Author: Dave Tappan

  • Tappan Out Patty Melt

    Tappan Out Patty Melt

    I’m in the mood for a cheesy, ooey-gooey sandwich  

    Tappan Out Patty Melt  

    2 pounds ground beef

    2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

    Montreal steak seasoning, to taste

    12 slices good quality bread (I use rye)

    ½ cup Secret Sauce, recipe follows

    3 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

    6 slices American cheese

    1 stick, or so, of unsalted butter  

    Secret Sauce

    ¼ cup Dijon mustard

    ¼ cup mayonnaise

    1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

    ½ teaspoon hot sauce  

    In a small bowl, stir together mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire and steak seasoning. Shape ground beef into 6 oval patties. In a medium cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and golden brown, approximately 35 minutes. In a large cast-iron skillet, cook patties over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat. Remove patties from skillet; wipe out skillet. Layer 1 bread slice with 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce, 2 to 3 tablespoons caramelized onions, 1 slice cheese, 1 patty, and another 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce. Top with another bread slice. Repeat with remaining bread, Secret Sauce, caramelized onions, cheese, and patties. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Working in batches, cook sandwiches, flipping once, until golden brown and heated through, approximately 3 minutes per side. Add more butter to skillet as needed.

  • Lemon-Pepper Chicken Thighs

    Lemon-Pepper Chicken Thighs

    After the Tyrus show last night, I got home and watched a couple of re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond. A running gag on the show, was Deborah’s Lemon Chicken.  

    Lemon-Pepper Chicken Thighs 

    8 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in

    Juice from one or two lemons

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    2 tbsp butter

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    2 tsp Herbs de Provence

    1 cup chicken stock

    1 lemon, sliced 

    Season the chicken with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

    Heat a large skillet or pan over medium high heat then add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow the chicken to cook for 7-10 minutes until the skin is a deep golden brown and the fat has rendered.

    Flip the chicken thighs over and allow to cook for another 10 minutes on the other side. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

    Add butter, garlic and Herbs de Provence and allow to cook for 30 seconds before adding the lemon slices and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer then add the chicken thighs back in. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes. You can cover the chicken if you want more sauce or place it in a hot oven to finish cooking.

    Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and lemon slices.

  • Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

    Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

    Chicken wings for dummies. Couldn’t be easier. Mix all the crap together, get it in the crock pot and walk away. 

    SLOW COOKER STICKY CHICKEN WINGS 

    3 pounds chicken wings

    2 tablespoons cornstarch

    Sesame seeds for garnish

    Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

    Scallions, chopped for garnish 

    FOR THE SAUCE

    1/3 cup soy sauce

    1/3 cup prepared hoisin sauce

    1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

    1/4 cup honey

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

    1 ½ inch knob of fresh ginger, minced

    1 teaspoon ground pepper

    1 teaspoon onion powder

    1 teaspoon garlic powder 

    1. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, Sriracha, ginger, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

    2. Place wings into a slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high heat for 1-2 hours.

    3. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring to a light boil to reduce.

    4. Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil.

    5. Place wings onto the baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred. Baste the chicken with the reduced cooking liquid.

    6. Serve immediately with remaining sauce, garnished with sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro.

  • Cowboy Spaghetti

    Cowboy Spaghetti

     Our engineer here at Q97, Barry, shared this recipe with me, so I’m sharing it with you. Thanks Bear! 

    Cowboy Spaghetti 

    16 oz spaghetti or linguine

    24 oz. sirloin steak

    2 tbsp butter

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1/2 cup heavy cream

    1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, grated

    Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    Pinch of red pepper flakes 

    Bring the steak to room temperature.

    Cook the pasta:

    Boil the pasta in heavily salted water (like the ocean) according to package instructions. Drain, but don’t rinse and set aside.

    Sear steak:

    In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Season the steak with the steak seasoning, then sear for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove the steak from the skillet, let rest, then slice into thin strips.

    Sauté garlic:

    In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.

    Make sauce:

    Add heavy cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

    Toss noodles:

    Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat the in the creamy sauce.

    Serve:

    Plate the noodles and top with the sliced steak. Serve immediately while warm.

  • Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Garlic-Lime Mayo

    Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Garlic-Lime Mayo

    Last week, I made the mistake of not posting tacos on Taco Tuesday. Man, did I hear it from you! Thanks for the input!  

    FOR THE TACOS

    Juice of 3 limes

    Chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

    2 garlic cloves, minced

    1 tsp. cumin Olive oil Zest of

    1 lime

    Kosher salt, to taste

    1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

    8 tortillas, warmed, for serving

    Lime wedges, for squeezing

    Plastic squeeze bottle, for drizzling the garlic-lime mayo  

    In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, olive oil, lime zest and season with salt. Add shrimp and cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate 20 minutes in refrigerator. Preheat your grill to medium heat. Grill shrimp until pink and opaque, about 3 minutes per side. Build tacos: add the salsa, then a few shrimp and a drizzle of the garlic-lime mayo to each taco. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.   Pineapple Salsa 2 cups diced pineapple 1 cup diced tomatoes 1/4 cup diced red onion 1/4 cup cilantro leaves packed, chopped Juice from 1 lime 1 small jalapeno, finely minced Kosher salt, to taste   In a bowl, combine pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice and minced jalapenos. Add salt, to taste. Stir until all ingredients are combined.  

    FOR THE GARLIC-LIME MAYO

    1/3 c. Mayonnaise

    2 tbsp. hot sauce Zest of

    1 lime 1 tsp. garlic powder

    Kosher salt, to taste

    In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Whisk and season with salt.

  • Baked Italian Sausage Ziti

    Baked Italian Sausage Ziti

    190236107_10226553701008163_2555912930773285497_n I’ve had ziti on my mind lately. I think it’s because I watched some Last Man Standing re-runs last weekend. I love that show. Vanessa Baxter’s baked ziti was a running gag on the show. This isn’t her recipe, but it’s damn good!   Baked Italian Sausage Ziti   1 lb. dry Ziti pasta 2 lbs. sweet or spicy Italian sausage (casings removed) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes Kosher salt, to taste 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1/3 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for serving 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions to al dente, about 7 minutes. Under cook it a bit, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, but don’t rinse and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 and set the oven rack in the middle position. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, 1/3 cup of the Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the remaining Pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.
  • Chicken and White Bean Chili

    Chicken and White Bean Chili

    Here’s a chili I first had years ago at a Super Bowl party. It was the creation of our good friend Kelly Stutchman.   Chicken and White Bean Chili   2 -15-ounce cans white beans, drained 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon Old Bay 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 jalapeno, minced 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and diced into 1/2 inch pieces 4 cups chicken stock (more as needed)   Topping ideas: Grated Monterey Jack cheese Sliced radish Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped Lime wedges for squeezing Tortilla chips Scallions, sliced Sliced avacado or guacamole Chopped roma tomatoes   In a large thick-bottomed stock pot, sauté onions in olive oil on medium high heat, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay and cayenne and cook a minute more. Add the green chiles and dried oregano. Add the minced jalapeño. Add the chicken and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high, bring to a simmer, lower the heat to low, cover and maintain the simmer for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the drained beans and cook for 20 minutes more. Taste for seasonings and add more salt to taste. Serve with toppings.
  • Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Drumsticks

    Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Drumsticks

    ASIAN CHICKEN More slow cooker fun for the weekend! Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Drumsticks 3 pounds chicken drumsticksFor the Sauce:1/4 cup honey1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce1/4 cup balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons brown sugar6 cloves garlic, minced1 tablespoon Sriracha, or to taste1 teaspoon ground ginger For the Slurry:2 tablespoons cold water2 tablespoons cornstarch Garnishes:Toasted sesame seedsFresh cilantro Pat dry your drumsticksPlace drumsticks in a slow cooker; set aside.In a mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, sriracha and ground ginger.Pour soy sauce mixture over the chicken drumsticks and gently toss to coat.Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature hits 165-170 degrees.If you’d like to thicken the sauce, make a slurry about 15 minutes before the chicken is done: in a small bowl or cup, whisk together water and cornstarch.Remove cover from slow cooker and stir the slurry into the sauce; recover and cook on HIGH heat for 10 to 12 more minutes, or until sauce has thickened.Serve drumsticks with sauce and top with sesame seeds and cilantro.
  • Patty Melt

    Patty Melt

  • Fish Piccata

    Fish Piccata

    fish Fish Piccata   4 Fresh Filets of Tilapia, Snapper, or any meaty, white fish 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced 2 tsp of Olive Oil Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste Flour, for dusting the fillets Capers, to taste 1/2 Cup of White Wine Zest and Juice of One Whole Lemon Fresh Chopped Parsley 1 Tbsp of Butter   Place the fish fillets on a large plate and season each side with salt, pepper and a light dusting of flour. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and allow it to heat up. Add the seasoned fish and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add the wine, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add butter and parsley. Cook just until the butter melts. Serve immediately!