Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins

Watch out McDonald's there's a chicken in the house!! So the other day I smoked the Smokin Hot Spatchy so that I would have some smokin hot pulled chicken for recipe number two. I have been looking for something a bit different to serve to holiday guests. Tired of the typical quiche, breakfast casserole, etc... So i was looking for a recipe that my mom used to make and stumbled upon a variation of what she did. These are super simple and if you have guests that don't like the HEAT you can make a batch or two that are savory . In fact the protein can be changed out. Any pre-cooked protein will do. My mom would make these with diced ham, crumbled bacon and breakfast sausage. She never did spicy ones, except to use spicy sausage. One of my favorites growing up was like a Denver omelet, bell peppers onion, diced ham. I think that a savory version loaded with sage, thyme, would be great too. For those adverse to eating the yolk, egg whites can be used solely. There are many variations you can come up with. Heck I'd even try pulled pork or brunt ends!

Here's the base recipe adjust accordingly and omitting the hot sauce is perfectly fine. This Recipe makes 1/2 dozen muffins (plan on 1 egg per muffin)

Pre-heat oven to 425°

6 eggs
1 pound pre-cooked buffalo chicken (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/154228/smokin-hot-spatchy ) or crumbled bacon, finely diced ham, crumbled breakfast sausage)
2 green onions or shallots diced
1 Jalapeno finely diced
i clove garlic finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Chipotle pepper as garnish on top
Several table spoons of hot sauce

Note you will need parchment paper cupcake liners (greasing the pan wont do. I did not have them so I made my own out of the parchment paper sheet liners I have. For a standard size muffin tin 6" squares work the best. Find a cup that fits in the tin and wrap the square around it smooth out the sides. Stick in tin.





Whisk eggs, onion, jalapeno, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, salt and pepper together in a bowl.



Spoon into lined muffin tin. Only fill tins half full. Carefully place chicken on top of egg mixture (it will sink some). Spoon rest of egg mixture on top. I like to add a few small pieces of meat again, a couple more dashes of hot sauce and a dusting of chipotle. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 425° oven, or smoker, or dutch oven (more on that later).


Half full                                                                                 totally full                                                                           Garnished and ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven!

Yumm!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

PNW Smoked Cheesus Chicken Breast Sandwee

Pacific NorthWest Smoked Cheesus Chicken Breast Sandwee

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This is my play on a Philly Cheese steak using Smoked Cheesus, and grilled smoked injected chicken breasts.



Step one inject a mixture of Franks, creole butter and beer into the breasts and let them marinate for a hour or so.





Cut up a bunch of jalapenos, mini sweet peppers, onion and garlic



Saute with smoked butter on the grill until the onion and peppers are tender



Grill up the injected breasts. I used my 12" AMNTS with apple and cherry for smoke. I place it on one side of the grill that I leave off.



Shaved Smoked Tillamook Pepper Jack!



Grilled garlic buns



Assemble and return to the grill just long enough to get the Cheesus to melt!







ENJOY!!!!

Artichoke Spinach bake

I loosely followed this Artichoke Spinach Bake recipe (see recipe at bottom) to create a full meal instead of just a side dish. Let me tell you it was fantastic! I don't measure much but I used approximately the ingredients from Kat's recipe. I added some feta, and Queso Fresco to the cheese mixture. Instead of frozen spinach I used fresh from our garden spinach that I chopped (I left some whole leaves to layer in. I added fresh chives and boxwood basil from our garden. I also added a zucchini from our garden. I sauteed the zucchini with the onion to make sure that it would be fully cooked. I meant to add olives, but I forgot (had a partial can open that I wanted to use up). I seeded four Roma tomatoes and diced them up and into the cheese mixture along with 4 chopped mini sweet peppers and 4 chopped jalapenos. I used mini lasagna noodles. I mixed the sauteed veggies with some of the noodles for the first layer into the casserole dish. Then I spread half the cheese mixture in, added more noodles on top of that. Put in the layer of spinach leaves. Added some more of the cheese mixture, then more noodles. At this point I realized that I had forgot the Artichokes! so I chopped those up and put them on the top, added more mozzarella and Parmesan. I typically don't use the oven so I fired up the grill and put the whole thing in the bbq. Took about 15 minutes at right around 425* This can be prepped in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to bake.

Cheese mixture ready for mixing in spinach, basil, and chives.

Sauteed zucchini, onion, garlic, and mini sweet peppers mixture.

Was in a hurry so didn't get many layering shots. This is the second layer of cheese mixture.  More noodles went on after this. Then the rest of toppings.

So tasty!!!

The final layer! Look at all that good cheese and the forgotten artichokes!

Onto the grill. Was a bit higher than 425* and I left it in for about 15 minutes.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to get the top browned I whipped out the one thing that I knew could get the job done.

Just not used for blow torch nachos!

This recipe is super versatile you could add just about anything to it. Smoked Prawns would be a nice addition. I could see chicken, pork, ground beef. My fiancee suggested mushrooms, but I have to draw the line somewhere!

ENJOY!!!!

Original Recipe:

• 14 oz of Orecchiette Pasta ( or short pasta)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup of Chopped Onion
• 3 Cloves of Garlic ( Minced)
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 4 oz of Cream Cheese ( Room Temperature)
• 3/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (I used a 1 1/2 cup pkg)
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice + Zest
• 10 Oz of Spinach ( Make sure to squeeze excess moisture, after it has been thawed of course)
• 13.5 Can of Artichoke Hearts rinsed and chopped
• 1 Cup of Mozzarella (I used a 2 cup pkg)
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Teaspoon of Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven To 425
2. Cook pasta according to the box. Keep 1/4 Cup of the Pasta Water before you drain the cooked pasta.
3. Heat oil in pan and cook onions for 8 – 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
4. In a large bowl – Mix Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Parmesan, Lemon (juice and zest), onions, and garlic. Add Pasta and mix.
5. Stir in spinach, artichokes, 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta, salt, pepper, and 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella
6. Place mixture into greased 2.5 – 3 qt casserole dish and place the rest of mozzarella cheese on top
7. Place in the oven till golden brown on top – about 10 – 15 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Grilled Poppers!!!

The star appetizer ready for the grill. Some stuffed with pulled pork some not. Vegetarian guests Some Jalapenos, some sweet baby peppers. Stuffing is whipped cream cheese, queso fresco, smoked cheddar, smoked pepper jack, garden fresh chives, fresh garlic, chipotle powder, and dusted with paprika. The fillings for these can be just about anything you like. Albacore tuna is a great topping. Wrap them with thin sliced bacon and you have an ABT (Atomic Buffalo Turd)