There was a time when McDonald’s thought it could take on my favorite fast-food burger, the Burger King Whopper. They up’d the game by making their patties bigger than the one on the Whopper. And of course, they copied the fresh toppings. Well, I’m not sure how long they lasted, but it couldn’t have been long. I love the classics, so I make my copycat McDonald’s Big Xtra Burgers at home. I have to since I can’t get it at the restaurant any more! I prefer to cook my burgers ‘smash burger’ style. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time to make a copycat McDonald’s Big Xtra bu ..read more

I’m a big lover of cooking outside on a grill. Gas or charcoal, I like to mix it up. Grilling outside is a great substitute for cooking inside on or in an oven, plus you just can’t beat the experience and the added flavor. I made this spicy hot meat loaf using a grill and it came out fantastic. As a bonus, it picked up a light smokiness, which went great along with the spicy meat mixture that was packed with flavors, some traditionally found in a meatloaf and some not. I cooked my spicy hot meat loaf using a grill in a large cast iron skillet. I could’ve used a large aluminum disposable pan ..read more

My wife has declared this our ‘go to’ easy slow cooker ground beef chili and I definitely have to agree. It could only be easier (but certainly not as yummy) if it came out of a can. The southwestern flavors have lots of time to really carry through every ingredient as the chili cooks in the slow cooker for a few hours. I don’t consider it to be a spicy chili even with the addition of spicy V-8 juice and a jalapeno. If you prefer a spicier version, use a hotter pepper and use hot chili powder instead. My wife prefers her slow cooker ground beef chili served over cooked elbow macaroni. The fir ..read more

I was in a major comfort-food craving mood. Something that’d stick to my ribs and warm my belly! No salads here, nope. Ok, maybe one on the side. But the star of the show had to be this pepperoni pizza hamburger helper. Imagine each and every bite being just like taking a bite of a loaded pepperoni pizza. But no delivery required here. Just a pot and a few ingredients and a little time. You can substitute crumbled bulk Italian sausage for the hamburger if you desire for a bit more pizza flavor. But you don’t need to. This pepperoni pizza hamburger helper is great just as it is. And it reheats ..read more

If you’re going to make garlic cheeseburgers, don’t do it halfway. Don’t just sprinkle a bit of garlic salt on a patty and call it done. No. Get some garlic in everywhere. In the patties. On the patties. On the buns. And then add some more. Your goal is to make sure no vampires would dare come within 500 feet of you. Get ready for it. Here comes the garlic! You’re not going to find a much easier burger to make than these garlic cheeseburgers. We’re not making some fru-fru $22 brew pub burger here. And we’re not making some burger that you’re going to make for that first date, either. These ar ..read more

I am not a crab specialist. Crab connoisseurs would watch me crack crab legs and dig out the meat and probably giggle. Things fly everywhere. But I get the job done. And I absolutely love the final result. I could eat crab all day. That usually means grilling them. Or boiling them. This time, though, I tried sous vide snow crab legs. Let me tell you, this is my go-to way for perfect crab legs from here on. It’s easy, quick, and the result is deliciously fantastic! The flavor in these crab legs is fantastic. At least in my case, I added butter (and lots of it) and Old Bay seasoning (and lots o ..read more

Polenta. Just the saying the word makes me happy. Creamy. Pleasantly filling. Great plain but also a great base for many different of flavors. Polenta is and always be my favorite side dish. I consider it to be decadent even though it’s history is more as a peasant dish. The roasted red pepper in this polenta doesn’t over-power that great corn flavor, but it’s there, lightly smoky, lightly sweet. I always make my polenta using homemade chicken broth or stock. I believe it makes a really big difference in the richness of the dish. You can substitute water, but you’ll find chicken broth or stoc ..read more

Just because I’m throwing a bunch of stuff into the slow cooker doesn’t mean I don’t expect greatness in 8 hours or so. This slow cooker meatball Stroganoff really hit the spot on a cold day. Tender meatballs (you can use pre-cooked or make your own, whatever floats your boat!). Creamy sauce (I could’ve eaten a bowl of the sauce when no one was watching). Just what I wanted. Simple comfort food at its best. I used store-bought meatballs from the freezer section because, hey, they were on sale! That and I didn’t have time to make meatballs from scratch for this slow cooker meatball stroganoff ..read more

My local grocery store puts their hot-out-of-the-roaster rotisserie chickens near the entrance for a reason. They know the aroma will drive me crazy and get me to hankerin’ for rotisserie chicken. What they don’t know is it actually makes me crave my quick fix rotisserie chicken-seasoned potato chips instead! Yep, that same great flavor as the classic chicken, all on a crunchy chip! Ready in minutes, these are some highly addicting snacks! I recommend making a big batch and serving these at the next game party at your house. Everyone will be pleasantly surprised as they enjoy these totally dif ..read more

When I was a young kid, barely knee-high to a grasshopper, bean and bacon soup was by far my favorite canned soup. I remember cold days, playing in the snow, only to run inside to a big ole bowl of hot, satisfying soup. Well, a few years later I now enjoy my copycat Campbell’s bean and bacon soup. Same great taste, same great texture, and still as satisfying as ever. This is one great bowl full of deliciousness! And best of all it tastes just like I remember from years ago. The recipe for this copycat Campbell’s bean and bacon soup calls for a few cups of ham stock. I dunno about you, but I d ..read more