Well, I'm back with Part II of or Hot Summer Father's Day dinner. In this post we have our side dishes like Beer Spuds or Cowboy Mashed Potatoes, Baked Bean Casserole, Grilled BBQ Corn on the Cob and Pasta Salad. So try one or two of these recipes along with some basic mac and cheese and Dad will love it.
Beer Spuds
Ingredients
1 cup butter, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon pepper
1/4 cup salt-free spicy seasoning blend
5 pounds potatoes, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 (12 fluid ounce) cans beer
16 ounces shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
Directions
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch foil roasting pan with half of the butter, garlic, lemon pepper, and salt-free spicy seasoning blend. Place half of the potatoes, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper and onion in the roasting pan and cover with the remaining butter, garlic, lemon pepper, and seasoning blend. Mix in the remaining potatoes, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper and onion. Pour in the beer until it reaches just below the top layer of vegetables.
Cover pan with foil, place pan on the grill grate, and cook 1 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove pan from the grill, cover with the shredded cheese, and let stand until the cheese has melted.
********************************************************************
Cowboy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
1 pound red potatoes
1 pound Yukon Gold (yellow) potatoes
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
12 ounces baby carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen white corn, thawed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place red potatoes, yellow potatoes, jalapeno pepper, carrots and garlic cloves in a large pot. Cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain water from pot.
Stir in corn and butter. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until butter is melted and potatoes have reached desired consistency. Mix in cheese, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.
********************************************************************
Baked Bean Casserole
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 pound bacon
1 (28 ounce) can baked beans (such as Bush's Original®)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 cup brown sugar, divided
Directions
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Combine the baked beans, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, and onions in a 2-quart casserole dish. Stir in 2/3 of the cooked bacon and 1/4 of the brown sugar until evenly mixed. Cover the bean mixture with the remaining bacon, and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
********************************************************************
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch onion powder
cayenne pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
Directions
Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, mix together the chili powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend in the softened butter. Apply this mixture to each ear of corn, and place each ear onto a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap the corn. Wrap like a burrito, and twist the ends to close.
Place wrapped corn on the preheated grill, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork. Turn corn occasionally during cooking.
********************************************************************
Pasta Salad
Ingredients
16 ounces penne pasta
1 cup creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip ™
1/2 cup Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, mix together the salad dressing, mustard, cheese and dill.
Add pasta, red onion and bell peppers. Toss well; season with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.
********************************************************************
Now that dinner is out of the way, its time for dessert. How about some good ol' New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce, Spiced Pound Cake with Orange Rum Sauce, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge or maybe some old time Banana Pudding?
New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
(adapted from Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network)
Ingredients
12 to 14 cups 1-inch cubes day-old white bread, such as French or Italian
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
1 recipe Whiskey Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the bread in a large bowl. Grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter and set aside.
Combine the heavy cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and raisins in a large bowl. Whisk to mix. Pour the cream mixture over the bread, and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
Transfer the bread mixture to the casserole dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 50 to 60 minutes.
Garnish the bread pudding with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with warm Whiskey Sauce.
Whiskey Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup bourbon or other whiskey
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a 1-quart saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Place the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the bourbon in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend and make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and stir in the butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of bourbon. Serve warm.
********************************************************************
Spiced Pound Cake with Orange Rum Sauce
(adapted from the Food Network)
Ingredients
Spiced Pound Cake:
Shortening, for greasing pan
Flour, for pan
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Orange Rum Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 medium orange, juiced and strained, combined with water to yield 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup rum
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 cup clear corn syrup
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Make the Spiced Pound Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Prepare a bundt pan with an even coating of shortening and flour. Place chopped pecans evenly in the bottom of the bundt pan.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add flour mixture to egg mixture alternating the buttermilk, and beginning and ending with the flour. Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto wire rack to cool partially, and then place on a cake plate.
Make the Orange Rum Glaze: Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small saucepan. Add juice and water mixture, zest, and rum. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir. Pour approximately half of the glaze over the warm cake. Reserve remaining glaze for serving with the cake.
Make the Chocolate Sauce: Place corn syrup and chocolate in a microwave-safe container. Microwave for 1 minute on high and then stir to melt chocolate. Add butter and vanilla and whisk until chocolate is thoroughly combined. Drizzle over cooled cake and serve.
********************************************************************
Banana Pudding
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 3-1/2 cups)
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
RESERVE 12 of the wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard onto bottom of 1-1/2-quart baking dish; cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers and sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.
BEAT egg whites on high speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over custard; spread evenly to cover entire surface of custard and sealing well to edge.
BAKE 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving.
********************************************************************
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
(courtesy of Bakerella)
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz package semi sweet chocolate pieces
7 oz. jar Marshmallow Creme
1/2 cup peanut butter
Directions
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 6 tablespoons margarine and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a medium pot.
Bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until melted.
Add 1 cup (1/2 jar) marshmallow creme and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until well blended.
Pour into greased 13 X 9 pan.
Repeat with remaining ingredients substituting peanut butter and spread over chocolate.
Then, cool at room temperature and cut into squares.
********************************************************************
With these hot temps and the grill fired up, we need to have some nice refreshing drinks like Bourbon Slush or Sunny Orange Lemonade. Either one of these is guaranteed to cool you down on that Hot Summer afternoon.
Bourbon Slush
Ingredients
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups strong brewed black tea
2 cups bourbon whiskey
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
Directions
In a large bowl or container, mix together the orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, sugar, tea, and whiskey. Transfer to shallow bowls or dishes, and freeze overnight.
Remove the frozen mixture from the freezer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Chop with a wire whisk or potato masher to make a slushy consistency. Place scoops of the frozen slush into glasses, and top off with the lemon-lime flavored soda.
********************************************************************
Sunny Orange Lemonade
Ingredients
4 1/4 cups water, divided
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
ice cubes
Lemon slices
Directions
In a saucepan, bring 1-1/4 cups water and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes; cool.
Transfer to a pitcher; add lemon and orange juices and peels. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Stir in the remaining water. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon if desired.
********************************************************************
Well, there you have it, Part II of my Hot Summer Father's Day Dinner. I hope you will try a few of these recipes for your Father's Day dinner or for any other time you want to try something new. Enjoy!