the meat is. But, this recipe is different. This recipe will achieve the same in about an hour. So, if you come home from work cold, tired and craving something to warm you up, homemade beef stew IS possible! Follow the steps below and enjoy!

What you need:

1 Beef Stew Seasoning Packet (or make your own with this recipe)
Olive Oil
1 Pound Beef cut into 1/2 inch cubes
*TIP* Do not buy pre-cut “stew beef”, it is usually a cut of meat that is more tough since most stores expect that someone making stew will be cooking it all day or using a slow cooker. Instead pick out a more tender cut of meat and cube it yourself.
2 medium carrots cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 large potato diced
1/2 box frozen peas OR use cut green beans (preference)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons flour

Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour

 

What to do:

1.  Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a stock pot or dutch oven, heat on medium

2. Add diced beef and brown for about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and mix well to coat the beef (this helps thicken the sauce later)

Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour

3. Whisk together the beef stew packet and 3 cups of water, pour slowly into the pot, mix well.  Add all the veggies except the peas or green beans.  Add those 15 minutes before finished. 

Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour

 

4. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce to medium low ( about a 2-3 on your dial, stove tops vary heat should be hot enough to cook but not boiling) for about an hour. 

This tastes wonderful served with fresh bread. Normally I use this easy biscuit recipe , but I was not in the mood so we just had buttered bread. 

[yumprint-recipe id=’7′] 

Easy Homemade Beef Stew In One Hour - This delicious stew recipe tastes like it took all day, but it is super easy to make in just an hour! It's perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , , ,

20 Minutes One Pan- Easy Skillet Lasagna

February 18, 2014 by 4 Comments

SAMSUNG CSC

20 Minutes One Pan- Easy Skillet Lasagna

Gone are the days when lasagna was reserved for a Sunday dinner or special occasion. What use to take over an hour to do and cost around $20 has been simplified into a delicious dish that can be made in 20 minutes for around $8. The best part is that there is no need to boil the noodles or use multiple pots and pans. This lasagna is made in one skillet!

What you need: 

1lb ground beef
12 oz. mafalda noodles (looks like mini lasagna!) or medium egg noodles
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
6 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

What to do:

Brown the ground beef, drain the fat, return to medium low heat.

Add the sauce and noodles, increase heat to medium high and cook for 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

SAMSUNG CSC

Reduce heat to medium low, add the ricotta cheese , gently mix in, do not mix completely. You don’t want it to blend away into the sauce.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Plate, sprinkle with parmesan, serves 4.

SAMSUNG CSC

 
 

20 Minute Skillet Lasagna

 

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: , , , , ,