Friday FUN: Beer Chicken

Summertime means it's time for meals in the yard with family, firing up the grill, making delicious salads and even enjoying a few cocktails. In the spirit of summertime, Cool Dads Cook is introducing Friday FUN: each week we'll provide you with a new and delicious summertime recipe. 

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen spent Memorial Day weekend doing some much needed yard work, and we cooked a ton of delicious food. After being cooped up all winter, it felt wonderful spending a weekend out in the yard... even pulling weeds didn't seem so bad.

After spending Sunday weeding the flower beds and staining our front steps, we decided it was time to break out the grill and enjoy ourselves. We tried a new recipe for marinated chicken legs that did not disappoint!

Grilled Beer Chicken
Recipe courtesy of http://recipemothers.com/recipe/grilled-beer-chicken/

8-10 chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic
Juice of half a lime
1 cup beer (We went with Bud Light Lime)
handful of chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste

1) Wash drumsticks and place into a plastic bag
2) Mix together the olive oil, onion salt, paprika, ground cumin, 1/4 of a teaspoon of cayenne powder and ground black pepper.
3) Squeeze in half of a lime, and grated garlic cloves
4) Pour in beer.
5) Stir everything together. Add salt to taste.
6) Mix in a handful of chopped parsley
7) Seal the marinade in the bag with the chicken pieces. Allow chicken to marinade for at least a couple of hours, even longer if you wish.

8) Throw that chicken on the grill! 
9) If it’s pink, it’s not done! Grill it nice and golden brown with a light black char. Use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temperature of the chicken gets to 170 degrees. That's the easiest way to make sure it's done.

The chicken turned out flavorful, juicy and delicious with a slight taste of lime. We loved it. But it did raise the question: if we were to make the chicken again; what kind of beer would we use next time? The Bud Light was a pretty neutral, unoffensive brew to use on the chicken; but we couldn't help but wonder what kind of flavor a hoppy IPA or a citrusy Belgian might impart.

What do you guys think? Is there a beer you like to cook with? We love hearing from our readers- help keep our Fridays FUN!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Monday: Green Chile Chicken

"This is the best chicken ever... I seriously can't stop thinking about it!"

This is the reaction every cook wants to hear after throwing together a dinner that only requires three ingredients. 

It's well documented the Wisconsin Test Kitchen loves tacos- we eat them almost every week for dinner. We usually go with beef; but last week we decided to try a recipe for chicken instead. And three ingredients? In the crock pot? How can you go wrong?! The results were both delicious and budget friendly.

Green Chile Chicken Tacos

Recipe courtesy of: http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/04/crockpot-green-chile-chicken-recipe.html

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, thawed

1 4oz can green chiles

2 teaspoons garlic salt

Cook chicken in crock pot on high for 3 hours 

After 3 hours, drain juices from crock pot

Mix together green chiles and garlic salt. 

Pour mixture over chicken, and cook on high for 30 more minutes 

Remove chicken from crockpot, and shred with a fork.

We served the tacos in corn tortillas with fresh sliced tomatoes and avocados. The creamy, fresh texture of the avocados paired well with the chiles in the chicken.

 Bonus: this meal yielded enough chicken that we were able to put a batch in the freezer for dinner later in the month.  This is a meal we'll be making again really soon. It's a great pot luck idea; or perfect for a summer party. We can't stop raving about this chicken! Try a batch and tell us what you think!

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Friday FUNdamentals: Beef Stroganoff

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen has seen it's shares of scheduling chaos over the past year; but things seem to have settled down into a manageable routine these days. However, now the smallest Chef in our house has started Tae Kwon Do lessons twice a week; and we're fighting the urge to order a pizza, or swing by Subway on her way home from class. So we're looking for even easier, quick meals to prepare on Monday and Thursday nights.

It doesn't get much easier, or FUNdamental than Beef Stroganoff. The creamy combination of egg noodles and beef is comfort food at its finest; and this recipe will be ready in about thirty minutes. You're welcome.

Beef Stroganoff

Recipe courtesy of http://www.reasonstoskipthehousework.com/ground-beef-stroganoff/

1 lb. ground beef

8oz. sour cream (we used Greek yogurt)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

1 bag egg noodles

In a large skillet, brown beef and drain.

Return meat to skillet and add all the other ingredients, except the noodles.

Blend together well and heat thoroughly on medium low heat. 

Boil noodles while preparing meat mixture.

Serve Stroganoff over egg noodles. 

We served this dinner with sauteed squash, zucchini and mushrooms; and it was a dinner all three of us enjoyed. Well, two of us enjoyed it; and one of us enjoyed the vegetables and some egg noodles. You can't win them all. 

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: Grilled Macaroni & Cheese

Yes we have done mac and cheese here before; but this is completely different and will have a somewhat different, smoky taste. As many of you know the Arkansas Test Kitchen LOVES to cook everything on the grill.

 

 
Plus when you are entertaining in the summer and don't want to heat up the whole house; this is a great side dish to accompany any meal that both kids and adults will love. 
 
Grilled Mac and Cheese

 


6 slice of bacon
3 tbs. all purpose flour
1 lb. macaroni 
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
3 cups 2% milk
4 cups shredded cheese ( I used a mix )
1 cup bread crumbs
 
1. Cook macaroni to an al-dente texture- about 4 minutes (do not over cook the macaroni- it will cook longer on the grill)
2. Heat your dutch oven on the grill (never place anything in a cool cast iron dutch oven)
3. Cook 6 pieces of bacon on the grill while the dutch oven is heating

 

 
4. Cut 3 additional pieces of bacon up and place into the dutch oven and cook until the fat has rendered out
5. Add 3 tbs of all purpose flour to create a roux 
6. Add the 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream and 3 cups 2% Milk ( heat through, but do not bring to a boil )
7. Gradually add 3 cups of cheese, and allow to melt

 

 
8. Add in the bacon that was cooked on the grill and cooked macaroni
9. Top mixture with 1 cup cheese and 1 cup bread crumbs
10. cook for 30 - 45 minutes at approximately 350 degrees. 

We hope you enjoy this twist on traditional macaroni and cheese as much as we did!
Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Cool Dads Reunited!

This weekend something pretty special happened; the Wisconsin and Arkansas Test Kitchens reunited in Wisconsin for an afternoon filled with conversation, delicious food and all things Cool Dads related. While the Test Kitchens still communicate via text, phone and Facebook on an almost daily basis; it was still nice to get to see everyone in person. 

Of course we were too busy cooking and catching up on everything we've missed in the past year to remember to take any pictures; so you'll have to use your imaginations. I'm sure the question on everyone's mind; is what exactly do Cool Dads Cook when they get together? We thought we'd pull back the curtain and let you know!

When it comes to having company over for meals in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen; one very simple rule applies: more food is always better than not enough food. This was absolutely the case this weekend! We grilled pork steaks and chops; made a Southwest vegetable salad, a quinoa (which the Cool Dads insisted on pronouncing Queen-oh all afternoon) salad, macaroni and cheese; and chocolate chip cookie bars and Dump Cake for dessert. Yeah. We were all stuffed! 

Here are the recipes for the salads we made:

http://www.closetcooking.com/2014/01/mediterranean-quinoa-salad.html

In the Wisconsin Test Kitchen, we're big quinoa fans. In summer we'll make a huge salad and enjoy it for dinner, and lunch the next day. We've also discovered toasting the quinoa after cooking it releases a nutty flavor and keeps the salad from getting soggy the next day.

http://www.andwhatiate.com/2013/06/summer-salad-corn-avocado-tomato-feta.html

This is the first time we've made this salad, and it was delicious. We did make it easier by buying a bag of frozen, fire roasted corn and using that instead of roasting corn ears. Corn isn't in season yet; and this was a quality substitute.

Here are the desserts we made:

http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/2014/04/how-to-make-a-cherry-pineapple-dump-cake.html

Dump Cake is one of those nostalgic recipes that Rebecca in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen has fond memories of... Her family used to make it every summer on camping trips, and nothing tastes or smells like summer quite like Dump Cake. It's perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little Cool Whip on top. 

http://lilluna.com/cookie-bars-recipe/

Our friend Melissa shared this recipe with us; and we've made these cookie bars at least three times. They're ridiculously easy to throw together and you can customize them as you see fit. We had half a bag of white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips left over from our Monster Cookie Bars a few weeks ago- and used these instead of milk chocolate chips. They were delicious. Our small sous chef managed to polish off three of them before we noticed. 

When it came to the main event (meat); we marinated pork steaks in half a cup olive oil and half a cup soy sauce and let them sit and marinate at room temperature for about an hour. Once they were done, we put them on the grill and let them cook for about ten minutes over medium-low heat. Pork steaks are thin, and you don't want them to be over-cooked; otherwise they'll have the texture of a rubber band when they're done. Ours turned out nice and juicy.

We glazed pork chops in a jalapeno pecan jelly and also cooked them for about ten minutes over medium-low heat. They disappeared off the table pretty quickly!

At Cool Dads Cook, we believe food is love; and it was a great afternoon filled with delicious food and good conversation. We're already excited about our next reunion.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday FUNdamentals: Shepherd's Pie

Do you ever sit down to do something; and have a little music going in the background which prevents you from doing what it is you are supposed to be doing? Well that happens in the Arkansas Test Kitchen all the time, right now I am in to Joe Bonamassa- the man knows how to play the guitar like no ones business!  But music is always on when I am in the kitchen cooking; generally Blues Rock. 

Do you have a favorite musician or genre that you like to listen to when you are in the kitchen cooking? If so, let us know; we are always looking for new music to listen to. But I digress- you didn't click over here to read about music- so let's get down to the food!

We are always looking for inspiration when we are cooking; whether it is scrolling through Pinterest, or watching TV shows like the Chew, or YouTube. So one of the things I wanted to do today is share a YouTube clip that inspires me:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grp5-bvMo7U


Back to today's recipe: Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie. This is a great dish that everyone will think you spent hours preparing; but it's simple enough that it only takes 15 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of cook time.
 

Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie
 

2 lbs. ground meat (I used beef, but you could you chicken, pork, or turkey)
1 bell pepper (I used red this time, because it was on sale)
1 medium sweet onion
2 celery stalks
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small bag frozen vegetables (look for corn, carrots, green peas, and green beans)
3 cups instant mashed potatoes (should be a serving for 6)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
 

1. Dice up the bell pepper, onion, and celery
2. Prepare the instant mashed potatoes; making them a little wetter than normal when adding the milk- because they are going to be cooking longer than normal
3. Pre-heat the oven to 325 - 350 degrees
4. Spray your Dutch Oven with non-stick cooking spray; but if you're using a cast iron Dutch Oven it will take a little more oil than normal Dutch Ovens
5. Brown the meat
6. Drain off the grease
7. Place the diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in the Dutch Oven and sauté

8. Place the browned meat back into the Dutch Oven and add the diced tomatoes, and frozen vegetables- stirring to combine
9. Top mixture with prepared mashed potatoes
10. Cover the Dutch Oven and place in the oven for 30 minutes
11. After 30 minutes place shredded cheddar cheese on top and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

This is a simple, one dish meal your family is going to love. It's the perfect quick, weeknight meal, or Sunday lunch. We hope you love it as much as we do!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew