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Slow Roasted Tomatoes
A perfect way to complement many entrees and a low effort way to use up all of the extra garden tomatoes. Perfect with some crusty bread or add some cheese and chop for a little bruschetta.
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Golden Graham S’mores
My son came home from camp raving about these and while I don't love Golden Grahams, I do love smores and these are a very party friendly portable way to serve smores.
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Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki Sauce is a versitale sauce which is perfect for many dishes like gyros, shawarma or as a topping for any type of potato.
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Peanut Butter Granola Bars
These rich and chewy snacks make for a great starting point that you can adjust depending on what fruit and nuts you have available in the pantry.
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Fresh Guacamole
Simple, smooth, creamy and delicious. Guac can take sandwiches to the next level, give a nice cool layer in burritos or just eat with chips. The mortar and pestel fancies it up a bit so don't forget that.
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Grilled Suya
A co-worker from Africa sent me some videos/pictures from a trip back home where the street vendors were grilling up various varieties of Suya. From what he has told me this is great with many different types of proteins, I will try out some chicken next time.
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Monkey Bread
A sweet crispy outside and a smooth yeast center makes this an incredible breakfast snack. The small puffy bites are easy to pull-a-part for a quick appetizer or side for parties.
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Double Chocolate Cookies
A rich brownie like cookie with a gooey puddle of chocolate on top. What more can a chocolate lover ask for?
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Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake
A casserole packed with amazing flavors that combines some of my multiple favorite dishes into a single casserole.
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Garlic Bread
The hero of many italian dishes is garlic bread and this recipe rules the land.
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Ultimate Sandwich
This sandwich is a combination of a BLT, a grilled cheese and a fried egg sandwich. It is also the sandwich featured on the movie Spanglish as the "Late Night BLT with Fried Egg and Cheese".
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Hot Brown Turkey Sandwich
When you can't quite decide what you want, this may be a good option. A hearty open-faced sandwich has all the key ingredients: bacon, gravy and a little turkey on simple slice of bread.
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Cheesy Croissant Casserole
This breakfast casserole is a showstopper. A variety of textures and flavors are followed up by a rich buttery melt in your mouth goodness.
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Chicken Enchiladas
This dish comes together quickly and has intense creamy flavors that make it an awesome item for a quick get together or a small family meal.
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Baked Potato
The classic baked potato with a soft interior and slightly crispy outside.
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Cream Cheese Egg Salad
This is a perfect spread to have handy as an appetizer or with breakfast.
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Spicy Adobo Sauce
I made this sauce based on a few other adobo sauces for Mexican dishes, but I love this stuff so much I use it on sandwiches, eggs and just about anything else. Add a little sour cream for a nice adobo creama sauce.
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Thanksgiving Stuffing (Dressing)
I was asked to bring stuffing for our Thanksgiving pitch-in, which to me means make something simple complicated (homemade). This was a huge hit and miles above the boxed equivalent.
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Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
I first had these cookies when they were brought to a pitch-in at my house and numerous people requested the recipe. They are very unique cookies and even people that don't care of coconut couldn't pass them up.
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Braised Beef Short Ribs
We often have short ribs since it is a quick way to throw together a meal for Sunday dinner. With minimal effort you end up with a very tender dish that is a cross between steak and roast.
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Smoked Pork Ribs
Your patience will be rewarded with many tender and delicious rib bones to feast on after making these awesome ribs.
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Espresso over Vanilla Ice Cream (Affogato)
A fancy dessert to cap off an amazing dinner or as a quick pick-me-up before a long board game night.
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Tuna Salad
A simple staple to whip up when you need something quick or to pack for a picnic. Perfect for crackers, wraps, sandwiches or plain.
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3 Layer Chocolate Custard Cake
While not a favorite dessert at our house, the fact that one batter creates a 3 layer cake earns its a spot on the site. When serving to guests, it looks like it took considerably more time than it actually does.
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Merrick Family Chili
There have been minor tweaks to this chili over the years, however this is the chili that has consistently placed me in the top 3 at many chili contests, including a few wins.
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Pasta with Garlic and Oil
A surprisingly simple and quick dish that produces a flavorful take on spaghetti. It has a little bit of heat and quite a bit of garlic, both friends of mine.
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Buttermilk Biscuits
The biscuit is the perfect pair for breakfasts, snacks and dinners. Top if with gravy, butter, jelly or even use it with chicken and dumplings.
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Bouchon Brownies
My wife the expert of all brownies has declared these the greatest brownies in the world. Rich and chocolatey, like a mini chocolate lava cake right in your hand.
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Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
This recipe has generated a huge amount of discussion on the internet, claiming to be a better "chocolate chip cookie". I would have to say that I agree if it wasn't for the soft gooey centers of traditional style cookies.
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Madeleines
These little french cakes are the perfect snack size and have a similar texture to the top of a traditional muffin.
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Fried Potatoes and Onions
One of the few dishes I remember my grandpa making, however I wasn't brave enough to try them back then.
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Zucchini Tian (Tian de Courgettes au Riz)
My favorite way so far to eat zucchini, shredded zucchini casserole with cheese and rice. The only thing missing is an episode of Julia Child making it in the background.
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Chicken Pot Pie
The base of this recipe is good enough to eat on its own as a soup. If you add a crust you have pot pie, toss in some biscuits and now you have chicken and dumplings. Don't be afraid to simplify and use a rotisserie chicken and pre-made pie crusts from the grocery store.
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Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin Dauphinoise)
Scalloped potatoes remind me more of holiday meals, probably because it is a little more involved than what most would take on for a week day meal. Add it to your list for a fancy Sunday dinner for the family.
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Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Chicken parm is one of our favorite hot sandwiches as well as one of my favorites to order at Italian restaurants. This recipe is much easier than pounding out chicken breasts and produces an excellent crisp meatball.
