Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Shank

Hands down, my very favorite vegetable side is collard greens with smoked ham shank! This is such a heart and filling veggie side and has so much depth to the flavor. I like to take two days to make my collard greens so I can actually use the broth I cooked the ham shank in. Letting that broth cool in the fridge for a day really allows the fat to rise to the top so it is easy to scrape off. That way you aren't left with greasy greens.

Collard Greens
Makes 6-8 servings

• Ingredients:
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 head collard greens cleaned and cut into 1"-2" pieces or 1 package pre-cleaned pre-sliced collard greens 
• 1 small onion diced
• 6-7 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp creole or cajun seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flake to taste
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

How to Make Collard Greens Day 1:

1. Combine your ham shank and chicken stock in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Cover and turn to low to simmer for 2-3 hours until falling off the bone. 
3. Remove the ham shank from the broth and discard the bone and fat. Shred the additional meat and place in an airtight container over night. 
4. Place the broth in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator overnight as well. 

How to Make Collard Greens Day 2:

1. Remove the broth from the fridge and skim the fat off the top. Set aside. 
2. Drizzle a large stock pot with about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Saute your onion and garlic until your onion is translucent. Add in your creole or cajun seasoning and stir for about 1 minute more. 
3. Add in your broth, then allow to come to a boil. 
4. Add in your collard greens and ham shank and bring to a boil. Season to taste.
5. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook down for 1.5 to 2 hours. 
6. 15-20 minutes before serving, adjust seasoning as needed and add in the apple cider vinegar. 

You will not be disappointed with this recipe. Hearty, homey, and delicious!

Enjoy!

~H

Brazilian Cheese Bread

There are a couple of restaurants I am just a sucker for an one of those is a Brazilian steakhouse. You know, those places where they cook the meat over an open flame, then carry it around and slice pieces off for you? You usually have a green and red card or stopper to the servers know if you still want meat or if you are just too full? Yeah, those places. I am a sucker for the meats!

One of the best thing about going to a Brazilian steakhouse is the little cheese bread they make. They have a nice light crunchy exterior and this sort of gummy, cheesy interior. Now that I am describing it, they sound strange, but they are really just fantastic.

I have tried for years to master these little bad boys. I have a quick version that I make in a muffin tin - the taste is spot on, but the texture not so much. So, I set out to really master these little cheese balls. I think I have finally done it! I know they are not truly authentic because the flour and cheese are not correct, but they are really close.

Brazilian Cheese Bread
Makes 15 cheese balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup total of sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese combined

How to Make Brazilian Cheese Bread:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Combine the milk, oil, and salt in a medium sauce pan. 
3. Heat ingredients over medium heat until just starting to bubble. 
4. Turn the heat off and quickly mix in all the tapioca flour. You will be left with a really gummy like mixture. 
5. Transfer to a stand mixer and attach the paddle attachment. Mix on medium for 4-5 minutes. 
6. When the dough is cool, add in the egg until combined, then add in the cheese. 
7. Use a small cookie scoop and form 1" to 1.5" balls of dough. Roll them between the palm of your hands until smooth. 
8. Place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and cook for 25-28 minutes. They should have a nice light brown color and still be soft in the middle. 

These are great as a standalone appetizer or as a side with meat, soup, fish, pasta, whatever.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

~H

Beef Stoganoff

A few weeks back I posted a recipe for a garlic and herb butter prime rib roast and eluded that I would soon be posting a recipe to use up all those leftovers. Well, here you are - Beef Stroganoff or as we call it in our house, Stroggie!

This recipe is pretty versatile in that if you don't use beef, you can certainly substitute chicken and chicken stock. If you are a vegetarian, just substitute in veggie broth and skip the meat altogether. I'll also show you how to make this from scratch without using leftover meat in case you don't have 2 pounds of leftover prime rib on your hand. You know, just in case :)

Lotsa sauce!

Little bit of sauce!

Beef Stroggie
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of seasoned beef (or chicken) trimmed and cut into 1" cubes (optional)
• 1 package sliced mushrooms washed and cleaned
• 1 small onion diced
• 10 cloves garlic minced
• 1 quart beef stock (or chicken or veggie)
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• Noodles or potatoes for serving
• Sliced green onions or chives for serving

How to Make Beef Stroggie:

1. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and heat to medium high. 
2. Brown your meat in batches and set aside. Even if your meat is already cooked, you still need to do this step to lock in the flavor.
3. Add in the onion, garlic, mushrooms and seasonings and saute until the onions start to turn translucent. 
4. Add in the beef stock and bring to a boil.
5. Turn to low and simmer until the stock is reduced to about 2 cups of liquid. 
6. Add in your meat at this point and continue to simmer until you are left with about 1 cup of liquid. It should start to thicken up at this point.
7. Add in the cream and sour cream and turn to medium heat. Bring to a light boil for about 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. 
8. Serve over noodles or potatoes and top with green onions or chives for a bit of freshness.

This is a very rich dish and a little bit goes a long way. Traditional Stroganoff was served over mashed potatoes, but I am a big fan of serving over noodles. Yum, yum, yum! Fat, fat, fat! 

Enjoy!

~H&J

Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I, like every other person my age, grew thinking that Brussels Sprouts were not good. Truth is, we actually just didn't really eat them growing up, but as soon as I had them I loved them. Brussels Sprouts are all the rage now a days. Every trendy restaurant has some sort of variation of this recipe on their menu and has for the past 7 years. Whether they are roasted, pan seared, or deep fried - people just love to combine Brussels and bacon. I have actually even had tempura Brussels - I will say they kind of missed the mark for me, but the restaurant got an A for creativity.

We usually eat this side dish around the holidays and fancy it up with some pancetta vs bacon, but being that it is June and bbq season, I went straight for the thick cut bacon!

Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Brussels Sprouts trimmed and cut in half
• 1/2 lb thick cut bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts:

1. Add your bacon to a large suate pan heated to medium heat. Render your bacon down low and slow until nice and crispy. 
2. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. 
3. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of the bacon grease in your large saute pan. 
4. Saute the Brussels Sprouts over medium high heat on both sides until nice and brown on each side. Season to taste. 
5. Add in the balsamic vinegar and reduce until nice and thick. 
6. Add in the bacon and serve!

The balsamic in these ends up bringing a nice sweet element as it caramelizes. That combined with the saltiness of the bacon makes the perfect side dish!

Enjoy!

~H

Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

Growing up, my grandparents owned a small cafe in Beaver Utah. It was called the Ponderosa Cafe, but in our family, it was known a just "The Cafe." Each day, my grandpa would make homemade soup. Now, we know I am a soup person and love every variety of soup so I couldn't even chance picking a favorite but Split Pea soup with ham was right up there. I decided to make this one super easy and just throw all the ingredients in the crock put and let it simmer all day. Turned out perfect!

Split Pea Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 bag split peas (16 ounces)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 cups cubed ham or 1 large ham shank cooked until tender, fat removed, and shredded (optional) 
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 carrots diced
• 5 stalks celery diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning 
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Crock Pot Split Pea Soup:

1. Combine all ingredients in your crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until the split peas have broken down and thickened the soup. 

See, how easy was that?!? Soup-er easy! Ok, sorry about that - I am normally not that corny. 

Well, the weather is heating up, so enjoy this one while you can!

~H

Garlic and Herb Butter Rubbed Prime Rib

Ooooohhh...Butter makes everything better! No, but really, butter really does make everything better. Side story - John and I went to Ireland last year and they have the best butter. I am infamous for my butter eating (don't judge), but let's just say I may have taken it to the next level in Ireland. My inner chubby gal was rejoicing.

OK - back on topic. I found an awesome bone in prime rib at our favorite butcher and I just had to roast this bad boy up. I have butter rubbed other meat before then roasted/grilled it and it turned out well, so I decided to use the technique in this recipe as well. John's exact words were "I have never had a better prime rib in my life!" And then he just kept saying it over and over and over again. It was BOMB!

Garlic and Herb Butter Rubbed Prime Rib
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 5 lb bone in prime rib tied up
• 2 sticks butter softened
• 5 sprigs rosemary minced
• 30 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Garlic Herb Butter Rubbed Prime Rib:

1. An hour before you are ready to cook your prime rib, remove it from the refrigerator. 
2. Combine the butter, garlic, and rosemary and set aside. 
3. Season your prime rib generously with salt and pepper then coat it with the garlic herb butter. 
4. In the meantime, heat your grill (I used the BGE) to 250 degrees using indirect heat. 
5. Add your prime rib to the grill and plan on cooking approximately 35 minutes for every pound.
6. During the last hour of cooking, heat your grill up to 350 degrees. This will help get a really nice crust on the outside. 
7. Once you have hit your desired internal temperature, remove from the grill, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. 120-125 rare, 130-135 medium rare, 140-145 medium.
8. Remove your string, cut the bones off, slice, serve, and enjoy!

Oh sooo good. Juicy, moist, tender! We obviously had a ton of leftovers, so I will be posting a beef stroganoff recipe if you find yourself in the same predicament. 

Enjoy!

~H&J

GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have I mentioned that I didn't used to be much of a baker? Well, it is true, but this last year I have proven that wrong and also have found out I am quite good at baking. Here is me tooting my own horn! One of the simplest recipes any baker has to master is an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe...or any cookie recipe for that matter. Chocolate chip cookies aren't your thing? Well, something is a little bit wrong with you, but that is ok - find your favorite cookie and just master an awesome recipe.

These cookies are soft, chewy and GIANT. I suppose you could make the balls smaller, but where is the fun in that? The batch makes 9 cookies - yes, that is it - 9 cookies, so if you are making these for a crowd then double up. Just know that you will only be able to fit about 6 cookies on a large cookie sheet and you do not want to double stack these in the oven.

GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 9 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) of unsalted butter melted then cooled to room temperature
• 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar loosely packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips

How to Make GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. 
2. Combine your flour, salt, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar and beat on high with a hand mixer until creamed (4ish minutes).
4. Turn the setting to medium and beat in your egg and vanilla. 
5. Once combined, add in your flour mixture and continue to mix until everything is combined. 
6. Fold in your chocolate chips. 
7. Scoop cookie dough into balls using a 1/4 measuring cup. Do not flatten the dough balls and make sure they have plenty of space to grow.
8. Bake for 13-14 minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and let cool on your cookie sheet for 20-30 minutes until they set.

Enjoy these delicious chocolate chip cookies!

~H

Habanero Garlic Hot Sauce

Some like it HOT, HOT, HOT! In this house, we love hot sauce and I am always experimenting with making new hot sauces. We have a butcher near our house where we love to shop and they are always showcasing local items. A few months ago, they had a hot sauce vendor and we sampled, then subsequently bought, a habanero hot sauce. It was truly amazing and we went through it very quick! Every time I go back to the butcher I look for that same hot sauce and they have not had it since.

John keeps hinting at how much he loved that hot sauce, so I finally gave in and made my own. It is SPICY but has a really complex, deep flavor and only uses a handful of ingredients. It is super quick to make and comes together in about 30 minutes. Now, that is my kind of hot sauce!

Just look at that bright orange color!

Habanero Garlic Hot Sauce
Makes 16 ounces

Ingredients:

• 12-14 habanero peppers stem removed
• 1 carrot peeled and chopped into large chunks
• .5 medium onion chopped into chunks
• 10-12 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• Drizzle of olive oil

How to Make Habanero Garlic Hot Sauce:

1. Place your garlic and onion in tinfoil and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Seal the tinfoil tightly and place in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. 
2. In the meantime, combine all other ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and continue to simmer while your garlic and onions cook. 
3. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. 
4. Let cool, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate. 

All the ingredients in the pan after the onion and garlic cooked. 

John enjoying his hot sauce on his breakfast bagel :) 

This can be used as an every day hot sauce or used on wings as well. I mean, it is excellent on wings! The longer you leave it in the fridge, the spicier it gets so beware! 

Enjoy!

~H

Tacotopia 2019

For the last several years we have attended an event in San Diego called Tacotopia. We all know my love of tacos, so it is just a great day! The event took place this past Saturday. It is about four hours and it is all you can eat tacos as well as all you can drink small beer samples. This year there were 60 taco vendors and about 20 breweries. here are some pictures from the event this year:

We are already looking forward to Tacotopia 2020!

Enjoy!

~H&J

Beef Back Ribs

Have I told you that this girl can grill? Well, she can and I never cease to amaze myself with my grilling skills. I was at the butcher and saw that they had some awesome beef back ribs. I repeat, beef back ribs, not dino ribs/full plate short ribs - beef back ribs! Ok, I think you got it now. Beef back ribs are basically the ribs on a bone in prime rib, they have just been cut off and are delicious on their own.

I always use the same slow and low method for cooking ribs, but I decided to try a new method with a higher temp to see if I could get these done in a reasonable amount of time for a weeknight meal. The method worked and they were just as juicy and tender as if i had cooked them low and slow. I will definitely be keeping this in my arsenal for further use since it proved you don't have to set aside an entire day for amazing bbq.

Beef Back Ribds
Makes 1 slab

Ingredients:

• 1 slab beef back ribs membrane removed as much as possible
• Your favorite bbq rub
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons apple juice
• 3 tablespoons of your favorite bbq sauce

How to make Beef Back Smoked Ribs:

1. The night before you cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator , remove the membrane, and rub them with your favorite bbq rub, salt and pepper, oil. Be generous with the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. 1 hour prior to smoking your ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and let sit. Soak your smoking wood in water or apple juice at this time as well.
3. Set your grill up for indirect smoking at 325 degrees. Place your seasoned ribs directly on the grill and let smoke for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  
4. Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in tinfoil. Just before you close the ribs up, pour your apple juice in the tinfoil packet. Place back on the smoker and continue to cook for one hour and 15 minutes. 
5. Remove from the smoker and remove from the tinfoil. Pour the juice from the tinfoil into your bbq sauce and stir to combine. 
6. Place the ribs on the grill bone side down and brush a light layer of the bbq sauce mixture on the ribs.Cook for 10-15 additional minutes until a nice crust forms. 
7. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into them. 

These ribs are so tender and just fall right off the bone. As you can see from the pictures below they really pull right off the bone.

All seasoned up and ready to go on the grill. 

The first hour and fifteen minutes. 

Right before tehe bbq sauce went on. 

And they are done!

I hope you enjoy this awesome method for getting amazing beef back ribs!

Enjoy!

~H

Shrimpo de Gallo

I just love food holidays! Every year, John's work has a salsa cooking competition around Cinco de Mayo and this year was no exception. I decided to spice it up a bit but creating a pretty standard pico de galo recipe then adding in some additional jalapenos, shrimp, and avocado to create a "Shrimpo de Gallo!" Yeah, you read that right, Shrimpo de Gallo.

This is a recipe that I have been making for years and you can really get creative with it. You can add additional ingredients like black beans and corn or if you are not a fan of avocado or shrimp, then just leave them out. It still packs a punch and is delicious. This recipe is pretty aesthetically pleasing too. Just look at all those bright colors! You can serve this with regular old tortilla chips or if you want a heartier meal, then throw it on a tostada shell and serve with rice and beans on the side.

Shrimpo de Gallo
Serves a large crowd

Ingredients:

• 6-7 tomatoes diced
• .5 red onion diced
• .25 sweet yellow onion diced
• Jalapeños diced (I used 5, but I wanted it spicy)
• 1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
• 3 large avocados diced
• 1 pound cook shrimp, tail removed and cut into thirds 
• 3-4 limes juiced
• Salt to taste

How to Make Shrimpo de Gallo:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Oh, you are all wondering how I did with the salsa conpetition...I know I just have you on the edge of your seats :) I/we took third place, but I am pretty sure it was rigged! Ok, it probably wasn't but I do know this was a damn great entry!

Enjoy!

~H

Chile Verde

Now this is an award winning recipe! Now really, I won John's works chili cook off with this one :) Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it is important to note that you are now cooking in the big leagues! :) haha!

Since we live in San Diego, we can pretty much drive a few blocks in any direction and find awesome Mexican food. It is always super satisfying though to master a dish and crave it more than the restaurant quality food you can get on any corner!

John is a huge fan of chile verde and outside of the prep time and cooking time, it isn't too technically hard to make. You basically are stewing pork in a tangy and spicy tomatillo and chile verde sauce. this can be served plain, over rice, with tortillas taco style, over tamales, etc.

Served with a quesadilla and topped with cheese, onions, cilantro, and jalapeno!

Just starting to come up to a boil.

This has been simmering for several hours. Nice, deep, rich flavor!

Chile Verde
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds of pork butt trimmed and cut into 1" squares
• 1.5 pounds tomatillos with the husk removed, cleaned and dried
• 3-5 jalapenos (optional - adjust for your heat level)
• 2 poblanos
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion cut into large chunks
• 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 box chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Chile Verde:

1. Preheat your oven to broil. 
2. Place 1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a large cast iron dutch oven. Over medium high heat, brown the pork.
3. Place your tomatillos on a baking sheet and place them on the top rack of the oven to brown. Once they have browned and begin to burst, remove them from the oven and place in a blender.  This takes 10-15 minutes. 
4. Place your jalapeños, poblanos, garlic, and onions on another sheet tray and place them on the top rack of the oven to char.
5. After ten minutes, the garlic should be nice and brown. Place this in the blender with your tomatillos. 
6. At this time, your peppers and onions should be charred on one side. Turn them over and place them back under the broiler to char the other side. 
7. With a set of tongs, place your peppers in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag to sweat so we can peel the skin off later. 
8. Place your onions in the blender. 
9. Once the peppers have cooled and the skin starts to peel off, peel the charred skin off the peppers and remove the stem. Place the peeled peppers in the blender. 
10. Last, but not least add your cumin and cilantro to the blender and let it rip. You will end up with a paste that is kind of a medium thickness. 
11. Dump this over your pork along with the chicken stock. Allow the mixture to come up to a boil then reduce to a simmer  and salt and pepper to taste. Place a lid on the chile verde and allow to cook for at least 2 hours. The longer you can let it simmer though, the better. 

This is definitely one of those things you can do in the crock pot. Brown your pork, then simply load it into a crockpot. Pour your chile over top and let it go for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. I would reduce the chicken stock by half if doing this in a crock pot though. 

There you have it! Award winning chile verde! It's Cinco de Mayo this weekend, so whip yourself up a batch.

Enjoy!

~H

Pickled Cucumbers, Onions, and Jalapeños

I love pickling veggies and this is an oh so easy recipe! I can't remember a summer bbq growing up that my mom didn't make a batch of pickled cucumbers and onions. She would stick them in her old school tupperware dish and they would just marinate away in the oven. Her version is obviously amazing, but to take it to the next level I added in some jalapeños for heat. This is definitely optional, but if you are a spice fan then don't hesitate to throw them in.

Pickled Cucumbers, Onions, and Jalapeños
Makes 1 quart of pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1.5 cucumbers peeled and sliced
• .5 medium sweet onion sliced
• 1 jalapeño sliced
• 16-20 ounces of white wine vinegar
• Pepper to taste

How to Make Pickled Cucumbers, Onions, and Jalapeños

1. Alternate layers of cucumbers, onions, and jalapeños in a mason jar or tupperware with a lid. 
2. Pour your white wine vinegar over the top and make sure everything is immersed. 
3. Add pepper to taste. 
4. Seal your mason jar or tupperware and place in the fridge for at least a day.

These pickles pack a punch of vinegar and heat! They are so delicious. 

Enjoy these at your next Spring/Summer bbq!

~H

Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Have I mentioned how much John loves breakfast?!? Well, he does so I am always looking for new creative breakfast ideas. Although this is neither new or well, creative it is one of his favorites. This breakfast casserole is loaded with sausage, ham, peppers, onions, hashbrowns and cheese! It gets this little crispy crust and bottom on it that make it so amazing.

All those crispy bits!

Loaded Breakfast Casserole
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of breakfast sausage browned (you can use pork, turkey, whatever you like)
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns (20 ounces)
• 1 onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1-2 jalapeños diced (optional depending on if you like the heat)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 5 eggs scrambled
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 2-3 cups shredded cheese of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Loaded Breakfast Casserole:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Prepare a 9" x 12" casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed. 
4. Pour the mixture into your prepared casserole dish and place in the center rack of the oven.
5. Bake for 60-75 minutes until your eggs have setup in the middle of the casserole. 
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. 

This is the perfect weekend breakfast because you can make this on Friday or Saturday night then just pop it into the oven in the morning. Sit back, have some coffee, tea, juice, or an adult beverage of sorts and then enjoy!

~H

Shepherds Pie

First off, sorry I have been so MIA the last few weeks. John and I moved - don't worry we still live in San Diego - and moving is a b!tch! I will get back into the swing of things now, so don't you worry!

In my last post, I made some delicious garlic mashies and I promised a recipe to use the leftovers. Drum roll please...Shepherds Pie. This is just a delicious bowl of comfort and so tasty! If you have the mashies already made, this is a cinch to put together. It is definitely also a make ahead meal if you want to prep it then pop it in the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour at the end of the day.

Shepherd's Pie
Makes 4 large individual pies or 1 large casserole (9" x 13")

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of leftover garlic mashed potatoes (or make them from scratch)
• 1.5 lbs ground meat (I used 85/15 ground beef, but use whatever you want - lamb, pork, chicken, turkey)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2-3 carrots diced
• 4 stalks celery diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
• 2.5-3 cups beef stock
• 1-2 tbsp corn starch
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Shepherds Pie:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If your mashed potatoes are already made, start here. If they are not, then go to this recipe and make your potatoes and set aside to cool. 
2. Over medium hight heat, brown your ground meat in a large skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Add in all of your veggies and let cook for 3-4 mins. You still want them toothsome because you are going to bake them. 
4. Add in your beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let reduce by about 1/3.
5. Mix your corn starch with about .5 cups of cold water. Pour this into your meat mixture while stirring. Let thicken to the consistency of a thick gravy. 
6. Prepare your casserole dish or individual ramekins by spraying with cooking spray. 
7. Spoon your meat mixture into your vessel of choice until about 2/3 full. 
8. Top with mashed potatoes. 
9. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mins to 1 hour. You will see the filling start to bubble, so that is when you know it is done. To avoid messes, I place mine on foil lined baking sheet just in case they spill over. 

Just the meat mixture. 

Topped with mashies.

And baked until they are delicious and golden brown!

Be careful when you first dig in because these will be piping hot! 

Enjoy!

~H

Garlic Mashies

We sure do love mashed potatoes at our house - or as well like to call them, mashies - so this is a recipe I had to perfect. Outside of my sausage dip recipe, this is the recipe I get the most compliments on - people just love these potatoes!

There is quite a bit of contraversary in the food world about the right and wrong way to make mashed potatoes. What type of potato should I use? Cream or milk? Butter or no butter? Should I heat the cream and butter before adding to the potatoes? Should I use a ricer, potato masher, or hand mixer?
Well, I can tell you I break every culinary rule there is making mashed potatoes and they come out amazing, creamy, and delicious every time!

Garlic Mashies
Makes a lot of servings  :)

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds red potatoes peeled and diced
• 3/4 -1 cup heavy cream
• 1 stick of unsalted butter diced into 1/2 tbsp sized pieces
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

How to make Garlic Mashies:

1. Add your potatoes and just enough water to cover them to a large stock pot. Over high heat, boil until they are tender (easily pierced with a fork - almost to the point of falling apart).
2. Drain your potatoes and add them back into the pan but do not place back on the heat. 
3. Add the butter to the potatoes and smash them with a hand mixer until the butter is fully incorporated and melted. 
4. Start mixing the potato/butter mixer on medium high speed. Slowly add in your cream until you reach the consistency you like. 
5. Add in garlic salt and pepper to taste while finish up mixing. 
6. Set back on the stove and let them finish until warmed through on medium heat. Stir as needed. 
7. Serve immediately. 

Yum! My go to mashie recipe that is super amazing! Since there are just two of us and this makes a lot of potatoes, you can get creative with the leftovers. Next recipe coming up - Shepherds Pie!

Enjoy!

~H

St. Louis Smoked Ribs

This girl can grill! Boy are these ribs amazing! I read a lot of bbq blogs regarding the best method to cook meat on the smoker and sometimes their methods work out really well and other times they just don't work.  When you come across a method that just isn't working, the key is to just keep trying - tweaking the recipe, trying different cooking temps, cooking times, using a different cut of meat, etc.

There are tons of blog posts on ribs and the best method for cooking them. A lot of smoking champs talk about the 3-2-1 method and I have just never been able to make that work for me. Basically, it is 3 hours of direct smoking, 2 hours wrapped in foil on the grill, then 1 additional hour of direct cooking on the grill to get a nice crust on the ribs.

Starting with the basic 3-2-1 method, I made some minor tweaks and have come up with the most amazing smoked ribs! They are just perfect - moist and delicious, fall off the bone, etc.

St. Louis Smoked Ribs
Makes 1 slab

Ingredients:

• 1 slab St. Louis style ribs membrane removed (you could also use baby back ribs)
• Your favorite bbq rub
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

How to make St. Louis Style Smoked Ribs:

1. The night before you cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and rub them with your favorite bbq rub and olive oil. Be generous with the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. 1 hour prior to smoking your ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and let sit. Soak your smoking wood in water or apple juice at this time as well.
3. Set your grill up for indirect smoking at 225-250 degrees. Place your seasoned ribs directly on the grill and let smoke for 2.5 hours. 
4. Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in tinfoil. Place back on the smoker and continue to cook for 2.5 additional hours. 
5. Remove from the smoker and let rest still wrapped in foil for 1 hour.
6. Now, set your grill up for direct heat cooking and crank the temperature up to 450-500 degrees.
7. Place the ribs on the grill bone side down for 4-5 minutes until a nice crust forms. 
8. Remove and serve immediately. 

These ribs are so tender and just fall right off the bone. They are perfect and the method works every time. 

Here are a few more pics:

Right when they go on the grill the first time

Right before getting wrapped in tinfoil - they have been smoking for 2.5 hours at this point

Finished plate served with some amazing sides

Now that it is starting to warm up, you should definitely be trying this recipe!

Enjoy!

~H