Cracker Barrel's Secret Recipe:
Hash Brown Casserole (serves 4 to 6 as side dish)
Menu Description:
"made from scratch in our kitchens using grade A fancy Russet potatoes, fresh chopped onion,natural colby cheeseand spices, baked fresh all day long."
1 26-oz. bag of frozen country-style hash browns
2 cups shredded colby cheese
1/4 cup minced onions
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of beef stock or beef broth
2 tablespoons butter, melted dash of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. combine the frozen hasgh browns, cheese,and onions into large bowl.
3. combine milk,beef stock, half the melted butter, garlic powder,salt & pepperin another bowl. mix until well blended, then pour mixture over hash browns and mix well.
4. heat remaining butter in large oven proof skillet over high heat.
5. when skillet is hot, spoon in hash brown mixture. cook the hash browns stirring occasionally, until hot and all cheese has melted (about 7 minuets).
6. put the skillet into oven and bake for 45 to 60 minuets, or until surface of hash browns are dark brown.
Tidbits:
If your skillet isn't ovenproof( because it has plastic handle< for example) you can also spoon potatoes into a 9x9 baking dish and microwave potatoes until hot and cheese melts. then put pan into oven and bake as accordingly. If you can't find Colby Cheese , Chedder can be used in replacement but Colby is prefered.
This is the secret recipe fom Chilli's!
Description: "fajita-marinated chicken,cornrelsih, mixed cheese, cilantro, diced tomato and crispy tortilla strip. Garnished with a Chipotle-ranchdrizzleand cheese quesadilla wedges, served with citrus-balsamic dressing."
start with 4 skinless Chicken Breast Fillets (Serving size 4 )
Fajita Marinade
2 1/2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon gound cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoonground balck pepper
1/2 teaspoon Hicory flavored Liquid Smoke
Corn Relish
1 cup frozen yellow corn kernals (thawed)
1/2 cup canned balck beans, drained & rinced
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons of Cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon granualated suger
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
pinch of ground black pepper
Chipotle-Ranch Drizzle
1/2 cup hidden Valley Ranch salad Dressing
1/8 reaspoon ground chipotle chile
Citrus-Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grey poupon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1teaspoon minced garlic
1teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Crispy Tortilla Strips
6 corn Tortillas
2 cups Canola Oil
Cheese Quesadillas
8 7-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded chedder cheese
1 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese butter
8 cups chopped Ice burg lettuce (about 1 head)
8 cups chopped romain lettuce (1 head)
1/2 cup shredded chedder cheese
1/2 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes (aprox. 2 tomatoes)
4 teaspoons of minced cilantro
1. The Chicken will need to marinate for 2 hours. pound out the fat end of fillets with kitchen mallet/meat tenderizer, wisk marinade ingridents together in medium bowl and pour over chicken in zip-lock bag, Park them bad boys in fride for 2- 2 1/2 hrs.
2.
while chicken is doing it's thing, time to start the Corn Relish,dressings and Tortila strips, To make Relish simply combine all ingredients into Medium bowl, cover and Chill.
3. Make the Chipotle-Ranch drizzle by combining ground chipotlepepper to hidden Valley ranch, LOW FAT is BEST!
4. Make the Citrus-Balsamic Vinaigrette by combiningall ingedients in blender/food processor on medium speed for 30 seconds or until thick, cover and chill.
5. Make the Crispy Tortilla Strips by slicing 6 corn tortillas into thin strips. heat oil into medium saucepanover medium heat until one strip dropped in oil bubblesand fries to crunchy golden brown (1 minute.) When oil is hot fry tortilla strips in batches until crispy, drain on paper towels.
6. when the chicken has marinated for few hrs, preheat BBQ gril on High, arrange chicken on plate and coat with little oil so they won't stick to grill, once grill is hot enough cook for 5 to 6 minuets per side , until done.
7. as chicken cooks make quesadillas by heating medium saut'e pan over med/low heat, Combine 1 cup of shredded chedder and 1 cup of montery jack , then spread 1/2 cup of cheese blend on top of flour tortilla, cover with 2nd tortilla melt butter in saut'e pan, and brown quesdilla for 1 minuteon each side or until light brown. repeat for other 3 tortillasand slice each into quarters with pizza wheel or knife.
8. build each salad by combining 2 cups of Iceburg & Romaine into large serving plate. sprinkle salad with 1/2 cup of crispy strips spoon 1/3 cup of corn relish on next, slice each grilld chicken breat into thin strips and arrange over corn relish, followed by 1/4 cup of diced tomatoe, 1 teaspoon of Cilantro, drillze Chipotle drizzle over salad and serve citrus-balsamic in small bowl on side. arrange 4 slices of Quesadilla around edge and serve.
**** Makes 4 Large Salads ****
Tidbit
save time money and get blend of shredeed chedder/ montery jack or whatever blend you prefer.
Duh, ..
Sorry folks should have put this with other recipe, oh well...better late then never...
Same tips to selecting the best corn applies to this recipe too.. more white kernels and straighter the rows, the sweeter the corn. So if you can't grill or roast, or just don't like your corn cooked like than, the traditional way is boiling in pot. Fill large pot with water, add I cup of milk, a 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, or sugar substitute, 1 stick of butter or butter substitute. Cover with lid and let boil, stir occasionally, to make sure,butter,sugar have dissolved, cook corn for 20-30 minutes over medium /low flame, again apply butter, salt if desired.... I used to work in Local spot called Leno's Clam bar as kid,place is well known always packed in summer time, menu consisted of hot dogs,burgers, steamers, corn on cob. ..that's it. . Best corn on cob ever had, obviously we used alot more butter, the corn would sit in a pot full of the milk,butter, water mixture and more than one stick of butter was used.... do hope you try and enjoy it.
Steve aka former fat kid
Menu Description: " A unique presentastion of an Australian favorite. Rekon!."
Serves 4 as Appetizer
Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
8 cups water
8 beef bouillon cubes
3 medium white onions
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose-flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded chedder cheese 1/4 cup shredded Montery Jack Cheese
1. heat water to boil in large pan. add the bouillon cubes and disolve.
2. cut the onions into thin slices, then quarter theslices. add to broth.
3. add salt & pepper
4. bring mixture back to boiling, then turn heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
5. while stirring, sift the flour into the soup. continue to stir if any large lumps of flour develop. Be careful when stirringagressive agitation or usung a wisk may tear onions apart. as soup continues to cook , any lumps should disolve.
6. after 30 minutes of additional simmering, add the cream and 1 cup chedder cheese. continue to simmer the sopu for another 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Serve soup hot after sprinking a tablesppon each of shredded Montery JAck & Chedder on top.
ENJOY!
Sorry I know it's suppose to be restaurant recipes, but this is my own personal secret I am sharing this time.
Tip on best corn on cob selecting :
If possible rather than purchasing the pre- cleaned corn packed by stores, select the ears yourself, one they are cheaper and second you have better pieces to choose from.
Best way to see if corn is sweet, pull husk down on one side if ear, look to see the rows of kernels are in a straight line. The straighter the row better the taste, 2nd trick to best selection is if corn is Sweet corn, look for more white kernels again the straighter the row,the sweeter the corn.
DO NOT REMOVE HUSKS FROM CORN!!!!!!
They play critical part in cooking corn.
When your ready to prepare corn, pull husks down, again do not remove them. Pull as far down on cob as possible to expose as much as cob as possible, some husks will fall off that's ok. Next is to remove the silk. Trick is to pull the exposed silk at top of corn off before you pull husks down. This gets a good portion of the silk. Run corn cob under cool water and gently rub excess silk of corn, at same time soak the husks under running water or let sit and soak for 10 minutes in cold water. Once silk and corn has been cleaned, pat the corn cob dry with paper towel, next take butter or butter substitute, and rub entire corn cob with it get even coating all over, next sprinkle granulated sugar, or sugar substitute over corn cob and rub to cover corn cob completely. Next pull husks back to cover corn cob try to keep corn covered as much as possible with wet husks. Next wrap each individual corn into aluminum foil tightly, here's where it gets good. .. for those fortune enough to have the use of a grill get to enjoy some kick ass corn on cob, not to say those who aren't, are not.. same can be done in oven too. Just prefer to grill them. So what your going to do next is fire up your grill or oven to highest temperature. Place each individual ears on grill or oven rack, and rotate occasionally, cook corn for 20-30 minutes. Once corn is done let sit in foil wrap for 2 minutes before unwrapping,once foil is removed pull husks down, you can use the husks and stem of husk as a easy to use handle to eat your corn. What this does is helps cook the corn with steam,the sugar acts as a caramelize and enhances the corns sweetness, apply more butter and salt if desired and enjoy.
I have been told time after time this is the hands down best corn on cob ever eaten. Corn is tricky may say sweet corn, key to corn, the lighter the kernel color, the sweeter and more tender the corn as well as the rows being as straight as possible. .. good luck & enjoy!
