Easy BBQ Ribs Recipe

BBQ Chicken Dip Recipe

BBQ Chicken Dip Recipe

3 bone in chicken breasts
4 tbsps unsalted butter (softened)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 red onion (chopped)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
16 ozs cream cheese, softened (to room temperature)
2/3 cup ranch dressing
2/3 cup bbq sauce (your favorite)
8 ozs sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated)
crackers (or chips for serving)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Rub chicken breasts with softened butter then season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely then pull chicken off the bone into bite-size pieces. While the chicken is roasting, heat a skillet oven medium-low heat. Add olive oil and onions, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramely. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, 1/3 cup of the BBQ sauce, onions and half of the cheddar cheese. Fold in chicken.

In a casserole or baking dish (mine was 8-inch round, 4-inch deep), layer the cream cheese mixture, smoothing the top off. Cover it with the remaining BBQ sauce, then the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and hot. Serve with crackers or chips.

BLT Chicken

BLT Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. bar-b-que sauce ( I use Bull's Eye)
1/4 c. real bacon bits
1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)
sliced green onions
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

(Source)

Potato & Bacon Potato Salad

Ingredients

4	cups cubed red potatoes
1	cup chopped onion
7	bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1-⅓	cups mayonnaise
3	tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3	tablespoons prepared ranch salad dressing
2	tablespoons prepared mustard
4	teaspoons white vinegar
½	teaspoon minced garlic
¼	teaspoon salt
¼	teaspoon pepper (Source)

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, bacon and parsley. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Yield: 8 servings.

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 ears fresh cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots, from one medium shallot
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Colavita
• 1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 Hass avocados, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

(Source)

Fruity Rice Krispies Kebabs

Fruity Rice Krispies Kebabs

3 Tb. butter
4 cups (10 oz.) mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 flavored drink packet (choose your favorite fruit flavor)
2 Tb. colored sprinkles
Fresh cut fruit and berries of choice
Wooden Skewers

Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat. Once melted add the drink powder and stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies. Stir until coated.

Spoon the Rice Krispies mixture into the prepared pan. Press firmly with wax paper.

Once cooled, use small cookie cutters to cut the Rice Krispies Treats into fun shapes.

Pour the sprinkles on a small plate and press the top of each cutout into the sprinkles.

Slide the treats onto skewers with fresh cut fruit and berries.

(Source)

Marinated Barbequed Vegetables

Marinated Barbequed Vegetables

Ingredients 1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and cut into wide strips 3 zucchinis, sliced 6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced Directions Place eggplant, red bell peppers, zucchinis and fresh mushrooms in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Place vegetables directly on the grill or on skewers. Cook on the prepared grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, brushing frequently with the marinade, or to desired doneness.

Easy BBQ Ribs

Easy Barbecued Ribs

1.5 tbsp sweet paprika (3tbsp) (Edited Feb '12 to say I've also used mild smoked paprika with fantastic results)

1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed (2 tbsp)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)

S&P to taste (about 1 tsp each is what I used)

2 lbs pork (baby) back ribs (6 lbs) - leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together

1 cup barbecue sauce (3 cups)

Vegetable oil spray.  

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne and S&P.  Rub this mixture all over both sides of your ribs well.  Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the stoneware pot, thicker side down and meaty side against the pot.  Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low (I did 7 hours and they were perfect). 

Now comes the only stove/oven work involved, we need to reduce the sauce and then brown the ribs under the broiler.  These steps are what turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, so don't you dare skip them even if your ribs already look pretty good.  Once the initial slow cooking is done, very carefully (as they are tennnnderrrrr) remove the ribs to a baking pan which you have lined with foil and put a rack on (like in my photo collage), bone side up.  Set to the side.  Skim any fat that has risen to the top and strain all of the remaining juices from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan.  Bring to boil and allow to simmer and reduce by about a third, approximately 15 minutes.  Put your oven's broiler on to heat up and make sure that there is an oven rack about 10 inches below the broiler element.  When the broiler is preheated, brush the ribs with sauce and broil for 3 or 4 minutes.  Take them out and very carefully flip them over, brush with sauce and broil again, meat side up, for approximately 9 minutes, taking them out once or twice (I did only once because I forgot) to baste with more sauce.  Serve any remaining sauce on the side with the ribs.  

Watermelon on A Stick

What a great idea for 4th of July! I can't wait to put watermelon on sticks, might even do it at my next BBQ!

American Flag Cake Recipe

2 boxes white cake mix (plus oil and eggs) 
Blue and red food coloring 
For cream cheese frosting: 1-1/2 pound cream cheese (3 – 8oz. packages, not low fat) 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks) 2 pounds powdered sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 


1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease two 8″ cake pans with nonstick spray. 
2. Make cake mixes according to box directions. You will need to make one 8″ blue cake, and three 8″ red cakes. I dyed one batch of cake batter red; I split the other batch in half and dye one half blue and one half red. Try to use as much batter as you can for each cake, because you want to end up with thick cakes. 
3. Bake the 8″ cakes according to box directions. Cool completely before going on to the next step. 
4. The most complicated part of creating this cake is torting the red cakes. Pain. in. the. butt. I used a large serrated knife to cut the cakes. Torte two of the red cakes so that you end up with 4 or 5 thin and even layers. Try to make the layers as level as possible. 
5. Use a knife to level off the blue cake (remove the “dome” that forms when the cake bakes). After the blue cake as been leveled, cut a hole out of the middle of the cake. I used a large round cookie cutter for this step. Using a round cookie cutter is a good idea because of the sizing consistency it provides. At the end of this step your blue cake should look like a donut — with a hole in the middle. 
6. Use a knife to level off the last red cake. Once the cake is leveled, use the same round cookie cutter to cut a circle out of the red cake. Torte the circle you cut out to get three thin layers. 
7. For the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Slowly add the cream cheese until you reach the desired consistency. I like thicker frosting, so I always add nearly 2 lbs of powdered sugar. 
8. Time to assemble! Layer the first 4 or 5 full-sized red layers on a cake platter, adding cream cheese icing between each layer. Once the full-sized red layers are assembled, add the blue “donut” to the top. Fill the “donut hole” with the small red slices of cake, adding cream cheese icing in between each. Thoroughly frost the outside of the cake and decorate the top of the cake if you’d like to. I used red and blue frosting to create a spiderweb/fireworks design. 
9. Before cutting into your cake, chill the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours so the frosting can set (and the cake will be easier to cut!). Enjoy!

Creative Way To Serve Appetizers

Serve veggies inside baguettes. This is great for baby showers, BBQ's, weddings, or even pool parties. Every time I have served them they have been a great hit. You can put celery, carrots, and even red and green bell peppers inside the baguette.

BBQ in A Jar

BBQ In A Jar

Barbecue Sundaes
Makes 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes

Divide 2 cups warm baked beans evenly among 4 Mason jars or large heat-proof cups; top each with 1/2 cup coleslaw, 1/4 pound warm shredded barbecued pork, and 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce.  Serve with dill pickle wedge, if desired.

Recipes to make from scratch:
Pulled Pork

Coleslaw

Baked Beans

(Original Source)

Hawaiian Grilled Pineapple and Chicken

Hawaiian Grilled Pineapple and Chicken

(Original Recipe)

* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
*

 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar or sherry
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 2 inch pieces
* Fresh Pineapple cut into slices
* 1/2 c. fresh pineapple, chopped into small pieces, juice reserved
* skewers

Basting Sauce
* 1 T. Cornstarch
* 1/4 c. cold water
* Leftover Marinade 

In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder. In a Marinating dish, (if you don't have one you can place them in a 9x13 casserole dish, place the chicken pieces and several pineapple slices that have been chopped into small pieces into the dish, pour over the marinade, stir until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If using a marinating dish, flip it over after an
 hour. I don't recommend marinating overnight if you're using fresh pineapple as the enzymes in the pineapple will break down the chicken and change its texture.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Soak 10-12 Wooden Skewers in a tall glass of water. This prevents the skewers from burning during cooking.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. Now, you're left with some tasty leftover marinade. If you'd like to baste your chicken during cooking, you can make a light basting sauce. In a small sauce pan add the leftover marinade (with pineapple pieces) over medium heat, stirring occasionally. While it is heating in a small bowl mix cornstarch and COLD water (Cornstarch only thickens once!), once your marinade is bubbling hot, add the cornstarch/water mix. Bring to a boil until thickened and no longer cloudy (this means the cornstarch is thoroughly incorporated into your sauce). 

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the chicken kebabs 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the pineapple slices, grill lightly on both sides.

Alternatively, you could use canned pineapple chunks and make Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs by alternating pieces of chicken and pieces of pineapple.