Baked BBQ Meatballs

We made these appetizers during the holiday appetizer cooking class I hosted. You can view pictures, the entire appetizer menu and get links to the other recipes from the class HERE.

Baked BBQ Meatballs

Cooking spray
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon BBQ rub seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare muffin pan by spraying the inside of each well with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.
Gently form small meatballs and place in each well.
Bake meatballs in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

BBQ Potato Salad

We made the following dish during the Tailgating Cooking Class I hosted. You can view pics of the event HERE.

BBQ Potato Salad

2 lbs red potatoes

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

2-3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon BBQ rub seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup crispy bacon, crumbled

1/4 cup chives or green onion

Boil potatoes in water until tender; drain.

Place potatoes in large bowl and coursely chop in chunks.

Add mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, BBQ seasoning, salt and black pepper; combine.

Gently fold in eggs, bacon, chives/green onion.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours up to overnight to meld flavors.

Sprinkle additional bacon, chives/green onion and BBQ seasoning to taste and for color.

Comfort Cookin’

The fall season is upon us and I was in the mood for comfort food. What’s comfort food to me? Fried chicken with mac & cheese of course!

What makes this particular recipe fried chicken interesting is that I’ve soaked it in buttermilk and seasoned it with a BBQ rub for some flavor. The mac & cheese has a great crunchy topping and leftovers are perfect for fried mac & cheese nuggets!Here is my recipe for Buttermilk BBQ Chicken:

2 large chicken breasts (bone in)
1 cup buttermilk
garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons BBQ rub seasoning
1 egg, beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

In a bowl, place chicken and pour buttermilk over it to cover.
Allow chicken to marinate it the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes (this is a great way to tenderize the chicken).
Preheat oven to 375.
Remove chicken from bowl and shake off excess buttermilk.
Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper.
Next, apply the BBQ rub all over the chicken.
Combine flour and breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
Dip chicken in beaten egg.
Dredge chicken in flour/breadcrumb mixture.
Place on baking sheet & bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear, depending on chicken size.

Honey BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

Honey BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

1 cup honey
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
2-3 lbs pork ribs

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Season your pork ribs and allow them to marinate in the BBQ sauce overnight. Grill or bake your ribs to your preference.

Pulling & Stretching

Cranberry sauce is not just for Thanksgiving. In fact, I used a jar of whole cranberry relish to make pulled pork tonight. With the leftover mac & cheese I still had from the other day, I stretched the remaining cheesy goodness to make fried mac & cheese nuggets.
The cranberry is one of only a handful of fruits native to North America. As documented by the Pilgrims, cranberries were found in abundance in Massachusetts in 1620 and rumor has it that they may have been served at the first Thanksgiving dinner, although we have no way of knowing for sure. Written recipes using cranberries date back to the 1700s and the first recorded cranberry crop in history dates back to 1816 in Dennis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Cranberries soon cemented their place in New England life by serving as a vital source of vitamin C for whalers and a valuable natural resource to residents.
Tonight, cranberry sauce and a touch of maple syrup sweetened my pork ribs in the crockpot, which was then shredded and served in a toasted bun. Here is my recipe for Cranberry Maple Shredded Pork:

2lbs country pork ribs
salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup french salad dressing
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion, sliced

Season pork ribs with salt & pepper.
Place ribs in crockpot; top with onions.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.

I served this on a toasted bun, ceasar salad and
fried mac & cheese nuggets.

Here is my recipe for fried mac & cheese nuggets – a great way to use up leftover mac & cheese:

Prepared mac & cheese, chilled
Egg scrambled
Flour
Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs
Cooking oil

Heat pan with oil.
Cut chilled mac & cheese in cubes.
Dredge cubes in flour to coat.
Dip cubes in egg wash.
Roll cubes in panko.
Fry up until golden brown.
Drain and let it cool.