Thursday, April 27, 2017

Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon & Roasted Mushrooms with an appearance by ST: Homemade BBQ Sauce

First, I'd like to clarify that there are 2 recipes here. No, there are no roasted mushrooms in the potato salad...although...I might dig that.

These two were my sides to go along with spontaneous brisket night from my earlier post. I was pretty excited about this potato salad because it makes a lot and I've been waiting for an occasion such as this so I could try it. I'm just going to come out and say that this did not disappoint. People ate this up like it was the ticket to everlasting youth. I got so many compliments on this and I don't know what it is that makes it so much different than any other potato salad out there. Collin swears it's the green onions, others swear the bacon makes all the difference, but whatever it is just know that it works.

I got one photo. One. 

Next up were the roasted mushrooms. This recipe calls for 1 lb white mushrooms and 1 lb cremini mushrooms. Now, I don't have any idea what a cremini mushroom is and I couldn't find them at the store, so I got 2 lbs of white mushrooms and called it a day. Spoiler alert: it made absolutely no difference. You want to know what does make a difference though? The fresh Thyme. Sometimes you can get away with the dried stuff, but trust me - you need fresh here. I wanted to eat the entire pan myself. My mouth is watering just thinking about it, actually. I'll give you this recipe, because it's easy and you need to try them:

Yummerz.

Recipe: 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbs. minced garlic, 2 tbs. chopped fresh Thyme, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 lb white mushrooms, 1 lb cremini mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 425. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Spread them onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast, shaking occasionally (I forgot to do this part) for about 30-45 minutes until juicy and slightly shriveled. Bam. Done. Feast.

A close up of all their glory.

So you know how I mentioned before that planning things is my verb? Yeah? Now do you remember when I mentioned how a random crisis can really put me in a good mood? Well, in strolled the crisis right as the brisket was being cut: I forgot to buy barbecue sauce. 

Yes I, the planner of all things to be planned, forgot to buy the most crucial part of a barbecue. But did I let this small hiccup ruin things? Did I fall prey to the ridicule that floated my way? Ha! I threw my head back and laughed, because I knew I had seen a homemade barbecue sauce recipe in the newest addition to my cookbooks. Ten minutes later, we had hot barbecue sauce simmering on the stove and the evening was saved! That was also right around the time I almost gave peanut butter to my friend's son, who is highly allergic, but luckily I remembered in time and all was well. Just a reminder that no one is perfect, not even me. *sigh* 

*in a deep voice with a slight accent* BBQ SAUCE

Here is the recipe in case you're ever in a bind: 

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I probably only had a little more than 1/4 cup left in the bottle)
1/4 cup tomato paste (I did not have this and used ketchup instead)
1/4 cup honey
3 tbs. molasses (thanks to my Grandma's crinkle cookies I always have a jar on hand <3)
2 tsp. liquid hickory smoke (I did not have this, or anything like it, so I omitted it)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder (I was out of this, but did have dried chopped onions and I tossed some in)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder

Combine everything in a saucepan, bring to a boil and let it simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. 

Now, I tweaked this to the taste of my company so feel free to do the same. All in all, it was a hit, people loved it, and my crisis itch has been scratched for another day. 





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