Bacon, Beer, and Cheese Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

8 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 C ketchup

1/4 C tomato paste

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 C beer 

1/2 C beef broth

2 C sharp cheddar , cubed

6 brioche buns

Directions

1) In a large skillet cook the bacon on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes or until crispy but still bendable. 

2) Remove the bacon from the pan and drain all but two tablespoons of the fat. 

3) Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. 

4) Add in the beef, lower the hear to medium and cook well, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks about the size of a raspberry or small grape ( don't crush the heck out of it, the larger crumbles will help give the sandwich stability). 

5) Cook until well browned (5-6 minutes), then add in the ketchup, tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, dijion mustard, beer and beef broth. 

6) Stir well, continue cooking until the sauce starts to evaporate and the mixture becomes "sloppy" (about 5-6 minutes). 

7) The consistency you are looking for is reduced enough that spoonfuls can be placed on top of each other with the bottom spoonful not spreading more than a half inch or so. 

8) Add in the chunks of cheddar and cooked bacon crumbles a minute before serving and stir just slightly to melt them into little puddles. 

9) Toast the buns then spoon over the mixture and top with additional bacon (if desired). 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops with Brown Sugar

 

Ingredients 

Pork Chops: 

4-6 pork chops

1/2 lb. bacon

1/2 C brown sugar

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

Marinade: 

4 tbsp. honey dijon mustard

1 tbsp. worcheshire sauce

1 tbsp. bbq sauce (any flavor) 

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dry basil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. 

2) Spread the marinade on your pork chops and then wrap each pork chop with bacon. 

3) Meanwhile, brown your garlic in the butter in a large pan. 

4) Once brown, place your pork chops in the pan. Coat one side with brown sugar and then turn over to coat the other side. 

5) Cook pork chops until they are golden brown and the bacon is crispy, about 15-20 minutes. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Sweet Sausage

 

Ingredients 

1 (16 oz) pkg. smoked sausage

1 1/2 C maple syrup

Directions

1) Cut sausage into 1 - inch rounds.

2) Place in a large skillet over medium heat and add the maple syrup. 

3) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. 

4) Serve piping hot. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 

This would also make a great appetizer for a party you just need to double or triple the recipe. 

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Ice Cream Cake

 

Ingredients 

For the Brownie Layer:

1 1/4 C Granulated sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 2 1/2 tbsp. 

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs

1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream layer: 

2 C heavy whipping cream

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

2 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1 drop kelly green gel-paste food coloring (optional) 

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate , finely chopped

For the Garnishes: 

3/4 C heavy whipping cream

1/3 C powdered sugar

1 tbsp. chocolate vermicelli (or chocolate sprinkles)  

Directions

To make the brownie layer: 

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

2) Mist a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick spray. 

3) Place the sugar, butter, cocoa, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in one-minute increments, stirring, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture feels very warm to the touch. 

4) Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. 

5) Stir in the flour.

6. Stir in the vanilla. 

7) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan, then layer with the no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream and freeze. 

To make the no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream layer: 

1) Place the cream in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium-high speed until it holds stiff peaks. 

2) Fold in the condensed milk, peppermint extract, salt and gel-paste food coloring until well-combined. 

3) Stir in the chopped chocolate and spread the mixture over the cooled brownie layer. 

4) Freeze until hard, remove the sides of the springform pan, and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate vermicelli. 

To  Garnish: 

1) Place the cream in a medium mixing bowl and whip on medium-high speed until fluffy. 

2) Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until the mixture holds stiff peaks. 

3) Transfer to a 16-inch featherweight piping bag fitted with a 4B tip, and pipe a large shell border around the perimeter of the cake. Pipe smaller stars just inside the shell border, then sprinkle the whipped cream with chocolate vermicelli 

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Freeze: 2 hours

Serves: 8 

You can choose to omit using the piping bag and just spread the whipped cream all over the top of the cake. You can also change it up with the garnish and use different types of sprinkles depending on when you make this and what the holiday / season is. I chose to do fall / halloween colors etc because of it being the fall time. 

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs

 

Ingredients 

32 oz. frozen meatballs

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C Ketchup

4 tbsp. Soy sauce

1/2 C Honey

1 tbsp. Minced Garlic

Directions

1) Place meatballs in the slow cooker.

2) Mix together all remaining ingredients. 

3) Add sauce to meatballs and stir to coat. 

4) Cook on low for 4 hours. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 4 hours 

Total: 4 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 10-12

This can be used a main dish on top of noodles or rice if desired or you can use this as an appetizer for parties. Depending on how much you need you may have to double the recipe. (They are that good) 

Easy Meatball Sliders

 

Ingredients 

12 Slider buns

12 Meatballs, cooked

2 C pasta sauce

2 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 tbsp. Olive oil

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2) Place the bottom half of the slider buns in a casserole dish. 

3) Spoon a little sauce on each bun then place a meatball on each one, and add just a little more sauce over the meatballs. 

4) Cover the meatballs in mozzarella cheese. 

5) Place the top buns over the meatballs and brush them with a little oil. 

6) Combine the Parmesan cheese and the Italian seasoning the sprinkle it over the buns. 

7) Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes. 

8) Enjoy! 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 12 Sliders 

This will also make a great appetizer for parties. Its super easy to make and you can double it or triple it if needed. 

BBQ Chicken

 

Ingredients 

3-4 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (or more) 

16 oz bottle of BBQ sauce

1/2 C zesty italian dressing

1/4 C brown sugar

Directions

1) Mix together the ingredients. Put them in the crockpot. 

2) Cook on low 4 -5 hours or on high 2-3 hours. 

3) Shred with a fork and serve on buns or leave them whole and serve them with some mashed potatoes and veggies. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Bubble Up Pizza

 

Ingredients 

2 cans of biscuits (any type you want) 

1 jar of pizza sauce (or homemade sauce) - you can use 2 if you want

shredded mozzarella cheese

shredded cheddar cheese (optional) 

pizza toppings (any type you want) ( i did pepperoni) 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2) Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray. 

3) Open the biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. 

4) Place them all in the bottom of the pan. 

5) Pour pizza sauce over the top of the biscuits. 

6) Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese on top. 

7) Add any pizza toppings you want. 

8) Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese over your pizza toppings (if using)

9) Bake for 25 to 35 minutes (uncovered) until all the biscuits have bubbled up. 

10) Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Serves: 6 

Spicy Cajun Chicken Tenders with Sweet Peach BBQ Sauce

 

Ingredients

Chicken: 

8 Chicken tenderloins (about 1.25 lbs) 

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. milk

1/3 C flour

1/2 C cornmeal

1/2 C panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp each : salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder

1/2 tsp. each: smoked paprika, oregano, pepper

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 

BBQ Peach Sauce: 

1/2 C ketchup

2 tbsp. molasses

2 -3 tbsp. brown sugar (or more to taste) 

2 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. each : garlic powder, onion powder

1/2 tsp each: salt, smoked paprika, chili powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 peaches, peeled and roughly chopped

Instructions

1) Combine barbecue sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until peaches are tender. When peaches are tender, add barbecue sauce to a blender and pulse to desired consistency (do not cover blender completely or it will explode). Add barbecue sauce to a bowl and taste and adjust as desired for more spice, more sugar, etc. 

2) While barbecue sauce is simmering , prepare chicken. Mix cornmeal, panko breadcrumbs and seasoning in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Add chicken to a freezer bag (or bowl) and toss with 1/3 cup flour until well coated. Remove chicken and tap off any excess flour. Dip chicken in egg/milk bowl and let excess drip off. Place chicken in a new freezer bag and pour cornmeal/panko/seasoning into the bag and toss until well coated, pressing breading into the chicken (through the bag) , or place chicken into a bowl and toss until well coated, pressing breading into the chicken with fingers. 

3) Heat enough oil in a large nonstick skillet to cover the bottom of your pan over medium high heat. Once hot, gently add chicken breasts and cook for approximately 2 - 3 minutes or until browned on one side. Gently turn chicken over with tongs, reduce heat to medium- low , cover and continue cooking until chicken is crispy and cooked through, approximately 5-7 minutes (depending on thickness of your chicken) , Cook in batches if necessary. 

4) Dip chicken in peach sauce and enjoy! 

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Serves: 8 

- To easily peel peaches, cut an "X" in the bottom of each peach down to the core; then blanch them in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds; transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Remove peaches when cool and peel, beginning where you made your "X". 

Meatball Parmesan Casserole

 

Ingredients 

1 bag of frozen meatballs, cooked according to pkg. directions

pasta sauce

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C shredded parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning, to taste

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2) Spread some pasta sauce into the bottom of a 3 qt. casserole dish to prevent the meatballs from sticking. 

3) Arrange the precooked meatballs on top. Pour more pasta sauce on top to cover the meatballs to your liking. 

4) Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, parmesan and some Italian seasoning to taste. 

5) Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 6-8 

Easy Crock Pot Ribs

 

Ingredients 

Rub: 

2 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Ribs:

5-6 lb baby back ribs

2-3 C favorite BBQ sauce

Directions

1) Combine paprika, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. 

2) Rub the mixture over the meaty side of the ribs. 

3) Place ribs in slow cooker standing them upright with the meaty side against the wall of the cooker. 

4) Pour the bbq sauce over the ribs. 

5) Cook on low 4-5 hours until tender. 

6) Remove ribs and allow to sit for 15 minutes (cover with foil) 

7) Cut ribs apart. 

8) Cover with BBQ sauce left in cooker if desired. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 15 minutes

Serves: 12 

Four Ingredient Meatloaf

 

Ingredients

1 box Stove Top stuffing (any flavor of your choice) 

1 lb. ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 C ketchup (or more if you like)

1/2 C water (or a little more if your beef is super lean) 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread loaf pan.

2) In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, but set aside half of the ketchup for later. 

3) Fill the pan with your mixture. 

4) Top it with the remaining ketchup and spread it evenly over the top. You can also use BBQ sauce, chili sauce or a combination of sauces. Whatever you would like. 

5) Bake for 45-60 minutes. Or until it done. 

6) Wait a few minutes before slicing it. Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies or anything else you would like. Enjoy! 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 60 minutes

Total: 65 minutes

Serves: 5-6 

You can add anything else to the mixture that you happen to have on hand. (Ex: onions, garlic, cheese, spices, herbs etc. ) You can also use 1/2 C milk in place of the eggs and water if you would like. 

French Toast Cinnamon Pull Apart Muffins

 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp. butter melted

1 pkg. Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls ( you can use the regular ones as well but you wouldn't make quite as much) 

2 eggs

1/4 C milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush butter into regular sized muffin cups, coating the bottom and sides of each cup. Set aside. 

2) In a medium sized bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. 

3) Unwrap package of cinnamon rolls and set icing aside. Cut rolls into 8 pieces each and place in the egg mixture, stirring to coat. 

4) Divide mixture into muffin cups. Spoon any remaining egg mixture over the top of each cup. 

5) Drizzle each cup with about half a teaspoon of maple syrup. 

6) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. 

7) Pour icing into a microwaveable container and heat for 7-10 seconds, just until icing is pourable. Spoon over each muffin. 

8) Using a knife to loosen, gently remove muffins from the pan and serve warm. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 12 muffins

Mongolian Beef

 

Ingredients 

1 lb. flank steak

1/4 C cornstarch

1/4 C canola oil

2 tsp. fresh ginger (minced) 

1 tbsp. garlic (minced) 

1/3 C lite soy sauce (low sodium) 

1/3 water

1/2 C dark brown sugar

4 stalks scallions (green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces) 

Directions

1) Slice the flank steak against the grain (the grain is the length of the steak) the long way 1/4 inch think pieces and add it to a ziploc bag with the cornstarch. 

2) Press the steak around in the bag making sure each piece is fully coated with cornstarch and leave it to sit. 

3) Add the canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium high heat. 

4) Add the steak, shaking off any excess corn starch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute. 

5) If you need to cook the steak in batches because your pan isn't big enough do that rather than crowding the pan, you want to get a good sear on the steak and if you crowd the pan your steak will steam instead of sear. 

6) When the steak is done cooking remove it from the pan. 

7) Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and saute for 10-15 seconds. 

8) Add the soy sauce, water and dark brown sugar to the pan and let it come to a boil. 

9) Add the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds. 

10) The cornstarch we used on the steak should thicken the sauce, if you find it isn't thickening enough add 1 tbsp. of cornstarch to 1 tbsp of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan. 

11) Add the green onions, stir to combine everything, and cook for a final 20-30 seconds.

12)  Serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 

Honey Garlic Chicken Breasts

 

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breasts ( boneless, skinless) 

salt and pepper

1/4 C flour

3 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter (or 2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil) 

2 garlic cloves (minced) 

1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or white or other clear vinegar) 

1 tbsp. light soy sauce (or all purpose) 

1/3 C honey (or maple syrup) 

Directions

1) Cut the breasts in half horizontally to create 4 pieces in total. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. 

2) Place flour in a shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour and shake off excess. 

3) Melt most of the butter in a large skillet over high heat - hold back about 1 tsp for later. 

4) Place chicken in skillet and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until golden. 

5) Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. 

6) Turn heat down slightly to medium high. 

7) Make a bit of room in the pan and add garlic and top with remaining dab of butter. Stir garlic briefly once butter melts. 

8) Add vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Stir / shake pan to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer, then simmer for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. 

9) Turn chicken to coat in sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch of water and stir. 

10) Remove from stove immediately. Place chicken on plates and drizzle over remaining sauce. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 

You can make this gluten free by using cornflour / cornstarch instead. It won't brown quite as evenly but once covered in sauce, you won't even know it. 

Light or all purpose soy sauce is suitable for this recipe. Don't use dark soy sauce because flavor will dominate it. 

Buffalo Style Chicken Tenders

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips)

2 1/4 C flour

1/4 C cornstarch

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. paprika

1 C milk

1/2 C water

1 egg

vegetable oil (for frying) 

1 C hot sauce 

1/2 C melted butter or margarine

1/4 C italian dressing

Directions 

1) Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika in a large ziplock bag and shake well to mix. 

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and water. 

3) Fill a heavy skillet with oil to about 1" and heat to about 310 degrees. If using a deep fryer set it to 325 degrees. 

4) Place a few chicken pieces in the bag with the flour mixture and shake to coat. Place coated pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining chicken. 

5) Dip each coated piece of the chicken in the egg wash, shake off the excess egg and return it to the bag of flour, shaking to coat again. 

6) Cook in hot oil until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side) 

7) Drain on paper towels. 

8) Combine margarine, hot sauce and dressing in a large bowl. 

9) Place each cooked chicken tender in the sauce and toss to coat. 

10) Serve with celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing (if desired) 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 8 

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs (All-in-One)

 

Ingredients

1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

4 C water, vegetable or beef broth

1 (16 oz) box spaghetti

1 (26 oz) bag frozen meatballs (24 count) 

olive oil

Optional Sauce ingredients: 

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil or 2-3 leaves. fresh basil. torn

Directions

1) In a 6 qt. slow cooker, pour in jarred spaghetti sauce. 

2) Then add 4 C of water. (Instead of using water, try using vegetable or beef broth for a kick of flavor) 

3) Add in minced garlic, Italian seasoning and basil (if using) 

4) Break spaghetti noodles in half and put in a large ziplock bag. Coat the spaghetti noodles with a drizzle of olive oil. Close the bag and gently move the noodles around until they are all coated. Then remove noodles from bag and put noodles on top of sauce mixture and gently push them down so they are slightly in the sauce. Then top with frozen meatballs. No need to stir these in. Just out them right on top.

5) Cover and cook on low for about 2-5 hours (until noodles are soft and meatballs are heated through). Then give it a gently stir to combine and serve. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 15 minutes

Serves: 6 

Slow Cooker Cocktail Sausages

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 C ketchup

1/4 C brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. Sriracha, or more, to taste

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 (16 oz)  pkg. beef hot dog, quartered

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1) In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Sriracha, Dijon and 3 tbsp. water. 

2) Place hot dogs into slow cooker. Stir in ketchup mixture and gently toss to combine. 

3) Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours. 

4) Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 10 minutes

Serves: 10 

Dorito-Crusted Chicken Bites

 

Ingredients 

4 oz. Tortilla chips

8 oz. chicken tenders

1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. 

2) Crush the tortilla chips with a food processor. Set aside in a big bowl. 

3) Dust the chicken with all-purpose flour, shake off the excess, dip in the beaten egg, and then coat evenly with the tortilla chips. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the steps until all chicken is coated. 

4) Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 2