Smoked Pigs in a Blanket

I'm a sucker for a nostalgic appetizer.  Pigs in a blanket were a party staple when I was a kid.  Crescent roll dough wrapped around a little smokie sausage and baked until golden brown and puffed.  Not only were these a hit at parties, but they made a great breakfast treat or after school snack.  NOW imagine that childhood favorite with an makeover that includes your backyard smoker?  When I say these are so much better made in the smoker I am neither lying nor exaggerating.  Something about the convection air of the smoker really gets the pastry dough golden and crisp.  With just a hint of smoke flavor and an extra boost from your favorite seasoning brushed on top.  These are truly ELEVATED pigs in a blanket.  We've made these several times.  Sometimes we brush them with everything bagel seasoning, and sometimes we use an all-purpose barbecue seasoning.  Mr. Devilish Dish likes to dip them in hot honey.  I don't they need dipping, their flavor and texture is perfect as is.  Definitely try these the next time your fire up the smoker, you won't be disappointed!

The best way to enjoy a pig in a blanket.
IN THE SMOKER!

Separate the crescent dough and cut each
triangle in half.  Roll up a cocktail 
sausage in each triangle.

Place 2 inches apart on a wire rack.

Brush each pig in a blanket with
melted butter.

Sprinkle with your favorite
barbecue seasoning or everything
bagel seasoning is good too.

Smoke for 10 minutes at 225 degrees F.
Turn up to 350 degrees F and smoke an 
additional 15 minutes, or until golden, crisp
and puffed up.

Enjoy.  These are amazing.

SMOKED PIGS IN A BLANKET

1 package little smokies (cocktail wieners)
1 can crescent roll dough
2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning (Or your favorite BBQ rub)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F.  Unroll the crescent dough and cut each triangle in half.  Place a little smokie at the large base of the triangle and roll to the tip of the triangle.  Press lightly to make sure it stays rolled up.  (The ends of the sausage will not be encased in dough.)  Place each rolled up pig in a blanket on a wire rack about 2 inches apart.  Set the rack over a baking tray.  Brush each pig in a blanket with melted butter and sprinkle with seasoning.  Place the wire rack into the preheated smoker and smoke at 225 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat up to 350 degrees F and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, until the dough it puffy and golden brown.

ONE BANANA Banana Bread

A while back we went to visit the Devilish Nephew and family.  There was a lone banana on the counter, getting darker and riper every day.   The Devilish Nephew was about to throw it out when Mr. Devilish Dish stopped him.  "Don't throw that out, it's perfectly ripe, she'll bake something with it." And he was totally correct.  I've heard many pastry chefs say that the blacker and uglier the banana looks, the sweeter, more intense banana flavor is inside.  It's hard to let a banana lay on the counter looking all sad and gross, but trust me, this is prime banana flavor.  This theory about letting the bananas get extremely ripe is totally true.  There is so much delicious banana flavor, you don't need an entire bunch.  Just one (Or two if they're small) will do.  The family was so impressed with how moist, delicious and intensely flavored this bread is.  Now you have a purpose for that lonely black banana that's been haunting you from the counter all week.  No need to waste it, because it's idea for this ONE BANANA Banana Bread!

This is the most delicious, moist and intensely
flavored banana bread.  You won't believe 
there is only one banana in there!

I baked this in Colorado.  I made no adjustments
for the altitude and it still came out delicious.

Save that lone banana, and let it get VERY RIPE
for this recipe.  You won't be disappointed.

ONE BANANA -BANANA BREAD

1 very ripe banana
1 egg
whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a loaf pan generously and set aside.  Mash the banana into a large bowl.  Crack the egg into a measuring cup and add enough whole milk to make 1 cup.  Pour this in with the banana.  Add the butter and vanilla.  Combine together until you  have a slightly-lumpy batter.  In a separate small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda.  Stir this into the banana mixture.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake approximately 45-60 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool before removing from loaf pan.  Slice and enjoy.

Breakfast Charcuterie Board - Just in time for Mother's Day

You know the memes and jokes about breakfast in bed for moms on Mother's Day?  Dad and the kids make an enormous mess in the kitchen for mom to clean up.  I'm not saying moms don't want breakfast, they just want to take is easy for one day.  Well what some of us want is a dark, cool hotel room and a glass or two of wine and not having to wipe any noses or make any decisions.  But we will all settle for a hearty, beautiful breakfast or brunch board featuring minimal mess and easy clean up.  Not only is this ideal for a Mother's Day Brunch, but this board idea would easily work for a bridal or baby shower, and of course a morning tailgate.  Football season will be here before we know it.  Go ahead and bookmark this now to enjoy with gameday mimosas.  When I made this board, I made it only for Mr. Devilish Dish and I, and we actually enjoyed it for dinner on a chilly Sunday night.  It's not quite as full as I would make a board were I feeding a crowd or taking it to a tailgate, but you get the basic idea for the breakfast/brunch theme.

This fun board works great for any
Mother's Day breakfast or brunch...

I tried making homemade biscuits until
I realized my baking powder was expired...
UGH.

This was more of a mini-board for the two
of us.  I would pile this thing FULL for 
shower or morning tailgate.

I love the idea of having jellies for a sweet biscuit
topping and ham and cheese for a savory option.

We added some fried bacon and also some cubed
up cinnamon rolls, but mini muffins would be
cute too.  The sky is the limit!

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH THEMED CHARCUTERIE BOARD IDEAS:

Bacon
Scrambled Eggs
Cinnamon Roll Bites
Biscuits
Ham
Cheese
Assorted Jellies
Honey
Assorted Fruit

OTHER THINGS TO INCLUDE:

Honey mustard or other "savory biscuit toppings"
Mini pancakes or waffle sticks with syrup
Fruit skewers
Mini donuts or donut holes

Mini muffins
Yogurt
Sausage patties or links
Mini quiches
Breakfast sliders


The ideas are endless.  Think of what you enjoy for breakfast and pile it on!

Enjoy,

Hash Brown Potato Casserole AKA Funeral Potatoes

I've mentioned before my brother-in-law is a chef.  He has worked in some award winning restaurants in both the Denver and New Orleans area.  He is very talented and never ceases to amaze us with his cooking knowledge and abilities.  When he came home for Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Devilish Dish was all excited to have a professional in the kitchen to help out, because he wanted to make Robuchon Potatoes.  A signature dish of the highly acclaimed French chef Joel Robuchon.  This decadent recipe is sometimes called 50/50 potatoes as in all potato and butter.  It requires some technique and Mr. Devilish Dish was  fired up to make it when my brother-in-law declared, "I just want Mom's Hash Brown Potato Casserole." Which tells you that it's darned good when the chef chooses it over a Michelin star recipe.  It's so good and this recipe has been around so long I can't believe I'm just now sharing it with you.  It features frozen hash browns and cheesy goodness baked into a delicious, comforting casserole.  Of all of the incredible food we had for our Thanksgiving meal, these potatoes were the most memorable.  There were no leftovers.  In fact I had to make them again just to take pictures for you.  The best part is some recipes, especially family recipes still taste the best of all, no matter how acclaimed you are in the kitchen.

A family favorite, of regular cooks 
and chefs alike!

Just a handful of ingredients
for this comforting casserole dish.

To crush the cornflake cereal:
Place the cereal in a plastic bag
and crush with a meat mallet or 
rolling pin.

Place your hash brown ingredients
in a greased, oven-safe baking dish.

Combine the crushed cornflake cereal
with melted butter.

Top the hash brown mixture
 with the cornflake mixture and bake.

It will come out golden brown, cheesy 
and bubbly delicious.

Such a tasty side dish.  Perfect with any meal.
Not only at the holidays, but we love it in
the summer with barbecue too.

Fun Fact: This casserole is sometimes
known as Funeral Potatoes because
it is a hearty, crowd-pleasing dish
historically seen at post-funeral
gatherings and church pot lucks.

HASH BROWN POTATO CASSEROLE 

32 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces American or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

TOPPING:

2 cups corn flake cereal, crushed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together the hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, shredded cheese, melted butter, and diced onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread mixture into prepared dish.  

In a small bowl combine the crushed cornflake cereal with melted butter.  Sprinkle this evenly over the hash brown mixture and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs - It's National Deviled Egg Day!

Don't worry, there is NO PUMPKIN in this recipe.  The only pumpkin involved here are these cute little pumpkin-themed deviled eggs!  A while back, my BFF Barb sent me a picture of some deviled eggs piped to look like little pumpkins.  She said, "You have to make these." So of course I did.  They turned out super cute and would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving meal or Fall charcuterie board.  I simply made my deviled eggs the usual way I prepare them, but instead of "sprinkling" paprika over the top, I used it to make the egg yolk mixture look orange.  I liked how it looked because it gave it a truly natural looking pumpkin color.  You could certainly add food coloring, but I didn't want to hassle with the mess.  I just made a very small batch of deviled eggs for Mr. DD and I.  Mainly because I wanted Barb to know how cute I thought her idea was, and that I tackled them myself.  One word of warning, I would not make these too far in advance.  You could certainly boil and peel your eggs, and prepare the filling ahead of time.  I just would not pipe them until serving time, because you want the filling to look fresh and perfect and not dried out.  I know yours will look even more adorable as my piping skills are no bueno, especially since my hand surgery.  I just cannot tackle things that require fine motor skills yet.  That being said, if I can make these, so can you - and you should because they are just too cute.

A holiday twist on a classic.

Boil your eggs. 
See below - I use 
Anthony Bourdain's method.

I keep my filling very simple.
That way it is easy to pipe.

Anthony Bourdain's method for hard boiling
eggs always results in a perfectly yellow yolk.

Finely mash the yolks with a fork 
or potato masher.

Add the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.
Then add enough paprika to get a natural
pumpkin color.

Add green onion pieces as a stem.
Garnish with more paprika if desired.

Happy Fall and Happy 
National Deviled Egg Day!

Aren't these just the cutest for Thanksgiving?
Thanks Barb for the idea!

PUMPKIN DEVILED EGGS

Hard boiled eggs
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
Mustard or Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
Green onions for stems

Hard boil your eggs.  I use Anthony Bourdain's method which is: Place the eggs in a pan of cold water. (I also add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to make the shells easier to peel.)  Bring to a boil.  Once they are boiling, turn off the heat and cover with a lid.  Let the pan sit on the stove 10 minutes.  Then drain and place the eggs into an ice bath to stop the cooking and cool them.  This will result in a beautiful bright yellow yolk without that grey looking ring around it.

Cut your boiled eggs in half.  Place the whites onto a platter or deviled egg plate.  Place the cooked yolks into a bowl and mash finely with a fork or potato masher.  Spoon in enough mayo and mustard to get a smooth texture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then season with enough paprika to get a natural looking orange hue.  You want this mixture to be about the consistency of a thick buttercream frosting.  Place into a piping bag with a decorative tip.  Pipe the filling into the deviled egg halves. I tried to pipe mine into little lines like the sections of a pumpkin, but you could certainly use a big star-shaped tip and pipe the mixture in more like a traditional deviled egg.  Use a small piece of green onion as a stem and sprinkle with more paprika for garnish if desired.

Mummy Hot Dogs

So I've told you about my Littlest Devils.  They are 2 & 4 and live in Colorado.  I wish they lived closer because I would 100% go all out for every holiday with them.  We would be cooking and baking and crafting as much as possible.  They love pigs in a blanket, so these Mummy Hot Dogs are right up their alley. Thank goodness Mr. Devilish Dish is a good sport and eats "toddler food" for dinner so I can try out new recipes that I will eventually get to make with my little guys.  These mummy dogs are so cute, and so easy to prepare.  They would be so fun for a school party, or a pre-trick or treating meal.  I served ours with mustard and relish on the side, but ketchup or barbecue sauce would be great as well.  You could also skip the candy eyes, and get creative with mustard, ketchup, peppercorns etc...But I bought a big jar of candy eyeball sprinkles and I'm determined to use them as much as possible this month.  Placing the eyes on the hot mummy dogs was honestly the most complicated part.  I would up using my husband's culinary tweezers.  Then I sent a picture of the finished Mummy Dogs to my brother-in-law the chef and said, "First time in history culinary tweezers have been used to place candy eyeballs on mummy hot dogs." His response was, "Culinary tweezers are like a pocket knife, handy for all sorts of uses." Even the chef was impressed with my Mummy Dogs. which means they are an ideal meal for kids of all ages!

Mummy Hot Dogs
Perfect for Kids of all ages.

Only 3 ingredients.

Remove the hot dogs from the package
and dry well with a paper towel.

Unroll the crescent dough and cut into 
4 even rectangles.  This step is even easier
if you can find the crescent sheets that
aren't perforate.  I couldn't but the regular
dough worked just fine.

Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 thin strips.
I used my pizza cutter and it worked great.

Wrap each hot dog with strips of dough
to create a random wrapping like a mummy.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and 
spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray
or spray olive oil.

Bake until golden brown.

Add the candy eyeballs while the dough is
still warm enough to make them stick.

Why does that middle guy remind 
me of a Muppet?

Serve with your favorite
dipping sauce.

MUMMY HOT DOGS

1 package good quality hot dogs
1 tube crescent roll dough (even better if you can find the crescent "sheet" that isn't perforated into triangles)
candy eyeballs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the hot dogs from the package and dry with a paper towel.  Unroll the crescent roll dough and cut into four equal rectangles.  Cut each rectangle lengthwise into ten thin strips.  Wrap the strips of pastry around each hot dog.  I kind of went back and forth so it would have an uneven look.  Place the dough wrapped hot dogs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.  (I used an olive oil spray.  This will help them crisp up.)  Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, transfer the hot dogs to a cooling rack and add the candy eyeballs while they are hot, so they will stick to the hot dog or dough.  Cool slightly and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.