Toasted Cheese Ravioli

Eating and baseball - when these two past-times collide, the results are out of this park! Anyhow, that is how this article in the 2012 July issue of Taste of Home magazine caught our eye.  The article consisted of favorite ballpark eats that you could serve at home. Toasted Ravioli was inspired by a dish at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. The article paired it with Sausage and Pepper Sliders.

On Deck:
Cook 24 refrigerated small cheese ravioli according to the package directions;drain.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Brush tops with 1 Tbsp Italian salad dressing; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Serve with warmed marinara sauce.  Makes 4 servings.

Tupps Tidbits:  basting brush worked well to add the salad dressing


Well this dish did not hit a home run at our house. The pasta becomes tough and the cheesy is no longer gooey it just took the fun out of cheese ravioli....please...just do not change a good thing! NOT A KEEPER in our house!

Where did we find this one?  tasteofhome.com or July 2012 Taste of Home Magazine

Luau Ribs

I am not sure if we have ever had ribs that tasted the same in our house. We like to try different ways to prepare and cook them and also to spice them up.  I love how each recipe you read for Ribs states - this will make the best BBQ ribs!!! HA!  Well, Kraft came out with this recipe that caught our eye and we tried it over Memorial weekend.

2tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 orange, sliced thin
1 can (20oz.) pineapple slices
2 racks(1 lb.ea) baby back pork ribs
1 cup barbecue sauce

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and red pepper to make a rub.
• Score membrane of ribs: cut each full rack of ribs into half racks.  Rub in the spice mix on both sides of each rib rack, dividing it evenly between each rack.   Lay 2 orange slices and 2 pineapple slices on the meaty side of each rib section, and wrap tightly in foil.  Wrap in a second layer of foil.  Place on a cookie sheet, and bake in oven for 3 hours.
• Preheat grill.
• Remove ribs from foil, and discard fruit and drippings.  Place on preheated grill rib bones down. Cook 5 minutes, flip over and cook another 5 minutes.  Baste with barbecue sauce and let cook 5 minutes.  Flip over and baste the other side with barbecue sauce.  Let cook another 2-3 minute.  Remove from grill.

Tupps Tidbits:  The directions tell you to score the membrane of the ribs.  I removed it.  Leaving it on keeps the seasonings from penetrating the meat, and it cooks into a tough skin on the ribs.

This recipe offered plenty of new flavors.  The cinnamon and red pepper flakes really made a interesting taste to the BBQ ribs.  They turned out amazing, and fell off the bones.  KEEPER in our house!

where did we find this one?   www.kraftrecipes.com

Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Buzzy's Butt Scratch

I have no idea why we picked this recipe except for the title caught my eye. It sounded funny and silly.   Pork butt is a less expensive cut, but cooking it as a very low temperature ensure a tender and juicy roast and it dissolves all the fat.  This crock pot recipe  will be nice on a weekend when you are outside working on the house or yard all day and you can come inside to a fully cooked meal.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork
1 6-7 pound port shoulder roast or Boston butt
1 batch Buzzy's Butt Scratch (see recipe below)
3-4 drops Liquid Smoke (optional)

• Rinse roast with cold water than pat dry with paper towels.  Using your hands, rub roast with Buzzy's Butt Scratch until evenly coated.   
• Cover rubbed roast with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight is possible.  It's not a deal-breaker if you can't but it's SO much better if it can soak up the flavors of the rub overnight.
• Place the roast, fat-side down(is applicable), in a large crock pot.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Do not add water.
• Add Liquid Smoke to the broth that has been created form cooking the roast (not directly onto the roast).  Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 4 more hours.
• Remove broth from crock pot to use or freeze for later use.  Turn crock pot off and let roast rest, covered, for 30-45 minutes.
• Remove roast from crock pot.  The meat will "pull" away from the fat, blade bone and connective tissue in sections.  Discard fat, bone, etc.  and shred or cut the sections of meat as preferred. 

Buzzy's Butt Scratch
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
All all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until combined.




Tupps Tidbits: Toss or serve with barbecue sauce.  This makes a large amount of meat.

Shredded pork from the crock pot is rich and tender.  The whole roast fell apart.  Didn't need to shred it.  We enjoyed it with barbecue sauce and pickles added to the sandwiches.  KEEPER in our house!


where did we find this one?  www.southyourmouth.com

Corn Dog Muffins

Simple cornbread baked in muffin tins with a hot dog in the middle.  Simple, fun and kid-friendly and these are not fried, they're baked!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 whole hot dogs

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bow, combine, buttermilk, milk and egg. Add baking powder and baking soda to the wet ingredients.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Add 1/4 cup melted shortening, slightly cooled, stirring constantly.

Grease muffin tins (whatever size you want) and fill them a little more than half full with batter.  Cut a hot dog into pieces, small rounds if using mini muffin tins, 1-inch slices using larger muffin tins.

Bake until cornbread is done, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Remove from the pan and serve with ketchup and mustard.

Tupps Tidbits:  you can use sour milk in place of buttermilk

The recipe was easy and delicious!  Next time we will make these in mini muffin tins and serve as an appetizer.  These are not sweet, if you would like a little sweetness to them, you should add a couple tablespoons of sugar.  KEEPER in our house!

where did we find this one?  thepioneerwoman.com

Pasta Salad

This Italian pepperoni pasta salad is ideal for summer picnics, camping and potlucks.  It offers pasta, veggies, cheese and pepperoni fill with a zesty Italian dressing. It is easy to make, easy to transport and easy to enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb box of small shell macaroni

3/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp ground Oregano
1 7 oz jar chopped green olives, drained
1/2 cup white vinegar
4 oz chopped salami
4 oz chopped pepperoni
4 oz diced provolone cheese
Chopped green onions to taste; 1-2 bunches
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 small can sliced black olives, drained


Directions:
Cook macaroni till done, drain
In a bowl dissolve sugar in vinegar, then add the oil and oregano
Put everything else together with the pasta
Add the mixture of vinegar and oil
Mix well

Chill for 24 hours before serving

Tupps Tidbits:  You can use different kinds of macaroni.  We used Garden Rotini.  Pepperoni minis are made just for this type of recipe.

One of the reasons we like this pasta salad is because of the chucks of cheese and pepperoni. Laziness won and we got the Hormel mini pepperoni so we didn't have to cut the pepperoni.  KEEPER in our house!
  

where did we find this one?  Deanna's sister