Category Archives: Sauce

Well, my husband’s birthday just passed and I wanted to throw him a party. I decided I wanted to make a comfort food feast and top it off with a fantastic cake. Needless to say, I think I was successful! Thank you to all that joined in on the fun! Without further ado, here is the menu and recipes from that night!

Drink:

Pineapple Kona Pop and Blueberry Bliss Herbal Ice Tea

Appetizers:

Beef Nachos

Mac N’ Cheese Bites

Vegetable Platter with Tzatziki Sauce

Dinner:

BBQ Pulled Pork made with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade Onion Sandwich Rolls

Coleslaw

Bacon Baked Beans

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Corn on the Cob

Dessert:

Kit Kat Cake

Low Fat Fudge Pops

Full Yet? Party has just begun!

Pineapple Kona Pop and Blueberry Bliss Herbal Ice Tea Recipe:

Makes 1 gallon:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of Pineapple Kona Pop Herbal Tea

1/4 cup of Blueberry Bliss Herbal Tea

15 cups of water + 1 cup on the side

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

Cheesecloth

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with 15 cups of water and bring to about 210 F
2. When water is at temperature, add the teas.
3. Lower heat and brew until tea is slightly stronger than you like. Then remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a separate pot, combine 1 cup of water with the brown and white sugars.
5. Heat sugar and water until sugar is fully dissolved. Then remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Using a cheesecloth, strain the tea water into your serving pitcher.
7. Add sugar-water and stir to combine.
8. Chill until ready to serve.

Beef Nachos:

Ingredients:

1 lbs lean ground beef

2 tablespoons of Arizona Dreaming Spice From Penzey’s

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of water

4 oz of canned diced chili (I used Diced Hatch Chili)

2 cups of Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese

Salsa

Sour Cream

1 lbs of Tortillas Chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F
2. Brown beef in a large frying pan.
3. Drain fat
4. Add Arizona Dreaming Spice, salt and water and combine well.
5. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
6. Spread half the tortilla chips in a deep dish baking pan.
7. Top with 1/3 of the cheeses.
8. Spread half the beef mixture over the cheese and then half the chilis
9. Place another 1/3 of the cheese over the chili and beef.
10. Layer the remaining tortilla chips, beef, chili and cheese.
11. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese start to bubble.
12. Serve with sour cream and salsa

Mac N’Cheese Bites

Makes 60+ Bites

Ingredients:

Your favorite Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

(I used Kraft  Elbows – Original Recipe-Husband’s favorite)

Cooking Spray

Mini Muffin Tray

Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425F
2. Cook macaroni and cheese according to package instructions (or make your own from scratch)
3. Spray with cooking spray, your mini muffin pans
4. Place 1/2 tablespoon of macaroni and cheese into each muffin well and lightly compress it down.
5. Sprinkle tops of macaroni with Mexican blend cheese
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Allow macaroni and cheese to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan (or they will fall apart)
8. To make ahead, allow the macaroni and cheese bites to cool completely and refrigerate. Reheat in an oven 400F for about 5 minutes.

Vegetable Platter with Tzatziki Sauce:

I used broccoli, cucumbers, bell peppers (red and green) and baby carrots for my vegetable tray.

Tzatziki Sauce:

Ingredients:

14 oz of Greek Yogurt

1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic (must be fresh)

1/2 teaspoon of dried or fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Homemade BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup of butter

1/2 cup of water

30 ounces tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of onion powder

1 teaspoon of cayenne powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon of ground dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3-4 dashes of mesquite liquid smoke (optional)

cooking thermometer

large cooking pot (ingredients will rise up a little)

Directions:

1. Combine butter, brown sugar and water in a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature of the mixture reaches 250 F.
3. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.
4. Slowly (1/4 cup at a time) add tomato sauce, mixing thoroughly . Be careful as the mixture will sputter and rise a bit.
5. Once all the tomato sauce is incorporated, add the remaining ingredients.
6. Let the BBQ sauce simmer for another 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pulled BBQ Pork

Ingredients:

1 pork shoulder (pork butt), skin removed

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard powder

32 oz of low sodium chicken broth

BBQ Sauce (made previously, minus 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Combine the spices and rub it over the pork shoulder.
2. Allow pork to marinate for at least 24 hours.
3. Heat oven to 325F
4. In an oven safe pot with a lid, brown the pork shoulder on all sides, on the stove.
5. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
6. Place the lid on the pot and put the entire pot into the oven
7. Bake for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until the pork shreds easily.
8. Shred the pork shoulder, removing any bones or big pieces of fat.
9. Add the BBQ sauce and mix well.

Coleslaw:

Ingredients:

2 packages of shredded cabbage and carrots

2 tablespoons of minced onions

2 tablespoons of minced bell peppers

1 cup of good quality mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of white pepper

1/4 teaspoon of celery salt

1/4 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for 1 hour before serving in the refrigerator.

BBQ Bacon Baked Beans: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon, cut into halves or thirds

1 small onion, diced small

1 small green bell pepper, diced small

2 jalapenos, diced small – including seeds

2 cans (28 oz) of pork and beans

1/2 cup of BBQ sauce (made earlier)

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. In a large saute pan, fry the bacon until it is partially cooked. Place bacon on napkins to drain.
3. Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon fat, saute the onions, bell pepper and jalapenos until tender.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
5. Pour mixture into a greased deep baking pan.
6. Top with bacon strips.
7. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, when the sauce has the consistency of syrup.

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of small red potatoes, quartered

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons of garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons of onion powder

1 tablespoons of dried parsley

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Mix together potatoes with seasoning and olive oil and place in baking dish.
4. Bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until potatoes start browning and are fully cooked

Roasted Corn on the Cob:

Ingredients:

Corn

Aluminum Foil

Directions:

1. Soak Corn in water for at least 1 hour prior to baking
2. Preheat oven to 400 F
3. Wrap each corn in aluminum foil.
4. Place corn on an aluminum covered tray (Corn has a tendency to leak its juices)
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning half way.

Kit Kat Cake (and 6 cupcakes):

Ingredients:

10-11 4 stick Kit Kat packets

1 medium-sized M&Ms

2 containers of chocolate frosting

2 9 inch round cake pan

1 muffin pan with cupcake liners

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon of baking powder

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 sticks of butter (unsalted – 12 tablespoon of butter)

3/4 cup of Ghirardelli cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups of water

1/4 cup of milk

Ribbon (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring water and milk to a boil and then set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease your cake pans. Optional, line bottoms with a circle of parchment paper.
3. Beat butter with sugar and eggs.
4. Add cocoa powder and vanilla.
5. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Slowly mix in water/milk solution.
7. Line 6 muffin wells with cupcake liners and fill with cake batter. (Don’t want the cake to get too high, plus snacks are good!)
8. Divide remaining batter between the two cake pans.
9. Bake 20-25 minutes for cupcakes and 30-35 minutes for the cake pans.
10. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes before turning out the cakes onto a cooling rack.
11. Cool completely before frosting. (I made these a day ahead, wrapped them in plastic wrap and refrigerated them until I was ready to use them)

Assembly:

1. Place one cake layer on a decorating plate (regular flat plate) and cover with frosting.
2. Try to make a layer of frosting on the top of first cake and place the second cake on top.
3. Cover entire cake with frosting
4. Unwrap and separate Kit Kats and stick them to the sides of the cake (the frosting is great glue)…Side note, try to get the words to face the same way.
5. Fill the top of the cake with the M&Ms, leaving some to decorate the bottom of the cake.
6. Place a tiny bit of frosting on the back of each M&M and stick it to the bottom of the Kit Kats.
7. Tie a ribbon around the cake…take pictures..post them! 🙂

PHEW! That is enough typing for me today. My word counter quit on me 🙂 Happy Cooking Everyone!!

Btw, welcome new readers! I hope you will love trying out these recipes and being a part of my cooking experience!