Beer Butt Chicken

A whole chicken is seasoned and slowly cooked on the grill. This is a bit unorthodox, but the end result is moist, flavorful, and amazing. All you'll need is some chicken, butter, beer, and seasonings. And who doesn'l like chicken and beer? Seriously! Most of the seasonings you should have on hand already!

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (SALTED BUTTER! Not the fake stuff....)
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons of garlic pepper (YUM)
• 2 tablespoons paprika - I use SMOKED paprika
• 2 tablespoons of Kosher Salt
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer - Make sure to buy Coors Light... get a 12 pack... drink some.
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken (or 2, or 3, whatever!)

Directions

1. Prep your weber grill for LOW heat.
2. In a small skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter. Mix in 1 tablespoon garlic salt, garlic pepper, 1 tablespoon paprika, and salt.
3. Discard 1/2 the beer (DRINK IT), leaving the remainder in the can. Add remaining butter, garlic salt, paprika, and salt to beer can. Place can on a disposable baking sheet. Set chicken on can, inserting can into the cavity of the chicken. Baste chicken with the melted, seasoned butter.
4. Place baking sheet with beer and chicken on the prepared grill. Cook over low heat for about 3 hours, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 180 degrees F

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

The combination of unique ingredients make this chicken dish delicious. It roasts beautifully and is surprisingly fast once it's in the oven. You could serve this with any sort of veggies you perfer, and also add them in while roasting, sort of like a pot roast. The leftovers are fantastic for sandwiches, salads, and Mexican dishes.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
3. Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.
4. Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees F, and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F, and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Toasted Ravioli

After searching for a healthier version of St. Louis traditional Toasted Ravioli recipe (which normally is cooked in hot grease / fryer) I took apart a 13 ingrediant recipe and made it much simplier. Best part is, it is baked in the oven which makes it a lot healthier too!

Toasted Ravioli

Ingredients

• 12 frozen cheese ravioli
• Italian salad dressing
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce, warmed
• Parm

Directions

• Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush tops with salad dressing; coat with bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with Parm. Serve with marinara sauce. 

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These are so tasty your family won't believe they are eating healthy! Nothing this good for you should taste so good...or be this easy to cook. These are delicious plain, but may be dipped in your guiltiest dipping pleasure.

 Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

• 6 sweet potatoes, cut into French fries
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, canola oil, taco seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.

Cure a Cold Chicken Soup

Are you sick of having the sniffles this winter? Well I am! This weather is so strange with it being freezing to 60 degreens overnight. Every week so far we have had up and down tempatures in St louis and I have noticed more and more people sick from it.

This soup is DELICIOUS, easy to make, and sure to make anyone feel better. To be honest, I dont need to be sick to enjoy a good comfort food...

CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast, or I buy a roasted chicken, shred the meat (no skin added)
• 1 Small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 carrots, chopped or thinly sliced
• 4 small ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
• 1/3 pound wide egg noodles
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• Grated peel of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, halved onion, garlic, bay leaf and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the chicken is cooking, in a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery; add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil. Shred the poached chicken into pieces and add to the soup. Stir in the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, dill and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Let's face it, we are all guilty of this at least once in our lives. Laziness takes over and McDonald's become the choice for dinner. But we forget the high amounts of SUGAR they add to thier food to make it addicting. Wouldn't you love to find a recipe that is healthy, and delicious too for Chicken Nuggets? Look no farther!
Chunks of all white meat chicken breasts coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese then baked until golden. An easy chicken recipe your whole family will love. What can be more kid friendly than chicken nuggets, even the pickiest kids like them. Serve them with ketchup, bbq sauce or whatever you like to dip your nuggets into.

This isn't my recipe, but I promise you will LOVE these and enjoy adding this on your list of family meals.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/healthy-baked-chicken-nuggets.html


bon appetit!