Bacon Wrapped Armadillo Eggs

 

Bacon Wrapped Armadillo Eggs

(4 large eggs)

 

Ingredients:

4 large Jalapeno Peppers

8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 clove Fresh Garlic, grated

to taste Salt and Pepper

1 lb. Bulk Ground Italian Sausage

12 slices Bacon

Directions:

Remove the stem top of each pepper and core them out.  In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined.  Stuff each jalapeno pepper with the cream cheese mixture.  Now take a fourth of the sausage and form around the jalapeno pepper covering it completely.  Take 3 slices of bacon and wrap one around the egg top to bottom.  Take the next two slices and wrap them around the egg making sure to cover all the sausage.  Use toothpicks if needed to secure the bacon.  Heat your grill to medium, oil grates and place eggs on grill.  Cook turning as needed until bacon is crisp and eggs are cooked through.  About 25-30 minutes is required.  Remove when done and slice in half lengthwise to make 8 servings.  Serve warm.

Notes:              Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.  They can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated until needed.   I’d pull them to sit on a counter 30 minutes before grilling.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Chicken Stuffed Jalapenos

 

Chicken Stuffed Jalapenos

(24 halves)

 

Ingredients:

12 Jalapeno Peppers (see note)

¼ tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken

1½ tbsp. Ground Cumin

2 tbsp. Salsa

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

4 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat all the ingredients (except the jalapeno peppers) until well combined.  Using a spoon, put about 1 tbsp. in each pepper half.  Place them on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet.  Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20 minutes.  Serve warm.

Notes:              Pick medium to medium-large peppers for this recipe.  Halve them lengthwise and remove seeds.  If you like your food spicy, add the seeds to the other ingredients as you mix the filling.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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More Tailgate Food

This week I have a couple more recipes for tailgating or just good eating.  Both recipes call for stuffing jalapeno peppers.  But both are a little different.

First up on Wednesday is “Chicken Stuffed Jalapenos” and it uses chicken with cream cheese.  Then on Thursday, try “Bacon Wrapped Armadillo Eggs” for something really different.

The jalapenos are stuffed with a cream cheese mixture, then coated with Italian sausage and wrapped in bacon.  This one is for the grill. 

Hope you enjoy these and the other tailgate recipes I’ve posted this month.  And may your team have a great season.  Enjoy! 

Until next time, “Happy Cooking” and please help spread the link to others.  Thanks.

Pineapple-Ginger Wings

 

Pineapple-Ginger Wings

(4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

½ cup Pineapple Juice

¼ cup Orange Juice

¼ cup Lime Juice

¼ cup Soy Sauce

¼ cup Canola Oil

1 tsp. Ground Coriander

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

½ cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

4 cloves Fresh Garlic

1 medium Serrano Pepper

1 2-inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled

24 1^st and 2^nd joints Chicken Wings

3 Green Onions, thinly bias-sliced

2 tbsp. White Sesame Seeds, toasted

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the juices, soy sauce, oil, coriander and salt.  Fold in the cilantro.  Using a microplane, grate the garlic, serrano and ginger into the bowl.  Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Set aside half the sauce in a small saucepan.  Toss wings in remaining sauce to coat.  Marinate 15 to 20 minutes (no longer because the pineapple juice will start to cook the chicken).  Arrange wings in a single layer on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with foil.  Place in a pre-heated 225-degree oven for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook the reserved sauce over medium-low heat until reduced by half stirring occasionally.  This will take about 30 minutes.  Remove foil from wings and increase oven to 425-degrees.  Glaze wings with a brush or spoon with reduced sauce.  Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165-degree.  Glaze wings once more as soon as they are out of the oven.  Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with green onions, toasted sesame seeds and some additional chopped cilantro and serve warm.

Notes:              If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use a wire rack in the rimmed baking sheet.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Party Chicken Wings

 

Party Chicken Wings

(4-5 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 lb. Chicken Wings, 1^st and 2^nd joints

1½ tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Oregano

½ tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Onion Powder

Directions:

Place chicken in a large zip-lock bag.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and then add to the bag with the chicken.  Seal and shake until wings are well coated.  Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.  Arrange wings on the foil and place in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 35 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375-degrees and continue baking for another 20 minutes.  Turn off oven and leaving wings to sit in oven for 20 minutes more before removing and serving.  Use a variety of dipping sauces to compliment the wings.

Notes:              You could use chicken legs instead of wings in this recipe.  But you will need to adjust the cooking time based on the size of the legs.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Football Season Recipes, Part 2

 As we continue with recipes for football season, this week we have chicken wings for you.  Wings have become one of the most favored foods for all sporting event parties.

There are literally hundreds of wing recipes.  This week I have two that you may not have seen or tried.

For Wednesday, let’s try “Party Chicken Wings” with your favorite dipping sauces.  Then on Thursday, we have “Pineapple-Ginger Wings” for some sticky fingers.

As with many wing recipes, you can always adjust the level of heat to meet your desired preference.

Also, for new comers, there are 3 joints to a chicken wing.  Only two of them are used for eating.  The 3^rd joint or wing tip is discarded for eating.  But if you have to buy the whole wing, save and freeze the tips for making chicken stock later.

Until next time, “Happy Cooking” and please remember to share the link with others.  Thanks.

Crunchy Pickle Dip

 

Crunchy Pickle Dip

(6-8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

1½ cups Dill Pickles, finely chopped

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, room temperature

¼ cup Sour Cream

¼ cup Pickle Juice

½ tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Onion Powder

to taste Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Place chopped pickles between layers of paper towels and let sit for 15-20 minutes or until well drained.  In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth.  Then stir in pickles, pickles juice, garlic powder and onion powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer into a serving dish and serve or refrigerate until needed.  Serve with chips of some kind, pretzels and/or veggies.

Notes:              You might try adding about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to brighten it up a little more.

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Slow-Cooker Vidalia Onion Dip

 

Slow-Cooker Vidalia Onion Dip

(6 cups)

 

Ingredients:

8 cups Vidalia Onion, diced

2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded

1 cup White Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tbsp. Fresh Chives, chopped

Directions:

In a 4-qt. Slow-Cooker coated with cooking spray, combine onions, vinegar, butter, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low until onions are golden and soft (6 hours).  Drain and discard liquid from onions; return to Slow-Cooker.  Stir in cream cheese, Gruyere, cheddar and chives.  Cover and cook on low until melted, stirring occasionally (20 minutes).  Serve with chips of some kind, pretzels and/or fresh veggies.

Notes:              You can use Swiss cheese in place of the Gruyere if you desire.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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