Best Bacon Deviled Eggs

Yummy Yummy - I made these for Thanksgiving this year and my only regret is I didn't make a bigger batch.  They were gone fast. 

Oops - they got mostly eaten before I remembered to take a picture of the final result. 🤦

Slice eggs lengthwise then remove yolks to separate bowl for mixing with the ingredients below.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/8 yellow mustard or dijon mustard
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 dash of garlic powder
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp, and and broken into chunk pieces like pictured above
• Paprika

Instructions

1. Boil eggs and peel
2. Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, lengthwise
3. Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl
4. Mash the egg yolks with a fork
5. Add the mayonnaise, mustard salt, pepper, and garlic powder 
6. Mash egg yolks and stir until well combined
7. Put the mixture in a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag or you can use a piping bag.
8. Fill each egg hole with the mixture
9. Add small piece of bacon on top of each egg
10. Sprinkle with paprika
11. Serve

appetizer, comfort food, holiday,

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Carnitas (slow cooker or presser cooker)

Carnitas (Yum!)

Sorry in advance for the bad photography

 

 Pressure cooker oven↑↑

Crockpot ↓↓

 Garlic cloves & Bay leaves

Ingredients for rub:

2 TSP Cumin

1 TBSP Chili powder

2 TSP Salt or more, to taste

1 TSP Pepper

2 TSP Oregano
(Mrs. Scales variations: I also like to add a bit of onion powder and garlic powder.  Just eyeball it.)

Other ingredients:
Pork Roast  (shoulder, butt, whatever)

1 or 2 Bay bay leaves

Oranges,  2-3 small halo (clementine) size or 1 large regular size one

2 or 3 Garlic cloves crushed

1 Onion, quartered

¼ cup chicken broth
 

In a bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Rub spice mixture thoroughly onto all sides of the pork shoulder. (optional: I also like to rub minced garlic all over the meat - I love cooking with garlic)

     

Place chicken broth, garlic cloves, onions, and pork into a slow cooker or presser cooker pot/cooking dish.  Cut orange(s) into halves or quarters and squeeze juice over meat and put the rest of the orange in the cooker with the meat.  Slowcooker: Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Pressure cooker (or instapot): 1 hour 20 minutes give or take depending on your preference of tenderness/falling apart.

Remove pork shoulder from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot with the juices (optional); season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.  Discard oranges when done cooking (bay leaves too if you want but they are easy to pick around and they add flavor)

Preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas on a baking sheet and broil until a little crisp about 3-4 minutes.  (this part is optional too)

Serve with steamed corn tortillas, onions and cilantro to make tacos.

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Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn

Butter, brown sugar and marshmallows….pour over popcorn….that's it!     easy...


Ingredients
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
9-10 marshmallows
12 c. popcorn.

Directions
1. Microwave brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Add marshmallows.
2. Microwave until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour over popcorn.

So good that I didn't get to take a picture!  When I make it again.. I'll be sure to snap a pic before it gets gobbled up.

dessert, snack, sweet,

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Gator Bites with Homemade Remoulade Sauce

Photo by Mrs. Scales

Oh my word...  Alligator is probably one of my favorite meats.  Seasoned, fried up and dipped in remoulade - DELISH.  ...and surprisingly simple.

Easy peasy.  

• Lightly season your bite size gator tail meat with Tony Chahere's Creole Seasoning (or Old Bay) 
•  toss meat in some Zatarain's Fish Fri.  
• Deep fry until golden brown.  

For a dipping sauce you can use ranch or a creole remoulade sauce.  I homemade the one in the picture but I honestly don't remember what all I put in it.   When I make it again I'll update this post.

Gator can't be bought in many parts of the country because its just not available and its a 'southern' thing being that alligators are specific to that region.  But lucky for you, alligator and other southern specialty meats can be bout at an only cajun grocer I've provided a link for you below.

Gator meat to be shipped can be bought here.

appetizer, seafood, snack, snacks, southern,

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Homemade Tartar Sauce

Threw together some tartar sauce tonight because i hate the sweet store bought stuff.  If you like your tartar sweet get a bottle at the store.  If you like it tasting like Captain D's (or another non-sweet kind)... here you go.  Sorry, in advance but i didn't measure this recipe either... did all "to taste"  - I'm old school like that.  I'll measure next time..

Real Mayonnaise   (a few table spoons - it was just me and my husband)
Dill Relish - NOT sweet relish (you can use sweet if you like that sort of thing)
Garlic Powder (a generous shake)
Old Bay Crab Boil Seasoning (optional)
Onion, chopped
Salt/Pepper, to taste.


Directions:  Mix all.  :)

dip, side, sides, snack, snacks,

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Homemade Guacamole

Made some delicious guacamole tonight so I have to jot it down so I don't forget what I put into it.  I didn't measure anything and only used one avocado because its just me and my husband, so I am sorry in advance for no exact measurements... everything is pretty much "to taste".

• 1 perfectly ripe avocado (not too green, brown and very slightly squishy- best i can describe, lol)

• Salt, to taste

• Rotel (since i was using only 1 avocado i only used a couple spoonfuls of rotel) You can replace Rotel with salsa.

• Garlic and/or garlic powder, to taste

• Cayenne pepper, to taste, omit if you dont want a little spice

• Onion, chopped  (again, since i only used 1 avocado i did not use a whole onion..like a quarter of a regular sized onion)

• Onion powder, to taste

Slice around the avocado - keep the seed - helpful tip to keep guacamole from going brown is to put the seed in the bowl with the fresh made guac.  :)

Spoon the avocado into a bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients :)  Stir/mush with fork.  Put the seed back in.  Voila!!!!  You've got guacamole!!   Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve with chips.  MMM..

We ate ours faster than I could take pictures...soooo, Ill get pictures next time :) :)


Way too many smiley faces in this post.  :)

appetizer, dip, mexican, side,

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Mrs. Scales Southern Chicken Fried Chicken

I know the ingredient list seems long..but this recipe is actually pretty quick and easy.  The beauty of that crazy long list is that you can omit what you don't have on hand.  No onion powder? no biggy..  No creole seasoning?  Just use any seasoning salt..  the bare bones original recipe is simply flour, salt and pepper...so really all this other stuff is just flavor boosting goodness i added to make it a yummy Mrs. Scales-style dish for Mr. Scales.  :)

For the Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( or as many you want until your egg and flour mix runs out)
• 1 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you want extra spice)
• 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• One-half inch of cooking oil 
• Parsley for topping

For the Gravy:
I went the easy route and used packaged sausage gravy (the dry stuff), followed directions and added a couple pinches of salt.  This also makes the process faster considering i get home late from work.

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients (except parsley) in a bowl.  Mix it up good and transfer to a plate.  

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. 

Give the chicken a couple pounds with a meat tenderizer if the breasts are thick.  (I didn't, simply because i don't own a meat tenderizer)  

Heat oil in a skillet on medium.  Or you can use a deep fryer (I did).  

Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then dunk in egg, then coat in flour mixture AGAIN.  Once all pieces are coated, let sit for about 8-10 minutes.  I used this time to get my side dishes ready...this night it was rice and succotash.  Plus i had to wait for my deep fryer to finish heating up.  

Cook each piece in your skillet till golden brown - about 3 min per side.  OR cook in the deep fryer for 10 minutes at 350.

Don't forget to make your gravy per directions on package.  I did this while my chickens were in the deep fryer. 

Plate your chicken, cover with gravy and sprinkle with parsley. 

Yummy.  This was my first go at chicken friend chicken but i was very pleased with the flavor I created.   This flour mix & egg method can be used if your making chicken tenders also!

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Scales

chicken, comfort food, dinner, easy, southern,

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Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese

I was looking for the perfect mac n' cheese recipe to take to an Easter shindig, and I came across Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese recipe.  Boy am I glad I stumbled on this recipe.. so far everyone has liked it (that's 3 different families so far).  It's unique but not so unique that people think its weird and are afraid to try it.  

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese as seen on Foodnetwork.com

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.  Pan fry your bacon and reserve the bacon fat.

 Remove shallots and garlic from foil and chop.  

Saute in saucepan with bacon fat until tender (about 1 min).

 Add flour and stir for 1 minute. 

Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third.

 2 cups cheddar, 1 cup pepper jack

 Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. 

 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. 

 In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley.

 Pour mac n cheese into a casserole dish 

(I had halved the recipe in these pics, you'll want to use a 9x13)

 Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients

2 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound penne pasta, cooked

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp. melted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. 
3. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. 
4. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. 
5. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
6. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. 
7. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. 
8. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mac-daddy-mac-n-cheese-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Note from Mrs. Scales:  I've made this 3 times and have realized I prefer to chop the shallots before roasting with the garlic in the foil pouch.  Its kind of difficult and slippery to cut up after they are cooked.  :)

comfort food, dinner, side, sides,

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Dijon Chicken

So easy and quite tasty.

• Boneless Skinless chicken thighs- 1 package
• Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup
• Maple syrup- 1/4 cup
• Rice/rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon  ( i substitued apple cider vinager+pinch of sugar)
• Fresh rosemary (or rubbed sage)
• Salt and pepper

Whisk up the Dijon mustard, maple syrup,  and vinager.


Salt & pepper the chicken thighs and arrange in a heavily foiled casserole dish (if you don't foil you'll be cleaning the dish for days).

Arrange the chicken in the dish - cover the chicken with the sauce.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes then broil for another 20.

Easy Peasy and QUICK prep.

*note: feel free to double the sauce recipe.  I used the above amounts for just 3 thighs because i was just cooking for me and my husband.  If i was cooking the whole package of chicken - I'd double the recipe because I'm a saucy person.

 Make Sauce

Put in the oven - 450 degrees for 40 min total.  

 num num

adapted from http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/ which was adapted from Trader Joes cook book.

cheap, chicken, dinner, easy, healthy,

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Bourbon Chicken / Shoyu Chicken

Bourbon Chicken

aka Shoyu Chicken

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

(optional but good)

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

(optional)

1 teaspoon ground paprika (optional)

5 pounds skinless chicken thighs

Easy and Yummy chicken.  Mix all ingredients together.  Coat chicken well.  Seal in either  a ziploc bag or a tupperware to marinate the chicken for an hour.

Cook with all marinade in a casserole dish at 450 degrees for 40 minutes.  At 20 minutes you can turn to broil if you want.  I did mine in a casserole dish (below) and used the juices to pour over rice. Feel free to double the sauce ingredients to have more to pour over rice.  Alternatively, you can grill the chicken for 15 minutes.

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

chicken, dinner, easy, spicy, sweet,

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