Football Friday

The Cool Dads Crew is starting a new Friday tradition: Football Fridays. We're going to provide you with a delicious recipe designed to be enjoyed while watching Sunday football; as well as our Dads' picks for the winners of weekends games.
Note: Due to the involvement of one of the Dad's in a Pick-Em Football League, we can't specify which dad made which picks.

So let's cover the important stuff first: the food. What are the most important requirements for game day food? First and foremost: it has to be delicious. It also has to be easy to make (Sundays should be spent in front of the television, not in the kitchen), and provide enough to feed a crowd.

This week the Arkansas test kitchen made ham and cheese sliders that were a HUGE hit.

Melty Ham & Cheese Sliders

2 - 12 packs or 1 - 24 pack of sweet Hawaiian rolls
Ham (I used a ham that we had cooked earlier in the week) otherwise (2) shaved slices per roll
3 slices of Swiss Cheese
3 slices of Colby Jack Cheese
1 stick of butter
2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 9X13 aluminum pan

Directions:
1. Cut Hawaiian rolls in half
2. Place bottoms into 9X13 Aluminum pan (if the all do not fit you may need an additional pan)








 


3. Top each bottom with ham 

4. Top ham with a quarter piece of cheese

 

 

5. Place top on each roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. In sauce pan combine butter, Worcestershire, Garlic Powder, and Onion powder until butter is completely melted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Brush mixture on top of each roll until there is none left in sauce pan

8. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour

9. Pre-heat oven to 375

   10. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted

   11. Can be served hot or at room temperature

 

Notes from the kitchen:

1) Make sure to have mayonnaise and mustard on hand for guests.

2) You can easily substitute turkey instead of ham.

3) We discovered this is an awesome recipe to double- and keep a pan in the fridge for school lunches. These travel extremely well, and are a welcome relief from peanut butter and jelly. Also, they would be a great tailgate staple- if you're into that kind of thing.

 

And now the REALLY important part... Football predictions

 

Saint Louis vs. Atlanta

Dad #1: Rams over Falcons

Dad #2: Falcons over Rans

 

Baltimore vs. Cleveland

Dad #1: Ravens over Browns

Dad #2: Ravens over Browns

Buffalo vs. Carolina

Dad #1: Bills

Dad #2: Panthers

 

Chicago vs. Minnesota

Dad #1: Bears

Dad #2: Bears

 

Green Bay vs. Washington

Both dads wisely selected the Green Bay Packers. Duh.

 

Houston vs. Tennessee

Dad #1: Texans

Dad #2: Texans

 

Indianapolis vs. Miami

Dad #1: Colts

Dad #2: Colts

 

Kansas City vs. Dallas

Dad #1: Chiefs

Dad #2: Chiefs

 

Philadelphia vs. San Diego

Dad #1: Eagles

Dad #2: Eagles

 

Arizona vs. Detroit

Dad #1: Lions

Dad #2: Cardinals

Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans

Dad #1: Saints

Dad #2: Saints

 

New York (Giants) vs. Denver

Dad #1: Broncos

Dad #2: Broncos

 

Oakland vs. Jacksonville

Dad #1: Jaguars

Dad #2: Jaguars

 

Seattle vs. San Francisco

Dad #1: 49ers

Dad #2: Seahawks

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh

Dad #1: Bengals

Dad #2: Steelers

There you have it, our first Football Friday! We hope you enjoy our new tradition as much as we enjoyed creating it; and we look forward to an exciting NFL season!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Talkin' Turkey

I know exactly what you're thinking. Turkey in September? But let's face facts: turkey day is going to be here before you know it; and a test run is never a bad idea. And while the turkey is usually the focal point of the day; it's usually eclipsed by sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie and macaroni and cheese. The lowly turkey is rarely the star of the day. Until now.

This past weekend our Arkansas based test kitchen decided to try brining and smoking a ten pound turkey breast. The results were pretty incredible. Consider yourself warned- this isn't a recipe you can just whip up in an afternoon; you'll need at least eight hours to let the turkey brine, plus cook time.

The Set Up

One of the best and easiest ways to make a juicy and tasteful turkey is to place it in a brine. (I have never done this before, so we are learning as we are cooking).

Brine Recipe:
1 gallon of water
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Old Bay
1 Tbsp of dried Rosemary (crunch this up to release the fragrances)
1 Bay leaf
1/2 - 3/4 cup of Salt

The brine should completely cover the turkey / turkey breast.

For my 10 pound turkey breast I needed (2) batches of brine. I poured off a little water, then placed the remaining ingredients into the water and shook to incorporate ingredients. Since I did not have room in the refrigerator, I used a small cooler to place the turkey breast and brine into, adding ice to ensure the temperature remained at 33 - 35 degrees F. Then, let the breast sit in the brine for at least 8 hours or overnight.

The Cooking

When you start the fire on the grill, pull turkey breast out of the brine, rinse it thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

If you want to additionally season the turkey breast, this is a perfect time to do so. I used poultry seasoning, but any seasoning you enjoy will work great. I also recommend placing some herbs in the cavity of the breast before placing it on the grill / smoker.

 Set the grill up like shown below: coals / wood chips on one side and aluminum pan on the opposite side of the grill. In the aluminum pan, pour water to help assist in keeping the turkey moist.

 Place the turkey breast on the grill over the aluminum pan.

Place the lid on the grill making sure the vent holes are over / on top of the turkey breast.

Add wood chips (I used mesquite chips for this turkey breast) every 30 minutes. I know some people prefer to soak their chips, but that's not how I roll. I like to add the wood chips dry; I believe it adds a better smoke flavor to the meat.

Smoke the breast for approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature hits 165 on an instant read meat thermometer.

Remove the breast and wrap in aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes. Fight the urge to sample!! Yes, it will smell good, but trust me it will taste better than it smells!! Just wait a little longer.

After 10 minutes carve up the turkey breast and enjoy.

 



 Cooks Notes
1. This is a great recipe to make on Saturday or Sunday during football season because you place the meat on the grill and forget it. (Remembering to add wood chips every 30 minutes or so.)
 2. If you are making this to impress your wife, remember to clean up after!  She will be happy that you cooked, but upset about the mess left behind.
3. Speaking of cleaning, remember that poultry contains  e coli, so be sure to use antibacterial soap or Lysol wipes to wipe down the counters and working surfaces periodically throughout the cooking process.

There you have it: a twist on traditional turkey. Paired with some roasted potatoes and corn on the cob; this is the perfect Sunday dinner. Impress your family this weekend with some delicious smoked turkey; and let us know how it turned out!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dad Crew

First post! Woo!

Why Cool Dads Cook?

Let's face it: the picture of what the American family "looks like" is changing dramatically. More mothers are going back to work, and more fathers are making the decision to become Stay at Home Dads (SAHDs). And it's not quite all Michael Keaton made it out to be in Mr. Mom. In fact, there's a good chance if you were to call a SAHD "Mr. Mom", he's going to punch you in the throat.

After all- he's not a Mom- he's a Dad. And that's pretty awesome. Let's take a minute to tip our caps to all the awesome SAHDs out there. You know who you are... you play My Little Pony and High Ho Cherry Oh for hours on end; you tirelessly walk around the zoo and museums; potty training has driven you to the brink of insanity and back again and you can sing both the Dora and Diego theme songs with a kick-ass Spanish accent.

But I digress. Being a SAHD usually means more than just childcare. It means cleaning, laundry and yes... cooking. Which is where we come in.

Who are Cool Dads?

Cool Dads Cook is composed of two couples- one based in Arkansas and one in Wisconsin- who have multiple things in common- but the biggest one being they both have SAHDs that LOVE to cook, and are passionate about making tasty, easy food for their families to enjoy.

After a cross-country text messaging marathon; we thought there might be more dads out there looking for some help in the kitchen. We want to be that help. We want to provide you with delicious easy recipes your kids are going to actually eat; and your wife is going to be impressed with. We're here to make you look damn good.

So we hope you love our blog. We hope you visit it often, and it provides you with culinary inspiration. Whether you're a SAHD or a SAHM; cooking delicious food is one of the most important ways you show your family you love them. Stay tuned for some recipes and pictures; and we look forward to some adventures in both your kitchens and ours.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Cook Crew