Sweet Mustard BBQ Meatball Appetizer -Two Ingredient -Slow Cooker

Here's another two ingredient appy, super simple and very good! This Sweet Mustard BBQ Meatball Appetizer is a nice change of pace from tomato based recipes, the mustard is tangy and different and the slow cooker does all the work. Gotta love that:@) I made a small batch in my Little Dipper Crock Pot, the recipe is easily increased. If your crowd likes mustard and BBQ sauce, they'll gobble these meatballs up!

The Sweet Baby Ray's I used:

My Meatball Pinterest Board can be found here.

Sweet Mustard BBQ Meatball Appetizer
7 oz frozen meatballs
3/4 C Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Mustard BBQ Sauce

1. Add everything to Little Dipper Crock Pot, place paper towels under lid, cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until meatballs are done.
2. Serve with fun food picks.

Enjoy a snack and have a happy day:@) 

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BBQ Sauce Meatball Appetizer -Two Ingredient -Little Dipper Crock Pot or Larger Slow Cooker

Let's face it folks, sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be, and some days it's just too hot outside to feel like cooking... Why not take the easy road and make this two ingredient Bar-B-Que Sauce Meatball Appy that's simply tossed into a slow cooker and your most difficult decision is choosing what food picks you want to use:@) Seriously perfect for TV watching, a sporting event (any new NASCAR fans out there?) or noshing poolside. Just toss it together, go about your day, and a few hours later everyone is munching away. I'll give family size, and 1-2 people size below.

Use your favorite brand of frozen meatballs and favorite BBQ Sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays.

BBQ Sauce Meatball Appetizer
Frozen Cooked Meatballs 40 oz ~or~ 7 oz
BBQ Sauce 16 oz bottle ~or~ 3/4 C

1. Add to 4 qt slow cooker ~or~ Little Dipper Crock Pot.
2. Place paper towels ~or~ napkin under lid. Cook for approximately 2.5 to 3 hours on high. 
3. Stir and serve with food picks.

Stay cool and eat well:@)

Baked Bean Nachos with Cheddar, Bacon and BBQ Sauce

You've probably heard me say it before... I love me some beans! These Baked Bean Nachos are my twist on an old recipe from Food Network Magazine. They made a substantial snack for Sunday's football game and will definitely be something I'll make again! While nachos traditionally lean towards the salty snack group, the baked beans beg for something sweet to be added.... So I added some BBQ sauce. Another tasty suggestion, candied jalapenos:@)

I could call this lunch:@)

 Tip: You will want to drain the beans well. If the sauce is thick, heat it a little before adding to the colander.

Baked Bean Nachos-Adapted from New England Nachos, Food Network Magazine
Tortilla chips
Baked beans, drained well in colander
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled-I used a pre-cooked pack of real bacon bits from Aldi
BBQ Sauce-I used Sweet Baby Rays, I'll bet the maple variety is great with these nachos!
Sliced scallions or chives (ideally) or parsley (in a pinch) for garnish
Pickled or candied jalapenos, optional-not optional for me:@)
Sour cream and hot sauce for serving, optional

1. Make layer of tortilla chips on microwave friendly platter.
2. Using a fork, add some beans to each tortilla chip.
3. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, as much as you'd like. You know your crowd...
4. Sprinkle with bacon. Again, you know your crowd...
5. Add a light squirt of BBQ sauce. I placed it in a disposable icing bag and cut a small hole.
6. Repeat layers as desired.
7. Microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. You know your microwave.
8. Sprinkle top with scallions or parsley.
9. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce on the side and ~lots~ of napkins...

Enjoy a munchie and have a happy day:@)

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Buff-A-Cue Meatball Appetizer, Little Dipper Slow Cooker, Stove Top or Oven

I saw an ad from Sweet Baby Rays and knew it would be my next munchie for football season... Instead of wings (which would be great) I made a Buff-A-Cue Meatball Appy. Yep, it's pretty much what you'd think, half BBQ sauce, half wing sauce. I happened to have SBR's brand of both in the fridge, so that's what I used. This is a great little snack that's perfect with a nice cold beverage... But I do want to mention, it's for hot sauce lovers only! You will notice some heat:@)

I have a feeling my Little Dipper Slow Cooker is gonna get a work out this year!

  I'll list what I did for the Little Dipper, you can click the link to see what SBR's suggests for wings.

Buff-A-Cue Meatball Appetizer-adapted from Sweet Baby Rays
7 oz frozen meatballs
1/4 C plus 2 Tblsp BBQ sauce
1/4 C plus 2 Tblsp hot sauce

1. Place meatballs in Little Dipper Crock Pot.
2. Mix sauces well, pour over meatballs.
3. Plug in crock pot, place folded paper towel over vessel, add lid.
4. Cook for 2 hours total, replace paper towel at one hour, stir when done, and serve with food picks.

Enjoy a munchie and have a happy day:@)

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Tangy Mustard Baked Beans from Canned -With Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Tip

I have four different types of mustard in my refrigerator. My all time favorite for snacking and sandwiches is spicy brown, and the one I use for cooking and recipes is usually good ole prepared yellow mustard (Dijon and grainy are the other two). These Tangy Mustard Baked Beans call for yellow, and I'd like to share a great tip for cooking them in a slow cooker below. As for the beans, they are tangy and pungent and quite different than our traditionally ubber sweet baked beans. I think they would be very refreshing with a nice grilled meat that's slathered in sticky sweet BBQ sauce.

 I used my 2 quart Crock Pot.

My tip: When we bake beans in the oven, the liquids condense and the flavors really intensify... If we leave the lid on a slow cooker, things stay wet and it's just not the same. So, I suggest simply leaving the lid ~off~ of the Crock Pot, therefore allowing a more traditional cooking environment. This worked well for me.

Tip #2: Want a super easy, one step short cut? Skip the ingredient list and just mix the beans with Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce to taste. You are welcome:@)

Mustard Baked Beans-heavily adapted from Campbells
2 (14.5 oz) cans pork and beans, lightly drained
2 Tblsp ketchup
2 Tblsp yellow mustard + 1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tblsp packed brown sugar
1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, chopped -or- 1 Tblsp dried onion flakes-I always use dry for the slow cooker
~Mix everything (except 1 tsp mustard) in slow cooker vessel, cook 2.5 hours on high, lid off, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tsp mustard before serving.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

Ma brings me the seasonal magazine her supermarket offers shoppers, I love looking through it for nuggets of inspiration! These Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings are my slight twist on a recipe I saw in the magazine for drumsticks. What makes them different than traditional wings? The addition of olive oil, garlic powder and smoked paprika. I suggest mixing the sauce and allowing it to mingle while you heat up the grill and cook the chicken.

I used my 'mess free, stress free method' of cooking chicken on the grill HERE, I placed it on a disposable aluminum tray. 

Cooked the drumlettes closer to the direct heat, and wings a little more towards indirect heat since they cook faster. 

No flare-ups, and the greasy tray... Well that just gets tossed, I thought you might like that:@)

I do have several brands of hot sauce to choose from in the fridge... Yep, I do.

Did you know that Sweet Baby Ray's has a hot sauce out now? 

It's thicker than most, coats things well, is nice and salty and a great addition for anyone that loves some heat! 

I used the SBR's for this batch of wings.

The chicken can really be cooked via any method you like best. 

As Sweet Baby Ray's would say... It's all about the sauce:@)

Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings-from Savory Magazine, May 2018 Edition
1/4 C hot sauce-your favorite brand
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne-I just added a shake or two
3 lbs chicken
salt and pepper, or seasoned salt

1. Whisk first six ingredients in large bowl, set aside.
2. Heat grill to medium hot. 
3. Sprinkle chicken with S&P or your favorite seasoned salt-I used Lawry's Original.
4. Place chicken on disposable foil pan and arrange so drumlettes are towards one side and winglettes to the other side.
5. Place pan on grill with drumlettes closer to direct heat, winglettes towards indirect heat.
6. Close grill lid, turn chicken after 10 minutes.
7. Grill with lid closed 10 minutes more or until cooked through.
8. Add hot chicken to sauce, toss to coat chicken well.

Let's grill up some wings and have a happy day:@)

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BBQ Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage Kabobs with Sweet Potatoes

Here's a nice little twist for the grill, BBQ Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage Shish-Kabobs with Sweet Potatoes, and squash, peppers and onions. If you haven't cooked a kielbasa type sausage on the grill before folks, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I always have smoked turkey sausage in the freezer, it's a nice easy go-to. It's also ~really~ good with barbecue sauce, and I suggest placing the sweet potatoes next to the meat and brushing them with the sauce too. Actually... There isn't anything on the skewer a little Sweet Baby Rays wouldn't make extra happy and tasty:@)

I like to peel and slice the sweet potato and then add it to a steamer basket over boiling water for about 7 minutes.
Then the steamer basket of squash goes into the fridge to cool off completely.
That way it's mostly cooked yet still firm enough to be skewered and grilled. 

I used jalapeno, any green pepper you'd like or have would add great flavor and color.

BBQ Kielbasa/Smoked Sausage Kabobs with Sweet Potatoes
Kielbasa or smoked sausage cut into 1/2-1" slices-I like smoked turkey sausage
Thin sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1/2" slices, steamed for 7 minutes and cooled in fridge
Onion, 1" chunks
Red bell pepper, 1" chunks
Green pepper of choice, 1" chunks
Thin summer squash, 1/2" slices
Olive oil
Your favorite seasoned salt-I used my The 'One' BBQ Rub HERE
Your favorite BBQ Sauce-We're fond of Sweet Baby Ray's

1. Place everything in a big bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Sprinkle liberal amount of your favorite seasoned salt (or rub) and mix well.
3. Skewer everything and grill over medium/high heat for about 4 minutes a side (think of it as having 4 sides). 
4. After the second turn brush the meat (or everything) with BBQ sauce. Cook for the last couple turns basting with sauce as desired.

Try something new on the grill and have a happy day:@)

Bar-B-Que Frozen Green Beans with Bacon and Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

These four ingredient Barbecue Green Beans were super easy and bursting with big flavor! I used readily available frozen beans (while waiting for my planters to start producing:@) and made them pop with some bacon, onion and Sweet Baby Rays. Don't hesitate to add these beans to your next cook out folks, they'd go well with any grilled meat. Or... Maybe just make some cornbread and call it lunch!

Bar-B-Que Frozen Green Beans with Bacon and Sweet Baby Rays
For each 12 oz bag of frozen microwavable green beans:
2 slices bacon, small diced
1/4 C onion, 1/4 " diced
1/4 C Sweet Baby Rays Original BBQ Sauce

1. Cook green beans per package instructions.
2. Fry bacon until crisp, remove bacon to paper towel.
3. Remove all but about 2 tsp bacon fat, fry onion until tender.
4. Add cooked beans and BBQ sauce, stir and serve.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Holiday BBQ Sauce-great with turkey, chicken, beef or pork (Doctored Sweet Baby Rays)

Whether you choose to slather this on grilled meat, broiled wings or use it as a dipping sauce... It's good stuff folks! For a Thanksgiving and Christmas flare I've added cinnamon, cloves and orange to Sweet Baby Rays for this Holiday BBQ Sauce and we all thought this was a great flavor combination. I served it with Baked Buffalo Chicken Nuggets (my new favorite HERE)... Very ~very~ nice:@)

You know you want some:@)

How about heating up some meatballs as an appy for your next football or holiday party...

Holiday BBQ Sauce
1 C Sweet Baby Rays original
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp frozen orange juice concentrate
A few grinds of black pepper
~Mix everything, let mingle for at least an hour, and enjoy!

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken

True confession time... I'm more of a pressure cooker rather than slow cooker kinda gal. But-I'm trying to broaden my horizons and embrace slow cooking, I know so many folks love it. This Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken is a very tasty "toss it into the pot and go about your day" meal. It's perfect whether you want to have dinner ready when you get home from work or are feeding a crowd at the next football party. You can serve the meat as sandwiches, or over rice or noodles. This tastes great, but let's be honest... Sweet Baby Ray's is da bomb, so yea, it tastes great:@)

 I used the low slow cooker setting on my 6 quart ♥Instant Pot-still lovin' that purchase folks!

Notes and tips:

• Remove lid away from the pot so condensation doesn't run back into the pot. I do this for both pressure cooker and slow cooker recipes.
• It will look wet and soupy, but once you add the shredded chicken back, it will soak up the moisture.
• Offer bottles of BBQ sauce and hot sauce for serving. Cole slaw would be nice too:@)
• My chicken breasts were Dolly Parton sized (two breasts weighed over 2 lbs)... I would cut them in half next time.
• Recipe easily doubled for a crowd.
• This would work just as well with pork.

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken-from Family Fresh Meals
2 lbs boneless, skinless breasts, trimmed of fat
1 C BBQ sauce-I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original
1/4 C Italian salad dressing
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste-I omitted this

1. Toss everything except chicken into the cooking vessel, mix well. 
2. Add chicken, turn to coat with sauce.
3. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. (My huge breasts took over 6 hours on low, I would cut them in half next time).
4. Remove meat, shred, add back to vessel, mix well. If too soupy use saute function and cook for a few minutes, if it looks a little dry add an extra squirt of BBQ sauce.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Once again a recipe advertisement in a food magazine caught my eye. This Root Beer BBQ Sauce was really different, we could taste both the root beer and the citrus. It's also more on the tangy rather than sweet side, easily adjusted with more brown sugar if your crew likes things sweeter. And it calls for... no heat. No hot sauce, chipotle, jalapenos... nothing spicy at all. If you're having a BBQ Sauce tasting party this summer (which is a really fun idea BTW:@), I think you'd be happy adding a root beer sauce to the list of things to try.

We added the sauce to pulled pork sandwiches, a very good choice!

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce-from Lea & Perrins ad in June 2016 Food Network Magazine
12 oz root beer
1/2 C ketchup
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C orange juice
2 Tblsp barbecue sauce-I used original Sweet Baby Ray's 
2 Tblsp brown sugar
2 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tblsp molasses
1/2 tsp ground ginger
~Mix everything in sauce pan, simmer until thick, about 45 minutes. I did let mine cook for about an hour and a half, I wanted it to really stick to the meat.

Try something new and have a happy day:@)

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Ham and Asparagus Pizza with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce

Got a little pack of leftover ham in the freezer from the holidays? I thought so:@) How about whipping up a Ham and Asparagus Pizza with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce. I am determined to eat my fill of asparagus this spring and, as previously mentioned, it's great with this BBQ Sauce. If you'd like to try your hand at bread machine homemade pizza dough, we can help with that too here.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

A little closer...

And the best view yet... As it's headed to your mouth, he-he:@)

Just being silly folks, but I think you'll like this if you try it!

Ham and Asparagus Pizza with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce
Generously cover pizza dough with BBQ sauce. Add cheese of your choice, I had mozzarella. Gently toss the asparagus and ham with a little more sauce and sprinkle on pizza. Add onions. Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes or until done.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Asparagus with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce on George Foreman Grill

To me, spring = asparagus, it's good stuff folks. As soon as I bought the bottle I knew I'd have to try this Asparagus with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce, it did not disappoint! I chose to grill mine on the George Foreman Grill, an outdoor grill would add even one more dimension of flavor and of course they could be roasted in the oven. If you're a fan of mustard I do highly recommend picking up a bottle of this BBQ sauce:@)

 After cooking it was slightly sweet with just a hint of mustard.
A very nice compliment to the asparagus, nothing overpowering at all.

10 spears about 1/2" wide (approx 1/4 lb) fit nicely on my little George.

Asparagus with Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce
1/4 lb asparagus, trimmed, washed and dried well-serves one or two people
1 Tblsp Sweet Bay Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ sauce, or enough to coat the asparagus well
light sprinkle of salt once off the grill

1 lb asparagus, trimmed, washed and dried well-serves more people, how many? Well, you know your crowd:@)
1/4 C Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce, or enough to coat the asparagus well
light sprinkle of salt once off the grill

1. Heat George Foreman grill for a good 5 minutes.
2. While the gill is heating up, rub SBR's all over the asparagus (I use my hands). 
3. Add asparagus in one layer, close lid and grill for 4-8 minutes or until your desired level of doneness (I like 7 minutes without lifting the lid for 1/2" thick asparagus).
4. Sprinkle lightly with salt once off the grill and enjoy!

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Two Ingredient Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce Deviled Eggs

I love trying new BBQ sauces and couldn't get this one into my cart fast enough... These two ingredient Sweet Baby Ray's Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce Deviled Eggs were a big hit at dinner! They are sweet and tangy all at the same time, and in case you're wondering, there isn't any heat in this sauce. This is a nice alternative for folks that don't care for, or can't eat mayonnaise. So if you're looking for something new to make this Easter, don't hesitate to give these zesty eggs a try folks:@)

Can't wait to grill up some chicken...

Directions:
For every three eggs use 2 Tblsp Sweet Bay Ray's Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce (6 eggs=1/4 C sauce). Mix until smooth. Garnish with paprika, smoked paprika or chipotle powder if desired. Best eaten the day they're made.

I have no affiliation with Sweet Baby Ray's, just wanted to share a simple recipe that we enjoyed. 

Of course if they want to send a little love my way, well... They know where to find me:@)

Eat well and have a happy day!

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Grilled Potatoes with BBQ Sauce, Rosemary and Bacon -George Foreman Grill or Outdoors

I found this recipe on the Sweet Baby Ray's site and just knew it would be different and fun! Although I didn't exactly follow instructions because I used what I had on hand and didn't have any bacon??? But I think there's a lot of wiggle room here. I chose to use my George Foreman Grill and it did a pretty good job with the potatoes! The BBQ sauce and rosemary worked well together and of course bacon makes everything better... Note to self: pick some up. If you're looking for a side dish with a twist folks, I think you'll like these Grilled Potatoes with BBQ Sauce, Rosemary and Bacon.

Tip: My experience with the George and other contact grills has been that it's the upper plate that creates the grill marks. The lower plate gets wet from the juices and kind of steams more than sears. 

This recipe was written up for baby potatoes to be skewered and grilled. My red potatoes were bigger. I didn't make kabobs and just tossed the cubed potatoes onto the George-yea, you don't want to do that. Next time I would slice them about 1/2" thick and grill the slices. They'd be easier to corral and turn. A grill pan on an outdoor grill would work really well.

Grilled Potatoes with BBQ Sauce, Rosemary and Bacon-from Sweet Baby Rays

1/4 C of your favorite BBQ Sauce (they suggest Honey Chipotle SBR's and I wish I had some!)

24 baby potatoes

1/2 C bacon, cooked and chopped

2 Tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Olive oil for brushing

S&P to taste

1. Add potatoes to pot of cold water, bring to a boil and gently simmer about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
2. Cool potatoes quickly in cold water.
3. Skewer potatoes, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with S&P and grill over medium/high heat until you get sear marks, turn for more grill marks.
4. Brush with BBQ Sauce and grill for a couple seconds to set the sauce.
5. Sprinkle with rosemary and bacon and enjoy!

Eat well and have a happy day:@) 

Sweet Corn with Southern Bar-B-Que Butter

Gorgeous sweet corn is truly a summer treasure and while it's hard to top butter, S&P, sometimes it's fun to change things up. This Sweet Corn with Southern Bar-B-Que Butter was an advertisement in Food Network Magazine and the pic looked so good I immediately pulled the page out. While they cook it under the broiler my corn was extremely fragrant and fresh so I decided to just quickly char it on screaming hot cast iron. Either heat the pan up on the stove or on the grill and turn the corn when it begins to "pop", then slather it with the BBQ Butter:@)

A few more easy ideas: Kicked Up Corn on the Cob HERE and Cajun Corn HERE.

Sweet Corn with Southern Bar-B-Que Butter-from FreshFromFlorida.com
1/4 C your favorite BBQ sauce-I used Sweet Baby Ray's
1/4 C butter
4 ears fresh corn, shucked
S&P to taste-I didn't use this

1. Preheat oven broiler on high.
2. Combine BBQ sauce and butter in saucepan, melt butter over low heat and stir until smooth. (I melted mine in the microwave.) 
3. Place corn in baking dish and pour sauce over corn. 
4. Broil for 5-10 minutes about 4" from broiler. Watch it the whole time and turn it a couple times.
5. Give it one last turn once out of the oven and serve warm.

Enjoy a bite of summer and have a happy day:@)

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Mess Free, Stress Free Grilled Chicken Legs -using a disposable pan

As the chief cook and bottle washer here at Pig In Mud I sometimes look for easier ways to do things. BBQing chicken with the skin on can be messy and cause flare ups so an option is to cook it on disposable aluminum trays, this truly is a mess free and stress free way to grill chicken legs. I start them on indirect heat and then move the pan over to the hot side, you can hear the chicken begin to sizzle. Flip them every 10 minutes so they'll cook evenly and when just about done slather them with the BBQ sauce of your choice. No crazy fires, no chicken fat dripping everywhere, no burnt BBQ sauce... Just nicely cooked chicken:@)

I use the gas grill and disposable cake pans from the Dollar Store for this. Each pan could easily hold 12 legs.

 If you have some leftover chicken, it's great in BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad HERE.

Oh, and the clean-up... Well, ya gotta love that too:@)

Mess Free, Stress Free Grilled Chicken Legs

1. Brine chicken legs for one hour, pat dry. There's a basic brine HERE (just leave out the poultry seasoning) and hot sauce brine HERE.
2. Rub with a little olive oil and sprinkle with S&P.
3. Spray disposable tray with oil, put chicken on tray and place tray on a heated grill over indirect heat, close grill lid, cook for 20 minutes. It should be medium hot.
4. Move tray over the flame and cook covered, your grill should be hot enough to hear the meat sizzling. Turn the chicken every 10 minutes for approximately 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Slather with BBQ sauce the last few minutes of cooking, we like Sweet Baby Ray's.
5. Step back, admire your pretty chicken, toss tray, smile smugly at your clean grill and love life:@)

Have a happy day!

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Pumpkin BBQ Dip for Meatballs

I'm whole-heartedly embracing Pumpkin Palooza this year! And since the only thing I've ever seen that uses a whole can is pumpkin pie, my goal is to suggest ways to use leftover pumpkin. This Pumpkin BBQ Dip for Meatballs is a great seasonal party idea! Don't hesitate to whip some up for anything from football parties to Thanksgiving appys folks, it's good stuff:@) Now, I'm not saying the first flavor that stands out will be pumpkin... BBQ sauce is pretty strong stuff, but I really liked this as a dipping sauce (it's my new favorite) and it could be used for anything from sausage to chicken nuggets.

I did make a few changes: Instead of cooking it on the stove I heated the pumpkin (covered please) in the microwave until hot, about 45 seconds in my ~uber  strong~ unit. Then I just stirred in the BBQ Sauce and hot sauce and heated it for a few more seconds. Since Sweet Baby Ray's lives up to it's first name-I didn't add any honey, but you know your crowd:@) The microwaved consistency of this is perfect for dipping, I promise you'll be happy if you try it!

Pumpkin BBQ Dip-adapted from SugarSpiceand Bacon
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/3 C BBQ Sauce-I used Sweet Baby Ray's
Up to 1 Tblsp hot sauce, optional-but recommended
honey to taste-I didn't add any
Up to 1 C water-I didn't add any
    1. Mix pumpkin, BBQ sauce and hot sauce in skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes.
    2. Stir in a little honey.
    3. Start adding water a Tblsp at a time until you reach the consistency you desire.
    4. Taste and add more honey if needed.
    5. Or make it as I suggest above.

One last thought-While I didn't add this, I'm thinking a light dash of cinnamon might be a good thing too.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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BBQ Macaroni Salad with Pork or Chicken (optional)

I've really been enjoying these different flavored pasta salads recently and this BBQ Macaroni Salad with Pork (or Chicken) was a great meal! I used the Neely's recipe as a guideline and just made a bowl for lunch, it was an excellent use for a couple ounces of leftover pork tenderloin, but you could leave the protein out if desired and call it a side dish. Actually leftover BBQ chicken would really be good in this, might just have to toss a couple extra legs on the grill this weekend:@)

I felt celery seed was the only thing missing from the ingredient list, I'd add some the next time.

BBQ Macaroni Salad with Pork or Chicken-adapted from FoodNetwork.com
2 Tblsp cider vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne-I did not use this
1 C mayonnaise
1/2 C BBQ sauce-I used Sweet Baby Ray's
1 lb pasta, cooked, cooled with cold water and drained well-I used half whole wheat pasta
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped-I had green, any pepper would be good
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 whole scallions, sliced-I chopped some onion
8 oz pulled pork-I used cubed leftover tenderloin
S&P to taste
a few shakes of celery seed-optional but my recommendation
parsley, chopped for garnish-I didn't have any

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Add the pasta and veggies, mix well. Garnish top with parsley if using.
3. The Neely's serve the pork on top of the salad, I mixed mine into the salad.
4. I chose to serve mine on a bed of lettuce, that was nice too.

Other flavorful options:

1. Ham and Dill Macaroni Salad  2. Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad

3. Macaroni Tuna Salad  4. Buffalo Chicken Macaroni Salad

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Hawaiian Stuffed Peppers with Ham, Pineapple and Rice-grilled or oven baked

Lots to love here folks... These Hawaiian Stuffed Peppers are sweet, salty, smoky, a little crunchy and the best part-the filling can be used with the pepper of your choice. You know my first choice would be jalapenos but I also grabbed a gorgeous large poblano (which made an excellent lunch for work:@) and those mini sweet bell peppers in all colors would taste great too. These stuffed jalapenos are actually best once they cool off a bit, the sweetness of the pineapple really comes through!

I added some cheese to act as a bit of a binder, it worked marginally well, but it was tasty.
Have some leftover chicken or turkey? Go ahead and use it instead of ham-yum!

The peppers can be made on the grill or in the oven.
I added them to the grill in a cast iron skillet while BBQing something else (lid closed).
Tip: Put tin foil on the bottom of the skillet, it just makes clean-up that much easier.

Now, I'm going to be honest folks, I really don't know what makes something "Hawaiian" food... 

The recipes I've seen basically have pineapple and are kinda sweet. I do think this qualifies for that!

Hawaiian Stuffed Peppers with Ham, Pineapple and Rice
Whatever peppers you want to use, cleaned and de-seeded
Equal amounts of small diced ham, chopped pineapple, rice and shredded cheese-I used cheddar
A little regular Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce-about a healthy Tblsp for 2 C of filling
Panko breadcrumbs for sprinkling on top

1. Small dice the ham and pineapple. Since I used a poblano and cut a triangle off the top to clean and stuff it, I diced that up too.
2. Mix everything, stuff the peppers and top with panko.
3. Grill: Place stuffed peppers in a cast iron skillet (or something else that's good for the grill) and cook over medium heat with the lid closed for about 10-15 minutes. Oven:  375 degrees and I'd start checking the jalapenos at 15 minutes and bigger peppers at around 25 minutes.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)