Hawaiian Hot Dogs

I've been on a HUGE fresh pineapple kick lately.  I go through this phase every summer whenever the
temperatures start hovering around 100 degrees.  I want a fresh pineapple, cool and juicy.  And I kind of love King's Hawaiian breads.  And then there's bacon.  How do you combine the three?  With a hot dog, of course!

I have a hard time eating a plain hot dog, unless I'm at a ball game.  I had this idea of making a pineapple and mango (because I had one on hand and needed to use it) salsa.  More fresh produce.  Yum.  But I didn't want the hot dog to be overly sweet.  Adding the bacon was an attempt to curb that.  And it worked.  It made a hot dog that was a blend of savory, sweet, and spicy.  The only problem?  Eating only one.  Or two.  Good thing I was full at two.

Hawaiian Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

6 hot dogs
12 slices smoked bacon
1 package King's Hawaiian Hot Dog Buns
Optional: Kroger Sweet and Spicy Steak Sauce

Pineapple-Mango Salsa:

1/2 fresh pineapple, cored and peeled
1 ripe mango, peeled and seeded
1/2 medium red onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 2 limes

Directions:

1. Prepare hot dogs by wrapping 2 slices of bacon around and securing with a toothpick.  Preheat grill to medium heat.

2. Prepare salsa.  Finely chop pineapple, mango, onion, and jalapeno.  Combine with cilantro and lime juice.  Set aside.

3. Cook hot dogs on grill until bacon is crisp and hot dogs are slightly charred on ends.

4. Place hot dogs in buns and top with salsa.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

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Pineapple Stuffed Hawaiian Burgers

I think we have officially left the realm of plain cheeseburgers.  This is our third stuffed burger in a month?  Oh yeah. And I think this one tops all of them.  I've heard of people stuffing hamburgers with pineapple rings before, but serving them with barbecue sauce.  Meh.  I'm not a big fan of barbecue sauce.  I like it on ribs, and that's about it.  Oh, and Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  Can't have pulled pork without BBQ sauce.

So when I came up with this one, I decided that I was going to add a few touches that I love - bacon and french fried onions.  And do you remember when I used the Sweet and Spicy Steak Sauce on the Moose Burgers?  I had some left over and used it - best decision I made for the whole burger.  It MADE that burger.  Final touch was a no brainer - King's Hawaiian Hamburger Buns.  Didn't know they made hamburger buns?  Yup.  You can check their website to see if they are sold near you.

Pineapple Stuffed Hawaiian Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 can sliced pineapple, drained
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked
1/2 cup french fried onions
2 Tbs. Kroger Sweet and Spicy Steak Sauce
Kings Hawaiian Hamburger Buns

Directions:

1. Preheat grill over medium high heat.

2. Combine ground beef, onion powder, salt, ginger, and ground allspice in a medium bowl.  Divide into quarters.  Divide each quarter in half.  Form one half into a patty and place pineapple ring on patty.  Place other half on top and press together to enclose pineapple ring and seal edges.  Repeat with remaining meat.

3. Cook burgers for 18 minutes, 9 minutes per side.  During last minute of cooking, top with cheese and close grill to allow cheese to melt.  Remove from grill and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.

4. Place a few slices of bacon on bottom half of each hamburger bun.  Top with hamburger.  Top with french fried onions and steak sauce.  Top with other half of bun.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I think it's about time for another slow cooker recipe.  We have had a cold front come through Vegas this
weekend (nothing like you folks up north are experiencing), and it gave me a craving for some warm comfort food.  Plus I've suckered myself into doing Crossfit with The Hubs, so I've been craving more red meat.  Not sure why, except for the protein.

Stroganoff is a meal that I remember eating as a child.  But it was made with ground beef.  I wanted something with a little more sustenance, and something I could make in the slow cooker.  Making it in the slow cooker tenderizes the steak, so you can use a crappy cut of meat if you want.  The sauce makes itself while the beef is cooking.  All you have to do in the end is cook the egg noodles.  And enjoy.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 pound top round steak, cut into quarter inch thick slices
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. sliced white mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 cup sour cream
Egg Noodles

Directions:

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Place steak, onion, parsley, mustard, salt, dill, pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in slow cooker.

2. Pour flour and broth into a shaker and shake until well blended.  Alternatively, pour flour and gradually add beef broth while constantly whisking, until well blended.  Add to slow cooker and stir all ingredients together.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce to low and cook for another 8 hours .

3. Prepare egg noodles.  Turn slow cooker off.  Stir in sour cream.  Leave lid off and let stand for a few minutes to thicken.  Serve over egg noodles.

Serves 6

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TBT - Slow Cooker Corned Beef

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, as in Monday!  Are you ready?  We have Irish roots in our family, so we generally celebrate with a nice slow cooked corned beef roast.  Complete with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots.  If you've never made a corned beef roast, you should try.  They are very good, very Irish.  And you can grab my recipe here.

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Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Braid

Lately, I've been seeing a certain sandwich braid floating around Pinterest (no brands being named here because I am not a fan of their version).  It has chicken and broccoli in it.  But I wanted something that was a little more sandwichy (is that even a word?).  And immediately the thought of Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.  Oh.My.Yum.

Think about it, steak (or in this case deli sliced roast beef), sauteed peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and ooey-gooey cheese.  A lot of it.  Mmmmmmmmm.  Cheese.  All of the fillings wrapped up neatly in a light bread dough.  And leftovers reheat so well.  It's really a perfect dinner-with-leftovers-for-lunch combination.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Braid

Ingredients:

1 recipe crescent dinner rolls
4 Tbs. butter
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb. thinly shaved roast beef
10 oz. Velveeta White Cheese, cut into small cubes
10 slices provolone cheese
1 egg + 1 Tbs. water (egg wash)

Directions:

1. Prepare crescent dinner roll dough through the first rise.

2. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbs. butter.  Sautee mushrooms.  Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon or spatula and set aside.  Melt remaining butter and add onion, pepper, and garlic. Sautee until vegetables are tender.  Remove vegetables with tongs and set side.  Using tongs, toss roast beef in hot skillet for a few seconds, just to lightly brown.

3. Roll dough out into a large rectangle, approximately 24x18 inches, about 1/4 inch thick.  Measure dough into thirds, lengthwise, and make light marks in the dough to serve as a guide.  On opposite sides of rectangle, cut 1 inch strips about 6 inches or to the marks.  Layer fillings (I layered half the meat, half the vegis, all the cheeses, the remaining vegis, then the remaining meat) in center of dough, leaving about 1 inch empty on edges.

4. Begin "braiding" the sandwich - fold ends of center over the fillings.  Then fold one of the strips on the left
at an angle over fillings.  Repeat with right side.  Repeat with remaining strips, alternating sides, until braid is finished.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush braid with egg wash.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay braid on pan (you may have to lay it diagonally so it will fit).  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serves 8-10

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Fall is officially upon us, in fact the first snow has flown at my parents' house in Wyoming!  There is
something so wrong with that.  I remember when I was going to Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, and when that first snow fell all I wanted was warm soup.  For me, that meant cracking open a can of soup.  One of my favorites was beef stew - it made me warm but also filled me up.

Since then, I've moved on to a little better quality of food than canned stew.  Enter the slow cooker, again!  Yay!  And this is another recipe where it's "dump all the ingredients in" and let it simmer and get that meat so nice and tender.  Ah-mazing.  And while you are looking at the ingredients, you will notice a can of diced tomatoes. Wait, Woah?  Tomatoes, in beef stew?!  Yup.  It gives the stew more depth, the tomatoes pretty much melt into the stew, and just adds to the broth.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
5 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 bag frozen peas
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
2 lbs. beef stew pieces
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 can diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
4 cups beef broth
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place carrots, onion, potatoes, peas, and garlic in the bottom of slow cooker.  Sprinkle with salt.  Add beef.

2. Pour olive oil over beef and add thyme, parsley, salt, and allspice.  Top with diced tomatoes and bay leaves.  Add beef broth.

3. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 5 hours.

4. With 30 minutes remaining, ladle 1 cup of liquid out of crock pot and whisk in cornstarch until dissolved.  Pour slowly back into slow cooker and stir to combine.  Replace lid and let thicken for 30 more minutes.

Serves 8

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have 4 sisters.  That means there are 7 in our family.  That's a fairly decent sized family.  And growing up, my mom liked to make meals that would feed us all on a small budget.  So, Spaghetti and Meatballs was a meal of choice for her.  And it got even more elaborate as I got older and my mom started making and canning her own spaghetti sauce.

Now, I was not a big fan of meatballs when I was a kid, mostly because of how large they were.  As time has gone by, I've adapted my mom's recipe to include some cheese (because who doesn't love cheese, honestly) and so that they'd be a little smaller and easier to serve to little ones.

And while I totally advocate using your own, homemade spaghetti sauce, sometimes as a mom you just have to go with jarred sauce for time reasons.  My favorite is Ragu.  I've tried some more expensive brands, but Ragu just seems to have the consistency and flavor that I like.  I especially love their Garden Combination variety.  Yum.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
dash black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti noodles

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.  In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.  Make sure mixture is completely combined.  Measure out mixture in 1(heaping) tablespoons and form into a ball.  Place onto baking sheet and cover with another sheet of wax paper.  Place in fridge for at least an hour, but no longer than 12 hours (or freeze).

2. Preheat large skillet on medium high heat.  Add olive oil.  Place meatballs, leaving plenty of space between each, in skillet and cook to brown on all sides, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to catch excess oil.  Repeat with remaining meatballs.

3. Place meatballs back in saucepan and add spaghetti sauce. Bring sauce and meatballs to a low simmer over medium heat or until heated through. Remove and serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Makes 20 meatballs, Serves 5

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Grilled Steak Salad

Well, the heat has set in for the duration of the Summer here in Las Vegas.  And with that leaves my cravings for comfort food and for something a little bit lighter and full of fresh ingredients.  So when I started craving a salad that had some substance to it, steak came to mind.  Good steak.  Grilled steak.  Medium done.  Cut thin.  And the ideas just went from there.





Now, I must also tell you that I am a person that LOVES color in my salads.  Green salad - blah.  Give me rich colors.  By the way, did you know that the richer the color in your vegis and fruits, the more nutrients they have?  It's true!  Anyway, back to the salad.  So when I went to the store to get the ingredients, I grabbed a red bell pepper, yellow cherry tomatoes, avocado (yes, I am an avocado hoarder), red leaf lettuce, arugula, and some top sirloin steak.

Then it was off to the dressing isle.  I had in mind what I wanted - something with balsamic vinegar.  But not a straight up, pucker your lips, vinaigrette.  And then this little beauty jumped right off the shelf and into my cart.  I have to admit, generic dressings kind of scare me.  But Private Selection (distributed by Kroger, aka Smith's here) has some AMAZING salad dressings.  And this was no disappointment.  We LOVED it.  Four Leaf Balsamic Vinaigrette and Marinade.  I did not use it to marinade the steak, I didn't want an overkill of tang.  Mostly grilled flavors with a hint of balsamic vinegar.  It was a fantastic compliment and I highly recommend it.

Grilled Steak Salad

Ingredients:

1 top sirloin steak (approx. 8 oz.)
1 package yellow cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 package arugula leaves
2 avocados, cubed
Blue Cheese crumbles
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.   Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and place on grill.  Cook for over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until desired temperature is reached.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3 minutes.  Thinly slice and set aside.

2. While steak is grilling, place peppers and cherry tomatoes on a grill tray and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high heat for 6 minutes or until vegetables are at tender crisp stage, slightly charred.

3. Place lettuce and arugula in a shallow bowl.   Top with avocados, grilled vegis, steak slices, blue cheese crumbles, and 1-2 Tbs. of dressing.

Serves 4

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