Category: BEEF

VALENTINE’S DAY ~ WEEKEND OF ROMANCE FOODS

Last weekend we rolled out the Valentine’s Day of Romance Menu for 2011 over at OUR KrAzY kitchen, but I needed to write about something fun and upbeat over here and thought I’d share this fun menu with you.  So what did you do for Valentine’s Day this year?
Valentine’s Day is a truly subjective menu.  Not everyone wants or dreams of the same foods.  So  awhile back when we were just sitting around I quizzed hubby in a round about way and was able to come up with his favorite romantic menu to create a romantic meal. At that time I obviously planned on doing the cooking, but unfortunately since I’m still not allowed to cook, he’ll be the one preparing the recipes, but all is good and we’ll make it work.  I did borrow a few photos from google images since hubby has yet to make the meal, the rest are from my archives, but the recipes are all ours.
STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS  
2 cups crushed ice 
1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
1 cup tequila 
2 limes, juiced 
Splash Triple Sec 
Splash simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves completely and then cooled)
  • Combine in a blender, ice, strawberry water, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and simple syrup. 
  • Puree until smooth. 
  • Pour into rocks glasses, garnish and serve.
CAJUN SHRIMP COCKTAIL
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
plenty of fresh medium-large shrimp, cleaned and chilled
  • I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
  • Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.
CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
6 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup canola oil
Sea Salt
White Pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Minced anchovy fillets (optional – I usually leave them out)
  • Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and two pinches of salt in a blender and mix thoroughly. 
  • Add mayonnaise and blend together to form a thick base. 
  • In a slow stream add oil. 
  • Scrape dressing with spatula into a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. 
  • Optional – Add anchovies to dressing to create a deeper, saltier taste. 
PARMESAN CHEESE CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. 
  • Melt butter in flat bowl. 
  • Combine cheeses in flat bowl. 
  • Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. 
  • Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. 
  • Cut to desired size*
*If I’m in a hurry I will sometimes cut these ahead of time and toss with the butter and cheese which coats all the sides better.

GARLIC STEAK
Steak of choice (hubby choose T-bones)
2 cloves of garlic per steak, minced fine
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar per steak
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
sea salt
white pepper
  • Pierce each steak with a marinater.
  • Whisk together the garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place steak side by side of a large plate.
  • Pour marinade over top.
  • Turn steak and make sure each is well coated.
  • Cover and marinate overnight.
  • Take steak out of refrigerator an hour before grilling, turn several times making sure still well coated in marinade.
  • Firmly press garlic pieces into the steak.
  • Grilled to desired doneness – mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, medium rare….
TWICE BAKED POTATOES 
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions (tops and all), sliced and divided 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour or until done through. 
  • Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. 
  • When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; saving skins. 
  • To the potato pieces add the sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. 
  • Bake for another 15 minutes. 
SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE
PIE
3+ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 small egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (not light)
9 inch pastry shell, pre-baked and cooled
TOPPING
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, sliced extremely thin
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Chop the apples and combine with just enough lemon juice to coat and prevent browning in large bowl.
  • In a small bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • Fold in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and maple extract until well blended.
  • Fold the sour cream mixture into the apples until well coated.
  • Carefully pour into the pie shell, mounding towards the center.
  • Toss together the topping ingredients until well blended.
  • Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple mound.
  • Lay the pieces of butter all over the top.
  • Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. If you want to be really decadent try it with Caramel Sauce.
HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
  • Warm the milk in a small pan. 
  • Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. 
  • Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. 
  • Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. 
  • Whisk in the cream and vanilla. 
  • Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing.

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 1/2 pound beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base
2 cups prepared rice
1 cup grated cheese
  • Heat olive oil and add ground beef.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Brown beef, onion and garlic. Drain.
  • Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, steak seasoning and beef base. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 1/2 pound beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base
2 cups prepared rice
1 cup grated cheese
  • Heat olive oil and add ground beef.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Brown beef, onion and garlic. Drain.
  • Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, steak seasoning and beef base. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Steak Fajitas

I had a friend in college that met her husband in a fajita line.  Silly as it may sound, it’s true.  We went to this “Around the World” party at one of the fraternities and they had this fajita line.  That’s right…a line that forms and when you reached the end (or the beginning, however you want to look at it) you were handed a fairly well prepared fajita and a shot of tequila.  While my friend stood in line, patiently awaiting her turn to receive her fajitas (and shots), the guy standing behind her asked if she knew what time it was.  That was it.  Seriously, they started talking, found out that they were both psych majors…next thing I know it’s a year later and I’m at their wedding reception talking to them about …go on, you know I’m gonna say it…FAJITAS!!

Ok, ok…so that might not have been the greatest story ever told, but it felt like the appropriate time to tell it since we’re talking fajitas today!  I love fajitas, and used to make them all the time…isn’t it funny how you can have a favorite dish that you make over and over and over and than one day something else takes it place and that one goes away for awhile and than one day you’re thinking about something simple and fast to throw together after a long day at work and all of a sudden it hits you:  FAJITAS!!  I LOVE it when that happens!

So the other day, it hit me… why not throw together some simple, yet flavorful fajitas…a perfect post for Fire Day Friday!!  I’m sure everyone has a good fajita recipe, and there is nothing unusually different about this one, but it’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s a perfect meal to throw together during crazy week nights!  You could use chicken in place of the steak…though I would marinate the chicken in something like lime and tequila…but that can be totally up to you!

Grilled Steak Fajitas
Ingredients:
1/4 cup beer (I used Bud Light)
3 Tablespoons Country Bob’s Honey Habanero Sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lb. flank or skirt steak
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
1/2 sweet onion, sliced into rounds
flour tortillas

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the beer, honey chipotle sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over it.  Let the meat marinate for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Place the steak directly over the fire and grill for 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips.

While the steak is resting, put the peppers and onion on the grill for 5 minutes or just until the veggies start to soften.  Remove from grill and slice into thin strips.  Place thin stips of beef and veggies on the flour tortillas; top with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream if desired.  Enjoy!

  

Cheeseburger Soup

CHEESEBURGER SOUP adapted from Recipes from Dawn’s Daily Life
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup of chopped onion
3/4 cup of shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes (1-3/4lbs)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8oz) processed cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:  In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Modifications:
-I used 93/7 lean ground beef
-I used whole wheat flour
-I used light sour cream

Brown the ground beef.  Once browned, pull it out of the pan and set it aside.
Peel and dice the potatoes, dice the celery, shred the carrots, and dice an onion.
Throw the veggies in the same pan that the beef cooked in along with 1 Tbsp of butter.  Cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes).
Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Put the ground beef back into the pot.  Cook on high until boiling, cover, and reduce.  Cook until potatoes are soft.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the rest of the butter in a separte pan.  Add the flour.

Add the flour into the soup pot and stir well.
Add the milk.
Add the Velveeta and stir until melted.
Once the cheese melts, pull the soup off of the stove and add the sour cream.  Stir until the sour cream is mixed well.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
I’m not sure it tastes like a cheeseburger but it does taste fantastic! 

IT’S TASTE & CREATE TIME – SLOPPY JOES

The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another’s blog.  This month my partner is Debbi from Debbie Does Dinner Healthy.  Hubby requested Sloppy Joe’s for football food so I decided to try Debbi’s recipe and compare it to my beef version to see if hubby noticed a difference.
Debbi’s Hearty Sloppy Joes
Adapted from The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
3 pounds ground turkey
2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup zucchini, finely diced
1 cup red pepper, finely diced (about 1 medium)
2 cups onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 – 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoon tomato paste
2/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar, not packed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a large pan, cook ground turkey.  When ground turkey is about half way done, add the veggie and saute along with the ground turkey.  Cook until ground turkey is done.  Drain if necessary. Season with salt and pepper as they cook.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.  Serve with buns or 100 calorie Arnold Select sandwich thins. 

Divide into 2 containers for 2 meals.  Freeze one for another quick and easy meal.  When ready to eat, thaw completely and either warm on stovetop, slow cooker or in microwave.   6 huge servings per container. 

Total calories = 3062 calories for whole batch
12 servings = 255 calories without bun per serving**

While Debbi’s recipe tasted great yo me, hubby said he could tell the difference (what is it with guys and their beef?)  Next time I’ll try half turkey, half beef and see if he notices a difference.

Here’s my beef recipe:


These are always a crowd pleaser.
HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 1/2 pound beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base

  • Heat olive oil and add ground beef.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Brown beef, onion and garlic. Drain.
  • Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, steak seasoning and beef base. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Serve on fresh baked buns.

Teriyaki BBQ Beef or Chicken with Broccoli Noodle Bowls

Last week we had an amazing Chinese-inspired dish at our house so I thought I would try another Chinese dish this week.  This is the epitome of being a home cook in that I just used what I had and I improvised.

Teriyaki BBQ Beef or Chicken with Broccoli Noodle Bowls adapted from Rachel Ray
For the BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup beef or chicken stock
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or low sodium teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup honey or agave syrup
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 palmful coarse black pepper
1 1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled
For the steak or chicken, veggies and spaghetti:
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
3/4 pound flank steak or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bundle broccolini or 1 small head broccoli
Salt
1 pound whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
4 scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle
Directions:  Place the ingredients for the barbecue sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavor a little. Remove the ginger root.
Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Pour a cup of edamame from the freezer into a bowl to defrost. Add the meat to the freezer to firm up, about 15 minutes.
Trim the broccolini or broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add salt to the boiling water and cook the broccolini or broccoli to tender-crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the broccolini with a spider or slotted spoon and drain well. Drop the pasta into the water and cook to al dente.
Remove the meat from the freezer and slice it very thinly on an angle, against the grain if you’re using beef.
Heat the oil, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet or wok over high heat until smoking. Add the meat and stir fry until brown. Add the edamame and broccolini or broccoli and pour in the sauce. Drain the pasta and toss into the skillet to combine.
Serve in bowls topped with scallions.
Modifications:
-I just used a bag of stir-fry veggies instead of cutting up broccoli/edamame.
Here is what you’ll need:
Put all of the “wet” ingredients into a saucepan.  Let it come to a boil and then turned down to a simmer.  Put some water on to boil for the pasta.
Chop up 3 cloves of garlic.
Cut about a 1 inch piece of ginger root, peel it, and throw it in with the wet ingredients.
Throw the garlic and ginger root in.  Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Thinly slice beef, on the grain.

Cut up some scallions or green onions.

After about 20 minutes, pull the ginger root out of the sauce.

Put the canola oil in a wok or pan and get hot.  Add the beef until brown.
Add the vegetables.
Add the sauce.
Drain the spaghetti and then add to the pan.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
Another successful dish!  The honey really adds to the teriyaki sauce and we actually loved the diversity of the frozen stir-fry vegetables rather than just broccoli and edamame.  

OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF
MEATLOAF
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, but retained
2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated aged cheddar
1/4 cup minced parsley (fresh)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Jumbo eggs, beaten
5 slices bacon
SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Frank’s sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Pour cream over bread slices and allow it to soak for several minutes until mushy.
  •  Add beef, onions, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, celery salt, sea salt, white pepper and parsley.
  • With clean hands, mix the mixture together until uniform in consistency.
  • Add beaten eggs and mix again.
  • Form into mixture into a loaf.  I use an actual loaf pan and then lift it out.
  • Line a jelly roll or broiler pan with foil. This avoids a huge mess.
  • Place loaf in center.
  • Lay bacon slices over top of the meatloaf.
  • Arrange retained bread crusts along edges of meatloaf about an inch away to absorb the grease and liquids that cook off the meatloaf.
  • Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
  • Spread half the sauce over the top.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Spread remaining sauce over the top.
  • Bake another 15 minutes.
  • Discard bread edges.
  • Enjoy.

Fire Day Friday: Asparagus with Hollandaise and Beef

The myth that BBQ enthusiasts don’t eat vegetables is false. We just add meat to them.


The great thing about this appetizer we made tonight was that it was all leftovers. I had some extra asparagus that I hadn’t cooked, Hollandaise sauce that I had made the day before, and the thin shaved prime rib from last night’s dinner (another leftovers dinner – click here for that post).


This really isn’t much of a recipe as it is “just throw it together”.

I tossed the asparagus tips in some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I roasted it for 9 minutes at 400f on the top rack of my oven.

Meanwhile I warmed up the Hollandaise sauce the same way I made it. I added a Tbsp each of water and lemon juice, then heated it in a stainless steel mixing bowl positioned over a pot of simmering water, whisking frequently.

Then I simply drizzled the Hollandaise sauce over the roasted asparagus and crowned it with some finely diced prime rib.


These might have been leftovers but you couldn’t tell from the taste! What is your favorite “leftover” dish that you have made?

BEEF & VEGETABLE POT PIE

I’ve made several chicken pot pies but this was my first beef pot pie. The recipe called for ground sirloin but I used beef stew chunks instead.
As you can see, my lattice crust wasn’t much of a lattice.  I just piled them on top of each other.  Sorry, I’m not very crafty.  🙂
I think that I upped the veggies in this quite a bit. I LOVED how it was packed with veggies.
The recipe called for 8 oz. of mushrooms as well, we’re just not mushroom fans here but I’ll bet that would be good!

The bread was quite plain.  When I make this again, I will spread just a bit of butter and garlic powder on the breadsticks to flavor them a bit.

We all found this to be delicious!
Beef & Vegetable Pot Pie Recipe

1 lb. stew meat, cut into fairly small chunks
2 cups zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrot, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 14 oz can beef broth
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
Cooking spray
1 (11 oz) can refrigerated soft bread stick dough

Heat cooking spray in pan, add beef, cook until browned.  Add  onion, carrot, basil, and thyme, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add zucchini and garlic, saute for another 2 minutes.  Stir in wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and broth.  Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.  Combine cornstarch and 2 tbsp. water in a small bowl, stir with a whisk.  Add cornstarch mixture to pan, cook for a minute until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. 

Spoon beef mixture into an 9 x 13 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Separate breadstick dough into strips.  Arrange strips in a lattice fashion over beef mixture.  Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until browned. 

Total calories = 2326 calories
8 servings = 291 calories per serving

Beef & Vegetable Pot Pie + Salad = 411 calorie dinner

Check out more healthy recipes at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy!

Fire Day Friday: Beefy Bite Appetizers

It is the holiday season, which unleashes a torrent of parties and get togethers.

That means it is advantageous to have an extra appetizer, hors d’oeuvres, or dessert snack trick up your sleeve. So tonight I played around with an idea I had for an appetizer. This is work in progress kind of thing.

Steak Wrapped Tater Tots

I know. That’s twisted. But sometimes you just have to cut loose and do something different.

For the first round, I cooked tater tots (well, actually Ore Ida Crispy Crowns) according to directions. I placed each one on a 1″ strip of milanesa style sliced beef (thin sliced sirloin) and topped with a variety of ingredients like pickled sweet jalapeno (we used Hobo Howey’s Jalapeno Treats), cheddar cheese, and steak sauce.

I rolled them up and secured with a toothpick and seasoned with a little bit of steak rub (I used Dizzy Pig Cow Lick).

I tried cooking them on the griddle plate of my grill cooking at 450f. It only took 1-2 minutes per side.

While it gave good sear marks, the sides didn’t get much radiant heat so they weren’t as evenly cooked as I would have liked.

It was 35f outside while I was cooking these, but I could not resist making a second attempt. This time I did the same thing but went with direct heat.

That cooked through much better.

And despite my fears the cheese would melt out during the cook, it finished just right.

Lessons learned:

  1. Instead of using a griddle pan, go for direct heat like grilling or broiling.
  2. If using cheese, start with your tater tot facing the hot side (below for grilling, above for broiling) for the first minute.
  3. Serve these quickly after cooking. These are not a “cook and leave on the table” kind of thing if you want to impress.
  4. Idea for the world’s most awesome slider – A juicy lucy style slider with a crispy crown and cheddar inside. Gonna work on that one.
  5. After testing the varieties twice tonight, I think our favorite is a combo of the sweet pickled jalapeno and cheddar. The sweet and heat combine perfectly.

Tell me: When the pressure is on during the holidays, what is your “go to” appetizer/snack?