Mini Nutella Pavlovas with Whipped Cream and Berries
makes 10, 5-inch mini pavlovas

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup nutella
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
berries of your choice, washed and cut into bite-size pieces

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°. Start by placing your nutella into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwaving it in 20 second intervals (stirring after each interval) to smooth it out and loosen it up. This should take 2 or 3 intervals at most – set the nutella aside to cool.

2.) Place your (room temp! This is important!) egg whites into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, turn the mixer on to medium low, and beat the egg whites until they become nice and frothy, about a minute. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and continue beating.

3.) Turn the speed up to medium, and keep beating the egg white mixture until soft peaks form. Once you’ve reached that point, begin adding the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time (until you’ve added 2/3 cup), continuing to beat on medium speed.

4.) Once all the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high, and continue beating until the egg whites are super glossy and thick, and hold stiff peaks when you remove the whisk.

5.) Make sure your nutella has cooled to the point of being barely warm. Drizzle it over the top of the meringue in the mixing bowl, and use a rubber spatula to fold it into the egg whites – only fold it a couple times, so you don’t deflate the meringue, and your meringues maintain a swirled look (I over-mixed a bit, so mine are just… pale brown. Not as beautiful as I was hoping).

6.) Load your meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with an extra large closed star tip (you can absolutely skip this step and either use a large ziploc with a corner snipped off, or just spoon mounds of the meringue on to your baking sheet). Pipe 4-5″ rounds onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

7.) Bake for 10 minutes at 300°. After ten minutes, rotate your baking sheets in the oven, and turn the temp down to 200°. Continue to bake for another 45 minutes, and then turn the oven off. Leave the meringues in the oven and allow them to cool in there for about an hour.

8.) Remove the meringues from the oven, and allow them to continue cooling, if needed. If you serve them the day they’re made, they’ll be super crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. If you serve them the next day (stored in an airtight container overnight), they will lose a lot of the crispiness in their outer shell, but they’ll still be chewy and delicious.

9.) Top with whipped cream (3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped with 1/3 cup sugar, until firm peaks form), and fresh berries. Enjoy!

These mini pavlovas are a little quirky, and really tasty! The combination of crispy and chewy and light-as-air is a nice break from a lot of heavier, richer desserts that you usually see, and absolutely perfect as a light, refreshing summer dessert. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re EASY to make!)

I swear, Nutella was sent straight from heaven,
Tina

A few days ago, Crist emailed me a chicken salad recipe that actually looked APPETIZING, wonder of wonders! (First things first: there is no celery, and almost no mayo. SCORE!) Of course, I made a half dozen changes to the original recipe, but it turned out fantastically – to the point that I basically had to physically remove the bowl from my husband’s hands, lest he eat the entire thing in one sitting. I feel confident that this will make frequent appearances in our house – it’s perfect for lunch, a light dinner, or as an appetizer for a party!

Bacon, Corn and Tomato Chicken Salad
makes about 6 sandwiches

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast
6 slices bacon
8 oz corn, drained well
1 T finely chopped chives
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 T whole grain mustard
1 cup 2% plain greek yogurt
2 T mayo*
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Crackers, bread, english muffins – whatever you want to eat the chicken salad with!

*Crist, don’t hit me… but I think next time I would try leaving the mayo out. I’m just not sure it needs it!

1.) Start by cooking your chicken. I typically season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then bake it in a covered dish at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. When it’s cooked through, shred it finely (use your stand mixer to shred it, don’t be scared).

2.) While your chicken bakes, fry up your bacon until crisp. Drain it on some paper towels, and then crumble it.

3.) Add all the ingredients, aside from the tomatoes, to a large mixing bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until everything is well combined.

That’s it! You can spread it on some toasted bread and make a sandwich, spoon it on to some crackers, or just eat it by the spoonful, whatever floats your boat. We chose to eat it on some pita crackers – topping each one with a tomato half! I didn’t want the tomatoes to make the salad watery, or muddy looking, so that’s why I chose to just pile them on top of the chicken salad as we ate.

I think this particular chicken salad has SO MUCH more flavor and texture than a typical chicken salad – and using greek yogurt in place of the mayo keeps it pretty light and healthy, too!

I can’t wait to make this with some fresh summer corn,
Tina

(Spoiler alert: he loved them.)

Honey Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Sauteed Apple Slaw
serves 2-4

4 boneless pork chops, about 1″ thick, and 6oz each
4 T honey, divided
3 T apple cider vinegar, divided
3 T whole grain mustard, divided
2 T dijon mustard, divided
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
one small, crisp apple (I like Honeycrisp, Jazz, or Pink Lady), cut into matchsticks

1.) About 45 minutes before you want to start cooking, mix up your marinade: add 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and the salt and pepper to a gallon-size ziploc bag. Mix it all up until well-combined, and then add your pork chops to the bag; squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Allow the pork chops to marinate at room temp for about 45 minutes, flipping them around a few times.

2.) While the chops marinate, go ahead and julienne your apple, and make your glaze. For the glaze, whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

3.) When you’re ready to cook the chops, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil or olive oil to the pan, and let that heat up. Add the pork chops to the pan, and let them cook for about 4 minutes on the first side before flipping.

4.) Once you’ve flipped the chops, brush the glaze over the top of them, and allow them to cook for another 4 minutes on the second side. After those 4 minutes, I like to flip them again, glaze them, let them sit for about 30 seconds, and then flip and glaze again. Remove the chops to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes.

5.) Turn the heat on the pan down to medium-low, and let it cool for a minute. Add the apples to the pan, and pour the remaining glaze over the top of them. Let them cook (tossing them often) for just a minute or two, until they’re slightly softened, but still have a bite to them (the cooking time will vary, depending on how finely you julienned them). Plate the pork chops, and top with the apples, and a spoonful of the glaze/juices from the pan.

These pork chops were absolutely delicious! The glaze and marinade have a bite from the apple cider vinegar, balanced by the sweetness of the honey, and sort of rounded out by the mustard. They stay nice and moist and juicy, too. (Side note: PLEASE do not overcook your pork! It is perfectly fine to eat pork medium or medium well, so there is no need to cook it until it’s stark white and dry as a bone; the inside should stay a bit pink, and that will help keep it moist.)

Served with some roasted tiny potatoes and some parmesan roasted green beans, this was a perfectly easy and delicious meal. Definitely worth a try, especially if you’re looking for an alternative to your usual weeknight chicken!

Pork chops are related to bacon, so they HAVE to be good,
Tina

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
cupcake recipe from here
makes about 2 dozen

For the cupcakes:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 t salt
2 sticks butter, room temp, cut into cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (2% or whole)
1 tsp vanilla

For the buttercream:
3 sticks salted butter
3 – 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup strawberry puree

1.) Preheat your oven to 325°. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2.) Add the cubed, softened butter, and continue to mix until the butter is completely coated in the flour mixture and broken up into smaller pieces.

3.) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla together. Add the liquids to the flour/butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just combined after each addition (and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary). Be careful not to overmix!

4.) Line a muffin tin with paper liners, and fill each cup 2/3 of the way with batter.

5.) Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. These cupcakes really don’t brown, and the tops stay a bit shiny and wet-looking, so go ahead and start testing with a toothpick at 18 minutes, even if they really don’t look done.

6.) While the cupcakes bake, you can work on your frosting! Start by making your strawberry puree; clean, hull, and halve about 8 medium strawberries. Add them to a food processor (or blender), and process until you have a relatively smooth liquid.

7.) Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve and into a small bowl, to get rid of any lumps and the strawberry seeds.

8.) Use a stand mixer (or hand mixer) to cream together the butter, powdered sugar (start with 3 cups, and add more if needed), and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree. Scrape down the bowl and continue mixing until everything is well-combined.

9.) When the cupcakes have fully cooled, pipe or spread the frosting on to them. These cupcakes are best served the same day they’re made.

I served these cupcakes at a baby shower for a dear friend of mine, and aside from being tasty (the cupcakes have just enough vanilla flavor, and the strawberries add a wonderful freshness to the buttercream), the frosting is a perfectly beautiful shade of pink – just right for celebrating the impending arrival of a baby girl!

So glad to put my boots away for a few months,
Tina

Candied bacon – accompanied by buttermilk pancakes, and strawberry butter!

While I’m sharing with you the very simple method of oven-cooked bacon, I figured I’d also show you how to dress your bacon up – as if bacon needs any help, right? But, if you’re ever feeling extra fancy (you’re having guests for brunch, or you just want some exceptionally tasty bacon), you can take an extra 30 seconds to CANDY your bacon with a little maple syrup and brown sugar. It’s still quick and easy, it adds a nice sweet edge to the salty, smokiness of the bacon, and it’s impressive!

Maple Candied Bacon
makes 8 slices (serving sizes vary, obviously)

8 slices bacon
1 T good maple syrup
1 T brown sugar

1.) Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (I know I am forever telling you to line your baking sheets with foil – but DO NOT skip it for bacon-making!). Once the foil is secure, place a cooling/baking rack on to the sheet.

2.) Lay your bacon out on the baking rack, evenly spaced and in a single layer. Place the baking sheet into a COLD oven, and turn the oven on to 375°. Starting it in a cold oven prevents the bacon from being shocked, moving from room temperature to a HOT oven – that shock is what causes it to curl up and shrink a bunch, which no one wants.

3.) Once the oven hits 375°, give the bacon about 10 minutes of cooking – then pull it out, flip the slices, and brush lightly with the maple syrup. Add a very small sprinkle of brown sugar to each slice as well, and return the sheet to the oven.

4.) Continue baking for another 10 minutes or so, until the bacon is nice and evenly crisp!

5.) Make sure to remove the bacon from the baking rack within a minute or so of taking it out of the oven (use a fork, or some tongs – it’ll be hot!). If you wait too long to take it off the rack, the sugar and syrup will harden, and your bacon will have to be yanked off in pieces – still delicious, but not very pretty!

I can only handle a sweet breakfast every once in a great while – but some Sundays just call for a stack of fluffy pancakes, some delicious fruit butter, and candied bacon. A big, luxurious brunch is a nice way to ease yourself back into the reality that in a few short hours… it’ll be Monday again. SIGH.

(Obviously, you don’t HAVE to candy the bacon – you can just flip the slices at the 10 minute mark, and let them continue cooking, sans sugary deliciousness.)

Bacon is its own food group, right?
Tina

A great pizza joint recently opened up in our area, and they make these ridiculous wood-fired, thin crust pizzas. One of the topping options they offer is roasted garlic, which I love, but have never had on a pizza before. Some friends and I were ordering up some dinner one night, and after about 20 minutes of tossing topping ideas back and forth, we landed on this: sausage, roasted garlic, and tomato. And it might just be my favorite pizza topping combination ever!

Roasted Garlic, Sausage, and Tomato Pizza
makes one medium, thinner-crust pie

one batch pizza dough
pizza or marinara sauce of choice
1 head garlic, with the top 1/2″ cut off
olive oil
1/4 lb hot italian sausage (pork or turkey), cooked and crumbled
1 large tomato, sliced thin
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

1.) First, you need to roast your garlic. While your pizza dough rises, heat your oven to 400°. Place your head of garlic in the center of a square of foil, and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil. Close the foil tightly around the garlic, place it into a small baking dish, and roast for about 40 minutes until golden brown and soft. Allow the garlic to cool until you can handle it easily, and then gently squeeze the cloves out of their skins. Slice each clove into about 4 pieces.

2.) Preheat your oven to 475°. Lay your sliced tomatoes out on a paper towel to draw a bit of their moisture out; lightly season them with kosher salt. Mist your baking sheet with olive oil, and stretch your pizza dough out. Spread a thin layer of your sauce onto the dough.

3.) Evenly sprinkle the sausage and sliced, roasted garlic over the sauce. Cover the pizza with the grated cheese, and then lay the sliced tomatoes on top. Brush the exposed edges of the dough with a bit of olive oil.

4.) Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese has browned nicely. Allow to cool and set for approximately 5 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Sweet, nutty garlic, spicy and salty sausage, and juicy, slightly acidic tomatoes. YES, PLEASE.

You’re going to want to make this REAL soon,
Tina

These donuts are UNREAL. Seriously insane. I truly think I could eat a whole batch of them in one sitting – they are so light, and fluffy, and perfectly sweet. Probably the best donuts I’ve ever had, and I’ve had my share of donuts! I know this recipe will look like it’s a lot of ingredients, and a lot of steps, and I’m not going to say they’re simple to make – but they’re not hard, and they are 100% worth it.

Sugar Dusted Donuts with Vanilla Custard Filling
makes about 18 donuts, and another dozen donut holes

For the vanilla custard filling:
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 T heavy cream

1.) Begin by scalding the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. This simply means heating the milk until bubbles have formed around the edges of the pan, but not allowing it to come to a boil.

2.) While the milk heats, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks well; then, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks, and whisk until you have a thick, paste-like mixture.

3.) When the milk is scalded, remove it from the heat, and slowly begin tempering the egg yolk mixture with the hot milk. To do this, simply add a very small amount of the hot milk to the yolk mixture, whisking continually as you add it. The idea is to gradually bring up the temperature of the yolk mixture; if you simply add the hot milk to the eggs, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs! Keep adding the milk, a small bit at a time, whisking all the while, until the two mixtures are fully combined.

4.) Once the yolk mixture and the milk are fully combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place the pan over medium heat. Whisk the mixture continually as it heats. It will be very liquid and frothy at first, and will slowly thicken up.

5.) After a few minutes, when the custard has thickened up a bit, stop whisking occasionally (about every 20 seconds) to see if the mixture has come to a boil (if it has, you’ll just see a couple large bubbles coming to the surface and popping). Once it’s begun to boil, whisk for 5 more seconds (no more!), and then remove it from the heat.

6.) Pour the mixture through a strainer and into a heatproof bowl to remove any lumps, and mix in the vanilla. Place plastic wrap over the custard, pressing it down to make sure it is in contact with the surface of the custard (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, until it is well-chilled.

7.) Once the custard is chilled through, take your (very cold) heavy cream and beat it with a whisk/hand mixer/stand mixer until you have whipped cream with firm peaks. Slowly fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture, and refrigerate until you’re ready to stuff the donuts!

For the donuts:
(donut recipe from here)
2 1/2 t active dry yeast
2 T warm water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 cup whole milk, at room temp
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 large egg yolks
2 T granulated sugar, plus more for coating the outside of the donuts
1 1/2 t salt
vegetable oil, for frying

1.) In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast, and allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, until it’s nice and foamy.

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, milk, butter, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Once the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the work bowl, and use the dough hook (on low speed) to combine all the ingredients.

3.) Once everything comes together and a soft dough forms, turn the mixer speed up to medium-low, and knead for about another 3 minutes. The dough should be soft and a little bit sticky, but not too sticky to handle. If it still feels overly sticky, knead in additional flour (2 tablespoons at a time) until it is no longer overly tacky.

4.) Scrape all the dough into the center of the bowl, and sprinkle it with a bit of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled.

5.) Once the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin, and roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Use a round, 2.5″ cutter (or a drinking glass, if you don’t have a round cutter) to cut as many donuts out as possible. From the scraps, you can use a 1″ or 1.5″ cutter to cut out some donut holes (or simply cut the scraps into somewhat equal-sized, irregularly-shaped pieces with a knife).

6.) Lay all the donuts on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, and cover the sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the donuts to rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes or so, until they’ve puffed up.

Un-puffed donuts on the left; puffed and ready to fry, on the right!

7.) While the donuts finish their final rise, place a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, and fill it with about 3″ of vegetable oil. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pot, and allow the oil to slowly heat up to 350°. While the oil heats, fill a shallow bowl with granulated sugar. When the oil is up to temp, you’re ready to fry!

8.) Gently add the donuts to the pot, 2 or 3 at a time. Allow them to fry for about a minute per side, flipping them with a large wire spider/skimmer. Once they’re golden brown on both sides, use the spider to move them to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet so that the last bit of oil drains off. After they’ve dried for just a few seconds, place them in the granulated sugar, and toss to coat. Move them back to the wire rack once they’re coated in sugar.

9.) Continue frying in batches (keeping a close eye on the oil temp and adjusting as necessary) until all the donuts are fried (including the donut holes).

10.) Once the donuts are completely cool, load your vanilla custard into a piping bag or a large ziploc bag. Cut an opening at the bottom of the piping bag (or in the bottom corner of the ziploc bag) about 1/2″ wide.

11.) Use a small paring knife to create a hole in the side of each donut. Insert the end of the piping bag into the hole, and pipe a small amount of custard (until you feel a bit of resistance) into the donut.

Now, sit back, relax, and eat a dozen donuts! Honestly, if you can get away with eating less than that, I commend your willpower.

These donuts are definitely best served the same day they are made – that way, they maintain a slightly crisp exterior, and a light fluffy interior. Now, don’t get me wrong, they are still absolutely delicious on day 2, but the texture is less perfect, and the sugar will get a little melty. (For the record, I do not typically like filled donuts, so I only filled about half of them – and they were all equally delicious!)

These things are heaven, seriously. I can’t wait to make them again!

Homemade donuts: totally worth it.
Tina

Spicy Pickled Vegetable Hummus
makes about 3 cups

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup hot pickled vegetables (giardiniera), drained
2 – 4 T pickled jalapeños
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 T olive oil

1.) To start, you want to remove the skins from the chickpeas. It’s a little tedious, but it’s really not that bad – just grab each chickpea, give it a little squeeze between your thumb and forefinger, and the skin will slide right off! You can skip this step, but I highly recommend it, as it results in a much smoother hummus.

2.) Throw everything but the olive oil into the food processor, and process until it’s relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. (I’d start on the lighter side with the jalapeños – taste as you go, and add more if you want more heat!)

3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Start the food processor again, and slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube, as the processor runs. Continue processing until the hummus is nice and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl again if necessary.

This hummus can be used in so many different ways – spread it on to a sandwich instead of mayo, serve it with pita chips, or (my personal favorite) dip your favorite cut up vegetables into it! It’s got a good bite from the vinegar, nuttiness from the tahini, and a spicy kick from the hot vegetables and jalapeños – hummus perfection, if you ask me.

(This hummus will last about a week in the fridge – just put it into an airtight container, or cover it with plastic wrap!)

What kind of hummus will I make next?
Tina

Brownie Sandwiches with Salted Caramel Buttercream
makes about 18 sandwiches

For the cookies:
7 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
3 T salted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 T all purpose flour

For the buttercream:
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. Place the chocolate and butter into a small bowl, and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each 30 second interval. Continue until the butter and chocolate are completely melted (it only took me a minute, total). Set aside.

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer), combine the eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Beat on medium for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale in color, and a bit foamy.

3.) Add the (slightly cooled) chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, and combine well.

4.) Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition.

5.) Allow the dough to sit for about 10 minutes; as the chocolate mixture continues to cool, the dough will firm up a bit, and be easier to scoop.

6.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner (don’t skip this step; these cookies stick pretty fiercely, even with the silicone liner). Use a 2 teaspoon scoop to portion out cookies, about 2″ apart on the sheet pan.

7.) Bake for about 8 minutes, until the surface of the cookies is cracked, and they are just set.

8.) Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for about 3-4 minutes, and then carefully move them to a cooling rack. Using a very thin, flexible spatula to move them will help keep them from falling apart!

9.) While the cookies cool, make the buttercream. Combine the butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and salted caramel sauce in the mixer. If there is not enough caramel flavor in the buttercream, add more salted caramel sauce (one tablespoon at a time) until you achieve the desired flavor.

10.) Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the bottom of half the brownie cookies, and gently sandwich a second cookie on top of the buttercream.

These cookie sandwiches are small, but they’re RICH. The brownie cookies are nice and chewy and fudgy, but thin enough to still be fairly light. One or two will surely be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth!

You really can’t go wrong with the combination of a brownie and salted caramel,
Tina

Hands down, my friends and family request this dish more than any other dish I make. These little meat muffins are just SO delicious, they are irresistible! My aunt was the original creator/maker of these – though, I remember her making them in full size muffin tins, so a couple of them was actually dinner, instead of an appetizer. I got the recipe from her probably 15 years ago – used it a couple times, lost it, and then just kept making them from memory (so surely the recipe has morphed, over the years). Once you’ve made them, they will become a staple for any gathering you attend, I guarantee it.

Cheesy Beef Cups
makes 24 mini cups

1lb ground beef (I use 90/10)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sweet barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can refrigerated biscuits (make sure it’s a variety that says “flaky layers”, or similar)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble your ground beef, seasoning it with the salt and pepper. Once the beef is cooked through, add the mustard, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce, and stir to thoroughly combine.

2.) Give your beef a taste test – it should be noticeably sweet, but not overly so. If needed, add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar. Additionally, the mixture should be a little saucy (but not wet) – if it seems too dry, add a bit more barbecue sauce. When the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat, and set it to the side.

3.) Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Remove your biscuits from the can (if you have to have someone else open the stupid pressurized can, just know that I’m not judging you – I HATE those things). Take each biscuit, and separate it into three layers (this is why it’s important to buy the biscuits that say “flaky layers” – otherwise separating them into layers is impossible). Press one biscuit layer into each of the mini muffin cups.

4.) Add a spoonful of meat to each biscuit cup, and top with shredded cheddar.

5.) Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown, and the cheese is nicely melted.

These things are seriously addictive. The slight edge of sweetness in the meat mixture sounds kind of weird, but it’s the best part of the whole dish (especially paired with the sharpness of the cheddar cheese)! These are quick to make, and a nice change of pace from the usual spread of dips on the appetizer table! You can make these up to a day ahead, too – just completely assemble them, but DON’T bake them. Cover the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them!

GO BLUE!!!
Tina