Potato Salad

2 lbs small yellow, red, or white potatoes
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 tbs yellow mustard
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup dill pickle
2 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup fresh parsley & dill
salt & pepper

Yams

Peel and boil with salt until soft
Mash
Butter to taste (6 yams ~½ stick)
Brown sugar to taste (½ cup)
1/2 cup Walnuts or pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice

Just before, 1 layer of big marsh mellows (warning they expand)
Bake 150° to 200° until melted

½ yam per person is plenty

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 3 cups milk

• 1/4 cup butter

• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or ritz crackers)

• 1 pinch paprika

Directions

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

Cut up leftover hotdogs for extra credit.

Marie's Chili

Ingredients

• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 28oz cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2-3 jalapeños diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 pork chops (~2 lbs)

Directions

Cube and fry pork chops in garlic with olive oil until brownish. Add remaining ingredients into a big pot with kidney beans. Let simmer for a couple hours.

Brown Butter and Sea Salt Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• sea salt for sprinkling (preferably fleur de sel)
• optional: chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it starts to caramelize. It should smell nutty and you will see brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to burn the butter - in which case you will have to start over. Pour browned butter into a medium bowl and stir in brown sugar and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until combined. Let cool to room temperature. Using a tablespoon or small scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and lightly press into top of cookies. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Don't overcook, or cookies will be too dry and crumbly.

Flour-less Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips (we like semisweet)

Directions:
Mix together and scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 

Smoked Bourbon Chicken

From Cook's Country | August/September 2014

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Cooking the marinade was the first essential step to getting the most flavor compounds into our chicken. Slashing the chickens also allowed for better penetration of the marinade flavors before grilling. Splitting our chickens into halves allowed the skin and meat to have maximum exposure to… read more

SERVES 4

Use a bourbon you’d be happy drinking. Use all the basting liquid in step 5.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups bourbon
• 1 1/4 cups soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded
• 1 cup wood chips
• 4 (12-inch) wooden skewers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring bourbon, soy sauce, sugar, shallot, garlic, and pepper to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Set aside 3/4 cup bourbon mixture for basting chicken. (Bourbon mixture can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)

2. With chickens breast side down, using kitchen shears, cut through bones on both sides of backbones; discard backbones. Flip chickens over and, using chef’s knife, split chickens in half lengthwise through centers of breastbones. Cut 1/2-inch-deep slits across breasts, thighs, and legs, about 1/2 inch apart. Tuck wingtips behind backs. Divide chicken halves between two 1-gallon zipper-lock bags and divide remaining bourbon mixture between bags. Seal bags, turn to distribute marinade, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, flipping occasionally.

3. Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Remove chicken halves from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Insert 1 skewer lengthwise through thickest part of breast down through thigh of each chicken half.

4A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.

4B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners. (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 350° to 375°.)

5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken halves skin side up on cooler side of grill with legs pointing toward fire. Cover and cook, basting every 15 minutes with reserved bourbon mixture, until breasts register 160° and thighs register 175°, 75 to 90 minutes, switching placement of chicken halves after 45 minutes. (All of bourbon mixture should be used.) Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve and serve.