Category: On the Grille (Page 14 of 15)

      Mini pizzas: Buffalo chicken and chili dog

      March 2, 2011 /

      Buffalo wings and chili dogs are, well, classic guy food. So when I had a few extra pizza crusts lying around once, I decided to experiment. And here is what happened…..

      Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Mini pizzas? That’s girl food. Well, not really, if you do them my way. I’m talking Buffalo chicken pizza and chili dog pizza. I mean, what says D-U-D-E like those food items? And since these are the kind of pizzas that can get messy, and possibly eaten with a knife and fork, they are best suited for the smaller size. But that doesn’t mean you can’t release your inner caveman and eat five or six of them. With that, here we go…..

      Buffalo Chicken Mini Pizza

      Ingredients
      1 small pre-baked pizza crust (my favorite is Mama Mary’s but Boboli works too)
      2-3 chicken tenders, uncooked
      ¼ cup Buffalo chicken sauce
      ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
      1 small jalapeno pepper (raw, not pickled)
      salt and pepper
      cooking spray

      Directions:
      Even though these crusts are “pre-baked,” if you really want them to be crispy, pre-bake them yourself for 3 or 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Sprinkle the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and grill them for 2-3 minutes per side, until no longer pink in the middle. At the same time, spray the jalapeno with cooking spray and grill it for the same amount of time, or until it’s slightly charred. Cut the chicken into small pieces, and put the pieces in a saucepan with the Buffalo sauce. Heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through, then spread the chicken mixture on the crust. Top with the cheese. Then slice the grilled jalapeno pepper and put those slices on top of the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to turn brown and bubbly.

      Chili Dog Pizza

      Ingredients
      1 small pre-baked pizza crust
      2 hot dogs
      1/3 cup chili without beans (I like Bush’s Best)
      ¼ cup Cheez Whiz
      A squirt of your favorite mustard

      Directions: As with the previous pizza, pre-bake the crust for a few minutes. Meanwhile, place the hot dogs in a pot of boiling water and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Remove them from the water, and slice into small pieces. Dump the water, return the hot dog pieces to the pot, and add the chili. Cook that over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, nuke the Cheez Whiz for 20-30 seconds, and then spread that on the crust. Top with the hot dog mixture, and then bake for about 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Swirl some mustard on top, and eat.

      And not like I have to say this, but both of these go really well with beer. Yum.

      Food on a Budget, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      What’s your favorite fried food?

      February 28, 2011 /

      I’ve got fried food on the brain today. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten much today, or maybe it’s because I just love anything fried to a golden brown and crispy. I mean, what’s not to like? Of course, cardiologists and personal trainers dissuade eating this stuff, but we all do at some point. So rather than go into my favorite fried foods (I’ll do that soon), I wanted to pose this to you readers–give me your favorite fried food item, either something that you make yourself or order in a restaurant. E-mail me at mikeyskitchen@gmail.com and I’ll publish them next week…..stop it, you guys are making me hungry!

      Ingredients, On the Grille, Uncategorized, Your Kitchen

      Cheeseburger Wellington

      February 18, 2011 /

      Here is another recipe I posted a couple years back on Grub for Guys, and along with the cheeseburger recipe, I included one on my own home fries. Enjoy!

      If you’re familiar with Beef Wellington, you know it’s the kind of menu item typically reserved for fine dining. Most are made with filet mignon, pate and mushroom duxelle. Right. I don’t know what that last thing is either, but it’s in a lot of the recipes I’ve seen. Well, if you’re a novice cook, the news is good. One of the best parts about Wellington is the flaky crust. So here, I combined the puff pastry with something a bit more mainstream—a cheeseburger. Admittedly, I came up with this in my head and had to refine it a few times, but the result was pretty tasty. Here we go…..

      Cheeseburger Wellington
      Ingredients
      1 pound lean ground beef (use fattier cuts at your own risk…too much juice can mess this up)
      1 portion puff pastry (9 oz.), thawed to room temperature
      ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
      1 dill pickle, sliced thin
      ¼ cup homemade Thousand Island dressing (mix equal parts mayo and chili sauce or ketchup with a Tbsp. chopped pickle)
      Salt and pepper

      Directions
      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put some flour on a clean work surface (your kitchen counter) and on a rolling pin. Divide the pastry dough into 4 equal parts and roll out six-inch circles. Put 1 Tbsp. cheese, a few pickles slices, and 1 Tbsp. dressing in center of each circle. Set aside. Divide the beef into four patties, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sear in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side to seal juices in. Lay each patty on top of condiments on pastry, and fold up ends to the top, sealing with your fingers. Turn over, and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pierce a few slits in each pastry (now you look like a pro), and bake for 20 minutes, or until each Wellington is golden on top and the pastry is cooked through. Let sit for a few minutes, then dig in. Serves 4 (or 3, if you divide meat and pastry accordingly).

      And here’s a great side, but not one to make if you’re getting your cholesterol checked soon…

      Mike’s Home Fries
      Ingredients
      1 pound red or Yukon Gold potatoes
      Vegetable oil for deep-frying
      Kosher salt

      Directions
      Cut potatoes into small chunks (about ½ inch pieces). Place in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside for a bit until cool. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large saucepan (if you have a deep fryer, you’re a step ahead of me). When you can feel the heat if placing your hand an inch above the hot oil, it’s hot enough (375 degrees if you’re keeping score). Carefully lower the potatoes into the hot oil, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes start to turn golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve.

      On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Quesadilla recipes

      February 11, 2011 /

      Hey guys….it’s another freezing cold weekend in most parts of the country, so you’re probably indoors and looking for something satisfying to eat. Well, here are some quesadilla recipes I posted on Grub For Guys a few months ago. These are all super easy and really good…I mean, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but you’ll see what I mean if you try any of them. Thanks for reading!

      Quesadillas are versatile, easy to make and can be filling man-food too. Here, we give you a breakfast version, a spicy chicken quesadilla and a cheeseburger version that will remind you of those trips to McDonald’s as a kid (or now, if you’re like many guys). Each recipe makes one quesadilla (one tortilla with filling, so two wedges), so multiply out as you see fit, if you’re hungry as hell, or if you are feeding a bunch of your buddies. Oh, and use a good quality tortilla, preferably one of those Mexican brands.

      Basic Breakfast Quesadilla
      After a night of drinking, or even if you’re craving some good protein in the morning and don’t want it with a side of grease, this egg based quesadilla is just what you need. Serve it with salsa for dipping or just pour some salsa all over the top.

      Ingredients
      1 large flour tortilla
      Cooking spray
      1 large egg
      A few slices bell pepper—can be green but preferably red or yellow
      2-3 Tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
      Salt and pepper
      Salsa

      Directions
      Heat a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray, and crack the egg in a small dish, and beat with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then pour into skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until set and firm, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove to bowl and keep warm. Spray skillet again and add pepper slices. Stir fry until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Then wipe out skillet (carefully, you bonehead!), and then return to heat. Quickly assemble by placing egg, pepper slices and cheese in tortilla. Fold over and place in sprayed skillet. Spray top of quesadilla with cooking spray. Cook for about 2 minutes or until tortilla is brown, then flip over and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes or until tortilla is brown and cheese has melted. Serve with salsa or hot sauce.

      Spicy Chicken, Corn & Jalapeno Quesadilla
      This is a good summer quesadilla with the abundance of corn, or even into September or October. Most guys like spice, too, so you can’t go wrong with this one.

      Ingredients
      1 large flour tortilla
      Cooking spray
      ½ chicken breast half, lightly pounded into ¼ inch thickness
      Salt and pepper
      ½ ear corn, cooked and cut from cob
      1 jalapeno pepper
      2-3 Tbsp. shredded Mexican blend cheese
      Salsa
      Sour cream

      Directions
      Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through (no longer pink in middle). Cut into pieces and set aside. Slice jalapeno pepper, spray skillet with cooking spray again and cook pepper slices for 3-4 minutes. Wipe out skillet, and assemble quesadillas by placing chicken pieces, jalapeno, corn and cheese in tortilla. Fold over and place in sprayed skillet. Spray top of quesadilla with cooking spray. Cook for about 2 minutes or until tortilla is brown, then flip over and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes or until tortilla is brown and cheese has melted. Serve with salsa or salsa and sour cream.

      Cheeseburger Quesadilla
      Seriously, this one was a home run when we tried it. It tastes like a fast food cheeseburger, but much healthier because, well, you made it yourself.

      Ingredients
      1 large flour tortilla
      Cooking spray
      ¼ lb. Ground beef
      Salt and pepper
      2 Tbsp. chopped onion
      4 dill pickle slices
      2-3 Tbsp. shredded American cheese
      1-2 squirts of ketchup

      Directions
      Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and place beef and onion in skillet. Brown beef and onion, sprinkling with salt and pepper, about 5 minutes or until no longer pink, and then remove to a bowl to keep warm. Wipe out skillet, and assemble quesadillas by placing beef and onion mixture in the tortilla. Add pickle slices, cheese and the ketchup. Fold over and place in sprayed skillet. Spray top of quesadilla with cooking spray. Cook for about 2 minutes or until tortilla is brown, then flip over and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes or until tortilla is brown and cheese has melted. Serve with extra ketchup for dipping.

      On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Super Bowl Spread II

      January 27, 2011 /

      Here is last year’s Super Bowl spread post, and the second in a series of three. That’s because next week we will unveil a new Super Bowl spread on Grub For Guys.

      Buffalo Turkey Meatballs, Steak Bites, Olive Poppers, Smoky Chipotle Dip, and Fiery Snack Mix

      Hey guys….last year, we introduced you to some dude-friendly Super Bowl eats that you could pile on your plate before settling in for kickoff. This year, we took that concept a bit further, but without making things any more difficult than need be. Because really, you’ve got all that pre-game stuff to watch, and you have to drink a few beers to prime your gut for the barrage of awesome food that will ensue. Well, that’s just a suggestion. Meanwhile, here is what we came up with for Super Bowl 2010. All recipes serve four, so multiply them accordingly…….

      Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
      You know, I think I have published more than a few recipes that feature Buffalo chicken sauce. That’s because for guys, that spicy, tangy, peppery awesomeness stimulates our salivary glands like a Victoria’s Secret model. Well, here’s a way to get that wing sauce flavor without the mess of chicken bones.

      Ingredients
      2 stalks celery, finely chopped
      3-4 baby carrot sticks, finely chopped
      1 Tbsp. olive oil
      1 lb. Ground turkey
      1 egg
      1/3 cup bread crumbs
      1/3 cup Buffalo chicken sauce (we like Buffalo Wild Wings medium sauce), and more for dipping
      2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
      Salt and pepper

      Directions:
      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and then add celery and carrots. Sautee for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Allow to cool slightly, then place in a bowl with turkey, egg, wing sauce, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Re-heat skillet, which should have some remnants of olive oil left, and add half of the meatballs, browning on all sides. Put meatballs on a plate and add second batch, browning them on all sides. Then put reserve meatballs back in skillet and place in oven. Bake for 10-12 more minutes, or until cooked through. Heat about a cup of wing sauce in a small saucepan and serve meatballs with a few spoonfuls of sauce on top.

      Steak Bites
      This one is super easy, and on Super Bowl Sunday, you need easy!

      Continue reading »

      On the Grille, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

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