Mr. Food Test Kitchen Antipasto Stuffed Shells Monday 05-23-16

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN ANTIPASTO STUFFED SHELLS MONDAY 05-23-16

1:30

Make sure your camera’s ready as soon as these hit the table or you’ll miss your chance to get a shot of them. They disappear that quickly.

Every year right before the holidays we try to create a few new dishes, (or at least a new twist on classic ones) that’ll add some fun to what we’re serving. And with Memorial Day right around the corner I want to share with you something that’ll make this year’s family get-together even more exciting than Aunt Mary’s gelatin mold that has all sorts of stuff floating in it. We start by cooking up some jumbo pasta shells. Once they’re tender, we drain them, and while they cool, we mix together some deli ham and salami that we cut into chunks, some chopped tomatoes and cukes, a can of sliced black olives, chopped red onion, some mozzarella cheese--we cubed that up too--and a bit of Italian dressing. After we toss this together, we spoon it into our shells, and pop them in the fridge to chill. This will give all the flavors time to come together. When these make their way to the table topped with some parmesan cheese, you better grab one quick before they all disappear. So here’s what I suggest, go online and get the recipe for our, “Antipasto Stuffed Shells,” so you can make these this weekend. And don’t be surprised if you see someone taking a picture of them to post on Pinterest since they’re that cute. I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “picture-perfect way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN COWBOY RIBS TUESDAY05-24-16

1:31

Want to add intense flavor to your ribs? Then skip the sauce. We’ll show you our secret to big taste.

If you love big flavor without having to do lots of work to get it, then you’ve have to see the ribs we're making today. Instead of slathering them with BBQ sauce and roasting them (like we normally do), we're using a dry rub. And all that is is a combo of a few basic spices mixed together and rubbed onto our meat before we roast it. Want it a bit spicy? Add chili powder, black, cayenne or crushed red pepper. For a touch of smokiness, use some regular or smoked paprika. And don't forget the herbs. You can always mix in some oregano, basil or thyme. By adding a little brown sugar, you'll get a nice caramelized crust. And for these ribs, we combine some kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, oregano, some chili powder, garlic and brown sugar and give it a good mix before rubbing it on some beef ribs. It's like we're giving them a massage. Once they're completely coated, place them on a baking rack. This helps them roast evenly and keeps them from getting too greasy. Then into the oven they go until they practically fall off the bone. The tenderness from the roasting and the flavor from the dry rub makes these crusty ribs stand apart from your standard saucy ribs. The recipe for “Cowboy Ribs” is online now, along with our “Texas Barbecue Sauce” to serve on the side for dipping. Let me tell you, there is nothing like these ribs. I'm Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where every day we're looking for more flavorful ways for you to say … “OOH IT'S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS WEDNESDAY05-25-16

1:30

What do you put in your baked beans…it all depends on what part of the country you’re from. Join us and we’ll show you a few options.

The other day a few of us in the Test Kitchen were chatting about what makes really great baked beans. And as you can imagine, everyone seems to have their own opinion, which kind of varied based on where they grew up. For me, since my parents grew up in Boston, as a kid I only knew about Boston baked beans. What makes these so unique is that they use navy beans simmered in a sauce accented with salt pork and molasses. Kelly on the other hand grew up with baked beans that started with a tomato or sometimes barbeque sauce that was sweetened with brown sugar and had bacon in it. Well after lots of discussion, we decided that today we’re going to makethem Southern style. All we have to do is combine some canned kidney and cannellini beans (that we’ve rinsed and drained), along with some chili sauce, ketchup, chopped onion, brown sugar and a bit of mustard.

After this is mixed well we spoon it into a baking dish and let it simmer in the oven until it gets all thick and bubbly. What sets it apart from other baked beans is the combo of brown sugar with the chili sauce. So right after the news, why don’t you go online and get the recipe for our, “Southern Baked Beans,” so you can taste test these against the ones you grew up with. I’m Howard, with Kelly in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “bubbling hot way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN PEANUT BUTTER S’MORE BARS THURSDAY05-26-16

1:34

Today’s recipe screams summertime fun. So stick around because you’ll want to take a batch of these wherever you go.

If there’s one dessert that shouts summer, it’s have to be s’mores. But when we want them … we need hot coals to toast marshmallows. And when that’s not possible rather than simply passing them by, we created a bar cookie version that’s anytime easy. We begin by beating some butter and sugar until it’s nice and creamy. Once it is, we add in some peanut butter, an egg and a splash of vanilla. After that comes together, we slowly mix in some self-rising flour and beat it until it creates a soft dough. Now we spread this into a baking dish and top it off with a jar of marshmallow crème. It’s a good idea to spray our spreader with non-stick cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to it. A few chocolate chips and roasted peanuts go on top before baking it off. And if you’re thinking, “Wait!Peanut butter doesn’t belong in s’mores,” well after one bite, all of that will change. You see, the combo of chocolate and the marshmallow crème along with all the peanut buttery richness, you won’t even miss toasting marshmallows. So here’s what I suggest. Go online and get the recipe for our, “Peanut Butter S'more Bars,” as a way to welcome in summer this weekend with a dessert that’s as portable as can be. I’m Howard from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “toasty and gooey way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN HONKY TONK BURGERS FRIDAY05-27-16

1:32

If you think all burgers are created equal, you better stick around because the burgers we’re making today are over the top.

You know, it’s seems like forever since we’ve had a long weekend. And with this weekend being the unofficial start to summer, I can’t wait to cook up some burgers and relax. At least that’s the plan until something else is added to my never ending honey-do list. But even with that, I guarantee I’ll make time for these over-the-top burgers. To make them all we do is mix together some ground beef, barbeque sauce and a touch of salt and pepper. Now we form this into patties. And here is a little tip, make an indentation in the center of each patty before cooking them so they don’t puff up and end up looking like meatballs. Depending on the weather, we can cook them inside in a grill pan or skillet, or out on the grill. A couple of minutes on each side is all it takes before we top themwith a slice of white cheddar. Now we build them with all of our favorites. Lettuce, tomato, bacon…yeah! Bacon! And to go a step further, make sure you don’t forget to slather these with our homemade garlic mayo and pile on some crispy onion rings. I hope you’ll go online and get the recipe for our, “Honky Tonk Burgers,” so you’ll have it on hand this weekend. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, wishing you a happy Memorial Day. And even with everything else going on, don’t forget to take a moment to remember those who gave of themselves so we can live in freedom. After all, that’s the true meaning of … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN PATRIOTIC BLUEBERRY PIE PARFAITS MONDAY05-30-16

1:26

We’re celebrating this Memorial Day with a decorative dessert that comes together in no time. So stick around.

Happy Memorial Day! Did you know that back in the mid- 1800’s Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day? It was named that because after the Civil War, people gathered on this day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. So to honor all the men and women who gave their lives so we can live in freedom, we created a decorative dessert in their memory. After cutting a blueberry pie into slices, we cut each slice into chunks. As for the pie, that can be a frozen one that we cook and cool, or a pre-baked one. Now to build our parfaits, we place a piece of pie in the bottom of each parfait glass, and top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. On top of that goes another layer of pie, more ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping. And to make these patriotic, we drizzle on some strawberry ice cream topping and finish it with a strawberry and an American flag. What a nice ‘n’ refreshing change-of-pace dessert to add to your Memorial Day, or any day’s dessert line-up. So don’t skip a beat, go online and get the recipe for what we call, “Patriotic Blueberry Pie Parfaits.” This way you’ll have a decadent and decorative dessert on hand to kick off summer. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we honor those who served in our military and gave of themselves so we can live a life filled lots of … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN TEX-MEX HAND PIES TUESDAY05-31-16

1:25

We’ve got a clever way to use up some of those holiday leftovers. And the best part, the way we’re making them, no one will even recognize them.

I hope you had a relaxing long weekend. If you grilled, there’s a pretty good chance that tonight and for the next few days you’re going to be eating leftovers. And if those leftovers include chicken, we have a way to turn it into some truly amazing hand pies. We start by cutting a refrigerated pizza dough into squares and spreading half of each one with some cream cheese that we seasoned with a bit of cumin and chili powder. On top of that goes some shredded cooked chicken. Like I said, that can be from leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken or from a couple of cooked chicken breasts. We top that with salsa that we mixed with corn, before finishing it off with some shredded Mexican cheese. Now we fold these in half to make what looks like turnovers and seal the edges by pinching the dough together with a fork before baking these off. There you have it. Let me tell you we haven’t found anyone who doesn’t love these. Between the filling which is yummy delicious and the golden pizza crust, what’s not to love? And like we do with all our recipes, we’ve posted the recipe for our, “Tex-Mex Hand Pies,” online so you can make them for dinner as soon as tonight. I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “super easy way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN CANNOLI FLAPJACKS WEDNESDAY06-01-16

1:21

It’s June and you know what that means, it’s National Dairy Month. So grab your shopping cart and join us as we explore all the creative possibilities in the dairy aisle.

It’s June and you know what that means, it’s National Dairy Month. That’s right, an entire month to celebrate all the fun, versatile and nutritional items in the dairy aisle. If you stop and take a minute or two to check it out, think about how much it has changed over the years. From fancy cheeses and butters to Greek yogurt. And sure, we can still find fat-free, reduced fat and whole milk…But who would ever think that milk could be made from cashews, almonds, coconuts or even soybeans? You know what, they’re pretty darn tasty and they’re good for us. For those of us who are looking for organic, lactose-free or even grass-fed options, we can find those too. Have you seen all the varieties of coffee creamers? Flavored, fat-free, even ones inspired from our favorite liqueurs. So to celebrate dairy month we came up with a recipe to explore all these tasty options. Do these pancakes look good or what? And to give them their big flavor, we added almond milk to the batter and finished them with a homemade cannoli topping that was also inspired from the dairy case. To get the recipe for our, “Cannoli Flapjacks” all you have to do is go online now. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a fun “change-of-pace kind of way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN AMISH CHICKEN CASSEROLE THURSDAY06-02-16

1:34

We’ve discovered how to get the taste of a true Amish meal with a few modern day conveniences. And “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!”

Just mention good old-fashioned Amish cooking to someone and watch their eyes light up. There’s something about that that makes us feel all good inside. And although we have shared many Amish-inspired favorites over the years, this casserole is one of our most requested. We start out by adding some flour to a bit of melted butter and stirring it until it’s smooth. Once it is, we stir in some chicken broth and milk and heat it until it thickens up. As it’s simmering, we season it with a bit of salt and pepper. While that does its thing, we combine some cooked egg noodles, a good amount of a rotisserie chicken that we cut up, sliced mushrooms and some chopped onion and parsley. Once the sauce is done, pour it over everything, and give it a good mix before spooning it into the casserole dish. And before we bake it, we sprinkle it with a little parmesan. Come dinner time, when you put this out with a farm fresh salad get ready for everyone to come running. Nevermind it smelling and looking good, the taste is incredible. I hope you’ll go online to get the recipe for our, “Amish Chicken Casserole”. It’s one of those recipes that has stood the test of time. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found an “Amish way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!”

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN DONUT BREAD PUDDING FRIDAY06-03-16

1:24

We couldn’t let National Donut Day slip away without sharing one of our favorite recipes with you. It’s so good, you won’t want to miss it.

Last year Americans ate more than 380 million donuts? Sounds crazy, huh?! And with today being National Donut Day, I thought I’d share one of my favorite go-to recipes that highlights donuts in a whole new way. We start off by cutting a dozen glazed donuts into chunks. And if we want to save a buck or two, we can even pick up day old ones, which are always cheaper and work just as well here.

After tossing in some raisins, we pour on a mixture that we made by combining some sweetened condensed milk, a couple of eggs, a bit of vanilla, a little cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Once that sits for about 5 minutes, we pour it into a baking dish, cover it with foil and pop it in the oven. After about 40 minutes, we’ll uncover it and let it finish baking until the center is set. When this comes out of the oven all bubbling hot, we drizzle it with a two-ingredient glaze and get ready for some good eating. So here is what I suggest, go online and get the recipe for what we call, “Donut Bread Pudding,” as a way to celebrate National Donut Day, Today, or really any day. And if you want to know how many calories it has…don’t ask. I’m Howard, with Kelly in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “donut-lovers way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”