Pellet Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip

Pellet Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip

Who doesn’t love a good spinach artichoke dip when you are watching “The game that lawyers won’t let us mention”. But have you ever tried a smoked version of this dip? Sure we all know what the TGI Friday’s Chili’s Applebee’s Ruby Tuesday’s (RIP) local sports bar dip is like and heck it ain’t that bad… usually. But there is something special about a smoked version of this dip with your own hand selected cheeses. One could only guess how your favorite restaurant prepares their dip, maybe it’s all a frozen pre-mix in a plastic bag. But you have a pellet smoker and free will so you can make some fresh and delicious smoked dip! The good part about this recipe is that you can do all the prep work a day or two ahead of the cook day. When you are ready, all you need to do is put this dip on your smoker and enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 14 oz can artichoke hearts
  • 10 oz frozen spinach
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 8 oz gouda cheese
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese
  • 8 oz parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

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Directions

First, thaw out the frozen spinach overnight in the refrigerator. On the next day when you are ready to start, remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to soften on the kitchen countertop.


Next open the can of artichoke hearts and drain out the water. Using paper towels, squeeze out the excess water from the artichoke hearts. Roughly chop the artichoke hearts and place them in a large mixing bowl.


Next open the package of the thawed out spinach and drain out the water. Using paper towels, squeeze out the excess water from the spinach. The spinach should already be chopped but if not, chop it. Add the spinach to the large mixing bowl.


Next grate the gouda, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese then set aside a small amount from each (about ½ cup total) for a topping and add the rest to a large mixing bowl. Add the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream, then mix everything together. Add the spices and mix everything once again. At this point you can cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator if you plan to cook the dip the next day.


Preheat your smoker at 250F and use mild pellets such as apple or competition blend. The total smoke time should be at least one hour and 20 minutes but you can cook for longer if desired. Transfer the dip mixture into a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet and place this on the smoker when it reaches temp.


Stir the dip every 45 minutes and if you plan to cook for the recommended 1 hour 20, then you will stir the dip just once. If you plan to cook longer, use the 45 minute stirring as a checkup to see how much moisture is lost and don’t allow the dip to get too dry.


20 minutes before you plan to remove the dip, add the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese that was set aside to the top of the dip. Allow this to cook without stirring and let it melt down. Another option you can try is to brown the cheese topping in the oven by placing it on the top oven rack and using the broiler. Set it to high and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Do not walk away, always keep an eye on the brown coloring of the cheese.


Allow the dip to cool for at least 5 minutes because it is molten lava hot. Then serve it with corn chips, or pita chips for dipping. For extra fancy stuff you can thinly slice a French baguette and toast the slices in the oven.

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Ultimate Game Day Queso Dip

Ultimate Game Day Queso Dip

“That big game lawyers won’t let you mention” is coming soon and you need a recipe for a legendary party sized crowd pleaser. Nothing gets the job done better than a killer queso dip with a few bags of tortilla chips. So you’ve been all around the internet and back, but all the thousands of queso dip recipes are clones of each other. What makes this recipe different? A few more ingredients and a little more work on your part is the difference maker. If you don’t have much time, you can do these steps a few days before the big game and put everything together then. Go ahead and dice all the veggies a day or two before the cook and store them in a zip seal bag. You can cook the meat and bean mixture a day ahead and put everything together on the big game day. This recipe works best on a pellet smoker, but if you don’t have one this recipe can cook on a grill or bake in an oven. Just follow the same steps for temperatures and time to achieve a delicious result.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chuck
  • 1 can pinto beans
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 2 vine tomatoes
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 8 – 12 green onions
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 2 lb velveeta cheese
  • 1 lb monterey jack cheese
  • ½ cup half and half

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Directions

First, dice the red and green bell pepper, 1/2 white onion, 12 green onions, 2 vine tomatoes, poblano and one jalapeño pepper. Set aside half of the green onion for toppings. Slice the second jalapeño pepper for toppings. Mince or finely dice the garlic cloves.


On a medium heat, fry the ground beef for about 5 minutes. Break the large chunks down into smaller bits. Add the packet of taco seasoning and stir together. Add 1 can of drained and washed pinto beans and smash most of the bean and meat mixture into smaller bits. Remove from the heat when the meat is all brown and not pink.


Start the smoker at 300 F using a mixture of pecan and hickory pellets.


Next add the diced veggies to a 9 x 13 aluminum foil pan. Add the beef and bean mixture, then stir everything together.


Slice the velveeta and monterey jack into chunks then place the cheese on top of the veggie beef mixture.



When the smoker reaches temperature, add the cheese dip and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the melted cheese into the beef and vegetable mixture then add 1/2 cup if half and half. Continue to stir until everything is properly mixed together. Lower the heat to 250 F and cook for 2 – 3 more hours stirring every 30 minutes.


On the final half hour of the cook, add the sliced jalapeños and some of the cilantro and green onion that was set aside. Pull the cheese dip at 3 hours max then top with the remaining green onions and cilantro. Allow it to cool a few minutes then serve with tortilla chips.

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Holiday Turkey Ballz

Holiday Turkey Ballz

Holidays always need appetizers and this turkey ball recipe does not disappoint! These turkey balls have all the flavors of the holidays except for mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. You can prepare these ahead of time and cook them later because it’s that easy. For this recipe we used a pellet smoker to add a smokey flavor dimension. If you don’t have a smoker you could easily cook these indirectly on the grill or bake them in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 6 oz stove top stuffing (turkey flavor)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 oz chevre (goat cheese)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

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Directions

First, cook the stuffing according to the directions on the box and substitute water with chicken broth. Usually this will require you to boil 1 1/2 cups of broth then add the stuffing mix. Stir around the mixture then cover and remove it from the heat. Let it sit at least 5 to 10 minutes to cool down to room temperature prior to mixing it with the turkey meat.


Mix together the ground turkey and the stuffing. Add the seasonings and continue to mix everything together. You may notice that salt was not on the list of seasonings. You can add salt if you like, but keep in mind the stuffing mix and broth are already salty.


Place some meat and stuffing mixture into the palm of your hand. Flatten it down into a thin round patty until it covers the palm of your hand. Scoop about 1 / 2 teaspoon of cheese and place it in the center of the patty. Add several dried cranberries, then fold the patty closed around the cheese and cranberries. Roll the meat around in your hands forming a round ball. Place the turkey ball on a greased cooling rack.


Smoke the turkey balls with apple or pecan wood at 200 F for roughly 1 hour or until they reach 160F. Transfer them to a grill and cook them over a medium flame until they reach 165F. If you don’t have a smoker you can bake them in the oven at 350 F for around 25 to 35 minutes or until they reach 165 F.

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Pellet Smoked Poblano Chorizo Dip

Pellet Smoked Poblano Chorizo Dip

Nothing beats a smokey cheesy meaty dip and this recipe brings all these delicious flavors together perfectly. This recipe requires a little bit of work and it yields a large amount but that’s a good thing right? Be sure to buy an extra bag of tortilla chips!

Ingredients

  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 20 oz chorizo (5 links)
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz colby jack cheese
  • 8 oz pepper jack cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream or greek yogurt
  • 2 cans refried beans
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin

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Directions

First, fire up the grill and allow it to heat on low. Peel the onion and cut it into 3 thick slices. Rub a light coat of olive oil on the onions and poblano peppers. When the grill reaches temp, add the onion, poblanos, and chorizo. Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes then flip everything to the other side and continue cooking. The poblanos will finish first, and should be removed when the skin on both sides is browned. After removing the peppers, place them in a plastic bag to steam off the skin. The onions will finish next followed by the chorizo when it reaches 165 F in the center.


While you are grilling, shred the cheddar, pepper jack, and colby cheeses and add it to a large bowl. Slice up the cream cheese into small chunks and add to the bowl. Add the greek yogurt / sour cream to the bowl and stir the contents until mixed.


After the peppers have steamed for 10 minutes, remove the outer skin layer from the peppers and discard. Remove the pepper stems and seeds, then dice the peppers and add them to the bowl. Dice the cooked onion and add it to the bowl. When the chorizo is done cooking, let it cool for a few minutes then remove the casing and chop the meat. Add the chorizo to the bowl and mix the contents of the bowl thoroughly.


Next spread around the 2 cans of refried beans on the bottom of a 13 inch skillet or foil lasagna pan. Spread the cheese poblano chorizo mixture on top of the refried beans. Slice the jalapeno thinly and place the slices on top of the cheese.


Preheat your pellet smoker at 250F using apple or pecan wood. Smoke the cheese dip for at least 1 hour. You can smoke longer if you like, just pay attention to the top layer of browning cheese and make sure it does not get too tough and overcooked.

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