Apr 29 2013

From Our Kitchen: Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Posted on April 29, 2013 by thepoli3

Yum.

If you are anything like me, you probably just prayed that this plate magically appeared in front of you, right now.

You simply cannot go wrong with anything that includes both bacon and cheese. You just can’t. Thats why these quesadillas are simply AMAZING. Husband approved too, might I add. Ok, so my hubby has somewhat of an obsession with bacon but thats neither here nor there.

Pair this with a healthy side serving of Black Bean & Corn Salad and you will feel guilt-free in no time.

Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Quesadilla Ingredients:

*Makes 2 quesadillas (8 slices)

4 flour tortillas (make sure you get the soft taco size ones)
1/4 cup chicken, shredded
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheddar cheese

Spicy Ranch Ingredients:

*I adapted this to only make 3/4 a cup (the original recipe makes 1 & 1/2 cups)

1/2 (16 ounce) bottle ranch salad
dressing (such as Hidden Valley Original Ranch®)
1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
as Tabasco®)
1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
as Frank’s RedHot®)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. Stir together the ranch-style salad dressing, the two hot pepper sauces, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Chill for at least one hour.

2. When spicy ranch dressing is ready, spread about 1-2 tablespoons of it on 2 tortillas.

3. Sprinkle cooked shredded chicken, cooked crumbled bacon, and cheese on top of the ranch on each tortilla. Top with remaining tortilla.

4. Coat a large grill pan (or a frying pan, which means you will probably have to cook one at a time on) with olive oil spray (or Pam) and heat over the stovetop on medium heat. Place tortilla(s) in pan and cook 1-3 minutes or so on each side until cheese melts and tortillas have slightly browned.

5. Remove tortilla(s) from pan and carefully slice into 4 wedges. You can use a knife or a pizza cutter but it is best to let cool for about a minute before slicing so its not too messy.

6. Serve with an extra side of Spicy Ranch sauce and guacamole (if desired) for dipping and enjoy!

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!

Sep 9 2012

Pinterest Tested: For #Sunday Supper- Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

Posted on September 9, 2012 by thepoli3

For this week’s #SundaySupper we are featuring tailgate food, a football season must have! This week, I decided to test out an amazing looking recipe I’ve had pinned for a while on Pinterest:

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

I chose these because I LOVE jalapeño poppers and my hubby LOVES bacon. I also wanted to find something new to bring to football parties besides the usual chips & dip. This recipe comes from Doughmesstic.com.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeno Bites

makes 24

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay
Pinch of Salt
12 Jalapenos, halved & seeded
24 – six inch pieces of bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine cream cheese and spices in small bowl. Spoon mixture into each pepper half, until level. Wrap each in bacon, and place on baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

And now for the Real Best Recipe “Pinterest Tested” Results…

Overall rating: 7

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

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

Thoughts: I had high hopes for these. They were okay, but not what I was expecting. While the concept was amazing (spicy+creamy+salty), there was something amiss here… I think it was the seasoning in the cream cheese. I found it a little strange to be putting a common seafood spice (Old Bay Seasoning) in these but figured if thats what the recipe called for, it should be fine. But after taking a bite of these, I knew I should have listened to my gut reaction and made some without it. Hubby is not a very big fan of these types of snacks but he liked them more than I expected so I give this recipe a 7 out of 10. Would I make these again? Yes but I would alter the spices in the cream cheese (i.e. no Old Bay Seasoning.) and maybe mix some parmesan cheese into it. I probably won’t make these again soon but I am glad I finally got to try them! I have already been eyeballing another recipe on Doughmesstic.com that looks very similar but is a bit different- Bacon and Jalapeño Popovers.

For new home cooks, here is a tip you will thank me for (I learned the hard way!): Make sure you really get those seeds out of the jalapeños. Those are the spice in the pepper and trust me you will taste any seeds you miss because your mouth will be on FIRE! I love spicy foods and even I was kicking myself for leaving a few hard to reach seeds in these because I was just too lazy. You can always whip out a dairy product (i.e. milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) to calm your tastebuds after a hot pepper incident but its better not to experience one at all!

In any case, don’t forget to check out what our friend’s at #SundaySupper are making for their football tailgates this season! I have to tell you, some of the best meals I’ve made at home lately come from this group and they all turn out AMAZING!

Join us on Sunday as we share our favorite tailgate recipes and tips. Hop on twitter at 7pm EST for the live #SundaySupper chat.

The Lineup

Pre Game Warm-ups:

Sausage Balls by My Catholic Kitchen
Edamame Hummus by Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Slow Cooker Rueben Dip by The Meltaways
Buffalo Wing Hummus by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Smokey Guacamole with Bacon by Family Spice
Pepperoni & Mozzarella Pull Apart by In the Kitchen with KP
Boneless Honey BBQ Chicken Wings by Juanita’s Cocina
Candied Pecans by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips with Sweet Chili Sauce by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Swabian Mini Meatballs (Schwaebische Mini Fleischkuechle) by Galactosemia in PDX
Joe Montana’s Touchdown Guacamole by Noshing with the Nolands
Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Bites by Mama.Mommy.Mom.
Hot & Spicy Popcorn Chicken by My Trials in the Kitchen
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers by Real Best Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites by Family Foodie
Soft Pretzels with Spicy Beer Cheese Sauce by girlichef
Indian Spiced Chicken Meatballs by Soni’s Food for Thought
Game Day Loaded Nachos by The Messy Baker
Buffalo Chicken Dip by Home Cooking Memories
Southwestern Spring Rolls by Supper for a Steal
Pepperoni Pizza Puffs by Comfy Cuisine
Roasted Garlic Bacon Dip with Easy Homemade Tortilla Chips by Daily Dish Recipes
Beer Battered Spiced Sweet Potato Lentil Fritters by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

On the Sidelines:

Anne’s Best Potato Salad with Bacon and Peas by Webicurean
Papa’s Potato Salad & Baked Beans by Kwistin’s Favorites
Simple Roasted Purple Potatoes by Ruffles and Truffles
Spicy BBQ Baked Beans by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen

Main Events:

Gluten Free Breakfast Sandwich by Cooking Underwriter
Pollo Adobado con Papas (Adobo Chicken with Potatoes) by La Cocina de Leslie
Poor Man’s Burrito by Shockingly Delicious
Ham and Mushroom Handpies by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Individual Muffuletta Sandwiches by Magnolia Days
Far East Steak Salad by Diabetic Foodie
Italian Sloppy Joes by The Weekend Gourmet
Hot Chicken Chili by Momma’s Meals
Biscuit Sloppy Joes by Sustainable Dad
Hawaiian Chicken Wraps by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Grandpa Sal’s Sausage and Peppers by Daddy Knows Less
Fancy Filet Chili by I Run for Wine
Homemade Italian Sausage by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Jalapeno Crockpot Chili by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Flavorful Fall Marinade by Midlife Road Trip
Moose Chili by Mrs. Mama Hen

Overtime:

Peanut Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
Streusel Topped Pumpkin Bread by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Zucchini Cupcakes by In the Kitchen with Audrey
Oven-Baked Churros by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Swirl Nutella Cupcakes by Basic N Delicious
Peanut Butter and Pretzel Truffles by Gotta Get Baked

From the Cooler:

Sparkling Tropical Lemonade by Dinners. Dishes, and Desserts
Strawberry Horchata by Damn Delicious
Bloody Mary Gazpacho by 30AEats
MVP Bloody Mary Bar by An Appealing Plan

Wine Pairings by Wine Everyday

Happy Gameday!

Sep 3 2012

The “Real Best” Hot Dog

Posted on September 3, 2012 by thepoli3

Happy Labor Day! What do you plan on doing for dinner? More than likely, you’re BBQ-ing like the rest of America. So whats better than a delicious, juicy hot dog to kick off your family BBQ? Today we are trying 3 of the best hot dog recipes out there! Since these can be re-built the same way the next day, there is no leftover test, as they should be made right before eating every time!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

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

Cubs-Chicago Style Hot Dog

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 7.5

Comments: These were really good! I was unable to find a poppy seed bun but I think it actually tastes better on a plain one. This hot dog has a lot of veggies which I enjoyed because they complimented the taste of the hot dog but hubby said it was too much. All in all, it was a delicious hot dog and I will definitely make them again around here!

Detroit Style Classic Coney Island Hot Dog

Overall score: 8.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 8.5

Comments: Yum! Thought this was very good. Very much liked the flavor of the chili. Easy to make and inexpensive meal. Fun for Labor day.

Philly Dog

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 6

Comments: I really liked these; they tasted just like a Philly cheesesteak! However, my boyfriend thought they were just ok. In the future, we’d get larger hot dogs, because with the hoagie bun, there is a lot of bread!

The winner:

Detroit Style Classic Coney Island Hot Dog

* Don’t forget to check out our real best burger and real best lemonade tests for your Labor Day BBQ’ing needs!

Special Diets:

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

Gluten-free: Use a gluten free bun.
Lower fat: Use turkey hot dogs
Lower sugar/calories: Use turkey hot dogs, cut some of the sugar, and use lean ground beef.

Jun 28 2012

Leftovers: Guacamole

Posted on June 28, 2012 by thepoli3

Nothings worse than having leftovers that “go bad” fairly quickly and, sadly, guacamole is definitely one of those items. But fear not- there is something you can do with your day-old guacamole so as not to waste those precious & expensive avocados.

Seven Layer Dip

It’s easy to make, vegetarian, and can even been vegan (if altered a bit) so it is sure to please many picky palates. Best of all, since your fresh, homemade, guacamole is sandwiched between two layers, it extends it’s fridge life a bit. Hubs and I enjoyed ours for a good 3 days until I felt it was time to throw out any leftovers.

Now I’m sure there are many delicious Seven Layer Dip recipes out there but this one is my all-time favorite – the only change I make is that I put the guacamole layer on top of the refried beans layer, then top that layer with the sour cream mixture. This way the guacamole is between two other heavy layers, which keeps it away from any air exposure and stops it from rotting so quickly.

Your wallet and tastebuds will thank you!