Friday Night Lights Meets The Super Bowl: How Frito Pie Went Pro!

In Texas there are some things that just naturally go together. Queso and margaritas. Luckenbach and Wille. Basements and the Alamo. George Strait and all his exes.

But the most popular of all is football and Frito Pie. Seriously, try going to a concession stand anywhere in the state, and I will bet you the house (thank God I rent) that it is on the menu. Watch us make it with our friends, the Beer Chicks, below. We use Sandy’s tried and true Texas style chili recipe (and we put it in a bowl…oh how classy!) for a more sophisticated twist, but feel free to serve straight out of the bag like they do at small town football games–we won’t judge!

Chili Frito Pie Recipe:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Queen’s chili dump (recipe below)
8 ounces tomato sauce
14 ounces beef broth
6 dashes of Tabasco
3/4 cups beer (Beer Chicks used Session Black Lager)
1 large bag Fritos
3 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated

1.Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add beef in batches and brown on all sides, season with salt and pepper. Once all the beef is browned, add the spice dump to the beef and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Stir to make sure all the beef is fully coated in the spice dump. Pour in the tomato sauce, beef broth, Tabasco, and beer. Bring to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is fork tender. Stir once in a while to prevent chili from burning on the bottom.
2.When ready to serve, fill the bottom of a bowl with Fritos and top with a hearty helping of beef chili. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and enjoy!

Serves: 6

Queen’s Chili Dump Recipe:

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3/4 cups chili powder

1.Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

National Chocolate Cake Day! How to make a Chocolate Cola Cake

I would like to start by saying you’re welcome.

Chocolate Cola Cake has been around forever. We had it a lot when I was a kiddo, but at some point it disappeared from my mom’s dessert rotation. Well, friends, it’s time to get our chocolate back on! There are tons of recipes for this dessert out in the world, but this version comes from my mom’s cherished recipe box (enough said).

This cake is decadent, with a ganache-like chocolate frosting poured hot over dark rich chocolate cake to create a deliciously gooey top layer. And it is crazy easy to make.

Chocolate Cola Cake

1 cup cola

½ cup oil

1 stick butter

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups mini-marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a medium size saucepan bring to a boil the cola, oil, and butter.

In a medium size bowl, add the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour cola over the dry ingredients.

Mix well.

Add Buttermilk, soda, eggs, and vanilla.

Mix well.

Stir in marshmallows.

Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes or until cake is set and a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean.

Time to make the frosting! This icing is the bombdiggity. It soaks into the cake and makes this gooey sweet layer at the top that is something to write home about.

Chocolate Frosting

½ cup butter

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 tablespoons cola

1 pound of powdered sugar

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

 In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the butter, cocoa powder, and cola to a boil.

In a large bowl, add powdered sugar. When cola/cocoa mixture has come to a boil, pour over the powdered sugar and whisk to incorporate.

Pour icing over the warm cake immediately. (As it cools, the frosting will start to set up and won’t spread easily.)

This is what it will look like after a few minutes. It may not be super pretty, but the beauty is that all that amazing chocolate frosting is soaking into the cake and making this gooey yummy topping.

Do you see the top layer? Well do you?

Chocolate Cola Cake

 1 cup cola

½ cup oil

1 stick butter

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups mini-marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350

In a medium size saucepan bring to a boil the cola, oil, and butter.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour cola mixture over the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well.

Add Buttermilk, soda, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

Stir in marshmallows

Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes or until cake is set and a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean.

Chocolate Frosting

½ cup butter

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 tablespoons cola

1 pound of powdered sugar

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the butter, cocoa powder, and cola to a boil.

In a large bowl, add powdered sugar. When cola/cocoa mixture has come to a boil then pour over the powdered sugar and whisk to incorporate.

Pour icing over the warm cake immediately. (As it cools, the frosting will start to set up and won’t spread easily.)

HAPPY NATIONAL PIE DAY! How to make a chess pie

Happy National Pie Day!

Lord have mercy, I love my mom’s baking. I am always in awe of her ability to either have something delicious going into or coming out of the oven at the perfect time!

This chess pie is THE pie of my childhood. I have no idea where the recipe came from, but it is the recipe she’s always used and it is the recipe I love.

Chess pies are also known as pantry pies because most people would have had all the ingredients needed on hand (these days, not many people keep buttermilk, but that’s about all you will need to grab at the store). Chess pie is a super versatile pie and can really take on lots of great flavors, so get creative and experiment! Some popular variations include lemon chess pie, chocolate chess pie, and various fruit chess pies. (Let us know any favorites in the comments.) Though these variations are great, I am a chess pie purist, and prefer my mom’s classic recipe below.

I love this pie so much! Make it and then eat it with your face.

Before we can start on the filling, we gotta make some super great pie dough! Easy easy easy.

Pie Dough

1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, well beaten

1 tablespoon white vinegar

5 tablespoons ice-cold water

In a food processor, pulse together the shortening, flour, and salt until it’s the consistency of sand.

Add the egg and vinegar to the food processor and pulse. Add ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together in the bowl

Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and form the dough into a ball. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

You will only need half of the dough for this recipe, so wrap well and freeze the extra dough for up to 3 months (if wrapped well).

After an hour, take half of the chilled dough ball and roll out to a 12″ circle.

Line the inside of a pie dish with the dough and place in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Time for the pie filling!!!

Chess Pie

1 pie crust, uncooked (recipe above)

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cornmeal

3 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup buttermilk

In a large bowl…

mix…

All ingredients…

until…


well blended. 

Pour the creamy filling into the waiting pie crust.

Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes or until the top has crusted over and is a golden brown color.

It will be difficult to wait, but let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes to allow pie to set-up completely.

Pie Dough

1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, well beaten

1 tablespoon white vinegar

5 tablespoons ice-cold water

In a food processor, pulse together the shortening, flour, and salt until it’s the consistency or sand.

Add the egg and vinegar to the food processor and pulse. Add ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together in a ball.

Remove dough from food processor. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  You will only need half of the dough for this recipe, so wrap well and freeze the extra dough for up to 3 months (if wrapped well).

Chess Pie

1 pie crust, uncooked (recipe above)

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cornmeal

3 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together all ingredients until well blended. Pour mixture into an uncooked pie shell.

Cook for 50-55 minutes or until the top of the pie has formed a crust and has become golden brown.

Allow pie to cool for at least 20 minutes to allow pie to cool and set-up completely.

Saturday night is for the Popper-azzi!

Did you know that Saturday (1/19) is National Popcorn Day? What a great excuse to pick out a good movie and make a big bowl of hot, salty popcorn—the old school way. And really, nothing makes me happier than special holidays like these to fuel my obsession with dishes. (As I have mentioned before, I do have a slight problem with collecting dishes). My boyfriend, Tim, thought I was crazy to purchase this 5-piece popcorn set, but look who’s laughing now? Wait until I make him watch The Notebook.

Anyway, you have to admit the dishes are adorable. And they’re perfect for what I am about to make! I’ve got three, yes, count ‘em, three popcorn recipes to choose from. Enough options to please everyone in the family, so let’s get popping!

1) Rooster Ranch Popcorn. I call it Rooster Ranch, because we are using Sriracha. Not sure what Sriracha is? Well, you’d better make a grocery store run right now and make a purchase! Sriracha, also known as “Rooster Sauce” for the rooster on the bottle’s label, is a Thai chili sauce that’s fantastically sweet and spicy. I am in love. So much, in fact, that I may have to marry it. (Sorry Tim, you snooze, you lose buddy.)

2) Popcorn with Truffle Oil, Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper. Truffle oil. Wow. Enough said.

3) Caramel, Chocolate and Salty Peanut Popcorn. Salty, sweet goodness.

First, we pop the popcorn. I have to be honest, I typically don’t eat popcorn unless I am out at the movies or a carnival. The latter event being the more likely to happen, as I have always wanted to run away with the circus! So it will come as no surprise that I have never popped popcorn from kernels. Plus, it seems pretty old school right? The closest I have ever  gotten to that process was shaking up some Jiffy Pop. That was fun, but making it from scratch is even better! I don’t have a special formula—I literally just followed the directions on the back of the bag.

All you need is kernels, oil and pot (or popper). I just used my lovely 3-quart dutch oven, and I picked peanut oil because it does well over high heat.

Cover the bottom of the pan with 1/8-inch 0f peanut oil.  Drop 3 kernels of popcorn in and heat with medium heat until they pop!

Pop, pop, pop!

Add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. It should only be one kernel deep.

Begin shaking the pan until the kernels start to pop. My instructions earlier didn’t mention anything about covering the pan, but trust me, a lid is necessary. Otherwise the random popping of the kernels could put an eye out. “You’ll shoot your eye out, you’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” Okay, this is no laughing matter, although you would be set for ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’, my other favorite (but random) holiday.

Cover and continue to shake the pan until popping has completed.

Tah dah! How fun was that?

Now onto dressing up your popcorn! I have given you three options to choose from! Do one, or do all three. Just know that the  Rooster Ranch and Parmesan, Truffle Oil and Cracked Black Pepper are best served immediately while still warm!

Here is what you will need for Rooster Ranch:

Popcorn, Sriracha, dry buttermilk , dried parsley, dill weed, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and dried basil. (See recipe below) I am making my own dried ranch mix, but you can always use a package of Hidden Valley Ranch if you prefer. I don’t judge.

Take all dry ingredients and mix together in a bowl. For best results, place in blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Start with a tablespoon of mix and approximately 2 tablespoons of Sriracha, taste and add more to preference.

Mix together and garnish with extra dill and Sriracha! Cock-a-doodle-do!

If spicy is not your thing, then we can head over to savory and indulgent! Popcorn with Truffle Oil, Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper, anyone?

Popcorn, parmesan cheese, black pepper, black truffle oil, and salt!

Using a microplane, grate parmesan to taste. Add freshly ground pepper and salt.Truffle oil is extremely strong, so start off with just mixing in a teaspoon at a time until desired taste is achieved.

Mix and garnish with shaved parmesan!

Oooh, la, la. Your popcorn is so fancy!

Caramel, Chocolate and Salty Peanut Popcorn. Since I had some leftover caramel sauce from the Elvis post, I decided that I had to make a salty sweet concoction too!

Caramel sauce, popcorn, salted peanuts, salt, dark chocolate chips!

Heat and drizzle caramel sauce, add peanuts and melted dark chocolate. Top with salt.

Pour into large mixing bowl and mix well.

Dig In!

Which popcorn reigns supreme? You decide, or let us know your favorite way to dress up your popcorn! (Although there is nothing wrong with eating it plain!)

Caramel Sauce

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix:

1/2 cup dry buttermilk
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container. To make ranch salad dressing combine  a tablespoon of dry mix with a cup of mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt, and a cup of milk.

Are you hungry tonight? Try one of these Elvis inspired dishes: one is made for the King, while the other is better suited for we Queens!

Elvis Shrine at SicolaMartin Offices in Austin, TX.

Love is All Around, and so is Elvis!

Let’s face it, we all have a little Elvis in our lives. Whether it’s your leisure suit or just your grandmother’s table cloth….everybody owns a little gold lamé, right? And I mean seriously, who hasn’t used the line “Why thank you, uh thank you very much” at some point in their life? I know I have, possibly to the point of nauseum. I am sorry for that.

Then there are those who emulate his style, and there are those who know all of his music. Maybe you learned to dance by gyrating in front of the TV, or perhaps you have a natural snarl? Some folks like to collect, and some are still addicted to the hair tonic.

And then there are those like me. I apparently got Elvis’ love of southern food, and hefty appetite for all things fried. Today is the King’s birthday and he would have been 78. So while some will drink a Blue Hawaiian and play a ukulele in his honor – I have decided to eat like the King! Fried Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches anyone? I hope so, because I will need an army to stop me from eating an entire loaf of fried sandwiches and washing it all down with caramel sauce!

With that caveat, I invited over some friends and prepared two versions of this meal. One lighter version (The Skinny Elvis PB&B) to save my waistline, and one heftier version (The “Later Years” Elvis PB&B) to treat as a dessert and to share!

Let’s get started on the Skinny version, shall we? Start by gathering your ingredients.

Combine peanut butter with honey and peanut granola. I recently got hooked on KIND brand Whole Grain Peanut Clusters, and thought they would add a nice touch of texture to this dish. Throw in some cinnamon and mix well!

Cut your bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Or, you could also mashup the bananas and incorporate them into the peanut butter mixture as well. I personally just prefer the slice. Don’t ask. It is a texture thing!

Remove crusts from the bread.

Assemble sandwiches by spreading the peanut butter mixture along the bottom of 4 pieces of bread, then add four banana slices (towards the center) of the bread.

Top with the remaining bread slices, press down and secure edges by crimping with a fork.

To keep this version healthy, I prepared my grill with cooking spray. If you aren’t too concerned with calories, a little butter here would be a nice touch. I mean, when isn’t butter a nice touch?

Once browned and the center of your sandwich is hot, it is time to plate. Garnish with more Kind Peanut Clusters and drizzle with a little more honey. Aww, yea.

Now dig in and enjoy without the guilt!

Healthy is awesome, but every once in a while you can’t help but indulge. On to the King’s preferred way…fried! (Hey, at least I left off the bacon, but I did add caramel didn’t I? Ooops!) Speaking of which, make your caramel sauce first! If you have never made caramel from scratch, you will ask yourself why you waited so long. In five easy steps, you will have created a sinfully delicious sauce. Not only is it the perfect topper for this sandwich, but it is also great for ice cream, and for dipping fruit and chocolate in!

First, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add light brown sugar and granulated sugar, stir until dissolved. Add honey and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice (watch carefully to avoid scorching). Remove the pot from the heat and swirl in the cream until it is fully incorporated. Be very careful when adding the cream, because the mixture will bubble up. Viola! Now you have caramel. (You can think me later!)

Now it is sandwich time!

Mix together creamy peanut butter, honey and cinnamon until incorporated and smooth.

We use white bread for this version, and not just any white bread,  but Texas Toast. A little thick slice of heaven! Remove crusts and chop bananas into 1/4 inch slices.

Spread peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of the bread and add 4 banana slices towards the center. As you can see, I am getting very excited! Place tops to sandwiches, press down and secure edges by crimping with a fork.

Prep your wet/dry ingredients. Mix together milk and eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together flour and sugar. Dip each sandwich quickly into your well beaten milk and egg mixture and then into your mixed flour and sugar. Coat thoroughly.

Prepare to fry, Elvis fans! Since we were doing PB & Bananas I chose to fry in peanut oil. Nice, huh? Ideally it would be best to have a deep fryer, but I won’t allow myself  to have one for reasons already mentioned, so I used a deep large pan. (And yes, I made a mess!) Once golden brown, drain on a bed of paper towels.

Plate and sprinkle well with powdered sugar. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Dig in!

The Skinny Elvis PB &B

Serves 4

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons honey, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup KIND Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 ripe bananas
• 8 slices wheat bread
• cooking spray

In a small bowl mix together the peanut butter, honey, peanut clusters and cinnamon. Slice the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove crusts from bread. Spread the peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of bread and cover with 4 banana slices, placed towards the center. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread. Press down on bread, then use fork to secure edges. Prepare griddle with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches on the griddle (or large frying pan) until each side is golden brown and center is hot.

For plating, cut the sandwiches in half and sprinkle with additional peanut clusters and drizzle with more honey.

The “Later Years”  Elvis PB&B

Serves 4

For Sandwich:

• 8 slices white bread, we like Texas Toast (if you are gonna go, might as well go big!)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• Peanut oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  ½ cup granulated sugar

For Caramel Sauce:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

First make the caramel sauce. In a large pot set over medium-high heat melt the butter then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and honey. Bring to a boil, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice (watch carefully to avoid scorching). Remove the pot from the heat and swirl in the cream until it is fully incorporated. Be very careful when adding the cream because the mixture will bubble up. Set aside.

Preheat peanut oil in home deep fryer (ideal method) to 350 degrees. Otherwise a large, deep fry pan will work. Prep sandwiches. In a small bowl mix together the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. Slice the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove crusts from bread. Spread the peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of bread and cover with 4 banana slices, placed towards the center. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread. Press down on bread, then use fork to secure edges. Mix together milk and eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together flour and sugar. Dip each sandwich quickly into your well beaten milk and egg mixture and then into your mixed flour and sugar. Coat thoroughly.

Drop your sandwich into your home deep fryer or pan and fry until golden brown. Drain on a bed of paper towels and then sprinkle well with powdered sugar. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge and re-heated for use on ice cream, or for dipping fresh fruit! Yum.