bbq sauce 2 ways

do you ever get tired of the same old grocery store bbq sauces? i knew i could do WAY better, so i gave it a whirl and tried not one, but TWO different bbq sauces. i did a sweet and tangy carolina bbq sauce and a super spicy traditional sauce. here's what i did:

carolina bbq sauce

*note: this is NOT exactly the proportions i used when i made it. mine turned out WAY more mustard-y than i wanted, so i've adjusted my recipe after the fact w/out testing it. in the original trial, i used a whole 14 oz, bottle of french's yellow mustard.

1 c yellow mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder (you can also use 1 clove fresh minced garlic)
2 tablespoons dry onion (or about 1/4 to 1/2 fresh chopped onion)
2 tablespoons honey
5 drops liquid smoke (i used mesquite flavor)
1/4 c brown sugar

mix everything together w/ a whisk or fork and reduce over low heat 30-60 minutes to desired thickness.

"pants on fire" bbq sauce

1 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
5 drops liquid smoke (i used hickory flavor)
2 tablespoons (yes, you read that right) cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

mix everything together w/ a whisk or fork. reduce over low heat for 30-45 minutes to desired thickness.

both of these recipes make about 1 cup of sauce each. i used them to baste a half rack of baby back ribs each and had JUST enough. next time i have ribs, i'm planning to double each recipe so there's enough for more frequent basting, as well as dipping sauce.

* these can be frozen if you want to make a bunch ahead of time to use later.

frozen food life

my mom gave me this list of frozen food life, as well as foods to NEVER freeze, so i thought i'd share it w/ you all.

ice cream/sherbet - 1-3 months
beef: ground - 3-4 months
roast/steak - 6-12 months
stew - 2-4 months
bread: quick - 2-3 months
yeast - 3-6 months
milk - 1-2 months
cake: baked, un-iced - 2-6 months
cheese: natural - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pasteurized/processed - 4 months
chicken: parts - 9 months
whole - 12 months
eggs - 12 months
fish: fatty - 3 months
lean - 6 months
fruit: citrus and juices - 4-6 months
others - 8-12 months
giblets - 3 months
gravy/broth - 2-3 months
lamb: chops or roast - 6-9 months
margarine - 6-9 months
pie: baked - 4-6 months
baked crust - 6 months
unbaked crust - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pork: chops - 3-4 months
roast - 3-6 months
sausage - 4-6 months
seafood: cooked lobster/shrimp - 2-3 months
uncooked shrimp - 12 months
turkey: parts - 6 months
whole - 12 months
veal: cutlets or roast - 6-9 months
veggies - 10-12 months

never freeze:

* light cream, buttermilk, yogurt
* cooked eggwhites
* custard pies, cream puddings
* green onions, lettuce, greens, tomatoes, radishes, unblanched veggies
* icing made w/ egg whites
* mayo, sour cream

some of the things on the do not freeze list are ok to freeze (things like yogurt and sour cream are alright to freeze), just expect them to taste/feel different when you thaw them.

freezer jam

here's a quick and easy way to make your own jam. it tastes like fresh fruit! once you've had this, no other jam will taste nearly as good.

2 c mashed fruit
4 c sugar
3/4 c water
1 package fruit pectin

mix fruit and sugar and let stand 20 minutes. in a small saucepan, conbine pectin and water. boil for 1 minutes and immediately pour over fruit mixture. stir 2-3 minutes. pour into containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. cover and let stand 24 hours. store in freezer until ready to use (up to 1 year). once thawed, store in fridge up to 3 weeks.

* this is VERY sweet. i only use 3/4 - 1 c of sugar per 2 c of fruit.

tetrazzini

3 lbs. chicken or turkey
6 c water
1 bay leaf
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 sprig parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

simmer all for 45 minutes till tender. remove chicken and cool. skim off cold fat, then measure 2 c broth and 3 c boned meat.

1/4 c margarine
1/4 lb. mushrooms (optional)
1/4 c flour
1 c heavy cream
1 c milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 c parmesan
8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked
3 c cooked meat from above
2 c broth from above
topping (below)

melt butter and saute mushrooms. stir in flour. combine broth w/ milk and cream, then add to pan. stir till thickened and bubbly. add salt, pepper, and parmesan. add pasta and meat and toss to coat. pour into casserole dish and sprinkle w/ topping. bake at 350 for 30 minutes (45 if frozen).

topping: mix together 1/4 c melted butter, 1 c bread crumbs, and 1/2 c parmesan.

* if you don't have heavy cream, you can substitute milk
* for vegetarian: use vegetable broth and omit chicken/turkey

original stuffed shells

1 c shredded mozzarella
1 egg white
1 packet italian dressing mix
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 lb. ground beef, browned
spaghetti sauce

mix spinach, 1/2 c mozzarella, egg white, dressing mix, cottage cheese, and ground beef. fill each pasta shell w/ meat mixture. spread 1/2 jar of sauce in 9x13 inch baking dish. arrange shells in dish and cover w/ remaining sauce. sprinkle w/ remaining mozzarella. cover w/ foil and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. serves 5.

* for vegetarian, omit ground beef.
* for freezer: freeze after covering w/ sauce and sprinkling w/ cheese. thaw 1 1/2 days before baking as directed above.

lazy lasagna

12 oz. lasgna noodles, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon oregano
32 oz. spaghetti sauce
2 c ricotta or cottage cheese
12 oz. shredded mozzarella

add oregano to sauce. spread 1 c into each of 2 10x6 inch baking dishes. layer noddles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce, making sure the top layer is mozzarella. wrap and freeze. thaw in fridge (1 1/2 days). bake tightly covered at 350 for 45 minutes. uncover for last 10 minutes of baking time. let stand 10 minutes before serving. each pan serves 4-5.

* make one to serve today and freeze the 2nd for later.

creamy cheesy pot pie

i've always had an issue w/ pot pies b/c i felt like they should be creamy, not broth-y. rather than continue to harbor this grudge, i decided to come up w/ my own version.

1 box puff pastry, thawed (or make a 2 crust pie shell)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
8 oz. frozen mixed veggies
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 c shredded cheddar
1 family size can cream of chicken soup

place 1 crust in bottom of 9-inch pie pan. mix chicken, veggies, garlic, salt, and pepper and spread in shell. dot w/ cubes of cream cheese and sprinkle w/ cheddar. pour soup over all and top w/ 2nd crust. seal and flute edges and cut vents. bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes till top is golden brown (place foil around edges to prevent excess browning).

* for freezer: freeze before baking. no need to thaw before baking. if frozen, bake covered for 45 minutes. uncover and continue baking till crust is golden brown.

chicken divan

my husband and i argue over what this is called - i say it's chicken divan, but he says it's chicken verde. what we do NOT argue about it how much we love it!

2 c chicken, cooked and diced (turkey works well too)
16 oz. frozen broccoli
1/2 c mayo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 c shredded cheddar

place broccoli and chicken in greased 9x13 inch baking dish. mix mayo, soup, sauce, and juice together and pour over chicken and broccoli. mix butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over top. top w/ shredded cheese. bake at 350 for 45 minutes or till cheese is melted. serve over rice.

* you do not need to thaw the broccoli.
* i don't put butter in it when i make it and it turns out just as good.
* for freezer: freeze before baking. thaw 1 1/2 days in fridge, then bake as directed above.

cheesy enchiladas

i found this recipe while pregnant w/ scott and discovered that in addition to being diabetic-friendly, it's a delicious meal!

16 oz. cream cheese
3 c shredded chaddar
2 cans chicken, drained and broken up
6-inch flour tortillas
salsa

combine cream cheese, 2 c cheddar, and chicken. spread down center of tortillas and roll up. place in baking dish. cover w/ salsa and sprinkle w/ remaining cheese. bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

*microwave directions: assemble as directed and microwave on high for 12-14 minutes, turning dish after 6 minutes.
* for freezer: assemble as directed, except for cheese on top. no need to thaw before baking. bake at 350 for 30 minutes. top w/ cheese and cover loosely w/ foil for last 10 minutes.

watermelon raspberry ice pops

i found this recipe while i was pregnant w/ scott. it's a great snack or dessert option, and since it uses real fruit, it's better for you than store-bought popcicles (even ones that use fruit juice, since these use the pulp).

2 c watermelon, seeded and diced
1 c fresh raspberries
1/3 c splenda
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn syrup

blend and strain thoroughly. pour liquid into 8 popcicle molds and freeze at least 6 hours.

easy peach cobbler

many people call this a "dump cake" or "dumb bunny cake"

24 oz. canned peaches
1 box yellow cake mix
brown sugar
3/4 c water
1 stick butter, cut up

layer in 9x13 inch baking dish: peaches, brown sugar, cake mix, and chunks of butter. pour water over all. bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (depending on how "done" you like it. i like mine a little soggy.). serve warm w/ vanilla ice cream.

* sub in canned pie filling or other fruits and different flavors of cake mix to find your favorite combo. canned strawberry pie filling w/ chocolate cake mix is really good, as is blueberry pie filing w/ white cake mix. experiment until you find the combo you like best.
* for freezer: freeze before baking. no need to thaw before baking. bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

pot roast

here's my super yummy, fool proof pot roast recipe that you can enjoy any day of the week - no matter how busy your day might be!

3 lb. beef roast
2 envelopes onion soup mix
2-3 lbs. of your favorite veggies, fresh or frozen, cut into chunks (we like carrots and broccoli)
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 c water
4 beef bouillon cubes

place veggies and potatoes in bottom of crock pot. place raw roast on top. pour water over all, then add bouillon cubes. sprinkle w/ soup mix. cook on high 4-6 hours. roast will fall apart when done.

* tip: use a crock pot liner for easy, no mess clean up!

variation: pour 2 family sized cans of cream of mushroom soup over the meat and veggies, as well as 1 soup can full of water. season to taste.

*for freezer: freeze AFTER cooking. this will keep well in the freezer for a while, so if you make a large roast, divide it into meal-sized portions and place in freezer bags.

shepard's pie

almost everyone i know has tried some variation of this, but this is my favorite way to make it, so here you go:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 eggs
1/2 c italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 jar/can spaghetti sauce
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 can yellow sweet corn
6 servings of your favorite kind of mashed potatoes
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar

mix meat, eggs, bread crumbs, spaghetti sauce, parmesan, and corn together by hand. press into loaf pan. bake at 350 for 1 hour. press out grease and drain.

while meat is cooking, make your mashed potatoes. stir in sour cream and shredded cheese while still hot. spread over meatloaf. serves 6.

* for freezer: line pan w/ waxed paper before pressing meat into pan. freeze before baking. once frozen, you can remove the meat from the pan and store in a freezer bag. when ready to make, return to loaf pan and thaw 2 days in fridge. bake as directed above and make mashed potatoes while it's baking. (you can probably make the mashed potatoes ahead of time, but i've never tried it since i generally use instant potatoes and not the real thing)