Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I think the only thing possible better than pulled chicken barbecue is pulled chicken barbecue that cooks by itself all day long in the slow cooker with pineapple and onion and a jar of spicy barbecue sauce that you forget about until you walk in the door at the end of the day and smell pulled chicken barbecue that is already cooked and ready to eat.

Did you get all that?

Good, because every word is true.  But don't take MY word for it...haul out that slow cooker that I know you have somewhere and try it for yourself.  As I write this I am keeping an eye on the thermometer, which is inching its way up towards 90 degrees.  And when it is THAT hot out, there is nothing and nobody who can make me turn on my stove or my oven.  But the slow cooker...that's another story.  Because it cooks low and slow, whatever you pop into it is tender and wonderful, and your kitchen stays cool.   Summer is for salads and slow cookers...and this recipe is as easy as it gets.  Toss some nice big boneless chicken breasts into the cooker, along with a can of drained chopped pineapple, some onion, and a jar of your favorite bbq sauce.  (For this recipe, I like a sauce that is more on the tangy spicy side, since you have a sweet flavor coming from the pineapple.)  Now go away and frolic in the 90 degree weather for a while.

When you come back, your chicken will be tender enough to shred into delicious bite size pieces...shred it all up, then return it to the liquid left in the slow cooker and mix it all up.  Now what I usually do next is this: put a pile of soft hamburger rolls in a basket by the slow cooker, along with a pitcher of warm bbq sauce for anyone who likes a little extra on their sandwich.  Then stand back and let the hungry crowds build their own.

Summertime!!

Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, from Tasty Kitchen

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 bottle bbq sauce, 18-20 ounces.
• Hamburger rolls
• Extra bbq sauce for topping

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.  Top with onions, then pineapple, then pour the whole bottle of bbq sauce over the whole thing.

2. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.  About an hour before it is done, carefully remove chicken from crockpot, shred it, and then return it to the cooker and stir so it can absorb some of the sauce as it finishes.

3. Serve on hamburger rolls with extra bbq sauce on the side.

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Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwiches

Being married to a Southern man, there are certain things that are so essential to the success of our married life that they were practically part of our wedding vows.  These include things like the proper respect for grits, cooking deep-fried okra at least 3 times per year, and always having a great recipe for pulled pork barbecue on hand.  Because inevitably there will come a point sometime early in the summer where it will be completely and totally necessary to have a pulled pork bbq sandwich for supper.

With a little homemade coleslaw on top of the pork to send it completely over the edge into barbeque heaven.   (And luckily, I just posted a coleslaw recipe the other day!  Click here for that one.)   I make my pulled pork by cooking a Boston butt pork roast in a slow cooker for 10 hours...at that point it is so tender that it will practically hop out of the cooker and shred itself.

After that, the only decision you have left is which bbq sauce to use.  Now we are long-time loyal users of Stubb's sauce, and I still love it.  But I recently heard about this other variety called Blues Hog, and the description of it was too much for me to take.  I ordered a few jars, wrapped them up and gave them to the Southern husband for his birthday a couple of weeks ago.  (He also got to go to a baseball game for his birthday, before you start feeling all sorry for him.)

Note that it says it is excellent on pork.

I can now definitely vouch for that.  I won't be abandoning my spicy, delicious Stubbs sauce, but if you want a fantabulous bbq sauce that is a little on the sweeter side...Blues Hog.

That's all the pulled pork I have for you today.  (Although there is now about 5 extra pounds of it in my freezer.  I'm thinking there is some pulled pork over grits in my future sometime very, very soon.)

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches, inspired by a recipe from Taste of the South

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 five pound Boston Butt pork roast
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Water
• Hamburger rolls
• Your favorite coleslaw
• Your favorite barbecue sauce, warmed

1. Combine salt, paprika and pepper in a small bowl.   Rub pork with oil, and then rub spice mixture on pork, coating it all over. 

2. Place roast in a slow cooker with garlic and onions.  Add enough water to come three-quarters up the side of the pork.

3. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.  Save about a cup of the liquid and take out the pork.  Remove any fat and bones, and then use two forks to shred it.

4. Mix sandwich-size portions with warmed bbq sauce and place on hamburger buns.  Top with coleslaw and serve.  Any extra shredded pork will freeze just fine, and there is nothing like knowing you have a bag of shredded pork bbq in your freezer.  Trust me on this.

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Spiked Cheeseburgers

It was a happy, happy day last week, because for the first time since this long, hard, relentless winter started one billion years ago, it was actually warm enough to crank up the old grill and cook some cheeseburgers.  The Southern husband was happy.  The teenager was happy.  The dog was deliriously happy, because she is convinced that if she waits long enough, one day someone is going to grill her a cheeseburger instead of just dumping another cup of kibble into her dish.  A dog can dream...

Anyway.  This momentous occasion seemed to call for something other than your normal wonderful cheeseburger.  Something adventurous.  Something celebratory.  Something involving a little, well, alcohol.  Take another look at that picture up top...see that scrumptious sauce oozing down the burger?  Let's just say that is special sauce.  Very special.  As in, contains just the right hit of vodka in it.

Still with me?  Here's what happens:  you mix up some ketchup, some mayo, a little mustard, and a little roasted garlic.  And then you add...wait for it...about 4-5 tablespoons of vodka.  (If you are a responsible parent like me, you hold back some of the sauce in a separate dish for your underage teenager.  More spiked-ness for the old folks).

Now grill up those burgers however you like 'em, and don't forget to toast the buns.  (Note: you can definitely add in the cheese the way you usually do, but I like to take the top bun after it is toasted, lay the cheese on it and nuke it for about 20 seconds, so the cheese is adhering to the bun and not the burger.  But you be you, cheese-wise.)

 

  When that's all done, toss a few pickles on the bottom of the bun, lay the burger on them, and put a generous amount of sauce on top.  This is not the time to be stingy with the sauce.  Top bun over the whole thing, and dig in.  Be very happy.  Happier than a cheeseburger usually makes you. 

 

Happy.

Spiked Cheeseburgers, adapted from Marc Murphy's recipe

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tps roasted garlic
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 5 tablespoons vodka

• 2 1/2/ pounds ground beef
• 6 hamburger rolls
• 6 slices cheddar cheese
• sliced pickles

1. Mix mayo, mustard, garlic, ketchup and vodka together and mix well.  Set aside.

2. Form beef into 6 patties and salt and pepper them. Grill to your liking, adding cheese at the last minute to melt.  Toast the rolls during the last minutes of grilling.

3. Place several pickles on the bottom of each roll, top with burger, and spread about 2 tablespoons of sauce on each burger.  Place top of bun over all and serve at once.

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Pulled Pork Sliders with Blue Cheese Slaw

Okay, so it is a long, long, long time until summer.    My yard is covered in about two feet of snow as we speak, and my Southern-born hound dog is not happy about it.  She seems to forget from year to year that snow actually exists in the universe, and so the first time it reappears each winter she seems, well, confused.  And extremely devoted to the fireplace.

But just because the weather outside is frightful, does that mean we can't have a little hint of summertime in the form of some good old BBQ?  Of course we can, and this recipe comes from an annual cookbook tradition in my house, and that is the CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING cookbook - this time the 2010 version.  This book comes out every year, full of scrumptious recipes and decorating ideas, and while I found a number of things that were perfect for the holidays, there were also a handful of ideas for meals that are pretty tempting all year long.  Because who wouldn't want a pulled pork slider pretty much any day of the year?

Now, this recipe assumes that you already have some of the fixings pre-made, such as the actual pulled pork.  And because you know I am mainly a "make it in 30 minutes or less" girl, I was perfectly happy to pick up a vat of already-prepared pulled pork, cooked and ready to be turned into sliders, at my local Costco.  (Of course, while I was there I also had to buy their awesome chocolate chip cookies.  And a 12-pack of Scotch tape.  And a few hundred other things that I absolutely needed.

The other thing you will need is some fabulous BBQ sauce.   In our house, that means one thing and one thing only and that is Stubbs.

But you feel free to be you, BBQ-sauce-wise.  That's what makes the world go round.  So once you have the bbq all warm and mixed with sauce, this recipe is all about making the slaw.  I go right for the already shredded coleslaw mix at the supermarket, although you can certainly chop up your own cabbage, and then it is just a matter of mixing that up with some ranch dressing, some crumbled blue cheese and some cooked and chopped bacon.  Grab some slider buns (I like to warm mine up first), spoon on some bbq, a little coleslaw, toss a dill pickle slice or two on top, and you are ready to rock.  Take that, never-ending winter!

Pulled Pork Sliders with Blue Cheese Slaw, from Christmas with Southern Living 2010

• 3 cups shredded coleslaw mix
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 cups warm pulled pork BBQ (usually available in the supermarket near the bacon.  And at Costco!)
• 1 package mini slider buns (you can also use side-split hot dog rolls cut in thirds)
• 1/2 cup warmed BBQ sauce
• Dill pickle slices

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl and mix well.

2. Mix meat with BBQ sauce.  Place 1/4 cup BBQ on bottom half of bun, top with 1/4 cup slaw.  garnish with pickle slices, top with bun and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Grilled Asparagus Ricotta Pizza

I'm still not exactly sure where summer went, because I think it was pretty much last week that I was planting my herbs and throwing all the windows in the house open...but the leaves are just starting to get that look...

...and so I am laying on the grill recipes while there is still time.  Not that the Southern husband won't go out and grill in the snow...but somehow, it's not the same.  And along with this summer's favorite grill recipe, which is Buttermilk Grilled Chicken, one of my top choices for the grill is grilled pizza.  This summer we have had the classic cheese and basil grilled pizza, a fabulous bacon and rosemary grilled pizza, and most recently that little number pictured above, which is a grilled asparagus and ricotta cheese pizza.

(Side note: I used to drive myself crazy trying to roll the pizza dough out into a perfect little circle, until one day I realized that I actually liked the abstract shapes better.  Which is why that particular pizza kind of looks like Snoopy's head, only without the ears.)

Anyway.  I used my foolproof pizza dough recipe from Cooks Illustrated, which never ever lets me down.  Roast some asparagus in the oven and get your hands on some fresh ricotta (you can buy it at the supermarket, or you can be crazy like me and make your own.  It's not hard, I promise.).  Grill up that pizza dough on your grill, slather it with ricotta, lay the asparagus on top, drizzle it with some olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese and a good grinding of black pepper.  It's almost enough to make the end of summer bearable...that and the thought of all those pumpkin recipes in our near future.

Grilled Asparagus Ricotta Pizza

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water at room temperature
• 2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• One large bunch thin asparagus
• 2 cups fresh ricotta
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Mix water and oil

2. Add bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast to food processor. Pulse once or twice to mix.

3. While running, add water mixture through tube.  Process until dough forms a ball that clears the sides of the bowl.  If dough doesn't form a ball, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it does.

4. Transfer dough to mixing bowl sprayed with olive oil.  Cover and let rise for 2 hours.

5. Right before you are going to make the pizza, roast the asparagus by tossing with a little olive oil and salt and roasting in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Set aside.

6. Divide dough into 4 sections.  Roll into balls, dust with flour, and roll each one out to about a 6-8 inch size crust.  Don't worry if the shape isn't perfect, grilled pizza is supposed to look rustic!  Layer crusts in between wax paper.

7. Heat grill to medium high and lay crusts on grill.  Grill for about 5 minutes, lifting up to check every minute to make sure the crusts aren't cooking too fast.  Pop any big dough bubbles with a knife.  When the first side is getting brown and charred, flip over with tongs and cook on other side until done.

8. Spread crust with fresh ricotta, top with asparagus and Parmesan.  Drizzle olive oil over all and top with fresh ground pepper.

Note: you can substitute soft goat cheese for the ricotta if you like.  Yum!

Click here for printable recipe

 

Meatloaf Burgers with Grilled Corn

Oh, I have so much to say about this fabulous, not-your-usual-hamburger recipe. First of all, the burger itself is made of a scrumptious meatloaf mix, including fabulous stuff like chopped Vidalia onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and mustard, just to name a few. Second, the burger is topped with both bacon (yes!!!) and a fruit-nut cheese that you will have to stop yourself from completely devouring on crackers before the burgers are even ready. Think of this as a very, very special bacon cheeseburger.

OK, let's start with the cheese. (and by the way, the whole devouring on a cracker thing? Guilty. My best advice is, make extra.) First, toss some cream cheese in a bowl. I used the whipped variety, but you can use the regular version too, just make sure you leave it out to soften first.

Add some shredded cheddar. (Cheese on cheese. Mmmmmmmm....)

Some chopped pecans (or really, any other kind of chopped nut you have around. Clean out those pantry shelves.)

Dried cranberries. I'm betting raisins would be just fine in here as well.)

A little chopped sweet onion...

And some fresh parsley. Mix mix mix.

Tempting, right??? Make sure you hold some back for the burgers.

Next, let's discuss the corn. Every time I cook corn on the grill, I ask myself why on earth I ever go to the trouble of hauling out a giant pot of water to cook it on the stove. If you are going to have the grill on anyway, it is super-easy to grill the corn alongside anything else you are making. All you do is toss the un-husked corn on the medium hot grill for about 20 minutes. Some folks like to soak the corn in water for a little while first (I guess to lessen the chances that the husks will catch fire) -- personally, I just put the corn right on the grill with no preparation at all. The husks will get a charred look, but the corn inside will be sweet and tender.

So now you have your meatloaf burgers, your delicious cheese topping and your grilled corn. And probably a crowd of people around you who can't wait for supper to make it to the picnic table. Barbecue dinner extraordinaire. I love summer!!

Meatloaf Burgers with Grilled Corn, adapted from Taste of the South

Cheese Spread ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup minced Vidalia onion
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Burger ingredients

• 1 cup minced Vidalia onion
• 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
• 12 slices cooked bacon
• 1 recipe fruit and nut cheese
• 6 hamburger buns, toasted
• 6 slices tomato, optional
• 6 green lettuce leaves, optional
• Dijon mustard, optional

• 6 ears corn

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Cheddar, pecans, onion, cranberries, parsley, Worcestershire, paprika, and salt, mixing to blend. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic, and stir for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, and let cool completely.
3. Add bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, steak sauce, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper to vegetable mixture, mixing well. Add ground beef and sausage, mixing until just combined. Shape mixture into 6 patties, and place on a baking sheet. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
   
5. Grill corn with husks on for 20 minutes. When they have been on for ten minutes, add the burgers so everything is done at the same time.
   
6. Grill burgers, turning once, just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers (meat should bounce back), approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, and immediately top each burger with two slices bacon and desired amount of Fruit-and-Nut Cheese. Serve on buns, with tomato, lettuce, and Dijon mustard, and grilled corn on the side.

Click here for printable recipe

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

Every summer I seem to run into a recipe that I just simply can't stop making over and over again. In the past it has been the Silver Palate's pasta with tomatoes and brie cheese, and fabulous "Way Life Should Be" lobster recipe from New York Times, and one summer many moons ago I made this super-simple raspberry sherbet recipe almost every day. This summer I am fixated on this buttermilk grilled chicken recipe.

It must be something about the buttermilk that makes it taste so wonderful. Buttermilk is a scary, scary thing to me (have you ever taken a really close look at this stuff?), but I have to say that anything I make with it, from this chicken, to fresh ricotta cheese, to my all-time favorite buttermilk fried chicken recipe, turns out great. This recipe calls for mixing up buttermilk, paprika, lots of garlic and some fresh herbs and letting the chicken soak in it all day before grilling it up. It comes out with a delicious flavor that is even better when you eat the leftovers cold for lunch the next day.

One trick that I always use when it comes to grilling chicken: I use kitchen shears to cut the chicken breast halves in half again, so you are left with breast quarters. Much more manageable in terms of picking up and eating...which is what you are going to do with scrumptious summertime grilled chicken, right? Right!

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken, adapted from Real Simple

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, cut into quarters
• Fresh rosemary and thyme
  

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, garlic, paprika, 1½ teaspoons salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you have around -- I especially like fresh rosemary. Chop them up a little and add them to the marinade.

2. Divide the buttermilk mixture and chicken between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Let marinate in the refrigerator, turning the bags occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

3. Heat grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill, covered, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Click here for printable recipe

Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs

Here are my adorable parents, who are just about to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. With all their friends. And all our giant extended family. At my house. Please pray for good weather.

Anyway, my mom has always been an amazing, phenomenal, extraordinary cook. As a matter of fact, when I did the "All About Me" section on this blog and described myself as a self-taught cook, more than one person who has known me for a while pointed out that I actually had a pretty fantastic teacher, otherwise known as My Mother. Totally true! I probably should have mentioned that. At any rate, she was and still is a virtuoso in the kitchen. Fresh-baked bread, home-made pasta, chocolate mousse cake, veal Oscar, marinated mozzarella, the best scones in the entire world, I could go on and on. My dad...well, he made some pretty great scrambled eggs over the years, but he was mainly relegated to kitchen clean-up crew along with the rest of us.

However. Over the past few years, I have had more than one great meal at their house, and complimented my mom on whatever it was, and she said these four words that were not usually ever strung together in my childhood home:

"Your father made it."

Macaroni and cheese. Shredded beef barbecue sandwiches. And lately, these ribs that are the sweet and spicy kind that literally fall off the bones as you eat them.

Dad? Dad, is that you?

So when he made them for dinner over Memorial Day weekend, I thought that's it, the world must know about this. And with that, here they are, the world's most scrumptious and tender ribs, from the world's most scrumptious and tender dad.

Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs

• 4 lbs Pork Ribs
• 3 cups Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper
• 3 cups Ketchup
• 1 cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 6 tablespoons Chili Powder
• 4 tablespoons Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dry mustard
• 1 tablespoons Ground cinnamon

1. Transfer the ribs to a large non-reactive glass or ceramic dish pour 2 cups of Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper over them. Reserve the third cup of the soda for a sauce to be made later. Let the ribs marinate, tightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, overnight.

2. Pour the remaining 1 cup of soda into a blender or food processor and add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, dry mustard, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth and well blended.

3. Put the ribs in a roasting pan that has been coated with cooking spray, brush with the sauce, and roast covered in a 225 oven for about 2 1/2 hours until very tender. (Can be done the day before. )

4. To finish, grill over high heat, basting with the uncooked sauce until the outside is crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile simmer the unused sauce for about 20 minute until a little thick.

Click here for printable recipe

Sheriff Stubb's Gorgonzola Burgers

Oh yes, it is really and truly grilling season, and you know what that means...time to break out the barbecue sauce! In our house, our favorite sauce (after much taste-testing of many sauces) is something called Stubb's. It comes in all kinds of flavors, and our preference at the moment is for the Hickory Bourbon variety.



I had it out to make my dangerous BBQ Casserole a little while back, and the southern husband must have found a website on the jar while he was holding it lovingly in his arms, because the next day there was a print-out on my desk for a recipe entitled Sheriff Stubb's Gorgonzola Burgers. Well technically it was half a recipe, because he only printed out one page. Maybe he thought if I had the general idea I could just wing it. But it's the thought that counts, and he happily ran back and printed the rest of it when I said I just might make these if I actually had the whole recipe.

Now, the reason these are called Sheriff Stubb's burgers is (I think) because of the apple slices that go on top of the burger. The recipe says to cut perpendicular slices of a Granny Smith apple and pop the seeds out of the center, leaving you with what they call a Sheriff's Star. So I did...and sure enough, there was the star.



Slight digression: that is the teenager's hand, and please note the blue heart drawn in magic marker. I have asked her approximately 900 times not to draw on her hands, or arms, or feet, or other body parts...and inevitably at least once a week she is sitting at the dinner table with more artwork on herself. Which leads to this:

Me: I thought I said please don't draw on yourself with ink?

Her: My friend did it and I didn't notice.

or...

Her: I didn't have any paper

or...

Her: I was bored and I couldn't help it!

Etc.

Anyway, you pop these apple slices on the grill alongside your burgers (which by the way have been made by mixing a little bbq sauce in with the meat and wrapping bacon slices around the burgers), and you grill them up together until the burgers are cooked to your liking and the bacon is done and the apple slices are warm and a little soft. Meantime you mix up some crumbled blue cheese with a little more bbq sauce until you have a nice little spread -- you can see it on the bottom of the bun on that picture up top. Layer it all together, and there you go. Go make 'em.

Sheriff Stubb's Gorgonzola Burgers

1lb Ground Beef
8 Slices of Bacon
3 Tbs of Stubb’s Bar-B-Que Sauce
½ Cup Gorgonzola Cheese
Medium Granny Smith Apples
Hamburger Buns

1. Combine 1lb ground beef with 3 Tbs Stubb’s BBQ Sauce. Form 4 patties, wrap each patty with two pieces of bacon, securing with toothpicks. Baste thoroughly with Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sauce and set in refrigerator until ready to grill.

2. Thinly slice apple perpendicularly to the core. Slices should be about 1/8 inch thick. Gently remove any seed pieces, leaving a Sheriff Star in the middle. Set aside until ready to grill.

3. Combine ½ cup gorgonzola with 1/3 cup Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sauce. Gently blend leaving slightly lumpy. Refrigerate until use.

4. Cook burgers and Sheriff Star apples on the grill over medium heat.

5. Lightly toast buns and spread bottom bun with Gorgonzola Spread. Remove toothpicks from cooked burgers, top with Sheriff Stubb Apples Badges and serve on top of prepared bun.

Click here for printable recipe

Barbecue Casserole

This one falls into the same category as my Chili Dog recipe...in other words, it is, um, not the healthiest recipe in the world. But as with the Chili Dogs, it is guiltily delicious, and as long as you only make it once in a blue moon, you are probably safe.

The key to this one is using your very favorite barbecue sauce. In our house we like Stubbs, which comes in all sorts of flavors.

And now that I look at the picture, I see that the correct spelling is Bar-B-Q sauce.

Anyway, here's the deal. Cook up some ground beef and onion and drench it in the Bar-B-Q sauce. Throw in a little Tabasco too, since we are going for broke here. Then take a can of refrigerated biscuits -- you know the ones I mean? The ones in the exploding can that we all secretly could eat 10 of if nobody was looking? Peel them apart and lay them in a casserole dish. Pour the beef mixture over it, then top the whole thing with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake until the biscuits are cooked through, the cheese is melted and the kitchen smells like Bar-B-Q Paradise.

Happy Bar-B-Q, everyone...you only go around once, after all.

BARBECUE CASSEROLE

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 large can refrigerated biscuits
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease 9x13 baking dish.

2. Cook ground beef in a large skillet until it begins to brown, and then add onion. Cook until beef is fully browned. Stir in barbecue sauce and Tabasco.

3. Lay biscuits in single layer in the baking dish. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over all.

4. Bake until biscuits are cooked and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve.

Click here for printable recipe.

BBQ Sandwiches!

Lots of you have asked me what was on the menu at my house for the Super Bowl, and I know it is already practically baseball season now, but better late than never.... Like the Saints, I ended up being a big winner on Super Bowl Sunday because my awesome group of family and friends came with just about everything anyone could possibly want in terms of delicious food that could be eaten while shouting at the television screen.

Here's what we had:

BBQ Sandwiches, as seen above. Both the shredded beef brisket bbq and the fantastic sauce was made by my dad, who is a long-time, unswervingly loyal Redskins fan, and my hero. Recipe below -- thanks, Daddy!

Coleslaw, made by yours truly. We like the vinegar-based kind as opposed to the really creamy kind. It's awesome with the BBQ sandwiches. You can even put a spoonful of it ON your bbq sandwich, if you are really wild and crazy.

Monster Cookies, made by my friend L. There almost aren't words to describe the wonder of these. People who don't even like dessert loved these cookies. People who DO like dessert practically rioted over them. I have the recipe in my hot little hands, and these cookies will be getting their own post tomorrow.

Brownies, made by my soul-sister and future in-law A. (We have decided our teenagers will get married one day. The teenagers don't currently see it that way, but they will come to their senses one day). Sadly, you will never ever know how to make these spectacular brownies, because she won't give me her secret recipe, despite all my shameless begging and pleading and weeping. But MAN are they good.

That's some of it...there was more, if you can believe that. But those were the main events, headlined by that awesome barbeque. We kept the meat warm throughout the game in one crockpot set on low, and the sauce in another set on low. My particular method for assembling my sandwich is to grab a big hunk of the shredded pork in tongs, dunk it into the sauce, and nestle the dripping deliciousness right onto my nice soft sandwich roll. But you feel free to be you, in terms of sandwich assembly.

So there you go, Super Bowl course number one. Tune in tomorrow for the Monster Cookies...

SHREDDED BARBECUE BEEF, adapted from the SILVER PALATE NEW BASICS COOKBOOK

1 five pound beef brisket
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
8 sandwich rolls
2 cups BBQ sauce (following recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Put brisket in roasting pan and brush with liquid smoke
3. Combine salt and spices and mix well. Rub into brisket.
4. Cover roasting pan and bake until brisket is fork-tender, about 3 1/2 hours
5. Remove from pan and use 2 forks to pull beef apart in the pan juices, shredding coarsely.
6. Serve on rolls with barbecue sauce.

BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Heat oil in saucepan and add onion, garlic, cumin and cayenne. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Click here for printable recipe

The Cheaters BBQ winners!

I just KNEW you guys would be with me on the whole cheat the barbeque thing, but what I wasn't prepared for was your AWESOME list of ideas for things to make on the grill when we are being pure and honest and not cheating. It's enough to make a girl relentlessly send her loyal Southern husband out into the frigid chill of winter (right now it is a balmy 19 degrees as I type) to make all of these right this minute. Steak on the grill was the clear favorite, and who could argue with that? But tied for second was veggies and corn (you healthy, healthy people, you!), followed by such delectables as grilled pizza, grilled pineapple (yum!!), grilled tuna, grilled lamb, and of course who could forget the ribs?

First to answer a couple of questions in the comments, both about the liquid smoke. Yes, liquid smoke and bottled smoke are the same thing. As for what it is and the ingredients, it is basically made by capturing actual grill smoke and filtering water through it. There is a much better explanation on Chow - click here -- but that's it in a nutshell. What WILL they think of next??

Now to the part you have all been waiting for...the WINNERS! This part makes me both happy and crazy, because every time I do this I want to send a book to everyone who comments. So thank goodness for Random.org, which takes a teeny bit of the pressure off. The other good news is while I have two definite winners today, there is a chance that I might be getting two more cookbooks in the not so distant future -- so if you are not one of today's two lucky winners you still might be getting a happy email from me at some point sooooon....

So here they are, my two lucky soon-to-be-cheaters:

Andrea, whose favorite thing for the grill is the fixin's for fajitas. Yum, yum, triple yum! Love fajitas. Want some right NOW.

And Georgia, who was one of quite a few folks who love grilled corn on the cob, which she makes in her grill pan. Now there's one I don't make often...but since Georgia and so many of the rest of you do, I am going to step up my grilled-corn-making. So there.

As for the rest of you, you can still get a copy of CHEATER BBQ in all the usual places, including here. Let's get to cheating! And in the meantime, come back and see me soon, because another contest is a-comin...

Cheater's Barbeque Garlic Shrimp and a Cookbook Contest!

Here comes another fun contest, everybody...but first you have to live through the story, because you KNOW there is always a story with me.

Ah, barbeque. It's one of the Southern husband's reasons for living, and to be perfectly honest, he is always absolutely cheerful about going outside in any sort of weather to fire up the old grill. Ten inches of snow on the ground? No problem whatsover...he's out there, and with a big barbeque anticipation smile on his handsome face. However, I myself always feel just slightly guilty for sending him out into the elements, which is why I was so glad to hear about this book.

That's right -- barbeque WITHOUT the barbeque grill. It sounded too good to be true, especially to someone who lives with a man who practically drives off the road every time we pass a sign that has the words "Pit" and BBQ" on it. (BBQ is a word, right? For right now, let's say that it is.) So I started cruising through the book to see what the possibilities were, and along with all the ribs and burgers and pulled pork and chicken and dry rubs, there it was.

Barbeque Garlic Shrimp.

Now for any of you folks who love New Orleans as much as we do, there is a place there called Pascale's Manale. You take the New Orleans streetcars to get there, and it is always jam-packed, so you wait for your table at the bar, eating raw oysters and drinking ice cold Dixie beer until your table is ready...and when you sit down you order their famous barbeque shrimp, which is spicy and tangy and perfect. The Southern husband and I have eaten more than our fair share of BBQ shrimp there (chased by more than our fair share of ice-cold Dixie) and so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a go.

Oh yes. Just as wonderful as I remember. Use big shrimp, fresh lemon juice and the best butter you can find. I like Kate's Homemade Butter, which you can get at Whole Foods, and no, not just because of the name, although that is probably why I picked it up in the first place. Don't be frightened by the liquid smoke - you can find it right next to the barbeque sauce in your supermarket, or if you want to get really fancy you can also get it at Williams Sonoma. Make sure you have some really nice fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce. And if you have any Dixie beer on hand, not only should you drink it with dinner, but you should call me up right now and invite me over.

So now I have your attention, right? Good, because I have a couple of these awesome cookbooks to give away to any of you interested in doing a little barbeque cheating on your own. Just leave me a comment below telling me your own favorite thing to make on the grill and you will be automatically entered in a random drawing for your very own copy. (For my email subscribers -- click on the title of this post and it will take you to the website where you can leave your comment.) I'll announce the very lucky barbeque-loving winners on Saturday, January 9. Until then, here's another look at the deliciousness, and then the recipe. YUM!!

BBQ GARLIC SHRIMP, adapted from CHEATER BBQ

Makes 6 servings

• 1/4 cup bottled smoke
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 6 garlic cloves,, minced
• Black pepper to taste

• Fresh bread for serving

1. Combine 1 quart cold water, the bottled smoke and the salt in large bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt.

2. Add shrimp to the bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Drain, pat the shrimp dry and discard the brine.

3. While brining the shrimp, combine all the remaining ingredients except the bread in a small bowl.

4. Toss the shrimp with the sauce.

5. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until piping hot. Add shrimp and sauce to pot at cook until pink and opaque, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Serve at once with sauce and fresh bread on the side.

Click here for printable recipe

Jalapeno Poppers

I made these cute little poppers from the new Pioneer Woman cookbook, and they were a snap to make, and I really, truly did want to eat every single last one of them my own self...and I actually did eat two of them. But these are SPICY little numbers, and after two of them my eyes were watering just a little. However, anyone who really knows me will tell you that despite my Mexican chocolate chip cookies, I am pretty much a total wimp when it comes to anything with any sort of spicy kick to it, and therefore the wonderfully spicy Southern husband is a much better judge of this particular recipe. And so I asked him for a quote to put in today's post. Here it is:

"These jalapeno poppers popped for me!! Mingling the taste of the cheese, bacon & spicy peppers took me back to my southern roots, where we always looked forward to a nice spicy snack or meal, usually involving bacon & barbeque."

And I can confirm this by saying I put these down next to him while he was watching the football game last weekend (WHAT is going on with the Giants??? Can someone explain this to me??) and 2 seconds later the plate was empty. And the dog was in the other room.

So if you are a fan of fun, spicy finger food, these are most definitely for you. A word to the wise on preparing these or anything else involving a jalepeno pepper. WEAR GLOVES. I am not kidding. As I pointed out in my corn salad post last summer, if you don't, and a few hours later you rub your eyes (or take out your contact lenses, even worse)...I don't even want to think about it.

Okay then! Now go make them for the spiciest person you know.

JALAPENO POPPERS, adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

18 fresh jalapenos

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 green onion, sliced

18 slices bacon, cut in half

1/4 cup bbq sauce

1. PUT ON GLOVES! (I get the box of latex surgical gloves at CVS. They are perfect for this sort of thing).

2. Cut the jalapenos in half length-wise and take out the seeds and membranes with a spoon or your gloved fingers.

3. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar and onion in a bowl until combined.

4. Stuff each jalapeno half with cheese mixture.

5. Wrap each bacon half-slice around the pepper and secure with a toothpick.

6. Brush with bbq sauce.

7. Now and only now may you remove the gloves.

8. Bake in preheated 275 oven for one hour or until bacon is cooked and sizzling

9. Can be served hot or at room temperature, if they last that long.

Click here for printable recipe