Author: manthatscooking

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Baked Zucchini Lasagna

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Baked Zucchini Lasagna

Need a break from meat? Yes you do and it’s okay because we’ve got you covered with this meat free Monday masterpiece! Not going to lie, this recipe takes a bit of time to prepare but you will thank your past self on the first future bite. For this recipe we add onion, artichoke and portobello mushrooms to the cheese stuffing. This elevates the flavors well above other similar recipes. Give this recipe a try, you will love it!

Ingredients

  • 3 /12 lb green zucchini
  • 25 oz cento marinara
  • 1 can artichoke hearts
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 package portobello mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/2 lb shredded parmesan
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese

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Directions

First, wash and cut the ends off of the zucchini. Use a mandolin with the thin blade (approximately 1/8 inch thickness) and slice the zucchini and discard any small slices that come from the outer edges. Place several paper towels on a baking sheet then put one layer of zucchini slices on the paper towels. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the zucchini slices, then apply another layer of paper towels. Repeat the process until you have stacked all zucchini slices salted in paper towels. This will draw out moisture in the slices and make them more flexible and better for cooking. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes.


Next dice the white onion and place it in a 10in skillet on medium heat. Wash and dice the mushrooms and add them to the skillet. Finally drain the liquid from the artichoke hearts, dice them and add them to the skillet. Fry the vegetables for about 15 minutes until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are brown.

Next, pour a thin layer of marinara sauce and spread it around on the bottom of a 12 inch cast iron skillet. Remove the zucchini slices from the paper towels and wipe off any salt. Take a zucchini slice and spread about 1/2 teaspoon of ricotta cheese on the zucchini. Add the vegetables to the cheese, then top it with the shredded parmesan cheese. Add some chopped basil if desired. Roll up the zucchini from the wide end to the small end and place in the skillet. Start from the center of the skillet and work your way outward with the placement of the rolls. When all the zucchini slices are used up, sprinkle any leftover vegetables and cheese on top of the rolls. Gently pour the rest of the marinara sauce on top of the rolls.


Bake in the oven on at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes (the cheese will be very hot) then serve and enjoy!

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Grilled Onion Cheese Dip

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Grilled Onion Cheese Dip

Cheese, onions, and bacon… yes! bacon! Everyone needs a few go to cheese dip recipes and this is one of them. This has a very rich addicting cheese flavor that you won’t want to stop eating. And you can cook this dip on the grill if your oven is full with a holiday ham or turkey. You can also just cook this dip in the oven but that’s not as fun as standing outside by the grill with a beer.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz shredded gruyere cheese
  • 8 oz shredded gouda cheese
  • 1 8oz package of cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1/2 pound of bacon
  • 2 large vidalia onions
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 French baguette
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 tablespoon herbes des provence

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Directions

First, slice 1/2 pound of bacon into bits, then cook the bacon on medium heat for 10 minutes or until done. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it on paper towels to absorb the grease. Keep the grease in the pan.


While the bacon is cooking, thinly slice 2 vidalia onions. After removing the bacon, add the onions to the pan and cook it in the hot bacon grease for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove the onions and place them on paper towels to absorb the grease.


While cooking the onions, hand shred the gruyere and gouda cheese. Add softened cream cheese and sour cream to a mixing bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dried thyme. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer or a large spoon. While mixing, add the shredded cheese, bacon, and the onions. Transfer the mixture to a 13 inch cast iron skillet. If you want to prepare this dip a day before cooking, you can cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat your grill (or oven) to low (350F) and when it reaches temp, add the skillet directly over the fire. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes, or until brown on the surface.


Slice the French baguette in 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices on cooling racks to make things easier for moving the bread in and out of the grill. Melt the butter and brush it on both sides of the bread. Season both sides of the bread with herbes des provence. Place the cooling racks with bread in the grill and cook for 10 minutes.


Remove the cheese dip and bread from the grill, then allow the dip to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Bacon Cheddar Smokehouse Burgers

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Bacon Cheddar Smokehouse Burgers

Bacon lovers rejoice, we have a summer cookout recipe you’re going to love! Our bacon cheddar smokehouse burgers combine ground sirloin, chopped bacon and shredded cheddar in a burger patty. This burger is smoked for 2 hours then placed on top of a delicious bacon onion cheddar BBQ spread. Topped with sliced cheddar, bacon, lettuce and tomato it’s a perfect combination.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 1 1/2 pounds thick cut bacon
  • 1 white onion
  • 4 – 8 slices cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 – 8 burger buns
  • 1 teaspoon BBQ rub
  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 iceberg lettuce

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Directions

First, fry up a 1/2 pound of bacon slices on medium heat for toppings on the burgers. When the bacon turns golden brown, move it to paper towels to absorb the grease. Remove the grease from the pan.


Next, slice 1/2 pound of bacon into bits, then cook the bacon on medium heat for 10 minutes or until done. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it on paper towels to absorb the grease. Keep the grease in the pan.


Add a thinly sliced onion to the pan and cook it in the hot bacon grease for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove the onions and place them on paper towels to absorb the grease.


Remove the grease from the pan, add the cooked bacon and onions back into the pan. Add 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and about 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir continuously until everything is incorporated together. Move the bacon onion cheddar spread into a bowl and set aside.


Next, slice another 1/2 pound of bacon into bits, then mince the bacon with a sharp knife. Break the bacon down into very small bits, then add it to a mixing bowl. Add the ground sirloin and 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Mix together the ingredients then form 4 half pound burger patties.


Heat up your smoker and set it to a low 150 F and use mesquite wood or pellets. When your smoker reaches temp, add the burgers in a spot that is away from the heat. Smoke the burgers for 2 hours until they reach 130 F.


If you have a pellet smoker, crank it to 450 F otherwise fire up your grill and let it reach that temp. Grill the burgers for 4 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees and give it 4 more minutes. Flip the burgers and repeat. When the burgers reach around 162 F, apply the sliced cheddar and move the burgers away from direct heat. Close the grill and let the cheese melt. Remove the burgers at 165 F and let them rest for a few minutes. While the grill is still lit throw on the buns and toast them up a for a few minutes.


Apply a generous amount of the bacon onion cheddar spread to the bottom bun. Place a burger patty on top of the spread. Stack some bacon slices on the burger patty. Add a tomato slice and some iceberg lettuce. Finally cover it up with the top bun, and take a big bite!

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Pellet Smoked Armadillo Eggs

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Pellet Smoked Armadillo Eggs

Armadillo eggs are a popular BBQ item that you need to master in your quest for BBQ greatness. These rank up there with Atomic Buffalo Turds but with more meat and required skill. Best of all you can tell your friends and family with a straight face that you are making armadillo eggs and their reactions will be priceless. Once they figure out what these are, they will ask you to make them again and again. Yes indeed these are perfect for “That big game lawyers won’t let you mention” appetizers, or any game day appetizer. Don’t stop there, make them for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas appetizers.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound spicy italian sausage
  • 1 pound chorizo sausage
  • 6 – 8 large jalapeno peppers
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ rub
  • 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

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Directions

First, rest the cream cheese on a countertop until it reaches room temp (about 20 minutes). While waiting on the cream cheese, chop off the stems of the peppers then core out the seeds and membrane using a jalapeño coring tool.


Next shred about ½ cup of cheddar cheese and place it into a small mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese and ½ teaspoon of BBQ rub, then mix the ingredients together.

Use a butter knife to scoop up a small amount of cheese and place it in the opening of a pepper. Use your finger to softly press the cheese to the bottom of the pepper and repeat this until the pepper is packed solid with the cheese mixture. Continue until all peppers are stuffed with cheese.

Next, combine the meats in mixing bowl. If you purchased sausages inside casings, remove and dispose of the casings. Add 1 teaspoon of BBQ rub then mix the meat and seasonings together.

Take about a ¼ pound of meat (about the amount of a burger patty) and flatten it in your hand. Place a pepper in the center, then fold the meat around the opening of the pepper to seal in the cheese. Next, fold the meat around the pepper adding more if needed to fully cover the pepper. Roll the ‘egg’ around in your hands to smooth out the meat wrapping. Repeat the steps until all jalapenos are covered with sausage. You may need to move some sausage from the first ‘eggs’ to the last ones as you may go too heavy in the beginning. Season the ‘eggs’ with BBQ rub.

Preheat your smoker at 250 F with cherry and hickory or pecan wood. Place the eggs on a cooling rack then place on the smoker for 1 hour.


Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce then flip the eggs to the other side and brush on BBQ sauce. Continue to cook for 1 more hour or until they reach at least 165F. Remove from the smoker and let them rest at least 10 minutes. Slice into 3 pieces each and enjoy.

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