Oct 14 2012

Pinterest Tested: Cheesecake Factory “Buffalo Blasts” Copycat Recipe

Posted on October 14, 2012 by thepoli3

Who doesn’t love fried food? I mean- talk about classic Americana. I know, I know, its so bad for you but it’s sooo good that sometimes that I just can’t resist! One of my favorite places to eat is the Cheesecake Factory (Fun Fact- did you know their menus cost $12 each to make? Thats why they have ads.) I digress. Hubs hates it there… I don’t know why… its soooo yummy! The only thing he ~~likes~~ loves about Cheesecake Factory is their Buffalo Blasts. I have to admit, they are not my first choice on the 3 page appetizer menu but they are pretty good. When I found this copycat recipe from Tasty Kitchen on Pinterest I knew I had to give it a try. Hubby was so excited that I was making these along with my homemade blue cheese dip. How did they check out? Find out below!

Overall rating: 9.5

Cost: $$ (scale: $-$$$)

Difficulty level: Advanced (scale: beginner, moderate, intermediate, advanced)

Thoughts: Umm… how to put this lightly… these were a pain in the butt! They literally took me a few hours from start to finish! I would definitely recommend just grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the store and shredding it up rather than buying raw chicken breasts and baking, then shredding them. You will not notice a difference and it will save so much time. In any case, my biggest peeve with this recipe was the wonton wrappers. They were so small it was hard to get as much chicken mixture into each little wrapper as possible without overflowing and then causing a big mess when trying to seal the edges together. I had wing sauce all over me. Next time I will try to find larger wrappers for these so its less of a mess and also less tedious work. It took for-ev-er to get a bunch of these scooped, sealed, and dipped in the coating to fry. I’m not sure what type of wrapper the Cheesecake Factory uses because their Buffalo Blasts are larger than these but I highly suggest trying to find out. If I do, I will post an update to save you time too! In the end, I finally got these plated and we really liked them. Or should I say, hubby L-O-V-E-D them. I liked them a lot but after all the time I put into them I was a harsh critic. I probably would’ve loved them too if someone else made them for me. In any case, I will definitely be making these again if I can find the larger size wrappers. I’m not sure how these would go over at a party unless you made them on the spot because typically fried foods don’t travel well. However, take my recommendation and do give these a try with my minor adjustments, you will be glad you did!

Oct 11 2012

The “Real Best” BLT Sandwich

Posted on October 11, 2012 by thepoli3

Looking for a tasty, filling, and quick meal? Grab these staples from your fridge and throw together a delicious and for the most part healthy BLT. Want the best recipe of all? You’re in the right spot! The winningest “best” BLT recipe is here!

Note- We left the “Leftover Test” score out on this one purposely… BLT’s are always best eaten immediately!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

Each BLT was scored on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= that’s food? and 10= the best BLT that has ever entered my mouth) for overall score, the boyfriend/husband test, and the leftover test. We also provide other comments.

AllRecipes.com Super BLT

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 7

Comments: This was really good! I thought the guacamole gave it a nice creaminess and the cream cheese was an interesting way to substitute for mayo, while adding a bit of the cheese usually missing from most BLT sandwiches.

Kraft Recipe’s BLT

Overall score: 9.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 8.5

Comments: This is so simple, but it was SO good! It calls for a lot of mayonnaise (1 tbsp per sandwich), which I was initially hesitant about (mayo creeps me out.. is that normal?! Plus, it isn’t great for you), but it turned out to be the perfect amount! This was so good and easy that I made it again for dinner, and again for lunch the next day! And when I ran out of bacon, I went and bought more so I could keep making this. YUM.

Amazing Sandwiches’ BLAT

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

Comments: I know this is your basic BLT but the avocados gave it an extra good touch. This is a very good and easy for a quick lunch or light supper. Next time I would use 2 teaspoons of mayo as I felt there could have been a little more than the recipe recommended (1 teaspoon). My husband thought a slice of cheese would also enhance the flavor of this sandwich. I would make this one again for sure!

The winner:

Kraft Recipe’s BLT!

I guess this is another case where a classic is the best!

Special Diets:

While we can’t guarantee the results, here are some ideas you can use to customize the winning BLT to your dietary needs:

Gluten-free: Use a gluten free bread for this one. Make sure your other ingredients are also gluten-free! Another creative option: Use the lettuce as your “bread” (sort of like a lettuce wrap).
Vegetarian: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, such as Lightlife Vegetarian Bacon-Smart Bacon.
Vegan: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, as described above. You can also make your own “bacon” out of tempeh. In addition, skip the mayo.
Lower fat: Use less bacon, or use turkey bacon.
Lower sugar/calories: You can cut the calories by using some of the suggestions above.

Oct 9 2012

Pinterest Tested: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pie

Posted on October 9, 2012 by thepoli3

A few months back, I pinned this delicious looking recipe and I’ve been eyeballing it every time I peruse my Pinterest “Recipes” Board since… finally, I caved in and whipped it up last weekend.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pie

This recipe originated from AKM designs and delights and I’m so glad she shared it on her blog and that it somehow landed on our Pinterest page.

Here’s our Real Best Recipe “Pinterest Tested” Results…

Overall rating: 9

Cost: $ (scale: $-$$$)

Difficulty level: Moderate (scale: beginner, moderate, intermediate, advanced)

Thoughts: First of all, if you cook and bake a lot like I do, the cost is pretty low because you usually have the basics on hand (flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, etc.) but if you are new to baking, this could be a little more expensive because you do have a lot of things to purchase, which you will use again if you keep baking! I have to say- this is DELICIOUS. -But- This would have been soooo much better as a cookie, rather than a pie. The pretzel crust was okay but this recipe could have totally done without it. Next time I make these again, because I will, I will nix the whole pie/crust thing and just make a ton of cookies. After all, that is what it is… a cookie in a pie crust. And that was the best part. Something else I want to note that I always do when baking cookies (and of course did here) is I underbake them by about 2 minutes. That way they are gooey right out of the oven and stay soft after cooling down. With the Reese’s peanut butter cups in this, it took gooey to a whole new level. After we had our initial slices, I stuck this pie in the fridge to keep, and when going back for more in the following days, I heated each piece up for 30 seconds in the microwave and OMG it was so gooey, peanut buttery, chocolatey and delicious!

In any case, get over to AKM’s site now and print this recipe so you too can enjoy this amazing recipe!