Fireman’s Chicken BBQ

As we wrap up summer, this most excellent chicken BBQ recipe warrants firing up the grill at least one more time. 

My husband grew up in Upstate New York and this recipe was a summer staple for his family.  We recently made it and enjoyed it very much. 

Fireman’s Chicken BBQ

Ingredients

• 2 C vinegar
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 T poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 6-8 chicken breasts or 10-12 wings or legs
• 10 small red potatoes

Directions

Begin by combining the egg (lightly beaten), 2 C vinegar, 1/2 C olive oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and 1 T poultry seasoning in a large bowl.  Add in the chicken.  Marinade in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours in a covered container. 

Meanwhile, wash and quarter the red potatoes.  Season generously with salt, pepper and olive oil and place in a foil-lined grill basket. 

Remove the chicken from the marinade, piece by piece, and grill the chicken over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, turning 2-3 times.  Cook until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 180 degrees. 

Cook the potatoes over medium heat too, for 15ish minutes until tender and crispy. 

Serve together with sweet corn and enjoy!

Parmesan Potato Fries

Just in time for grilling season, I have a new fry recipe for you!

Simple and tasty, these make an excellent addition to any BBQ. 

Parmesan Potato Fries – From My Blessed Life

Ingredients

• 6 Red or russet potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• salt, pepper and paprika, to taste
• 2 T Parmesan cheese
• pinch of parsley

Directions

Slice up the potatoes and place them in a large bowl.  Toss in up to 2 T of olive oil (start with 1 T and if you need more olive oil, add in the second), season with 1/4 tsp. minced garlic, salt, pepper and paprika.  Add in 2 T Parmesan cheese (we used shredded, but grated might be better!), and a pinch of parsley. 

Toss the potatoes in the seasoning. 

Arrange the potato slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet either lined with tinfoil or a baking mat that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil. 

Cook at 450 for 25-30 minutes. You may wish to flip the potatoes over once during cooking.  Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Leftover Ham Bone, Potato & Pepper Soup

What do I do with a ham bone?!  While I’ve made soup after soup using chicken and turkey carcasses, until recently, I’ve never found myself with a ham bone. 

We do eat ham occasionally, but I usually don’t cook a full bone-in ham.  Since I recently did cook one, I wanted to try making a ham bone soup. 

But, I’ve never really even had a ham broth based soup before, so this was a true experiment for me.  I based it off of two of my favorite ham recipes – this tasty ham and cheese potato casserole and this ham and cheese soup.  I skipped the cheese, although I think a cheese sauce added at the end would be spectacular.  The result was a delicious way to enjoy leftover ham. 

Ham Bone, Potato, and Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone, with scrap ham remaining on the bone
• 7-9 C of water
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 stalks of celery
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 C shredded or diced cooked ham (leftover)
• 3 medium red potatoes, cubed
• 1 can (14 oz) Great White Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 C barley

Directions

Begin by placing your ham bone in a large stockpot and covering it with water.  For me, that took about 7-9 C of water.  Use more or less depending on the size of your ham bone.  Season the water with salt, pepper, leftover tops of celery stalks and and 1/4 of the onion.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the meat begins to fall off the bone.  At this point, remove the stock from the heat and carefully strain the hot broth.  Allow the broth to cool down and skim the fat off the top. 

Meanwhile, prepare the veggies.  Dice the bell peppers, cube the potatoes, slice the carrots and quarter the onion. 

Arrange all the veggies into a 6-quart crockpot.  Sprinkle in the 1/3 C barley.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Carefully pour the ham stock into the crockpot.  Season well with 1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning.  Add in the diced or shredded ham and beans.  Stir. 

Note: I do not recommend using the ham from the bone, unless you’ve tasted it and it still has flavor!  After making stock, the good flavor from the ham often has been picked up by the stock and therefore the remaining ham tastes pretty blah.  So, I recommend “fresh” leftover ham. 

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until veggies are tender, or on low for 6-8 hours. 

Serve warm and enjoy. 

Balsamic Marinated Chicken & Potatoes

Most of you know that I work full time outside of our home.  Since my husband also works full time, and we have a commitment to eating from-scratch, home cooked meals, dinner time takes some serious forethought. 

If we didn’t think ahead, menu plan, make to-do lists for meals, and effectively plan our grocery trips, we’d end up eating less wholesome and balanced meals, and likely spend more on groceries too. 

One struggle I continue to run into is meals that don’t take a long time to prep at night.  Monday nights, and often Fridays too, I am at work until after 5pm, so coming home to just start cooking dinner after a long day or week is something even I don’t entirely look forward to.  We’ve been using our crockpot a lot, but sometimes I just don’t feel like a crockpot meal. 

This balsamic chicken and potatoes recipe caught my attention as one I could easily prep in the morning, toss in the oven when I get home and actually do other things while dinner makes itself.  It was a hit. 

Balsamic Marinated Chicken & Potatoes – Adapted from Peanut Butter & Peppers

Ingredients

• 2-4 Chicken breasts
• 8 small red potatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 4 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T spicy brown mustard
• salt & pepper

Directions

Begin by mixing together 1 T olive oil, 1 T spicy brown mustard, 4 T balsamic vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning.  Set aside. 

Wash and chop red potatoes into 2-inch cubes.  Place in an airtight container.  Drizzle half of the balsamic mixture over the top of the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then, cover and shake to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to bake. 

Place the chicken in your oven-save glass baking dish.  Drizzle the remaining balsamic sauce over the top.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.  The original recipe recommended 4 hours, but mine was in the fridge marinating for more like 6-7 hours. 

Remove the chicken dish from the refrigerator and place it in the oven (cold).  Turn on your oven to 375 degrees.  Cover the chicken with tinfoil or a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, arrange the potatoes on a well greased cookie sheet, and place them in the oven too (covered) for 20 minutes.  Stir these after 10 minutes. 

After 20 minutes, remove the covers from the potatoes and chicken.  Stir the potatoes and flip them over.  Continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 180 degrees and the potatoes are crispy.   

Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Ranch Potato Salad

Last week our church put on a Christmas tea for the ladies.  Our dinner consisted of appetizers and I brought a new recipe: Crockpot Ranch Potato Salad. 

Yum-o. 

And, easy too!

Crockpot Ranch Potato Salad – Inspired by Mostly Homemade Mom

Ingredients

• 8-10 medium red or yellow potatoes
• 1 (8oz) container of Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 C milk
• 1 T white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 C powdered buttermilk
• 2 tsp. parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1 T minced onion
• 4 oz. colby jack cheese
• 1/8 C cooked and crumbled bacon
• Chives

Directions

Wash potatoes and chop them into 1-inch cubes.  I chose to leave the peels on, but you could alternatively peel them if you prefer. 

Place the potatoes in a lightly greased crockpot (preferably a 2 or 4 qt size). Season well with salt and pepper.  

Whip the softened cream cheese until light a fluffy.  Add 1/4 C powdered buttermilk, 2 tsp. parsley, 1 T minced onion whisk until combined. 

Whisk 1 T white whole wheat flour into 1 C milk.  Slowly add the milk mixture to the softened cream cheese until the ingredients are well blended. 

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the potatoes and stir.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.  If possible, stir 2-3 times during the cooking time. 

30 minutes before serving, top with chives, shredded colby jack cheese and crumbled bacon, if desired. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Simple Fall Veggie Bake

This bake is easy and cheap, and makes a great side dish during the fall.  Pair it with grilled chicken, oven-baked pork chops or fish and you have a great meal. 

Simple Fall Veggie Bake – Adapted from Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1-2 tomatoes, optional
• Salt & Pepper
• Minced garlic & onion
• Italian cheese

Directions

Using a mandolin slicer, slice the zucchini, summer squash, potatoes and tomatoes.  Stack the veggies together in an 8x8 glass baking dish that has been well greased. 

Season with salt and pepper, minced garlic and onion. 

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Remove and top with cheeses. 

Return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes uncovered.   Serve warm. 

Crockpot Breakfast Egg Casserole

While on vacation, I decided to try a new breakfast recipe. 

Feeding 10 adults, all very hungry in the morning, and trying a new recipe?! 

I know. 

I’m a bit crazy. 

But, I knew the basis of the recipe came from a trusted source: Tiffany of Eat at Home.  I found her slow-cooker breakfast casserole recipe and thought I could easily modify it for our dietary needs. 

So, the night before I prepped the breakfast and the first family up with a baby popped the crockpot in and turned it on to high for 4 hours. 

When the rest of us woke up, breakfast was ready. 

And, it was delicious. 

Crockpot Breakfast Egg Casserole – Adapted from Eat At Home
Serves about 10-12. 

Ingredients

• 50-60-oz of shredded potatoes/hashbrowns
• 12 eggs
• 1 C milk
• 16 oz. frozen broccoli
• 2-3 medium bell peppers
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 4 oz. shredded Colby Jack cheese
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by slicing the bell peppers into thin strips.  Slice the onion into rings and then in half.  Saute the peppers and onions in a bit of olive oil until crisp tender.  Better yet, plan to use leftovers (that’s what we did on our vacation; I tossed in the leftover fajita fixings).  You can easily use peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, etc! 

Lightly grease a 6 quart crockpot with olive oil spray.  Place 1 package (about 30 oz) of shredded potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot.  We used a brand of frozen shredded potatoes that contained only potatoes!!  You could also make up your own hashbrowns for this dish.    

Layer half of the broccoli and veggies over the top. 

Top with half of the remaining potatoes.  Then, layer the remaining veggies over the top.  Top off the crockpot with the remaining potatoes. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Remove from the fridge and place inside the crockpot. Meanwhile, beat 12 eggs together and season with salt & pepper.  Add in 1 C milk and stir well. 

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes. 

Top with shredded cheese. 

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. 

Serve warm. 

**Note: you can prepare the whole thing the night before, and cook on low all night long for 8 hours. 

Enjoy!

Shared with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday

Mom’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Every summer I look forward to my mom’s potato salad. 

She got the recipe from the best man in my parents’ wedding (well, his wife, actually).  It’s been a family favorite as long as I can remember. 

Mom’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad – From the Braunwarths

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 T vinegar
• 1 T mustard
• 1 tsp. salt & pepper (more or less, to taste)
• 3 T mayo (we use olive oil mayo)
• 3 T whipping cream
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 1/2 C chopped celery
• 1/2 C chopped red or green bell pepper
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 4 C diced potatoes
• 3-4 sprigs of chives, chopped

Directions

Begin by peeling and dicing potatoes, until you have about 4 C.  Cubed potatoes or sliced potatoes (about 1/4-1/2 inch thick) cut into quarters work well.  We’ve been using the Yukon Yellow Gold potatoes recently and they have been very tasty in this potato salad.  Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until tender.  Drain.  Cool. 

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, celery and red bell pepper until you have about 1/2 C of each.  If you are like me and need to eat “cooked” veggies, blanch the veggies in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then chill in ice water.  Drain and pat dry.  Then, add the veggies to a large refrigerator safe, covered bowl.  If you don’t need to cook the veggies, than just add them immediately to the bowl. 

Combine the 1 1/2 T sugar and vinegar in a smaller bowl.  Stir well.  Add in 1 T mustard, 3 T mayo and 3 T cream. 

Peel and chop the egg.  To make the salad healthier, use three eggs – but only use the egg whites from each egg. 

When potatoes are cooled, add them to the bowl with the veggies.  Stir well. 

Pour the vinegar sauce over the top.  Stir well. 

Stir in the chopped hard boiled eggs and chives. 

Season with salt & pepper. 

Enjoy!

**Note: If you don’t like celery, omit and use all bell peppers.  If you don’t like bell peppers, omit and use all celery! 

Smoked Sausage Hash Breakfast Wraps

Raise your hand if you’ve been to Alaska!  I had the blessing of traveling there to do some research while I was in graduate school. 

Most of my time was spent in and around Fairbanks, but I did travel to Denali National Park and Nome up near the Bering Sea. 

The state holds a special place in my heart as it was where God made His call clear in my life; without that experience, I would not be where I am. 

Naturally, I have a soft spot in my heart for those with Alaska connections.  Alaska from Scratch is one of those blogs I love – not only for the food, but the photos of life in Alaska too. 

This recipe comes from Maya, and made a delicious breakfast wrapped in a tortilla. 

Smoked Sausage Hash Breakfast Wraps – Adapted from Alaska From Scratch

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a smoked sausage link, sliced and quartered
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2-3 medium yellow or russet potatoes
• 2 medium bell peppers, colors of your choosing, diced
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• pinch of minced garlic
• dash of paprika
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Whole wheat (or white whole wheat) tortillas
• Cheddar cheese, optional

Directions

Begin by scrubbing your potatoes and patting them dry.  You may wish to peel your sweet potato, if desired.  Prick the potatoes with a fork 5-6 times, and place them on a plate and microwave them for 2 minutes or so.  You want the potatoes to be semi-cooked, but not soft.  Set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, sauté the bell peppers in a splash of olive oil. 

When crisp-tender, add in the minced onion and garlic, along with the quartered smoked turkey sausage. 

Heat until sausage is warmed.  Then, push the veggies and meat to half the side of the pan. 

When potatoes are cool, dice the potatoes.  Spray the empty half of pan with olive oil.  Add in the potatoes and cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes, then flip. 

When cooked on both sides and potatoes are soft, stir in with the rest of the veggies and sausage.  Season with paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. 

Garnish with parsley.  Serve with veggies. 

Alternatively, wrap 2/3 C hash inside a tortilla.  Top with cheese and wrap up! 

Enjoy!