Budget Friendly Dinner Series - BBQ Spaghetti and Cornbread

Okay folks.  I told you I was going to blow your mind and now I shall.  Ladies and gents, I give you:  BBQ Spaghetti.  Yes.  BBQ and spaghetti.  Together.  I know, I know.  It makes absolutely NO sense but somehow this works.  Like its unreal.  I LOVE this stuff.  I get requests to make this regularly and not just from my husband.  I have given samples of this stuff to family and friends and I always get the same reaction.  Questionable looks followed by shock followed by "mmmm"s of deliciousness.

Now, you do have to make your own bbq sauce for this.  The ingredients list looks very long but its full of basic ingredients, which I can pretty much guarantee you have in your pantry.  How much more budget friendly can you get?  You do need to be made aware of the fact that this bbq sauce does need to cook for two hours before you can use it.  I like to make this on weekends for use during the week. The sauce is the longest part of this whole thing.

The following recipe is actually DOUBLE the normal recipe found in the cookbook. I always recommend that you make this amount because I have no idea how much sauce you enjoy on your pasta and plus, having some extra in your fridge is great for making grilled pork chops or grilled chicken whenever you get home and don't want to cook something crazy and in depth.

BBQ Spaghetti

courtesy of Down Home with the Neelys

SAUCE:

4 c. Ketchup (I prefer Simply Heinz)

2 c. Water

1/2 c. Light Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Black Pepper

1 Tbsp. Onion Powder

1 Tbsp. Dry Mustard Powder

4 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (if you don't want to use actual lemons, I really like Pure Lemon)

4 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

4 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

2 Tbsp. BBQ Seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking.

Reduce the temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for AT LEAST two hours, stirring occasionally.

Use as needed.

Store leftovers in a sealed jar (like those good ol' fashioned quart size Mason jars) for up to 2 months.

SPAGHETTI:

1 lb. Hamburger

2 c. BBQ Sauce (from recipe above) or more, if you're so inclined

1 lb. Spaghetti

In a large pot, cook spaghetti according to the package directions.

Drain.

Meanwhile, cook hamburger until done.

Drain.

Toss the pasta, hamburger, and bbq sauce together, heating over low heat for a few minutes (to heat up the sauce if its been in the fridge).

Eat and enjoy!

Note:  If you want to add diced onions and peppers to this meal, you may do so by cooking them together with the beef.

Buttermilk Cornbread

courtesy of Paula Deen and Friends

1 c. Yellow Cornmeal

1/3 c. All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1 Egg, Beaten

1 c. Buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

Combine all the dry ingredients together.

Mix the egg and buttermilk into your cornmeal mixture.

Pour the batter into your pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

* no buttermilk?  No problem.  Take one cup of 2% milk and add 1 tsp. white vinegar and let sit for five minutes.

Tips-n-Tricks Tuesday: BBQ Seasoning

Everyone in the South loves barbecue.  And I mean, everyone.  The big problem is everyone likes DIFFERENT barbecue.  In Eastern North Carolina (where I'm from), we love our whole hog pork bbq.  My dad and grandfather are excellent pig cookers.  My grandfather even MADE his pig cooker out of an old oil drum he found.  That's how into cooking whole hogs he is.  Now in Texas (where Mr. Gaited Baker is from) it is all about brisket.  And let's not even get started on the sauces.  Because everyone knows vinegar-based and ketchup-based sauces are THE best ;)  We're going to pretend that that atrocious white sauce that's from Alabama doesn't exist, okay y'all?

It will probably come as a shock that one of my favorite barbecue seasonings is actually from Tennessee.  I LOVE this seasoning.  It's great to use as a rub on pork chops or to even mix in some chili.  But the REAL reason that I love this seasoning blend will be shown to you in the next "Budget Friendly Dinner" post (coming soon to a blog near you!) and I will go ahead and tell you now - it is going to BLOW YOUR MIND!!

This seasoning blend actually makes just under a pint of seasoning so I use a pint jar with a screw on lid to keep it in my pantry.  The blend keeps its flavor for around six months but once you try it, it will not last six months in your pantry.

Neely's Barbecue Seasoning
recipe courtesy of Down Home with the Neelys

3/4 c. Paprika
6 Tbsp. Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

Pour all ingredients in a pint jar.
Shake to mix it all together.
Use over your favorite pork products or where you just need a little extra kick of flavor!

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

You know, I've always been a little leery of trying new things.  I love eating ricotta cheese (my best friend puts it in her amazing lasagna and it's like, the best thing EVER) but I've never had the nerve to actually trying eating something with ricotta in it.  I was the same way with sour cream until a few years ago.  I mean, you've had sour cream before, haven't you?  It's tangy!  I never understood exactly HOW a sweet dessert recipe could have sour cream and actually turn out okay.  But it works... somehow.  My feelings towards things made with ricotta cheese ran along those same lines.  Until now.  These muffins have converted me.

I'm not the biggest fan of very lemon-y things.  Despite the fact that my mom tells me I used to eat them when I was little - rind and all.  Maybe that's why I'm not crazy about really lemon-y things now.  I had too much of them when I was little.  But these muffins are not overly lemon-y at all!  They have just the right amount of tang that cuts through the sweetness of the muffins.  And the ricotta... oh Lord.  The ricotta cheese just makes these muffins melt in your mouth!  So drop whatever it is you're doing and go make these muffins.  They make a wonderful quick breakfast if you're on the go, like my husband and I are!

As a side note, this recipe calls for grated lemon rind and fresh lemon juice.  You can probably get those off of one large lemon but get two just in case.  If you've never had to use the rind off of a citrus fruit before, you are missing out.  There are such wonderful flavors to be had in those bright and shiny exteriors (keep away from the white part beneath)!  You'll quickly realize that using a Microplane Zester will become your best friend in the kitchen when you need those grated rinds.  If you try to use a fine cheese grater, you'll be there all day.  A zester is really what you need.

One more thing - zest BEFORE you juice!  If you just zest after juicing, it just gets awkward.

Lemon Ricotta Muffins
recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

1 3/4 c. All Purpose Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 c. Ricotta Cheese, part-skin
1/2 c. Water
1/4 c. Olive Oil (I use extra virgin)
1 Tbsp. Grated Lemon Rind
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Egg

Preheat your oven to 375.
Spray 12 muffin liners with cooking spray and put in your muffin pan, setting aside.
In a large bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Using a different bowl, mix EVERYTHING ELSE together and stir until its all combined.
Now make a little well in the middle of your flour mixture.
Pour the ricotta cheese mixture into that little well.
Stir until moist - try not to overstir!
Now add your batter evenly to the muffin cups.
Bake for 16 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing to finish cooling.

These look really pale... cause they are.  Doesn't mean they aren't delicious!

Strawberry Muffins

You may have noticed on here that I love strawberries.  (From this post perhaps?) They are one of my favorite things about summer.  Whenever I get strawberries from the farmer's market, I have to fight from eating them on the way home.  I mean, who can resist that yummy, sweet strawberry-y goodness?  You want to talk about cruel and unusual punishment?  Tie me up and put a strawberry just out of my reach.  I'll crack in a second just to get at it.

Now, these muffins are topped with a special item - Spiced Vanilla Bean Sugar. I'm very lucky to have a phenomenal spice story really close to me called Savory Spice Shop.  They make their own spice blends to sell and always carry fresh spices. You can get as little as half an ounce if you don't need a lot which is wonderful if you just need a spice for one recipe.  Did I mention they'll let you taste their spices in the store?  I tried this spice blend in their store and just KNEW it would be amazing on these muffins!  It is a combination of sugar, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, mace, and cardamom.  Doesn't that just SOUND delicious??  Even if you don't have a Savory Spice Shop near you, you can order it online!  Isn't the internet great?  (Online ordering)  For this recipe, I've made the topping Sugar in the Raw since that's available at any grocery store.

Let me tell you a story.  Many of you know that I have a dog.  She's a beautiful eleven year old black Lab mix named Liz.  I tell everyone that my husband fell in love with her long before he fell in love with me.  And she owned my heart when she was only two weeks old.  So, one morning after I had made these muffins, Ryan had gotten two to have as his breakfast.  He got the muffins, set them on our coffee table, and stepped out of the room for a few minutes.  When he returned, the muffins were gone.  There wasn't even a crumb left on the table.  Liz was laying quietly on the couch, acting like nothing was amiss.  Ryan looked around for the muffins, thinking he'd left them in the kitchen or put them in another room.  No.  Liz ate them.  Both of them.  Muffin wrapper and all.  I wasn't sure who to be mad at - him for leaving them within her reach or her for eating them in the first place!  I will say that my years of training her to "clean up her mess" paid off.  She certainly left no trace of them!

Strawberry Muffins
modified from Best Recipes from American Country Inns and Bed and Breakfasts

2 c. All Purpose Flour
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Egg
1 c. Milk
1/3 c. Canola Oil
1 c. Fresh Strawberries, chopped
3 Packets of Sugar in the Raw

Preheat oven to 375.
Line a muffin tin with liners; spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and oil.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until moistened, making sure not to overmix!
Fold in your strawberries.
Pour the batter in your muffin tin, dividing the batter equally amongst the muffin cups.
Sprinkle the muffins with the Sugar in the Raw.
Bake for 28 minutes or until the tops become slightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on a rack before removing them from the pan to finish cooling.  (You can also tilt the muffins to let them finish cooling.  See this post.)

NOTE:  Muffins made with fresh fruit like this only last for two or three days.  Please don't feed the leftover to the dog, either.

Chocolate Pound Cake

I love chocolate.  I only know a handful of people who don't love chocolate and I honestly think they have something wrong with their brains.  How does someone NOT love chocolate?  Studies have proven that chocolate releases the exact same endorphins that are released when someone is in love.  So when I say I'm in love with chocolate, it's actually true!  This is the reasoning I have when I say people who don't love chocolate have something wrong with their brains.  I mean, how exactly do those endorphins go off and someone not immediately fall in love chocolate?  It seems biologically impossible.

I also love pound cake.  When I was little, my grandmother (God rest her soul) made the BEST vanilla pound cake.  It had this crunchy top and really soft inside.  And the proper way to eat it was from the bottom to the top because you wanted to save that crunchy top for last.  My dad and I used to argue over which one of us would eat the last piece.  So pound cake has always had a special place in my heart.  So it was only logical that I would make something that includes two things that I love - chocolate and pound cake.

Chocolate Pound Cake
courtesy of King Arthur Flour

8 Tbsp. Butter, softened (salted - if using unsalted, add 3/4 tsp. salt)
1 1/2 c. Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2/3 c. Cocoa Powder
3 Eggs
1 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
3/4 c. Milk (skim)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with a cooking spray mixed with flour (like Pillsbury).
Mix the butter, sugar, salt (if using), vanilla, baking powder, and cocoa in a medium sized bowl, using a mixer.  (It's okay if the mixture looks clumpy!)
Now add your eggs one at a time, making sure its well incorporated before adding the next one.
Add half of the flour to your cocoa mixture with your mixer on low speed.
Next, add in all of your milk.
Add in the rest of the flour, mixing on low speed until your mixture is smooth.
Taste your batter and make sure tastes good.  (Okay, that may just be what I do!)
Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  (The top of the cake may look damp - that's okay, it's done.)
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then let it finish cooling on the rack.
Slice and enjoy!
(Make sure to wrap the cake nice and tight when its finished cooling.)

Chocolate Chip - Oatmeal Cookies

When Ryan and I got married almost three years ago, we stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel the night before and the night of our wedding.  (Gaaaaa!  It's been almost three years!)  At the DoubleTree, when you arrive, they give you these really yummy chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies.  They're big and chewy and delicious and big.  Did I mention they're big?  I'd take a dozen home if I could but my waistline miiiiight not appreciate that too much.  I've been trying and trying to find a cookie that is almost as good as they ones I got at the hotel.  I know it won't be EXACTLY like it.  I'm pretty certain that it has a pound of butter in each cookie, it's so moist.  I have finally found a cookie that comes pretty darn close and I wanted to share it with all of you.  You should feel so special! :-)  Every time I ate one of these cookies, it took me back to my special day with my husband, who traveled 1200 miles to be with me all those years ago.  Yeah, I'm pretty darn lucky :-)

Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies
courtesy of Nestle All Time Favorite Cookie and Baking Recipes

1 3/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/4 c. Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 c. (2 sticks) Butter, salted, softened
1/2 c. Sugar
2 Eggs, large
2 Tbsp. Milk (I used skim but use whatever you have on hand)
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 c. Quick Cooking Oats (feel free to use old fashioned if you've got it)
2 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz. bag)

Preheat the oven to 375.
In one bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and set aside.
Using a mixer, beat both of the sugars and butter together until creamy.
Next, add in the eggs, milk, and vanilla to the sugar-butter mixture and mix well.
Gradually add in the flour mixture until everything is well combined.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.  (This is going to make a thick batter so it might be tough to incorporate everything but keep trying because it will come together.)
Drop by the tablespoonfuls (or using that wonderous cookie scoop I tell everyone to get) onto your baking sheet.
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 12 to 13 minutes for crispy cookies.  (Chewy is the way to go for me.)
Let cool for one minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Key Lime Bread

I think I may have mentioned here a couple of times that my husband likes key lime stuff.  Like a lot.  And I could've possibly mentioned that I love King Arthur Flour things... maybe.  My best friend knows that I love KAF stuff so she's given me a subscription to the KAF Baking Sheet (a bi-monthly newsletter full of yummy recipes) for the last few years as a Christmas gift.  (Aren't best friends... the best??)  So when my Spring 2013 Baking Sheet arrived and I saw the recipe for Key Lime Bread, I jumped at the chance to make it.  This was very different from some of the other quick breads that I've made because it packed such a lime punch but it wasn't overpowering.  Most quick breads are very sweet but this is not.  It's a very refreshing change and a perfect bread to eat on a spring day, sipping some sweet tea :)

Typically, I like to always use recipes that don't call for special ingredients because I want these recipes available to everyone, hoping (hopefully) at-hand items.  This recipe, however, does require one special ingredient that is well worth the effort of purchasing - Key Lime Powder.  It is a great way to add lime flavor without having to worry about adding additional liquids.  You can use it in scones (KAF has a great recipe for Mojito scones), cookies, glazes for cakes/quick breads.  It's worth the price - and if you sign up for the KAF emails, you can receive special offers, some of which are for free/really cheap shipping!  (With all the KAF spotlighting I do, I really should be on ten percent... hehe)

Key Lime Bread
courtesy of The Baking Sheet, Spring 2013

6 Tbsp. Butter, salted (if using unsalted, add 1 tsp. salt), melted
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
3/4 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Lime Juice Powder
2 Eggs, large
Zest of 1 Lime
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 c. All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 c. Milk (I used skim, but whatever you have on hand will be fine)
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1/2 c. Walnuts, chopped fine

Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan using a cooking spray with flour (like Pillsbury).
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream the butter, oil, sugar, and lime juice powder together.
Mix in the eggs.
Add in your zest and vanilla extract.
Make sure everything is all mixed together happily.
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using).
To your butter-sugar mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk (beginning and ending with the flour).
Stir in the lime juice and walnuts.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester can be inserted and come out clean.
Let cool slightly and remove from pan to finish cooling on a rack.
Glaze if desired (recipe follows).

Glaze:
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice Powder
1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
Zest of 1 Lime

Combine together and brush over the warm bread.

Eat and enjoy!!