The Eggs Benedict Burger

It’s part breakfast, part dinner, and part 75% arterial blockage. Okay maybe it isn’t that terrible for you…

Crispy bacon, a poached egg, and a spoonful of dreamy hollandaise sauce top a plain burger. Okay, it’s definitely that terrible for you.

Ingredients

For the hollandaise sauce:

3 large egg yolks

1 Tbsp water

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Salt

Pepper

For the burgers:

1 lb lean ground beef

Salt

Pepper

Worcestershire

3 eggs, fried or poached

3 slices of bacon, cooked to a crisp

Burger buns

Instructions

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk egg yolks with water, whisking vigorously, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice.

Whisk in 1-2 pieces of butter at a time until melted.

Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over the doubler boiler, whisking occasionally and adding 1-2 tsp hot water if the sauce thickens too much.

Season ground beef with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a few dashes of Worcestershire.

Divide ground beef into 3 equal portions and form into a patty.

Cook on the grill 4-5 minutes each side, until cooked to desired doneness.

Assemble on buns and top with crispy bacon, an egg, and a spoonful of hollandaise sauce.

Effortless Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Let's face it; summer is over. The kids are back in school, football season has begun. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are beginning to cool.  Pretty soon our wood stove will be pumping heat throughout our cozy home. Ugh, I love it. We have this large stone fireplace in our living room surrounded by the two most comfortable micro-suede armchairs ever.  Nothing feels as much like home as sitting in front of the fire, room dimly lit, covered up in a fleece blanket, eating a bowl of this hearty and very easy beef stew after a long day.  The best part is, this beef stew recipe uses a Crock Pot, so it's effortless. Set it & forget it! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef stew meat

4 potatoes, chopped

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 TBS basil

1 TBS oregano

½ TBS paprika

2 TBS minced garlic

½ TBS salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cubes of beef bouillon

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

4-5 cups water

Directions:

1. Brown stew meat in a large nonstick pan over high heat.

2. Add all ingredients to the crock pot and stir a bit to mix.

3. Cook stew in the crock pot for 7-8 hours on low.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I love football season. Being a foodie, my favorite thing about football season besides the game, is the food. Who woulda' guessed? It's a time for hearty, satisfying eats. It's a time when we unavoidably gain a few extra pounds to stay warm in winter. At my home, we are big football fans. And even bigger tailgating fans. My hubby reunites with his buddies from college and reminisces over beers.  Myself & Ellie (my daughter) serve up tempting tailgating dishes to family & friends...and hot chocolate, too! This Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

always goes too fast. It's definitely a sports fan crowd-pleaser! Incredibly easy dip to make.

Ingredients

• 1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions

Mix everything and pour it into a baking dish.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

Cheesy Ham & Pepperoni Stromboli

Ingredients

Yields 2 loaves

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups warm water (110° to 115°) 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt 

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

The quantities below are for 1 Stromboli. Double the amount if you want to make both loaves. 

1/4 lb thinly sliced ham

1/4 lb reduced fat pepperoni

Dried basil

Dried oregano

4 slices provolone cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour; fitted with the paddle attachment, beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Switching to the dough hook attachment, knead dough on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. (I froze the second portion for a later date.) Arrange ham slices lengthwise down half of rectangle. Place pepperoni on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of basil and oregano. Arrange provolone slices over the top and then add the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with a little more basil and oregano. Fold plain half of dough over filling and seal ends well. Brush with oil; sprinkle with oregano.

Bake on a baking sheet at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; cut into 1-inch slices.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is buffalo wings, especially dipped in blue cheese dressing. There's something about the buffalo chicken and blue cheese combo that really appeals to me and I had a craving for it lately. Not only that, but it's football season and these Buffalo Chicken Bites are a hit to all my little athletes & sports fans alike.  

Ingredients:

1 cup finely diced cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup hot sauce (Frank's brand is what I used)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise dry yeast

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup warm milk ( I used 2%)

2 1/2 cups of flour

Directions: 

To make the buffalo chicken mixture, in a small bowl, combine the chicken, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, melted butter and hot sauce; set aside.

In a 1 cup measuring cup, heat the milk and then add the 2 tablespoons brown sugar; stir into warm milk until dissolved; place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Allow the dough to knead in the stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Place dough into a clean bowl that's been lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of buffalo chicken mixture into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, filling and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly). 

Bake buffalo chicken bites in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven (some cheese may have melted out.) and brush tops with melted butter before serving (optional).

30-Minute Rigatoni in Blush Sauce with Chicken & Bacon

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb uncooked rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

6 slices bacon

2 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce

1 can (2 cups) diced tomatoes

fresh basil, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a large skillet, add the bacon and cook it until it starts rendering some fat. Add the chicken, onion and garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add diced tomatoes, water, basil, hot sauce, and cook for 10 minutes. Add sour cream and stir. If needed add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the skillet, add the mozzarella cheese and toss it all together to make sure all pasta is covered in the cheese and sauce.

Grate with fresh Parmesan cheese and serve warm.