Grilled Pepper Jack Chicken Sandwiches

Zesty cheese, yummy bacon and grilled flavor why not try it?  I think it will be a great meal on a summer day! It looks pretty basic but packed with flavor.  The sprinkle of poultry seasoning should make a interesting twist to the average grilled chicken sandwich.

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 center-cut bacon strips, cooked and halved
2 slices (1/2 ounce each ) pepper jack cheese
2 hamburger buns, split
2 lettuce leaves
1 slice onion, separated into rings
2 slices tomato
Dill pickle slices, optional

• Sprinkle chicken with poultry seasoning. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.
• Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in from the heat 4-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Tupps Tidbits:  recommend grilling the chicken & toasting the buns


Where did we find this one? Taste of Home Best of Comfort Food Diet Cookbook


Simple, quick and not to mention delicious!  The chicken. grilled up tender and juicy.
KEEPER IN OUR HOUSE!

Red Pepper & Parmesan Tilapia

We are always looking for light fish recipes because of the health benefits. Tilapia are mainly freshwater fish from shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes.  It helps that this white fish is inexpensive and doesn't have a strong fishy taste or smell.   We have prepared tilapia in many ways. This looks to be an easy weeknight meal and definitely done under 30 minutes.  Who knows it might even become a staple our our house?

1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each)

• Place egg substitute in shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, combine the cheese, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes and pepper.  Dip fillets in egg substitute, then cheese mixture.
• Place in a 15 in. x 10 in. X 1 in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Tupps Tidbits:   A pie plate works well for the cheese mixture.  Make sure to spray the baking pan with cooking spray

Where did we find this one?  Taste of Home

Well this was fantastic, easy recipe.  Low calorie and would not change it. We usually bread and then bake our tilapia, but this was pretty easy and tastier than what we were used to.  It was full of flavor and came our baked just right.  KEEPER in our HOUSE!

Breakfast Bake

Breakfast is the most fun meal of the day!  I love breakfast food whether it is morning, noon or night. And I love these all in one dishes.  They are great when you have guests overnight or you are having a summer weekend getaway at the cabin.  You could also pop it in the oven before church and it's ready when you get back.  It looks easy to prepare & filling enough to last you until lunch.

Pretty dishes from Heritage Hideway Cabin - Pilot Mound (near Lanesboro), MN

1 1/2 cups egg substitute
1/2 cup fat free milk
3 1/2 cups frozen O'Brien potatoes, thawed
1 1/3 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
4 Tbs. crumbled cooked bacon, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp salt-free seasoning blend
1/4 tsp chili powder
4 green onions, chopped




1.  In a large bowl, whisk egg substitute and milk.  Stir in the potatoes, 1 cup cheese, onion, 2 tbs. bacon, salt, seasoning blend and chili powder.  Pour into an 8-in square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

2.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.  Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with green onions.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting

Tupps Tidbits:   if you creative enough, use this recipe as a guide, you can use up a whole bunch of random leftover ingredients that might be in your fridge

Where did we find this one?  Taste of Home


There are plenty of good breakfast bakes/casseroles  recipes out there.  This one had way too much onion  and not enough seasoning.   We also prefer one with shredded potatoes and ham a bit better. Although this bake was not bad, it is definitely NOT A KEEPER in our house.

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