Southwest Chipotle Burgers

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Burgers:
1 1/2 lb ground chuck or ground sirloin
1-1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 T adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)
1/4 C grated onion
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Chipotle-lime Mayo:
1/2 C Mayo
2 t lime juice
1 1/2 t adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)
2T chopped fresh cilantro

4-6 good quality buns
1 tomato
1-2 avocado
lettuce
optional: pepper jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese

Start by making the sauce.  Place mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl.  Now this is the hard part. Stir it all together. Cover it and set in the fridge.

Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands (yes, your hands!) to gently mix things together. If you go crazy and over-work ground beef it gets a yucky texture. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients and call it good.  Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet.  When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill/pan and then pop onto your prepared buns. Top with chipotle-lime mayo, tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce.

Teriyaki Pineapple Turkey Burgers

20 oz. can pineapple slices
1/2 c. Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze OR Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
2 lbs. ground turkey OR chicken
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
8 slices cheddar or monterey jack cheese
8 whole grain hamburger buns

Drain pineapple; reserve 1/2 cup juice. Stir together teriyaki sauce and reserved pineapple juice in small bowl. Mix together turkey, ginger, bread crumbs and 1/4 cup teriyaki mixture. Shape into 8 patties. Grill patties, brushing with remaining teriyaki mixture, until desired doneness. Place pineapple slices on grill and cook until lightly golden brown. Serve burgers on buns with cheese and pineapple.

Note: I cut back on the pineapple juice. In my opinion, it needs a stronger teriyaki flavor than this creates.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups dry elbow macaroni
3 eggs
can of evaporated milk
salt
pepper
1 pound sharp cheddar

Directions:
cube up block of cheese
put macaroni in a mixing bowl
beat eggs in another mixing bowl and add most of the can of milk
add some salt and pepper
add cubed cheese
pour everything over the macaroni
let stand for a few minutes
bake at 350 for about 40 minutes
it is done when a knife is inserted in middle and comes out clean

Jane, my step-Mom said that she sometimes adds a tablespoon or two of butter and that she also has used whole milk and skim milk.

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Stew

• 3/4 lb (350 g) hot italian sausage links
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained (if you can only find plain diced tomatoes add 4 garlic cloves and 1 pkg (18 g) fresh basil)
• 2 cups (500 mL) chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans

*optional: 1 medium bulb of fresh fennel (we are not fennel fans so we don't add it. You can also substitute an onion)


1. Remove casings from sausage. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-in nuggets (this gives it a more finished look, but if you prefer to just cook and cut, you can do that also)

2. Place sausage into a pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

3. As sausage cooks, peel carrots. Chop carrots (*and fennel or onion), then add to the pot to cook for 3-5 minutes.

4. Stir tomatoes and broth into sausage mixture. Drain and rinse beans, add to pot. (you may also add additional garlic here if you choose.)

5. Simmer stew, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, then Serve nice and warm!

Yield: 6 servings

Rolo Cookies

Devils Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
Rolos

Mix ingredients well. Wrap cookie mixture around an unwrapped Rolo and form into a ball. Make sure Rolo is in the center. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. 

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.

Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. 

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!


Source: Our Best Bites

Chocolate Muffins

This recipe claimed to make Costco-esque muffins, but I think they are merely average....  so don't get your hopes up too high!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2-1 cup chocolate chips

In a small bowl, remove two tablespoons of flour from the 2 1/4 cups (now 2 cups and 2 tablespoons remains) and mix with the chocolate chips. Set aside

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips/flour mixture.

Fill lined cupcake pans 2/3 full with batter.Bake at 325 degrees for 18-24 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.