Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket with Apricot-Mustard & Pomegranate-Ketchup

I love my Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages, or "pig candy" as we call them. So I knew that I would make those for our Super Bowl party, but at the last minute, I decided that I should shove those suckers into some puff pastry dough and bake them off, turning them into "gourmet pigs n' a blanket". I love that the candied sausages give them some sweetness, which means you can eat them plain without any dipping sauces. And people, don't use that boring ole' croissant dough... you gotta use the good stuff, puff pastry. It is so crisp, flakey, and fluffy. I just love the texture. It can't be beat. Now, you can't serve gourmet pigs n' a blanket with just ketchup and mustard. No no no, that will not work. So I whipped up two sauces, an Apricot-Mustard and a Pomegranate-Ketchup. I feel like you need both at your party because the world consists of two types of people: the mustard-eatin' people and the ketchup-eatin' people. I am of the ketchup-eatin' people. I'm slightly obsessed and will actually eat it plain. I know, don't hate. However, the Mountain Man is a mustard person, strictly mustard. I know, hate him. Anyway, having options for people to chose from is very important in a successful party my friends. So they can go plain or with one of the condiments. We gobbled these pigs down in about 5 minutes flat. We felt like pigs after eating them, no pun intended!! Enjoy :)

Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket  

Gourmet Pigs n' a Blanket

Apricot-Mustard and Pomegranate-Ketchup

For the Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages:

2lb Bacon, Cut into Halves or Thirds

2 Packages of Conecuh Smoked Sausages, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

2C Brown Sugar

2T Cajun Seasoning

2t Paprika, Dry Mustard, & Pepper

½t Garlic Salt, Cayenne, & Cinnamon

For the Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket:

Prepared Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages, Cooked

1 Large Egg

1T Water

AP Flour (for the work surface)

1 Box of Frozen Puff Pastry, Thawed

Sesame or Poppy Seeds, For Topping

For the Apricot-Mustard:

1C Apricot Preserves

¼C Apple Cider Vinegar

3T Coarse Grainy Mustard

For the Pomegranate-Ketchup:

1C Ketchup

¼C Pomegranate Molasses

Directions:

1. To Make the Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with pam. Cut the bacon into halves or thirds and wrap each strip around the sausage pieces. Place the wrapped sausages onto wooden skewers. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and seasonings. Roll the bacon wrapped sausages into the sugar-seasoning mix until well coated. Arrange them onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with more sugar. Bake for 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp, the sausage is warm, and the brown sugar is caramelized, and then flip the sausage over, sprinkle with more brown sugar, and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the other side has caramelized as well. Let the sausages cool enough to handle and remove the toothpicks.
2. For the Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket: Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, working with one sheet of puff pastry at a time, roll into a 14x11inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into seven 1 ½inch wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 rectangles, each about 3 ½inches long. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and water, and set it aside. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a cooled candied bacon wrapped sausage on the narrow end of one piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, brushing with some of the beaten egg to adhere. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sausages. Brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.
3. Bake the sausages in a blanket until puffed & golden, about 20 minutes. Let them cool briefly before serving with the apricot-mustard and pomegranate-ketchup.
4. For the Apricot-Mustard: Combine the apricot preserves, vinegar, and mustard in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
5. For the Pomegranate-Ketchup: In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup and pomegranate molasses until incorporated.

Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders with Fried Mozzarella Sticks, Pepperoni Sauce, Pesto Mayo, & Smoked Provolone

Obviously by the title, the word mammoth means... MAMMOTH, like huge. It's actually an oxymoron. I mean "mammoth" & "slider" should not go in the same sentence. They completely contradict each other. But these are truly ridiculous. I placed a huge meatball onto a mini roll, and then stacked them with a slather of pesto mayo, fried mozzarella stick, homemade pepperoni sauce, and a slice of smoked provolone cheese. That was probably too much at one time, so lemme break it down for ya. The meatballs are classic and made with beef, pork, and veal, which is the perfect combination for a tender & juicy texture. Then I bought some mozzarella and cut them into blocks, breaded them in Italian Panko breadcrumbs, and fried them until golden brown & delicious. Now for the best component, the pepperoni sauce. Why would I put a classic tomato sauce, when I can put on a pepperoni sauce? Exactly... discussion ended. It's practically pureed pepperoni with a hint of tomato flavor, but it adds so much more meatier dimensions. This sauce would be good on a sandwich, pizza, or maybe chicken parmesan... so many options. And to finish it all off, I added a yummy pesto mayo and delicious smoked provolone (just in case there wasn't enough cheese for you already). These meatball sub sliders were awesome, and I'm so glad we made them for our Super Bowl party tonight. Some other recipes that I made were Candied Bacon Wrapped Smoked Sausages in a Blanket with Apricot-Mustard & Pomegranate-Ketchup, Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters, Beer Battered Fried Oreos with Creme Anglaise, and Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Sounds unreal right? Well it was. And who cares if we gained about a million pounds... it was totally worth it. So check back the rest of this week for those other recipes. I hope everyone is having an awesome Super Bowl Party!! Enjoy :)

Three Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders

Dont'cha Wanna Take A Bite?!?

Up Close & Personal of Our Sliders

Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders with Fried Mozzarella Sticks,  Pepperoni Sauce, Pesto Mayo, & Smoked Provolone

For the Meatballs:

1lb Ground Beef

½lb Ground Veal

½lb Ground Pork

4 Slices of White Bread, Crusts Removed & Made into Breadcrumbs

¼C Italian Bread Crumbs

2T Fresh Parsley, Chopped

½C Fresh Parmesan, Grated

¼t Nutmeg

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1 Extra-Large Egg, Beaten

¾C Warm Water

Oil, For Frying

For the Fried Mozzarella:

1 8oz Package of Mozzarella Cheese, Cut into Blocks

½C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

2 Eggs, Beaten

¼C Milk

1 ½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

   

For the Pepperoni Sauce:

3T Olive Oil

1 Small Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1t Red Pepper Flakes & Fennel Seeds

1lb Pepperoni, Finely Chopped or Sliced

8oz of San Marzano Plum Tomatoes, Chopped

1 ½C Chicken Stock

1 Fresh Bay Leaf

For the Pesto Mayo:

2T Pesto

2T Mayo

1t Fresh Basil, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sandwiches:

Small Hawaiian Bread Rolls, Buttered & Toasted

Fried Meatballs, Whole or Sliced in Half

Prepared Pepperoni Sauce

Prepared Pesto Mayo

Fried Mozzarella

Slices of Smoked Provolone

Directions:

1. To Make the Pepperoni Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onions until tender, about 2 minutes, and then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds, and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the chopped pepperoni and let it sweat for 2-3 minutes on low. Add in the tomatoes and chicken stock, and cook the mixture for 45 minutes or until the pepperoni gets soft and moist. After softening, puree the mixture until a smooth sauce is formed. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set it aside until ready to use on the sandwich.
2. To Make the Pesto Mayo: In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To Make the Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, seasonings, egg, and warm water into a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 10-12 large meatballs. In a deep skillet, heat your oil to medium heat. In batches, cool the meatballs and brown them well on all sides, roughly 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meatballs to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Set them aside until ready to stack on the sandwich.
4. To Make the Fried Mozzarella: In a deep fryer, heat the oil to 365 degrees. Meanwhile, set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour and cornstarch. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the blocks of mozzarella into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the cheese rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a medium sauté pan, heat about 2 inches of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the breaded mozzarella for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the fried cheese to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Immediately layer them onto the sandwich.
5. To Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread the toasted slider buns with the pesto mayo. On top of the pesto mayo, lay down the fried mozzarella medallions in an even layer. Spoon on a layer of the pepperoni sauce and top that with the meatball halves. Add more pepperoni sauce on top, so that there is a thick layer. Lay slices of smoked provolone cheese on top of the sauced meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Broil the sandwich until the provolone is just melted & slightly toasted.
6. Enjoy while the sliders are still hot!

source: pepperoni sauce. classic meatballs.

Mini Brown Butter-Flat Apple Pies

I recently saw an episode of Pioneer Woman on the Food Network, and she was making flat apple pies for her family. It looked delicious, and I knew that I wanted to make it. However, I adapted the recipe slightly for what I wanted to bake. I decided on making mini flat apple pies versus that big pies she made because I think everything is way cuter when they are tiny. So true, right?! I used my favorite crust recipe and also doused the warm pies with yummy brown butter to give it a deeper, richer flavor. And it definitely paid off. Brown butter makes everything better. Story of my life. I served them with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and a big ole' scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. That's just how it has to be done. No if's, and's, or but's. Honestly these were good hot, right out of the oven, and room temperature the next day for breakfast (shhh... don't tell anyone). I think these would be great for a party or BBQ in the summer too!! Enjoy :)

Mini Brown Butter-Flat Apple Pies with Salted Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 

Here are the mini pie's without all the toppings

For the Homemade Crust:

1 ¼C AP Flour (plus extra for rolling)

½t Salt

1 ½t Sugar

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Very Cold

3-4T Ice Water

For the Brown Butter-Apple Pie Filling:

2 Large Granny Smith Apples, Peeled & Roughly Diced into Medium Cubes

1T AP Flour & Cornstarch

1T Fresh Lemon Juice

¼C Sugar

¼C Brown Sugar, Packed

1t Cinnamon

Pinch of Allspice, Cloves, & Salt

For the Mini Brown Butter-Flat Apple Pies:

4 Mini Dough Discs, Rolled Thin

Prepared Apple Pie Filling

Bourbon Raw Vanilla Sugar & Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

2T Unsalted Butter, Cut into Small Cubes

4T Brown Butter

Directions:

1. To Make the Pâte Brisée: Start by cutting the sticks of butter into ½inch cubes and placing in the freezer bag, along with the flour, salt, and sugar. Place the bag of flour into the freezer and chill for at least 1-2 hours. In a food processor, pour the frozen flour bag in and pulse 6-8 times until the mixture resembles a course meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1T at a time, pulsing until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch of some of the crumbly dough and it holds together then it’s ready. Remove the dough from the machine and place on a clean surface. Shape the dough into a disc. Do not over knead the dough. You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. Cut the dough into 4 small balls and sprinkle the discs with a little flour on all sides and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove the discs from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disc. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to 4 small circles (1/8inch thick). Place rolled out discs on to a large baking sheet.
2. To Make the Mini Brown Butter-Flat Apple Pies: Preheat the oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, toss together the apple cubes, flour, lemon, sugar, brown sugar, spices, and salt until well combined. Place ¼ of the apple mixture on each mini crust. Fold over the edges of each crust, so that it covers some of the apple mixture (the more rustic the better). Dot the tops of the pies evenly with the small cubes of butter. Bake the mini pies for 20-30 minutes or until the filling is golden and bubbly.
3. Allow the pies to cool slightly and brush each pie heavily with 1T of brown butter just before serving. Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce. 

source: flat apple pie.

Best Recipes For Your Super Bowl Parties

Yesterday I mentioned a few of my favorite recipes that I had to have at my Super Bowl party this year, and I thought that I might as well make you a list of go-to appetizers and finger-foods that everyone will love. It's similar to the list of our favorite sweet & savory recipes from 2011, but for football y'all! Once again, these are not in any particular order, just some great grub. I also didn't want to do anything too complicated because when I'm having a huge party, I don't want to be in the kitchen slavin' away. I made sure to give a variety as well. But let's be honest here, I'm kind of, and by kind of I mean really, partial to dips. I hope that these will be hits this weekend, or at least provide some inspiration to what you are going to make!! Enjoy :)

Candied Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Sausages with BBQ Sauce

My World Famous Buffalo Chicken Dip

Cowgirl Caviar

Herbed Caramelized Onion Dip

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Loaded Jalapeno Poppers

Pok Pok Crispy Chicken Wings

Loaded Potato Skins with Spicy Ranch

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Crazy-Good Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Yum, Yum, Yummmm!!

Loaded Potato Skins with Spicy Ranch

As I sit and wait for my next class to start, all I can think about is getting out of here. This is one long day for me, and I am so ready to be home & have some time to relax. But one thing that always seems to cheer me up is yummy, greasy, not-good-for-ya food. We all know that I have expressed my deep love for tailgatin' food, especially coming from the University of Alabama, so now that college football has ended (sad face), at least there is one more thing to look forward to, and that's the Super Bowl. It's really the one time of the year that almost every person has a party, even if they aren't involved or excited about sports, which I think is something to celebrate. I have a few favorites that will always be served at my shindigs like my jalapeno popper dip, crazy-good spinach-artichoke dip, and my always-requested candied bacon-wrapped smoked sausages. But, here's a new recipe that is sure to please. My Loaded Potato Skins are baked until crispy & crunchy, then stuffed full with thick cut bacon, lots of melted cheese, and zippy green onions, and served with a spicy ranch for dippin'. I realize that these babies don't sound that crazy, or unique, or "out-of-the-box, which I typically do with all my food. Sometimes, you just need a classic recipe, that'll never fail ya. And that's what this is. It's a recipe that will please every taste bud at your party, so you don't have to worry about them not getting gobbled up. They will be gone in a second!! Enjoy :)

Loaded Potato Skins with Spicy Ranch

Potatoes, Cheese, & Bacon... Can it get any better?

For the Loaded Potato Skins:

6 Small Russet Baking Potatoes

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Vegetable Oil

Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cajun Seasoning

12-15 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon, Cooked until Crispy & Roughly Chopped

1C Pepperjack Cheese, Grated

1C Yellow Cheddar Cheese, Grated

Fresh Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

For the Spicy Ranch:

1T Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

½C Mayo

½C Sour Cream

½C Buttermilk

¼t Coarse Black Pepper, Paprika, & Garlic Powder

Hot Sauce, To Taste

     

Directions:

1. Scrub the potatoes clean, and then toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake the potatoes in an oven at 400°F for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool, and then roughly chop.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.
4. Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F and brush the vegetable oil all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning and Cajun seasoning. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are golden brown and beginning to crisp). Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
5. Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with the shredded cheese mixture and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown & bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with spicy ranch.
6. For the Spicy Ranch: Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Chill for at least an hour to help the flavors meld together.

source: potato skins.

Classic Mac n' Cheese

We made this classic mac n' cheese recipe to go along aside our sweet tea fried chicken, and it was the perfect accompaniment. There's nothing special about it, it's just classic & always consistent. No crazy flavors, just good ole' mac n' cheese. I especially loved the toasted croutons on top for the topping. Make this any time you are having a crowd over or just when you need a side that everyone will love!! Enjoy :)

Classic Mac n' Cheese

For the Mac n’ Cheese:

3T Butter

¼C AP Flour

2 ¾C Milk

Pinch of Nutmeg & Cayenne

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

2C Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1C Gruyere Cheese, Shredded

16oz Elbow Macaroni, Cooked

Bread Cubes, Toasted

¼C Parmesan Cheese, Grated 

2T Butter, Cut into Small Cubes  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter a casserole dish, and then set it aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the 3T butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, whisking, about 1 minute.
3. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep the mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the seasonings, 1 ½C cheddar cheese, and ¾C Gruyere. Set the cheese sauce aside.
5. Stir the cooked macaroni into the warm cheese sauce, and then pour the mac n’ cheese into the prepared casserole. Top the mac n’ cheese with the remaining ½C cheddar, ¼C Gruyere, toasted bread cubes, and cubes of butter.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mac n’ cheese is hot & bubbly.

source: martha's mac n' cheese.