The premise behind this recipe is that the chicken stands up on a beer can while it cooks. The beer infuses the chicken with moisture and flavor and the chicken skin with get crispy all over because it's not sitting in any of the juices. To give the roasting chicken some added stability, I picked up a little roasting rack that holds that beer can on a stand at Target for about $4.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4-6 pounds)
- 1 12oz can of beer (soda would be ok too)
- 1 Tbls kosher salt
- 1 Tbls Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tbls vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drink about half the can of beer (using a full can of beer can make it overflow and create a mess. Put the can of beer in the roasting rack and place them both in your roasting pan (I used a large stainless steel skillet). Slide the bay leaf into the beer can.
Without ripping or removing the chicken skin, carefully separate the skin from the breast and legs using your fingers. Again using your fingers, rub the Old Bay Seasoning on the chicken breast and legs under the skin. Place the chicken on top of the beer can so that the can is inside the center cavity of the chicken. The legs should be pointed down.
Combine the vegetable oil with the kosher salt. Spread the mixture evenly over the entire chicken.
Roast the chicken for approximately 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. How long the chicken takes to cook with depend on the size of your chicken, how cold the chicken was when you started, how evenly your oven heats, and how often you open the oven door. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of approximately 165 degrees. The most important thing to look for is that the juices from the chicken run clear.
Now you get to carve and enjoy.
Looking for something a little bit different? Well look no further. This pork is tender and slightly sweet, but very good.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb pork shoulder
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbls lemon juice
- 2 Tbls vinegar
- 2 Tbls brown sugar
- 2 Tbls worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbls minced garlic
- 20oz canned pineapple chunks
Directions
Place the pork shoulder into the crock pot. Add the dry ingredients on top, followed by the wet ingredients.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. When done, shred the pork shoulder and mix together with the rest of the crock pot contents.
This works really well when served over rice.
This marinade is great on chicken or pork. Marinate for an hour for a subtle flavor. The longer you keep the meat marinating, the stronger the flavor will be.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo
- 1 Tbls minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbls cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together in a blender and puree until smooth.
Marinate your chicken or pork for as long as desired.
I used this marinade on grilled chicken breasts. They were delicious.
This pot roast is delicious with a slightly peppery and slightly sweet flavor. This might be my favorite of all the pot roasts that I've made.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs beef roast
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 3 Tbls minced garlic
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbls soy sauce
- 2 Tbls maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Place the beef roast into your crock pot. Add the dry ingredients on top of the beef first. Then add the liquid ingredients on top.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. As with all crock pot meals, this is easy to prep the night before and put in the crock pot in the morning.
When the roast has reached your desired level of doneness, use a fork or a pair of tongs to shred the beef and mix all of the ingredients together. I served this over mashed potatoes and it was delicious.
Leftovers were made into sandwiches with some cheese on hamburger buns.
This is a quick and easy marinade for chicken, pork, or whatever else you'd like to try it on. It's sweet and a little bit spicy.
Ingredients
- 2-3 chipotles chiles in adobo
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbls minced garlic
- 1 Tbls soy sauce
Directions
Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Pour over your choice of meat and marinate as long as desired. I like to do at least 30 minutes.
I used this to marinate pork chops, which I then grilled. They were delicious.
The best word to describe these brownies is decadent. They're rich and delicious and relatively easy to make. This is a slightly modified version of these brownies.
Ingredients
- 1 box fudge brownie mix (and whatever it requires)
- 2 eggs (called for by the fudge brownie mix)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (called for by the fudge brownie mix)
- 8oz cream cheese
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 12oz package milk chocolate chips
- 3 Tbls milk
- 20 mini peanut butter cups
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the fudge brownie batter according to the directions on the box. The mix I used called for combining the mix with two eggs and a half cup of vegetable oil. Your mix may be different. Pour the batter into the a greased 9x13 baking pan.
Soften the cream cheese in a bowl in the microwave, 30 seconds to a minute should do. Mix the condensed milk and peanut butter with the softened cream cheese. The mixture will be thick. Spoon evenly over the fudge brownie batter in the baking pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the brownie is firm and starts to brown.
Let the brownie cool for 30 minutes and then put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Add the milk and milk chocolate chips to a bowl. Using the microwave, slowly heat the chocolate until it melts and you are able to mix it with the milk to form a smooth mixture. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Heat the chocolate for only a few seconds at a time before stirring and heating again. Once the milk and milk chocolate chips are mixed evenly, spread it evenly over the brownie.
Carefully cut the peanut butter cups in half and place evenly on the top of the brownie.
Cut the brownies into your desired portion size and enjoy.
I've made a bunch of different kinds of baked pasta and this is one of my favorites. The sausage really adds a nice flavor to the dish. You could, of course, use beef instead, but I like the sausage.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of pasta (I like rotini for this, but elbows or penne will work too)
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (or a different color if you prefer)
- 1 14.5oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 16oz marinara sauce
- 1 4oz can of diced mushrooms (fresh mushrooms are ok too)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbls minced garlic
- 1 Tbls vegetable oil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta to al dente according to the directions. The pasta will cook more in the oven so it's ok to make the pasta a little bit under done.
Using a large skillet, saute the onion and red bell pepper with the vegetable oil. When the onions turn translucent, add the ground sausage. Brown the sausage while breaking up the pieces as much as possible. Once the sausage is fully cooked, add the minced garlic and diced mushrooms. Mix in the cream of mushroom soup and marinara sauce. Heat the sauce until it starts to bubble.
Combine the sauce with the pasta and pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan or casserole dish. Cover the pasta evenly with the shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 30 minutes.
Leftovers heat up really nicely and make great lunches.
