Take your BBQ up a notch

For the Fourth of July, we tried these saucy hot dogs, from Our Best Bites. They got rave reviews from everyone. It's fun to take something traditional and simple and give it a twist. I made the sauce in advance and refrigerated it. When dinnertime came, I reheated the sauce to serve over freshly grilled hot dogs. Sprinkle cheese on the finished product, if desired, or melt some cheese onto a toasted bun.

Despite all the positive reviews, I have to express one drawback. I couldn't really taste the bacon, so I was disappointed to have the extra fat content. I'm interested to see what would happen if I left it out and used a little canola oil to saute the onion. If I ever do that, I'll let you know. It might take away depth of flavor.

THE RECIPE:

3 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce *
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. apple juice

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towel. Add onion to bacon drippings and saute until tender, adding garlic a couple of minutes into it. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Crumble bacon and stir into mixture. Cook a few minutes, or until desired consistency is reached. Makes enough for about 10 hot dogs.

*Such as Heinz, Homade, or store brand, found near the ketchup and BBQ sauce -- not Asian chili sauce.

Bringing home the bacon

This bacon and Swiss pasta salad is an easy and yummy side dish. It would be great for a barbecue. The ingredients are simple but flavorful, and you could always adjust them to your preference. I got the recipe from my lovely friend Kylie.

THE RECIPE:

16 oz. spiral pasta, cooked
8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
12 to 16 oz. bacon, well cooked then crumbled
5 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Dressing:

2 c. mayonnaise*
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. sugar

Make salad and dressing separately, then combine in large bowl. Refrigerate at least an hour. I recommend reserving some of the dressing to stir in immediately before serving. The pasta soaks up the dressing during refrigeration, so the last-minute addition will preserve the creaminess.

*I used Kraft's olive oil mayo to cut down on fat.

Ain't no mountain high enough

I love salads with lots of ingredients. This mountain salad has all kinds of great stuff in it. I got the recipe a couple of years ago from my friend Carolyn, who is an excellent cook. We love this salad! Note that this salad requires refrigeration before serving.

THE RECIPE:

1 head green leaf lettuce (or a mix of green leaf and spinach), washed and chopped

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

10 oz. frozen peas, thawed

1/2 c. sliced green onion

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing:

1/2 c. each mayonnaise, Miracle Whip and milk

Assembly:

Start with half of lettuce. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar. Then layer with half of each remaining ingredient: bacon, egg, onion, peas and cheese. Top with half of dressing, then start over with seasoned lettuce, bacon, egg.....etc. This time, though, reverse the cheese and dressing so you end with cheese on top. Refrigerate for about six hours before serving.

Stuff yourself with this

I made this stuffing, along with some creamed corn, for Thanksgiving this year. My husband said it was his favorite dish of the day. It has an excellent homemade -- kind of gourmet -- taste brought on, I think, by the use of sourdough bread. I'm not normally a fan of sourdough, but this really is wonderful. You can't go wrong with the other ingredients, either -- spinach, cashews, bacon. It's a winner! By the way, the recipe came from Smitten Kitchen.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 pound bacon, sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
7 1/2 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped (7 cups)
5 c. country-style sourdough bread cubes*
1 c. salted, roasted cashews/pieces
1/4 c. melted butter
1/2 c. plus 1/8 c. chicken broth

Lightly toast bread cubes for a few minutes under a broiler set to low. You want them kind of dry and crispy. Then preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towel to drain. Reserve about 3 tablespoons bacon grease in skillet. Add onion, celery, salt and pepper to skillet. Saute a few minutes, until tender. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Transfer mixture to large bowl, then stir in spinach, bread, cashews, butter, broth and bacon. Put stuffing in greased 9x13 pan, then bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Stuffing is best reheated in oven, as microwave makes the bread chewy.

*Country-style bread is dense and stiff with a hard crust. I used La Brea's country sourdough, which I got at Albertson's. You don't have to use that, but just be sure not to get a light, soft, airy bread.

Mean, green broccoli cuisine

This broccoli salad is sweet and savory. I can't think of a better way to eat my veggies.

THE RECIPE:

Florets from two medium-large broccoli crowns, chopped
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1 c. sunflower nuts
1/2 c. raisins or Craisins
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

Mix ingredients well, then refrigerate before serving.

Start the day right

I love breakfast. And what better way to start the day than by combining all the fixins in one easy dish? This breakfast casserole does the trick.

THE RECIPE:

6 c. frozen shredded hashbrowns

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

3 c. cooked meat, your choice*

8 beaten eggs

3 c. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Coat 9x13 pan in nonstick spray. Fill with potatoes, cheese and meat. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about an hour, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

*I use two or more of the following: cooked and crumbled bacon, cubed or chopped ham, cooked ground sausage.

Putting the "pea" in "peanut"

If you ever need a unique side dish, this pea and peanut salad is a good one. It's got a fresh, savory flavor. You could put individual servings on romaine lettuce leaves for extra appeal.

THE RECIPE:

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 ounces frozen petite peas, thawed
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 c. roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 T. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine ingredients. Makes 8 servings.

Somebody stop me

Our recipe for bacon-wrapped smokies absolutely rocks. These babies are so addicting. I simply cannot stop eating them, no matter how full I am. A lot of people make them with barbecue sauce, but that just won't do for us. A simple mixture of ketchup and brown sugar gives the smokies just the right zip. We have never had a bad review. In fact, we have never had a less-than-glorious review. Try them.


THE RECIPE:

1 16-ounce pkg. cocktail smokies
1 16-ounce pkg. bacon (sliced into thirds)
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. ketchup
Toothpicks

Wrap each sausage in bacon and secure with toothpick. Place on foiled cookie sheet (be sure your cookie sheet has edges to catch the grease). Cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and ketchup. Remove smokies from oven and coat with sauce. Bake at 400 degrees until bacon is cooked and crispy on edges. Divine. Absolutely divine.