Pellet Smoked Turkey Legs
Everyone loves smoked Disney turkey legs and we searched the inter webs for the best Disney style recipe. We found most recipes to vary from each other and it started to seem like nobody really knows the recipe, just like KFC’s secret herbs and spices. So we’re not going to claim this recipe to be the actual Disney formula, but it is a mashup of a few good ones with our own spin on the spices and steps. This recipe is easy but it does take some time from start to finish. You will need to make a brine and soak the turkey legs overnight in that mixture. This adds a great level of flavor to the meat and helps to keep the meat moist. After the brine, you should dry out the turkey legs in the refrigerator overnight to give the skin a less chewy texture. This last step is optional but plan for 1 to 2 days of prep work before the actual cook.
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 4 turkey legs
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Directions
Boil 1 gallon of water along with all of the listed brine ingredients. Allow the brine to boil for a few minutes then turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the burner and allow the liquid to cool for 1 hour. You can add ice in a large zip seal bag to speed up the cooling process but do not add ice directly to the brine because this will dilute the solution. When the liquid reaches a medium warm temperature, add it to an 8 quart container and place it in the refrigerator for several hours.
When the brine reaches refrigerator temperature (around 32F) then add the turkey legs to the brine. Place the brine back in the refrigerator overnight or at least 12 hours.
After the brine phase, wash off the turkey legs then place them on a sheet pan with a cooling rack. Pat the turkey down with paper towels to absorb as much liquid as possible. It is important to dry off the skin as much as possible to prevent rubbery skin texture. If you have time, place the turkey legs back in the refrigerator overnight and this will circulate air around them which dries off the skin.
When you are ready to cook, preheat your smoker to 230 using apple wood pellets. Spray the turkey legs with duck fat to act as a binder and skin browner. Apply smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and kosher salt on all sides.
Place the turkey legs on an upper rack in your smoker and let them cook for an hour. After an hour, flip them over and then spray them down with duck fat. Check the temperatures and move around any legs from hot areas to cool areas if needed. Repeat these steps until you get close to 165 F, then increase the heat to 300F. Higher heat will help tighten up the skin. Continue cooking until the turkey legs reach around 175F. This should take around 3 hours.
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Loaded Smashed Mashed Potatoes
Loaded Smashed Mashed Potatoes
In a world of mashed potatoes dominated by Joel Robuchon’s perfect French mashed pommes de terre recipe, we bring you a somewhat polar opposite. This is a hearty rustic flavor rich expression of what a potato truly can become. Ok enough fluff, this is a simple easy to make recipe that will compliment anything you are cooking up for the holidays or a special weekend meal. The main goal of this recipe is to mix chunky bits and skins of the potato into a dairy and bacon infused mashed potato experience. All of the non potato veggie chopping steps and cheese shredding steps can be done ahead of time allowing you to stress less on the holiday. And when you make this recipe not only is it an easy win but you might be elected master chef for your next family gathering.
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 (3 pounds) russet potatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 green onions
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
- 12 oz bacon
- 1 tablespoon salt
Directions
Wash then cut the potatoes into about 6 large chunks. Leave the skins on and make sure all chunks are relatively the same size. Place the potatoes in a large pot, add the salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce heat to medium and maintain a simmer. Cook 15 – 25 minutes until potatoes are tender when stuck with a fork or knife. Drain the potatoes and let them drip dry for a few minutes before adding them back to the pot with the burner off.
While the potatoes are cooking, slice the bacon into bits and fry it in a skillet on medium heat. When the bacon grease starts foaming and the bits are turning brown, remove the bits with a slotted spoon and place them on layered paper towels.
While the bacon is cooking, thinly slice the green onions, setting aside some of the green ends for a topping later on. Mince the garlic cloves. Mince the fresh thyme. Hand shred the block of cheddar cheese.
In a skillet at medium heat, add about ¼ tablespoon of butter. Fry the onions for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme or rosemary. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining butter, whipping cream, and about half of the cheese.
Combine the skillet contents, the remaining shredded cheese and bacon bits into the pot with the potatoes. Using a potato masher, partially mash the potatoes, leaving some large chunks. Stir everything together until all is incorporated. Top with the green onions that were set aside.
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Loaded Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Loaded Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
If you ever needed a crowd pleasing hearty breakfast this is your new go to recipe. You can’t beat the combination of bacon, eggs, cheese, potatoes oh and some veggies to keep things healthy. You can prep some of the steps ahead of time and it uses frozen tater tots so no need to thaw them out. So if you are planning a holiday get together or a just because drinking night this breakfast will set you right the next day!
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 32oz tater tots
- 12 oz bacon
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 green onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup half n half
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
First, slice the bacon into bits and fry it in a skillet on medium heat. When the bacon grease starts foaming and the bits are turning brown, remove the bits with a slotted spoon and place them on layered paper towels. Carefully remove most of the bacon grease and leave about 3 tablespoons in the skillet.
While the bacon is cooking, hand shred the block of cheddar cheese. Dice the green onions, red bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Set aside a few of the diced green onion ends for later as a topping.
Add the onion and peppers and cook in the remaining bacon grease for about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted. Remove everything from the pan with a slotted spoon.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Next add the half n half and whisk for another minute. Stir in all of the spinach, peppers and onions from the pan. Stir in half of the bacon bits and half of the cheese leaving the rest aside as a topping.
Spray a 9 x 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a layer of frozen tater tots on the bottom of the dish. Pour the egg mixture over the tater tots, spreading the veggies and cheese out evenly.
Bake in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and add the remaining cheese. Cook for another 5 minutes then remove the dish once again. Apply the remaining bacon bits and green onions evenly on top. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes then serve.
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Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Loaded scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin are so good that you could serve them as a main course. In this decadent recipe, we combine a cream sauce from scalloped potatoes with the cheese from potatoes au gratin. And if that is not enough, we added all the favorites of a baked potato. When you hook this up for the holidays, you’ll be the winner winner of your Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. This recipe does require some prep time and you can get this done a day ahead of the cook. And it’s flexible enough to bake at a variety of temperatures. This makes it easy to slip in the oven along with your main course or other side dishes. The combined flavors in this recipe are quite intense. You’ll love the variety of different cheese and dairy products layered in the fresh potatoes and herbs. And a most interesting flavor comes from the chicken broth. Don’t you dare skip this ingredient it is a difference maker!
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 – 6 green onions
- 12 oz bacon
- 16 oz cheddar cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup flour
Directions
First, hand shred the block of cheddar cheese. Next, using a super thin guard on a mandolin, slice the white onion. Dice the green onions and mince the garlic. Finally mince the rosemary and thyme. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Next, slice the bacon into bits and fry it in a skillet on medium heat. When the bacon grease starts foaming and the bits are turning brown, remove the bits with a slotted spoon and place them on layered paper towels. Carefully remove most of the bacon grease and leave about 3 tablespoons in the skillet.
Add the thinly sliced onion and continue to cook on medium until the onion becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of the herbs. Next, slowly stir in the flour and combine together for several minutes. Next, add the chicken broth and stir until the sauce thickens. Slowly add the whipping cream followed by a few slices of cream cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce, then continue to add whipping cream and cream cheese until all is incorporated into the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes then turn off the heat.
Peel the potatoes, then use a mandolin with a thin blade and slice them. When the potatoes are all sliced up, use a non stick spray or vegetable shortening to grease up a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Add a layer of potatoes to the dish first. Next use a large spoon and cover the potatoes with a layer of sauce. Next apply a layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Add some bacon bits and green onion. Repeat these steps until all the ingredients are used. Be mindful of how much you have left for each item so that each layer has equal amounts of everything. This should make 4 to 5 layers.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If you need to cook with other food at a lower or higher temperature this is fine. After 30 minutes use a toothpick and stick it all the way to the bottom of the pan. Feel for the tenderness of the potato slices. If there is a lot of resistance like a raw potato, keep cooking with the foil cover. If there is partial resistance, cook for another 30 minutes uncovered. When the toothpick slides in and out with very little resistance, almost like butter, the potatoes are ready to eat. Sprinkle the top with fresh thyme, some green onions and bacon. Allow it to cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
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