American

They’re so simple, it’s terrifying. Well, not terrifying…but almost. They’re a lovely twist on the tired old baked potato, and they perfectly embody a quality I always strive to achieve in my cooking: Flavorful, Crispy Surface Area.

It’s simple. It’s comforting. It’s crunchy and sweet and real. And I order you to try it at least once this summer. It will instantly become a staple, I promise.

Take that  sweet onion, stuff it with some goodies, wrap it in bacon and bake it, and it makes a terrific side dish for backyard barbecued chicken, grilled steaks or even burgers. These onions have been everywhere in some form the past few years and I love them as an addition to the cookout menu.

These rolls are super easy and super tasty!

A grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with sweet, salty, smoky and spicy bacon jam, cool and creamy avocado, a fried egg with runny yolk and plenty of ooey gooey melted cheese.

I decided to mix the dip into a big bag of frozen hash browns.  The result? A fantastic potato casserole!  We absolutely love this!  Chicken Legs requests this all the time.  I divided the potatoes up into 3 disposable foil pans and froze them so we always have potatoes when we need them.  We just finished off the last pan, so I guess I need to add this to my grocery list this week.

This bread is SO addictive. We could not stop pulling off pieces of this delicious cinnamon sugar bread and popping it in our mouths. The Vanilla Honey Butter that I used in the bread is amazing. You must make it. It absolutely makes the dish! It was so good that I could have eaten it with a spoon. I didn't, but I could have. Give this bread a try for breakfast, brunch or even dessert. It is quick and makes a great presentation.

This is a great tailgate dip because it is great hot and still really good cold (after the game).  I ate way too much of this.  I feel like the bread bowl is optional.  It looks good, but it isn't necessary to the success of the dip.  I think this would be just as good baked in a baking dish.

I always oven bake these raviolis and they turn out great!  They are quick and easy to make.  I used frozen ravioli, but refrigerated ravioli would be great too.  Serve these with your favorite marinara sauce or pesto for a simple and delicious appetizer!

I decided to make some baked brie bites for our tailgate last weekend.  Everyone had the same reaction.  They all said the competitor brie was good, but the Ile de France brie was really, really good!  There was a big difference in how each brand tasted.  The Ile de France cheese had a much richer and fuller flavor than the other brands of brie.  Chicken Legs especially loved this.  This was his first time eating brie cheese, and he loved it!  We will be making these brie bites a lot!