BBQ Food for June's Recipe Exchange

For all of us not native to the South, the above video might dash our conceptions about BBQing. Don't worry, whether you refer to it as a BBQ or a cookout, recipe exchange this month will be anything you would bring to such an event. So bust out your best summer time recipes and bring them Wednesday, June 10 at 7:45 pm.

Thanks for all those who attended last month and posted their recipes which can be found below. Hopefully, soon we will have all the recipes that are brought.

Easter Brunch

April's recipe exchange is days before Easter Sunday. I thought it would be nice to have a few more recipes to try this year. Furthermore, breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. We often will have breakfast for dinner even. That is why Brunches are so fantastic. Hope to see you Wednesday, April 8th at 7:45 at the Tovar home (9034 Broadmoor Bend) for some good eats.

Once you have decided on your recipe, please leave it as a comment on this post or send me an email so we can add it to the final post. If you needed recipes from the previous exchange, check out March's post.

Also, Christine wasn't able to come but still posted her recipe in the comment section which in turn was added to the blog. Please submit your recipe even if you can't make it. The downside to this option though is the rest of us will miss your company as well as sampling the recipe.

March Recipes

I am sorry for all those who did not have the lucky chance of being at the recipe exchange on Wednesday. You were missed. The recipes and conversation were fantastic. See you next month with your brunch ideas.



Shepherd's Pie (Rachelle)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground hamburger
1/2 pkg Stove Top Stuffing (any flavor)
Mashed Potatoes (instant or favorite recipe)
4 oz grated cheese (or more)
3 green onions, chopped
3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 plum tomato, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Pour the 1/2 box of stove top stuffing in a medium size bowl. Pour enough warm water to almost cover. After the water is soaked into the stuffing, mix in the meat. Spread the meat mixture onto a foiled lined pan in the shape of your final dish. (I usually use a pie dish so I free form shape it into a circle) Cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer the meat into the pie dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Cover with onions and bacon and cheese. Cook until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tomatoes on top. Serve with salad and enjoy.

The Best of Granola (Tovi)

6 cups rolled oats (can use any combination of rolled grains)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup nuts (more if you wish-whole or chopped: walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecans)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup melted honey (more if you wish a sweeter taste or it to clump more)
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit (dates, pineapple, plum, apple, etc)
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
2 T vanilla

Mix grains, nuts, seeds, and coconut together. Pour oil and honey over the mixture and stir well. Spread on lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake at 275 for 30 minutes or until mixture is golden brown. Do not over bake! Remove from oven, pour into large stainless bowl, and add dried fruit and flavorings. Serve with milk and fresh fruit or eat as a snack. Use for yogurt or ice cream topping. Store in tightly sealed container. Refrigerate if kept for a long time. For variety, add 1 t cinnamon and 1 t nutmeg. High in fiber, minerals, and vitamin C.

Red Potato Oven Fries (Julie)

2 pounds red potatoes, washed
3 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence or (dried parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme combined)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning) or 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450

Lin a cookie sheet with foil. Cut potatoes into wedges and drop onto cookie sheet. Coat potatoes in oil. Season with dried spices and grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, 25 min.



Taco soup (Molly)

1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
2 cans tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 small onion (chopped)
2 c. water
1 lb. ground hamburger or turkey

In large pot add the first 5 ingredients. Brown hamburger in skillet with chopped onion. Add browned hamburger and onion, plus the 2 cups of water to the large pot. simmer low 20 min. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.


Yummy Spaghetti (Christine)
Add the following to your choice of spaghetti and sauce (GO PREGO) to make a more complete meal.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into strips
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced into strips
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced into strips
1 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced into strips
1/2-1 onion sliced into strips (depends on how oniony you want it)
1-2 garlic cloves minced (depends on how garlicky you want it)
1 pound Mild or Hot Italian Sausage

Preheat oven to 350. Get a cookie sheet with the high edges (not the ones with no lip on the edge). Poor a good amount of oil into the pan and place sausage on it. Rub each piece of sausage with oil, covering it. Cook in oven 20 minutes on each side (40 minutes total). When they are done slice into little circles.

While the sausage is in the oven heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add Garlic and saute until garlic is just brown. Add Onion and Bell Pepper. Saute for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are to desired consistency. Add sausage and about a cup full of sauce to de-glaze the pan (mix sauce in and then rub the pan bottom to get all the nice juices up off it). Serve on top of spaghetti.

Never Fail Pie Crust (Becca)

2 1/2 c flour
1 c shortening (butter flavor)
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c cold water - I add ice
1 T vinegar (apple cider is really good)

Mix together flour, shortening and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until clumps are about the size of large peas. Blend together egg, cold water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture and mix lightly with a fork. Roll out, place in pie pan and fill and flute as desired. Keep pie crust from getting soggy by rubbing egg white, slightly beaten, on bottom and sprinkle with flour. Bake pie shell at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 crusts.

FILLING:
Cream pies -
lg pkg. instant pudding mix (whatever flavor)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipped cream (whipped)
Stir together and put into pie shell. Let it set up in the fridge for at least an hour or two.

Banana Cream pie: line bananas on the bottom and put some in mixture.



Lemon Cheese Bars (Kimberli)

1 package lemon cake mix (18.5 oz)

1/3 cup veg oil

2 large eggs

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (~ 1 lemon)

Preheat to 350 (center rack). Blend cake mix, oil, and 1 egg for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. The mixture should be crumbly. Reserve approx 1 cup for the topping. Transfer the remaining into ungreased 9X13 pan (note: I always use 9X9 square pan because I like them thicker). Using your fingertips, press the mixture evently over the bottom of the pan so it reaches all sides. Bake crust 13-15 minutes.

You can use the same bowl/beaters for the filling. To make the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add sugar, lemon juice, and 1 egg. Beat until well combined (about 1-2 minutes). Pour over crust and scatter reserved crust over filling.

Bake 14 to 15 minutes until golden brown and filling just starts to set. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve. (I actually like them cold best, so I make them ahead of time and refrigerate. Also, I've used white and yellow cake mixes and just added a little lemon juice to them. That was the case for the recipe exchange. Other kinds of cake mixes might be good too.)

Dump Cake (Linda)

1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter

Dump the canned fruit into baking dish. Cover with the cake mix and place the cube of butter on top. Cook in 350 degree oven until golden brown on top. Place on a cookie sheet before baking in order to catch any drips.