Nov 11 2012

The “Real Best” Chili

Posted on November 11, 2012 by thepoli3

Fall is in full swing and you know what that means: time to enjoy some warm, filling, comfort food! We decided to kick off the Fall recipe season the right way with something you can enjoy at home, at a tailgate, or smothered on top of some cheese fries and hot dogs- thats right, we’re talking about chili!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

Jamie Deen’s Chili

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: 9

Comments: This was pretty good and we are not very big chili eaters around here. I will definitely plan on making this recipe again with a few minor adjustments such as adding a full pound of both beef & sausage each (hubby is a carnivore!), removing the black beans (love them but they just didn’t seem to “go”), and replacing the whole peeled tomatoes with more diced tomatoes (hubby avoided them like the plague and I didn’t care for the huge tomato hunks either). This was a great base and I definitely recommend it to others and playing around with the ingredients to fit your tastes!

Taste of Home Spicy Chili

Overall score: 8.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: 8.5

Comments: This was really good. We both liked it a lot better than my normal go-to recipe! I would definitely make this again!

Boilmaker Tailgate Chili Recipe

Overall score: 8.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 8

The leftover test: 8.5

Comments: This was very delicious! However, it does not beat our go-to chili recipe, so this will not replace it. The Fritos do not add much to this recipe, so I would recommend nixing them if you do not want the added expense. Also, this makes a LOT of chili– you’ve been warned.

The winner:

Jamie Deen’s Chili!

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Ensure that your ingredients are gluten-free
Vegetarian: Forgo the meat!
Vegan: Drop the meat and suggested dairy toppings
Lower fat: Use lean ground beef in place of fattier beef products. Consider using ground turkey.
Lower sugar/calories: You can cut the calories by using some of the suggestions above.

Jul 31 2012

The “Real Best” Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on July 31, 2012 by thepoli3

Who doesn’t love a delicious red velvet cake? Whats more, who doesn’t love any cake turned cupcake? They’re cute, handy, and perfectly portioned! We’ve tested the three “best” red velvet cupcake recipes out there and come up with a winner to set you up with red velvet cupcake baking success! These are perfect for any occasion! Enjoy!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

Allrecipes Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 7.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 5

The leftover test: 6.5

Comments: I definitely agree with the Allrecipes commenter who said these were somewhat bland and dry. One plus is that they weren’t overly sweet like many other red velvet cupcakes I’ve had. However, I’ll probably continue my search for a good red velvet recipe. The frosting was pretty good, though!

*NOTE: I used much less food coloring than recommended (about .13 oz instead of 1oz).

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 8

The leftover test: 9

Comments: These I have a mixed opinion on. The cake was AWESOME. The frosting was just ok. In true Paula Deen style, the frosting was very buttery. I could literally taste the butter in each bite of the frosting. However, the cake was delicious, perfectly moist and full of flavor. If I were to make red velvet cupcakes again I would definitely use this recipe for the cake part with a plain old can of pre-made cream cheese frosting. Thanks Paula!!!

Brown Eyed Baker’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 8

The leftover test: 8

Comments: This was really moist but didnt have much flavor. The cream cheese frosting was just okay. Sadly, I wouldn’t make these again.

The winner:

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Use a gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour.
Vegetarian: They already are!
Vegan: You can switch out the butter, buttermilk, egg, and cream cheese with vegan substitutes.
Lower fat: Skip making the frosting. These are really good on their own anyway. In any case, find a low fat cream cheese frosting recipe to substitute or purchase a pre-made low fat version at the store!
Lower sugar/calories: Same as the lower fat recommendation. Find a pre-made frosting that is also low sugar. There are many varieties out there!

Jul 22 2012

The “Real Best” Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted on July 22, 2012 by thepoli3

We’re back with another simple, yet classic menu item: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Who doesn’t love a gooey, warm, grilled cheese on a rainy summer day? Pair it with some tomato soup and you have yourself a bonafide meal! We tested the three top Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipes out there and came up with a winner for your next grilled cheese night!

P.S.- We’re leaving out the leftover score on this one… who in their right mind eats a grilled cheese sandwich the day after it was cooked?

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

Tyler Florence’s Grilled Cheese

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: YUM! This was delicious. It was gooey, salty, and the apple provided a slight tart flavor that, although, we couldn’t specifically taste it, it emphasized the flavors of the cheese and bacon. This was seriously delicious! I was very skeptical about it at first… I mean, an apple on a grilled cheese sandwich? Who knew? Even hubby loved it! Definitely slice your apple thin so it doesn’t overpower the rest of the sandwich. I will definitely be making this again and I have a good feeling it will be because hubby asks me to make it! You must try this one!

Closet Cooking’s Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 9.5

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: This was so good! My boyfriend LOVED it. It doesn’t taste a lot like traditional grilled cheese. There was a strong taste of pesto with a slight lemon-ey kick. However, this sandwich was expensive because of the Gruyere cheese and all the fresh herbs that are used to make the pesto (I used dill, mint, and parsley, as recommended).

Allrecipes: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Overall score: 10

The boyfriend/husband test: 10

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: This is your classic grilled cheese sandwich. What can go wrong? Nothing! I had to cook the first side for about 5 mins and the flip side for only about 2 mins. This turned out perfect. Yum! And very kid friendly. NOTE: I used honey wheat bread instead of white.

The winner: It looks like all our sandwiches scored very high this time! But, there can only be one winner, and that is:

Allrecipes Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread and make sure the rest of your ingredients are also gluten-free.
Vegetarian: It already is!
Lower fat: Use low fat butter and reduced fat cheese.

Jul 15 2012

The “Real Best” Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on July 15, 2012 by thepoli3

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Enchiladas

Overall score: 7

The boyfriend/husband test: 7

The leftover test: 7

Comments: First of all, this recipe yielded literally 16 enchiladas. What the heck? I of course didn’t notice until getting towards the end of the recipe where it said to use TWO 9 x 13 pans. Hubby made so much fun of me because 1) it was SO.MUCH.FOOD and 2) neither of us really like enchiladas in the first place. Go figure. Anyway, I made some homemade guacamole to top these which really made the meal because the enchiladas were okay… not a amazing as they were cut out to be. Maybe if you actually like enchiladas you will enjoy these but we just didn’t have a taste for them. Hub summed it up best when he said “for enchiladas, these are good, but for a regular meal, they suck.” Needless to say, I felt the same and will not be making these again. Oh well.

Allrecipes Chicken Enchiladas II

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 8.5

The leftover test: 7.5

Comments: This was a great base for enchiladas, and it was different from ones I’ve had before (in a good way). Next time, I will add some more spices, will make more sauce (and increase the sour cream and cheese to cream of mushroom ratio), and will top them with more cheese. I think that could take them to a 10. YUM!

Better Homes and Gardens Hot and Spicy Cooking Cookbook Chicken Enchiladas

Overall score: 8.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 10

The leftover test: 8.5

Comments: This is my go-to enchilada recipe. I found it in a cookbook many years ago and have gotten a lot of compliments on it. It doesn’t have any enchilada sauce on it but is instead all white cheeses. It is so good!

The winner:

Better Homes and Gardens Hot and Spicy Cooking Cookbook Chicken Enchiladas

An oldie but a goodie! Get the recipe here!

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free tortillas and double-check that all your other ingredients are, in fact, gluten-free!
Vegetarian: Use cream of mushroom or cream of potato soup instead of cream of chicken. Substitute veggies or beans of your choice for the chicken. Ideas: spinach, corn, black beans, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, onions.. mix and match your favorites!
Lower fat: Use low fat cream cheese, low fat butter, low fat sour cream and low fat cheese.

Jul 8 2012

The “Real Best” Peanut Butter Sandwich

Posted on July 8, 2012 by thepoli3

This week we decided to test out an easy, kid-friendly, classic: The Peanut Butter Sandwich.

Without further adieu…

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

PBM Sandwich

Overall score: 7.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: 8

Comments: Simple and classic. I thought it was too sweet but my boyfriend LOVED it.

Paula Deen’s Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Overall score: 10

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: 10

Comments: OH.MY.LORD… These are AH-MAZING. I could probably eat one of these everyday! Paula sure knows what she’s doing when it comes to anything with “butter” in the title. These would be best suited for either breakfast or dessert because of the cinnamon-sugar coating. And because I’m not sure how fat you would feel eating one of these as a lunch… Even hubby loved this and he is not a sweets guy at all! The only change I would make next time is switch out the white bread for something with a few more nutrients, like honey-wheat bread, and cut down on the butter, since it really doesn’t need the extra calories. Now, go make these… like right now. I promise you will thank me!

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly

Overall score: 5

The boyfriend/husband test: 5

The leftover test: 5

Comments: This was “okay”. I don’t really like jelly very much but this sandwich tasted better to me than regular PB&J sandwiches. My husband said this was just okay too but he also said it was too sweet. I was really surprised by how little peanut butter is in the recipe. I probably wouldn’t make these again.

The winner:

Paula Deen’s Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Thank you Ms. Deen! Obviously, you would win the RBR Peanut Butter sandwich category!

**Try this with homemade peanut butter!

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Use all gluten-free products. There are many options for gluten-free bread!
Vegan: Make sure your peanut butter is vegan, and use a vegan butter to substitute. For strict vegans, nix the honey and consider replacing it with maple syrup or agave.
Vegetarian: It already is!
Lower fat: Use margarine instead of butter, or use half the recommended amount of butter. Consider PB2 instead of peanut butter, which has only 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving, versus 210 calories and 17grams of fat per serving. Another option is using a low fat peanut butter, but be aware that those are often loaded with more sugar (which means more carbs) than the full-fat stuff.
Lower sugar/calories: Skip the sugar coating. Consider PB2 instead of peanut butter, which has only 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving, versus 210 calories and 17grams of fat per serving.