A Father's Day Dinner With a Kick!

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken with Smoky Potatoes and Sweet Sauteed Corn

Anyone else up at 12:30am? I’m nuts, my boys are going to up in less than 6 hours. I was catching up on some shows that I tivo’d last week. I finally got through Top Chef, so now I’m ready for the finale Wednesday night. Then, I couldn’t help but watch The Next Food Network Star that I missed last night, so entertaining, I love it. Oh, and then there was the Bachelorette, what a great season. No wonder I’m still up at this hour!

Ok, I’ve been meaning to put this dish together for over a week now and finally did it tonight. It was inspired by a dish I had at Tia Rosa’s in Mesa that I fell in love with. I re-created it at home and it was easy and delicious! It would be perfect for a Father’s Day Dinner, any Dad would be thrilled. I think I’ll make it again Sunday night. You might want to double the corn recipe, you’ll eat it by the bowlfuls. It is such a treat.

Alright, I’m going to try and catch a few zzzz’s with my sister’s snoring dog in the room! Hope you all enjoy!

Sweet Sauteed Corn

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
½ Cup finely diced white onion
4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons honey

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute red and green bell pepper with the onion for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in corn, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and honey until well combined and melted through. Serve warm.

Smoky Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs washed, peeled and cubed potatoes
½ stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 1/2 Cup milk (more if you like thinner mashed potatoes)
8 oz sour cream
1 ¼ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (Lawry’s)
4 Tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles, add more if you like it spicy)

1. Boil potatoes for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender. Transfer drained potatoes to a large stand mixer bowl with the butter. Start to mix on low speed until mashed. Add milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic salt and adobo sauce until well combined. Taste and season accordingly with additional salt/garlic salt if desired.

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken

18 chicken tenders
1 1/4 Cups Peach preserves
¼ Cup adobo sauce (canned chipotle sauce), add more if you like it spicy hot!
½ Cup BBQ sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1. Place chicken tenders into a large zip lock bag. Pour in peach preserves, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, salt and garlic. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken with Smoky Potatoes and Sweet Sauteed Corn

My Spoiled Little Campers.....

Ever had a Hobo or Tin Foil Dinner? I'm not a huge fan of camping, but these dinners are worth it!

My husband and boys are getting ready for their annual Father and Son’s Camping trip they go on with our church. The boys get so excited. I think it's great they get to spend some quality time with Dad! They will all be in their element. We've been busy scurrying around the house to get the bags packed, snacks bought and of course a Hobo Dinner for each of them. What would camping be without a hobo dinner?

My husband asked me very sweetly if I’d make them something for their campfire dinner, so I thought I’d make them something special. Typically a hobo dinner is made with hamburger, potatoes and veggis, but I chose a yummy grilled chicken to accompany the veggis. Take a peek at what’s inside these kicked up hobo dinners.

Firehouse BBQ Grilled Chicken

6 thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ Cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
¾ Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
4 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons Worstershire sauce

1. Place all ingredients in a large ziplock bag and marinate for at least an hour. Preheat stovetop grill pan (this is what I used) or outdoor grill over medium heat. Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes each side or until chicken is cooked through.

**This chicken recipe is one my father-in-law cooks all of the time for family gatherings. There's never been a name for it, so I've officially named it "Firehouse Chicken." I never usually measure out the ingredients, but kept track this time, so you all could enjoy. It is so simple and packed with intense flavor. If you are afraid of the Red Hot Sauce, just reduce the amount a bit, this recipe is worth trying! My 3 year old gobbled it down no problem, but my 5 year old said it was a little spicy, so use your judgement if you're feeding it to the kids. I'm all for the little kick it brings!**

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

5 lb bag of russet potatoes, washed, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
¼ Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide cubed potatoes onto a large baking sheet with edges. Drizzle potatoes evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese over potatoes. With hands, gently rub ingredients together so potatoes are well coated. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown. Take a nibble then season accordingly if it needs a little more salt.

**This potato recipe is one of my classic "family favorite" recipes. I use this recipe so often because it always gets devoured. It's a great side dish for anything really. I can't wait to create something with all the left overs I have. Enjoy!**

Garlic Roasted Vegetables

1 lb bag of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced and separated
1 lb bag celery washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 bell peppers of choice, I used a red and yellow, seeded and julienned or cut into strips
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place all vegetables onto a large baking sheet with edges. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt, salt and pepper or vegetables and gently rub ingredients together so vegetables are well coated. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.

**Another classic recipe of mine. Nothing fancy or difficult, just incredibly good. The onion and peppers leave the vegetables with a perfect sweetness. It's really fantastic. Enjoy!**

Time to pile everything up. Little mountain of goodness! I decided to pre-cook everything, so all the boys have to do is throw it on the coals to warm it, dinner in no time!

Have fun my little campers! My husband better brush their teeth. That's always my one request, Please brush their teeth! We'll see if it really happens!

Whether you are camping or not, all three of these recipes are classics that I make often. They are all keepers in my book! I've got some left overs that I'll be transforming into something new. Have a great weekend everyone! Oh boy, what's a girl to do with some extra free time?!!

Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving approaching fast, I thought it was time I shared my potato recipe. This is my own recipe for mashed potatoes and I love it! It's creamy and tasty. If you've never roasted garlic before, there's no better time than now to try it. It is so simple and it makes these potatoes incredible! Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 bulb garlic (about 12 cloves)
2 ½ lbs russet potatoes
½ Cup whole milk
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 Cup sour cream
½ stick butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside.

2. Peel and cube potatoes and boil for 15-18 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and transfer to a stand or electric mixer. Mix potatoes on low until combined. Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, pepper and mashed roasted garlic. Top with a pad of butter or your favorite gravy. Enjoy!

about 8 servings