White Chicken Lasagna

My family really loves lasagna; in my opinion my husband makes the best traditional lasagna I have ever had.  But, I really wanted to try white lasagna, when it comes to pizza I am a bigger fan of the white sauce over the red so I figured white sauce lasagna must be good too.  I think this was a great recipe but I would have liked a little more sauce so next time I will up the milk by another 1/2 c and also maybe instead of just using milk I might change to half and half for a more creamier sauce.  Other than that this lasagna really did taste wonderful, it was a very nice change from the traditional lasagna I am used to.

• 2 C. - Boneless Skinless Chicken (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)
• 1 14oz. - Can Artichoke Hearts (chopped)
• 1/2 C. - Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes (I used some packed in herbs and olive oil)
• 8 oz. - Package Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 C. - Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• 2 8oz. - Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 C. - Milk (or 1 1/2c. half & half)
• 1 Tbs. - Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbs. - Chopped Basil (I used the kind in a squeeze tube)
• 12 - Lasagna Noodles (cooked)

SIDE NOTE ON NOODLES: (generally we don’t cook the noodles first, but being not enough liquid to cook properly, it would be best to cook at least half way through, too ensure being done)

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, 1 c. mozzarella and the Parmesan.  Beat the cream cheese, milk and garlic with a mixer until well blended and smooth, then stir in the basil.  Mix half of the sauce with the chicken.  Spread half of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish: cover with 3 of the noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat layers of noodles and chicken two more times then top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and place under the broiler until brown and gooey.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

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Irish Stew with Soda Bread

Happy early St. Patrick's Day everyone !..... This year I wanted to try my hand at something, I have never eaten or made before for St. Patrick's Day, don't get me wrong I love the Fruit Glazed Corn Beef that I usually make, but I wanted something a little different this year. My husband and I both had a hand in making this year’s St. Patrick's Day dish, I really do love being in the kitchen cooking with my husband.

1/4 C. - Olive Oil

1 1/4 Lbs. - Stew Meat

3 Tbs. - Minced Garlic (Heaping Tbs.)

6 C. - Swanson Beef Stock

1 C. - Guinness Beer (I used the entire bottle)

2 C. - Barefoot Red Moscato Wine

2 Tbs. - Tomato Paste

1 Tbs. - Sugar

1 Tbs. - Dried Thyme

1 Tbs. - Worcestershire Sauce

2 - Bay Leaves

2 Tbs. - Butter

3 Lbs. - Potatoes (cubed)

1 - Small Onion (diced)

2 C. - Baby Carrots

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, lightly salt the beef and brown in batches. Once all of the meat is nicely browned, place it all back into the pot and sauté with the garlic for 1 minute. Then add the stock, beer, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low then cover and cook for 1 hour stirring occasionally. While the meat and stock is simmering, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add potatoes, carrots and onion. Sauté the veggies until golden in color, about 20 minutes then set aside until the 1 hour has past for simmering the broth. Then add the veggies to the simmering stew and cook uncovered for another hour. After the second hour discard the bay leaves and season with salt & pepper. At this point you can serve or as I did use some corn starch and water to thicken the stew then serve.

Soda Bread:

3 C. - Flour

1 Tbs. - Baking Powder

1/3 C. - Sugar

1 Tsp. - Salt

1 Tsp. - Baking Soda

1 - Egg (lightly beaten)

2 C. - Buttermilk

1/4 C. - Butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8x9 baking dish. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend the egg with buttermilk then pour into the flour mixture. Mix just until moist then stir in butter. Pour into baking dish and cook for 65 - 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack. My husband decided to cook the bread in his Traeger smoker, it cooked at the 325 for 60 minutes and it was simply perfect. The bread had a slight smoky flavor from the pellets and it really enhanced the bread. This bread was a wonderful addition alongside the Irish Stew.

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Isabel Sanford's Boston Chicken

My husband bought me a new cook book that we will be featuring this month, The Dead Celebrity Cook Book. This book is so cool, it has some of my all time favorite people and their famous recipes listed in it. It has people like Lucille Ball, Johnny Cash, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and more, it features over 145 stars of stage and screen. My first pick from the book is Isabel Sanford (1917-2004), We all grew up watching her play Weezy on the Jefferson's. I loved how she always kept her cranky husband George under control, she is truly missed.

4 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (the book calls for 8)
4 - Whole Russet Potatoes (washed)
1 C. - 1000 Island Dressing
1 C. - Apricot / Pineapple Jelly
1 Packet - Instant Onion Soup Mix
1 Dash - Cinnamon
1/4 C. - Grated Onion
Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a baking dish with some cooking spray then lay the chicken in the dish, cut the potatoes in half length wise and place around the chicken. In another dish mix the rest of ingredients together and spread evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Cover the entire dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, turn up the oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 15-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Plate the chicken and potatoes and serve more sauce drizzled over the top. This dish when we read it sounded very odd and kinda creepy strange, but then we thought hey let’s try something different. To our surprise this dish was actually very good , the flavors really went together nicely.

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Stromboli

My husband and I were watching Big Daddy's house the other day and he was making Stromboli, I was telling my husband about the amazing meat Stromboli I had in Pennsylvania many years ago and he told me that he has never had it and was not sure what it was. We watched the show and my husband thought it sounded awesome but of course we knew that we could create our own version that would be even better. We started to play around with filling ideas and dough ideas and came up with for us a winner winner Stromboli dinner....

1 - Sheet Puff Pastry (thawed)
4 - Deli Thin Sliced Black Forest Ham
5 - Deli Thin Sliced Roast Beef
3 - Deli Thin Sliced Roasted Cajun Turkey Breast
5 Slices - Bacon (cooked)
1/4 C. - Shredded Pizza Blend Cheese
1 - Egg
1 Tbs. - Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees…

Lay down a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper onto the counter, unfold the pastry and lay it on top of the paper. Top with another section of wax paper; use a rolling pin to just thin the dough slightly and to take the creases out then remove the top sheet of paper and lightly prick the pastry with a fork so it does not rise too much when baking. Lay down the ham then top with the roast beef then the turkey and bacon, cover the entire thing with the cheese. Use the paper to help roll the pastry into a log, lay the seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, mix the egg and water in a small dish then brush the top of the Stromboli. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, this makes enough for 2. Slice in half and drizzle with your favorite Alfredo sauce, marinara sauce or eat it as is.

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Sweet Tater Tot Casserole

My last recipe idea for October could not be any easier or tastier. This dish can be made quickly on any weeknight; it would be a great dinner idea to make before all of the little ones head out for Trick or Treating. My husband who is not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but is actually starting to really loved this dish. This is not a new dish by any means just a small twist on an old family favorite that everyone has a version of.

1 Lb. - Ground Hamburger, Turkey or Chicken
2 - 20 oz. - Alexia Sweet Potato Tots (Puffs)
1- 10 oz. - Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C. - Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
1 Tsp. - Salt
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1/2 - Soup Can of Milk

Grease an 8x11 baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the ground meat with seasonings over high heat until no longer pink and a little caramelized, once browned add the soup and the half can of milk to the meat mixture. In the baking dish layer in some of the tater tots then cover with some of the meat mixture and top with cheese, repeat layers ending with cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder

Every so often my husband and I will go to the beach in Lincoln City and have dinner at Chinook Winds Casino. They have what has to be the best smoked salmon chowder I have ever consumed. When we spent this last 4th of July in Seattle, we found that Ivar's on the board walk also had some pretty amazing salmon chowder. When we were window shopping in Seattle we found a store that sold smoked salmon chowder in a pouch. We bought it and decided to add a few extra goodies to it, it turned out fantastic!

1 - 12oz. - Pouch SeaBear Smoked Salmon Chowder
1 1/2 C. - Half & Half (milk can be used, and thicken with cornstarch)
1 C. - Fresh Corn Kernels (optional)
6 - Slices of Bacon (cooked & crispy) (optional)
1/8 Tsp. - Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
1 - 15 oz. - Can Diced Potatoes (optional)
1/2 Tbs. - Parsley (optional)
1 Tbs. - Johnny’s Garlic Seasonings (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place into a saucepan the chowder mix, half & half, corn, potato, parsley, Johnny’s, salt/pepper and red pepper flakes. Heat gently over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until chowder is hot. Simmer the chowder longer if you would like a thicker soup. Ladle into serving dishes and garnish with the chopped bacon, enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Last Sunday my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day, he cooked me a fabulous breakfast and in return I cooked him a wonderful slow cooker meal. Let me ask you this...do you ever have cravings for food from your child hood? From time to time I do, about a week ago I had such a huge craving for Dinty Moore Beef Stew. I wanted a bowl of this stew so bad I could actually smell it cooking in the house, how weird is that? The next day on my way home from work I stopped at the store and bought a can for us to have for dinner, on the can I found a recipe that to me sounded so simple yet delish. I did make a few changes to the recipe to call it my own, so this is the recipe that I chose to cook for my honey on Valentine’s Day.

3 C. - Rotini Noodles (uncooked)
1 (10 1/2oz) - Can Condensed Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 C. - Beef Broth
2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1/2 C. - Sour Cream
1 Large Can - Dinty Moore Beef Stew

In the slow cooker combine the noodles, soup, stew, broth and seasoning. Stir to mix the items well. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. After the 2 hours of cooking turn off the slow cooker and stir in the sour cream. Serve with a side salad and some garlic toast for a great tasting and easy supper.

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Seafood Chowder

My husband in my opinion makes the best chowder in the world....He has made me so many variations over the years but this time he threw caution into the wind and went all out with his Seafood Chowder. It was over the top incredible; it had such fabulous texture and flavor. This chowder makes any freezing cold night warm, I can't wait until he makes me more to enjoy and devour. I love you honey with all my heart and soul; we make an incredible team in life, love, marriage and cooking.

1 1/2 C. - Fresh Corn Kernels
1 Small - Diced Onion
1 Tbs. - Minced Garlic
1/2 Lbs. - Diced Bacon
2 6.5oz Cans - Clams in liquid
4 Small - Tilapia Fillets
1 C. Medium - Shelled Clean Shrimp (Deveined)
3 Medium - Yukon Taters (cubed)
1 Tsp. - Salmon Seasoning
1 Tsp. - Garlic Lemon Seasoning
3 Tbs. - Butter
1 Qt. - Heavy Cream
1/2 Tsp. - Pepper
1/2 Tsp. - Herb De Provence
1/2 Tsp. - Parsley
1/4 Tsp. - Cayenne
1/2 Tsp. - Cilantro
1/4 Tsp. - Nutmeg
Salt

Boil taters in salted water until fork tender, about 15 minutes. In a frying pan over medium high heat cook the bacon until crispy; remove to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. In the bacon grease cook the onion and corn just until the onion is translucent. When the taters are cooked drain off the extra water leaving 1 cup in the soup pot. Remove the corn and onion from frying pan add a little EVOO to sauté the fish and shrimp with just a pinch of salt. When the fish is translucent and the shrimp is pink toss in the clams with juice and cook for 3 minutes. Add the seafood to the taters along with the corn, onions, and bacon. Add butter, cream and all of the seasonings then simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if needed. If not thick enough add a thicken agent, like sprinkling in Wondra, or make a mixture of Cornstarch or Flour with water, thicken to your desired consistency. Serve in big bowls with crackers or as we did in an edible bread bowl.

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Turkey & Stuffing Dumpling Stoup

Today is our last installment of our Thanksgiving leftover ideas; this one was outstanding and very delicious! This leftover soup idea was amazingly easy and made use of all the rest of the leftovers. This is a very hearty, robust and thick soup/stew that has all the flavors and comforts of the original Thanksgiving dinner.

1 1/2 Lbs. - Diced Turkey
2 15oz. - Cans Diced Taters ( or diced leftover boiled taters)
2 C. - Leftover Stuffing
1 - Egg
3 Tbs. - Flour
2 32 oz. - Chicken Stock ( turkey stock if you have it)
2 Tbs. - Cream
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Seasoning
1 C. - Leftover Corn Kernels
1 Tbs. - EVOO
2 Tbs. - Butter
1 - Medium Onion ( diced )
1 - Bay Leaf
1Tsp. - Poultry Seasoning
1 Tbs. - Chopped Parsley
1/2 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat a large soup pot on medium high with the EVOO and butter, sauté the onion and garlic until just tender. Then add the turkey, corn, bay leaf, and seasonings, then cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and add the taters and bring to a boil, let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes. While the soup is cooking, mix in a bowl the stuffing, flour, and beaten egg. Once well mixed form into balls about the size of a walnut. After the soup has cooked for the 20 minutes gently place the stuffing dumplings into the boiling soup, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes. When the dumplings are cooked add the cream and thicken the stoup with a cornstarch and water slurry for a nice thick consistency. Serve this fabulous soup with Thanksgiving Day leftover green salad and enjoy.

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Crispy Orange Chicken

I have stumbled upon another great recipe in our America's Most Wanted cook book, this time it is from the fabulous restaurant of Apple Bee's. I can honestly say that I have never tried this dish in the restaurant so I have nothing to compare it to, but it turned out scrumptious. We really love Asian food and it has gotten so expensive to go out for it so making this recipe at home was a big winner for us. It could not be any easier, more cost effective and downright delish!

3 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into cubes)
1 - Egg (beaten)
1 1/2 Tsp. - Salt
1/4 Tsp. - Ground Pepper
1 Tbs. - Vegetable Oil
1 C. - Flour
1 Tsp. - Cornstarch

Glaze:

1 Tsp. - Minced Garlic
1 C. - Orange Juice
1/2 C. - Hoisin Sauce
1/4 C. - Sugar
1 Tbs. - Sesame Seeds
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Place the chicken into a bowl along with the egg and oil, stir to combine. In another bowl mix the flour and cornstarch together. Dredge the chicken in small batches in the flour mixture until evenly coated, then cook in a deep fryer set at 375 degrees for 4 minutes then drain on paper towel, continue cooking the chicken until all pieces are fried. While you are cooking the batches of chicken make the sauce, in a sauce pan add a little more oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat just until tender, be careful not to burn it. Add the remaining items and bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, then turn down to simmer and let reduce until thick, make sure to keep an eye on it and stir constantly so it does not burn. We served the chicken over jasmine rice and drizzle the sauce over the top; this chicken would also be good with a sweet and sour sauce or putting the sesame seeds into the batter and serving it alongside egg fu yung brown gravy for dipping.

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Father's Day Sliders

Last Saturday my husband and I were in downtown Portland, we drove past Williams & Sonoma and they had a picture of sliders hanging in the window. I told my husband that we should make some for our Father’s day posting and so we started to think of things we could do. My husband came up with the spice mix for the ground beef, I thought of 2 sauces we could use on the buns and our daughter Trisha wanted caramelized onions on the third slider. These were so much fun to make and even more fun to eat, I have never had them before but I will most certainly have them again.

Burgers:

1 Lbs. - Ground Beef
1 Tsp. - Garlic (chopped)
1 Tsp. - Sweet Mesquite Seasoning
1/2 Tsp. - Smoked Paprika
1/8 Tsp. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1/8 tsp. - Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp. - Thai Seasoning

Salt & Pepper
12 King Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

Mix the meat and spices together, divide into 12 walnut sized balls and then shape into patties. Cook over medium high heat on a grill pan for about 5 minutes per side. Serve with the following toppings...

Caramelized Onions:

1/2 - Red Onion
2 Tbs. - Butter
1/2 Tsp. - Brown Sugar

Sauté the onions in the butter for about 20 minutes and then stir in the sugar and cook for another 10 minutes.

Honey Mustard Mayo:

1/3 C. - Mayo
1 Tbs. - Honey Mustard
1/2 Tbs. - Honey
1/2 Tbs. - Spicy Brown Mustard

Mix Well

Garlic Mayo:

1/3 C. - Mayo
1/2 Tsp. - Chopped Garlic
1/2 Tsp. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning

Mix Well

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Dunkin French Onion Soup

My husband and I stepped out of our box the other day and made something for dinner that we had only eaten once and have always wondered what it would taste like if we prepared it our way. We had each tried this item once on separate occasions and thought it was OK but of course new that we could put the Dunkin twist on it and make it our own ultimate version that we would absolutely love. We could not have been happier with the outcome, it was fabulous and oh so sinfully good.

1 - Large Onion (diced)
8 Tbs. - Butter
2 Tbs. - Oil
4 C. - Chicken Stock
4 C. - Beef Stock
8 Slices - French Bread (1 inch)
1 C. - Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 C. - Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1 Tbs. - Montreal Steak Seasoning

Pepper to taste
Corn Starch to thicken soup

In a soup pot melt the 4 Tbs. Of the butter with the oil, sauté the onions until just slightly caramelized, this will take about 20 minutes. When tender and a golden rich color add in the chicken and beef stock along with the pepper, Montreal steak seasoning and 1 ½ Tbs. of the Johnny's garlic, simmer the soup for another 15 minutes. In the mean time use the remaining butter and Johnny's to turn your French bread into garlic bread, place onto a baking sheet and cook in a 350 degree oven just until the butter mixture has melted. Once the bread is ready remove the tray from the oven and turn the oven to broil, top each slice of bread with a mixture of the cheeses and return to the oven to melt and brown the cheese. While the cheese is melting thicken the soup to the consistency you like, we like a cross between a soup and a stew. Once the soup is thick and the toast is ready then you can ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a piece of the garlic cheese toast. We really think that by using both types of broth and caramelizing the onion gave this soup a very rich and silky taste.

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Cheesy Grits Casserole

I love grits and I am always in search of new ways to make them into a meal, not just a side dish. I found this fabulous recipe in my Taste of Home Cookbook and OMG was it scrumptious. If you like grits I really think you will love this simple dish and you are not fond of grits I still think you should try it because it may just change your mind.

1 Lbs. - Bulk Sausage (pork or chicken)
4 C. - Water
1 Tsp. - Salt
1 C. - Quick Cooking Grits
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
4 Eggs - (beaten)
1 ½ C. - Shredded Cheddar Cheese
½ C. - Milk
¼ C. - Butter (cubed)

Crumble the sausage into a frying pan and cook over medium heat until no longer pink and it is a little crispy; drain and set aside. In a saucepan bring water, salt & Johnny’s to a boil. Slowly stir in the grits then reduce heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and temper your eggs with a small amount of the grits, return all to the saucepan. Stir in the sausage, 1 c. of cheese, milk, butter, and then stir until all of the butter is melted. Transfer to greased 13x9 baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the topping is nice and golden. This dish makes a great breakfast item with some fruit or a totally awesome dinner with a side salad.

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Tuscan Turkey Soup

It has been really cold, windy and rainy in Beaverton lately and the only thing to cure that is to make a big pot of soup. My husband found a recipe for a soup that we thought would do the trick to warm us up from the inside out, we wanted a soup that was thick, hearty and full of flavor and this recipe had all of that. We did of course take the liberty to add a few things to make it more our own recipe and to make this soup really have a kick.

1 C. - Chopped Onion
1 Tsp. - Minced Garlic
2 Tbs. - EVOO
2 (14.5 oz) - Cans Chicken Broth
2 C. - Cubed Turkey
1 Can (15 oz) - Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 Can (15 oz) - Cannellini Beans
½ Tsp. - Salt
½ Tsp. - Dried Basil
¼ Tsp. - Pepper
2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasonings
½ Tbs. - Italian Seasonings
½ Tsp. - Louisiana Season or Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Large - Red Potatoes (cubed)
Wondra Flour or Corn Starch
Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in the EVOO until tender. Stir in the broth, turkey, pumpkin, beans, potatoes and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and everything is heated. Thicken with some Wondra flour or corn starch to the desired thickness you like, then dish into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

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Turkey & Stuffing Egg Rolls

Every year we all wonder what to do with the Christmas Dinner leftovers, we all love them but we get tired of the same old leftover ideas. This year I think we came up with a real winner winner turkey leftover dinner. This leftover idea was so simple, easy and versatile that I can't believe we hadn't thought of it before. I had 2 ideas for great dipping sauce to go with these little gems but I am sorry to say that they were after thoughts. The first being a turkey gravy dipping sauce and the other a cranberry dipping sauce, I think either one would be fantastic.

8 - Large Egg Roll Wraps
1 C. -Stuffing
½ C. -Cubed or Shredded Turkey Meat
Water

Lay out the each wrap and fill with 2 Tbs. of stuffing and 1 Tbs. of turkey, seal the edges with a little water and fold like the below diagram. When all the egg rolls have been made heat the oil in your deep fryer to 350 degrees and cook only a few at a time as to not crowd the fryer. Cook on each side until golden brown and crispy, rolling periodically. Take out and drain on paper towel then serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce.

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The Double Grilled Cheese Burger

We had a new restaurant here in Portland Oregon, open in April of this year called ‘The Grilled Cheese Grill”, I looked them up on-line and was able to see the menu, now how can you go wrong at a place that the entire menu of sammies that are some type of grilled cheese. My husband and I were very intrigued by this place; it was like being a kid all over again. That is until you read further down the menu; I was finding what I would consider to be very sophisticated grilled cheese sammies, along with some very creative dessert sammies. I knew that we had to go give this place a try for sure, again how could you not.... I read further down the menu to see something I knew immediately that I had to try. The Cheesus Burger, this monster of a burger has no bun; nope instead it has 2 grilled cheese sammies with each one having their own fillings and kind of cheese. After I regained my composure my husband and I made a date to go check this place out and experience the Cheesus Burger for ourselves. Last Friday night we headed out to the restaurant and when we arrived we were shocked to see that it was not a restaurant but a school bus and travel trailer. The trailer was the kitchen where all of the masterpieces are made and the school bus is the dining room, this place was so much fun. The bus has a mural painted on the ceiling and the tables have what look to be junior high school pictures covering the top of them, each table has a cup of trivia game cards for you to play while you wait for your order to be called out that its ready. This hip trendy place does not even give you a number, instead they give you basketball trading cards and the players name is what the cook will call out when your order is up. My husband took some great pictures of this place and of course The Cheesus Burger, so last night for dinner we made our own version that we lovingly called …

8 - Slices of White Bread
4 - Slices Bacon (cooked)
2 - 1/2 Lb. Burgers (cooked)
1 - Sliced Onion (caramelized)
10 - Sweet Chip Pickles (pat dry)
4 - Slices Pepper Jack Cheese
4 - Slices Colby Jack Cheese
Mayo
Butter

Butter all 8 pieces of bread on one side; lay 4 of them buttered side down on a hot (350 degree) electric grill. Top 2 of them with 1 piece each of pepper jack, onions and 1 piece of bacon broken into 2 pieces. Then another slice of pepper jack on top with another piece of bread, buttered side up. On the other 2 pieces of bread place 1 piece each of the Colby jack cheese, 5 pickles, 1 piece of bacon broken into 2 pieces then another slice of Colby jack and top with another piece of bread, buttered side up. Cook on each side until golden, crisp and the cheese is melted. On a plate set down one sammie and spread on some mayo then top it with the burger, on the other sammie spread on some mayo and place it on top of the burger mayo side down. Cut your burger in half and grab a pile of napkins.

THE KITCHEN



THE DINING ROOM



THE TABLES IN THE BUS



THE CEILING IN THE BUS



THE BAR IN THE BUS



THE CHEESUS BURGER...



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Crock Pot Boneless Beef Ribs

I had mentioned to my husband that I really wanted to make some boneless beef ribs for dinner and he thought that it sounded great. However we wanted something a little different other than just cooking them on the BBQ. I looked on line and found some really wonderful sounding recipes but the one that really caught my eye was using a crock pot. We all know how much I love to use mine, this recipe has so many items in it that I have either never used or would have never thought to put together in the same dish. I must say though these were by far the best boneless beef ribs I have ever had, I bet they would be just as awesome if I used pork ribs too.

2/3 C. - Flour
2 Tsp. - Salt
1/2 Tsp. - Pepper
4 Lbs. - Boneless Beef Ribs
1/4 C. - Butter
1 Large - Chopped Onion
1 ½ C. - Beef Broth
3/4 C. - Garlic Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 C. - Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C. - Sweet Chili Sauce
1/3 C. - Ketchup
3 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1 ½ Tsp. - Chili Powder

In a large zippy bag place the flour, salt & pepper, mix to combine. Add the ribs in batches and shake to coat. In a large frying pan melt the butter and brown the ribs on all sides, transfer the browned ribs to the bottom of a 5 qt crock pot. In the same frying pan combine the remaining items and bring to a boil, pour over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart. Serve hot over mashed taters then ladle some of the sauce over top.

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