White Meat Burgers

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Grilling is one of my favorite things – being out in the open air with the smell of food wafting around you while your family hangs out in the shade nearby (I live with a couple of vampires). There are not many things better.

What is not great is when you have to pay high hamburger prices to make up delicious juicy burgers – not to mention red meat is not exactly the best for you. Our family usually doesn’t buy hamburger, and have actually lost a lot of our taste for it. (Don’t get me wrong, we still love a good burger!) So when I grill, I mix it up by grinding our own burger and making it out of a combination of pork and chicken.

These burgers come with all the hearty, juicy flavor you expect from a burger without making you feel heavy. Not to mention its much easier on the wallet.

We recently made this for a family party and everyone loved them! Even though they are half pound burgers(!), almost everyone had a second one.

We grind our own meat, but you can always get ground meat from the grocery store. We do highly recommend grinding your own meat. You can save a lot of money and the grind is always fresh!

White Meat Burgers

Barbecue, Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Non-Traditional, Pork, Summer

White Meat Burgers

Ingredients

4 pounds ground pork
2 pounds ground chicken dark meat
1/2 pound ground chicken skin
1/2 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
Salt to taste
Minced garlic to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine pork, chicken, and skin with your hands, blending well.
Add seasonings and mix with hands.
Using a burger press or your hand measure out desired size patties and make them as round as possible. This recipe yields 13 half pounders or 26 quarter pounders.
Using your thumb, lightly depress center of eat patty.
Allow patties to rest in the fridge from one hour to overnight.
Heat grill to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grill patties until cooked through. Cooking times will vary by grill – ours took 6 minutes on each side. Check temperature to determine when they are done. The USDA recommends meat to be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove from grill. Allow patties to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with your favorite burger toppings!

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019

Make Ahead Freezer Hash Browns

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Our family loves breakfast! Every Saturday morning we have to resist running to the nearest fast food place or diner to indulge.

We made it a bit easier on ourselves by cooking up these make ahead hash browns. Then we can fry them up with a side of eggs in the comfort of our own home! Not to mention we can use them in recipes that call for them.

We wait to make these until potatoes go on sale. When we made these up we found 10 pound bags of russets for $1 a piece during a case lot sale! We ended up buying 80 pounds and freezing them in various ways. (We’ve already shared our recipe for make ahead freezer french fries here!)

Make Ahead Freezer Hash Browns

Breakfast, Comfort Foods, Freezer, Potatoes

Make Ahead Freezer Hash Browns

Ingredients

Russet potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thoroughly scrub potatoes. Using a fork, poke several vent holes in each potato.
Bake the potatoes for one hour or until just fork tender. Place potatoes in the fridge until cooled.
Shred potatoes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a cookie cutter or mason jar lid, portion out how much potatoes will be in each hash brown. Shape potatoes into thin oblong ovals.
Place hash browns onto parchment paper in a single layer. Once pan is full, you may put down another layer of parchment paper and another layer of hash browns if needed.
Place sheet into freezer until potatoes are frozen solid – usually overnight. Place frozen hash browns into freezer safe bag. Hash browns are good for up to one year in the freezer.

Using the hash browns in a casserole

We recommend thawing the hash browns in the fridge overnight. Drain any excess liquid, then use as directed in the recipe.

Baking the hash browns

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place frozen patties on a greased cookie sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown, flipping them halfway through.

Frying the hash browns

Preheat your deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Fry hash browns for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown.

May 16, 2019

Oven Baked Chicken

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Nothing is better than getting home after a long day of work than the smell of baked chicken and mashed potatoes! Pair it with a salad and you’ve got a healthy and hearty meat that will keep you feeling satisfied!

We personally like getting chicken quarters and separate them ourselves. For one, its typically cheaper that way. Two, the pieces are usually larger.

We always wait for them to go on sale at our favorite local discount grocery store. The last time we found them for $0.25 per pound! So we grabbed a ton and put them in our freezer. We’ve slowly been working through them, drastically lowering how much meat we’ve had to buy lately.

You’ll need a baking sheet and rack to keep the chicken out of its own grease as it cooks. That keeps it healthier and makes the skin extra crispy!

Oven Baked Chicken

Chicken, Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat

Oven Baked Chicken

Ingredients

6 chicken quarters, separated (or 6 thighs and 6 drumsticks)
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Kamodo Joe Poultry seasoning
2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine all seasonings. Mix thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sprinkle seasoning on one side of chicken and rub in. Flip chicken and repeat for the other side.
Place chicken on a baking rack on a baking sheet, skin side down.
Bake 50 – 60 minutes, flipping halfway through. Chicken is done when the largest thigh reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Craving barbecue instead? Check out this recipe!

May 2, 2019May 2, 2019

Grilled Chicken

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Growing up, my dad barbecued rain or shine, winter or summer. Its one of my favorite ways to cook, and since he moved away I haven’t had much of a chance to.

That was until this week when I finally had saved up enough to get my very own grill! (Review of that grill coming soon!) The stars aligned and we got chicken quarters for $0.25 a pound!! So I cooked them up on by new grill and instantly felt closer to my dad.

You can use your favorite BBQ sauce! We personally love Kraft’s sauces, especially Hickory and Mesquite. This time we used Hickory.

Grilled Chicken

Barbecue, Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Sauce, Summer

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

10 lbs chicken leg quarters, seperated
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS yellow curry
1 tsp sea salt
35 oz BBQ sauce (it takes us 2 bottles of our favorite)

Instructions

Heat up your barbecue grill to 400 – 425 degrees Fahrenheit, or medium power if your grill doesn’t have a temperature gauge.
While the grill is warming up, mix spices in a medium bowl. Liberally sprinkle spice mixture onto each piece of chicken, covering both sides.
Place chicken on grill for 35 minutes for thighs, 30 minutes for drumsticks.
Put barbecue sauce in a medium bowl. Using a grilling brush, coat the top of the chicken with barbecue sauce. Cook for an additional 10 minutes for the thighs and an additional 5 minutes for the drumsticks.
Flip the pieces and coat with sauce a second time. Cook for another 5 minutes, flip and coat one more time. Chicken is done when the largest pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our upcoming recipes! Its summer time, so we’ll be grilling until we’re sick of it!

April 25, 2019April 29, 2019

Deep Fried Chicken Strips

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My wife worked for a chicken fast food joint for the first 2 years of our marriage. They let her take home leftovers, so for a long time we had free chicken – old, dry chicken, but everything free is good, right?

Since she quit we’ve been craving fried chicken, and we’ve found a recipe that is nice on the wallet and great with a wide array of dipping sauces! (Including our Zesty Asian and Mango Habanero sauces)

If you want that extra crispy crust we definitely recommend deep frying! If you are looking for a healthier twist check out our Air Fried Chicken Strips recipe.

Deep Fried Chicken Strips

Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Fried, Meals for a Crowd, Meat

Deep Fried Chicken Strips

Ingredients

2.5 lbs dark meat chicken strips (cut strips from thighs – you should get about 4 from each thigh)
Hot sauce
5 cups flour
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup cayenne pepper or to taste
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Marinade chicken strips in hot sauce for up to 24 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add cayenne pepper to make spicy tenders, or leave it out for a milder breading.
In a shallow bowl combine eggs and milk.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.
Dredge strips in flour mixture first – shaking off excess flour. Then dip the strip into the egg mixture, and again into the flour mixture. Lightly shake off excess flour.
Place strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place all breaded strips into the freezer for at least two hours for flour to stick to chicken.
Heat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry chicken strips in hot oil until golden brown – about 8 minutes.

Notes

It makes it easier to bread the chicken if you use one hand for removing the chicken from the flour mixture and one hand for removing it from the wet mixture. If you don’t then you will coat your fingers in breading. After freezing chicken can be placed in freezer safe bags and kept for up to three months.

April 25, 2019December 5, 2019

Air Fried Chicken Strips

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

We got an Air Fryer from my in-laws for Christmas and we have been cooking up a storm. One thing we’ve made plenty of is our freeze ahead chicken strips! When we are feeling naughty we deep fry them (see that recipe here), but we’re both trying to eat healthier.

With the air fryer you get all the crisp with a lot less oil!

Pair these with our Zesty Asian sauce or Mango Habanero Sauce for a spicy kick!

Air Fried Chicken Strips

Air Fryer, Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Fried, Meals for a Crowd, Meat

Air Fried Chicken Strips

Ingredients

2.5 lbs dark meat chicken strips (cut strips from thighs – you should get about 4 from each thigh)
Hot sauce
5 cups flour
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup cayenne pepper or to taste
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Marinade chicken strips in hot sauce for up to 24 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add cayenne pepper to make spicy tenders, or leave it out for a milder breading.
In a shallow bowl combine eggs and milk.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.
Dredge strips in flour mixture first – shaking off excess flour. Then dip the strip into the egg mixture, and again into the flour mixture. Lightly shake off excess flour.
Place strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place all breaded strips into the freezer for at least two hours for flour to stick to chicken.
Preheat air fryer. Just before placing in fryer basket, lightly coat tenders in oil using a oil mister or brush. Cook in single layer at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. Open fryer and flip strips. Cook for an additional 6 minutes.

Notes

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019

Pork & Veggie Stir Fry

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The few times we get carry out, we have a favorite Chinese place we go to. Their family combos are to die for, and we always add on an extra order of their crispy cream cheese wontons.

Since we can’t get out as often as we would like, we’ve found its cheaper to make our favorite Asian inspired dishes ourselves. This pork stir fry gives you all the umami you’d expect from your favorite place with the ease of staying in home while you whip it up hot in your own wok!

We cook up our rice in our pressure cooker to make it fast and fluffy! No need to get a single function rice cooker!

We used a bag of frozen veggies from Costco to make ours. You can always substitute fresh produce in, but we find it is often cheaper to grab these veggies frozen – especially when they aren’t in season.

Pork & Veggie Stir Fry

Chinese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meat, Pork, Splurge

Pork & Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients

3 TBS olive oil, divided
3 lbs pork, cut into bite sized pieces
2 1/2 lbs frozen stir fry vegetables**
1 TBS garlic powder
2 tsp powdered ginger

For the Sauce

3 TBS corn starch
6 TBS cold water
1 tsp chicken base
3/4 cup water
6 TBS soy sauce
3/4 cup honey
3 TBS toasted sesame oil
2 tsp or to taste crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

In a medium bowl, whisk corn starch and cold water. Add remaining sauce ingredients, mixing as you go. Set aside

Start the Stir fry:

Add 1 1/2 TBS olive oil to deep skillet or wok and heat over medium high heat. Add pork, cook in batches if necessary, and add salt and pepper to taste as cooking. Cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan.
Add remaining oil and reduce heat to medium. Add frozen vegetables to pan, stirring occasionally until heated through but not soggy.
Add garlic powder and powdered ginger and cook for a minute. Add pork back into pan, stirring to combine.
Mix sauce again in case of separation. Our over meat and vegetables, stirring gently to coat.
Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let boil for a minute.
Remove from heat. Serve hot over rice.

Notes

**The frozen bag of vegetables we use includes: broccoli, sugar snap peas, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, red bell peppers, water chestnuts and yellow onions. You can use 2 1/2 lbs of whatever fresh vegetables you like. When cooking, cook vegetables until cooked through but still a little crisp.

April 18, 2019April 15, 2019

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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We are potato lovers in this house! When my wife was pregnant that is all she craved (then she ironically developed gestational diabetes, so no more for her!)

Nothing is better on a cool almost spring day than a hearty bowl of potato soup! This classic recipe brings everything you love about a baked potato into a bowl with creamy texture you will love to scarf down!

To make this the ultimate soup, you could really use an immersion blender. It makes is so easy, and saves you the hassle of having to blend it in batches in your standard stand blender. (Though if you love a classic blender, might we recommend Ninja?)

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Cheese, Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Potatoes, Soup

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

8 cups of water
4 TBS chicken base
4 lbs red potatoes, chopped into 1″ pieces
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 lb bacon, chopped, cooked, divided – reserve grease
1 1/2 cups of sour cream, plus more for garnish
1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish
1 bunch of green onion, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Mix water, chicken base, potatoes, onion, 1/2 of cooked bacon, and reserved bacon grease in a 6 QT slow cooker.
Cook for 3 hours on high, then 3 hours on low for a total cook time of 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup until slightly chunkier than desired texture (we like it a little chunky).
Add in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream and blend to desired texture.
Garnish with remaining bacon, green onion, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Want to elevate this soup? We love this “Deluxe” version filled with Parmesan!

April 18, 2019April 15, 2019

Slow Cooker Deluxe Potato Soup

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

As spring gets closer, some of those blustery in between days can get pretty chilly. We’ve had such whiplash between sunny weather and rain/snow that we aren’t ever sure what to prepare.

A good fall back is some soup to warm the soul in the slow cooker so you don’t warm up the house! The ultimate comfort food is the potato, and this soup celebrates it in an elevated way!

We have loved our immersion blender, and jump at any opportunity to use it! I couldn’t find ours available anymore, but this one on Amazon is a great price!

Slow Cooker Deluxe Potato Soup

Cheese, Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Potatoes, Soup

Slow Cooker Deluxe Potato Soup

Ingredients

8 cups of water
4 TBS chicken base
4 lbs red potatoes, chopped into 1″ pieces
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 lb bacon, chopped, cooked, divided – reserve grease
1 lb Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
1 bunch of green onion, chopped

Instructions

Mix water, chicken base, potatoes, onion, 1/2 of cooked bacon, and reserved bacon grease in a 6 QT slow cooker.
Cook for 3 hours on high, then 3 hours on low for a total cook time of 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup until slightly chunkier than desired texture (we like it a little chunky).
Add in 1 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan and blend to desired texture.
Garnish with remaining bacon, green onion, and more Parmesan.

Notes

Make this Vegetarian friendly by not adding bacon and using Vegetable Bouillon instead of chicken base.

A little to indulgent? Check out our classic Loaded Baked Potato Soup for a simpler take!

April 15, 2019April 12, 2019

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Spring is in the air – but if you live anywhere like we do, April still has a chill in the air. Around here that means soup time!

One of our heartiest and budget friendly soups is our Taco Soup! Filled with lots of protein and brimming with flavor, we can never have enough!

You can make this recipe even simpler if you want to use canned beans instead of soaking your own. Or make it faster by using a pressure cooker to cook up your beans!

Garnished with tortilla chips, sour cream, and green onions for a fiesta in a bowl!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Mexican, Pork, Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into bite sized chunks
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
1 1/2 cups dried black beans
1 1/2 cups dried kidney beans
5 TBS Taco Seasoning
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of corn
7 cups of water
2 TBS of chicken base powder
2 medium Anaheim peppers, finely chopped and separated
1 bunch of green onion, chopped
1 lb of cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

Instructions

Mix dried beans in a large bowl or pot. Fill bowl with enough water to cover the beans. Soak overnight. Drain beans.
Mix beans, pork, 4 TBS of the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, 3 cups of water, 1 TBS chicken base and corn in a 6 QT slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours.
Add 1/2 of a medium Anaheim pepper. Cook for another 5 hours on high.
Add remaining water, chicken base, and taco seasoning. Cook for an additional 2 hours, bringing the total cook time to 9 hours.
Garnish soup with tortilla chips, remaining Anaheim peppers, green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Notes

If using canned beans use 3 15oz cans of beans, drained, for each variety. They will not need to be soaked. Reduce cook time by 1 hour and cook on low instead of high.