The Best BBQ Rib Sauce

Welcome! Or, should I say to myself... "Welcome Back!" The last few months have been really crazy, and while I've managed to get my Secret Recipe Club posts done, that's about all I've done. So, I really pushed to get this post to you today.

The BEST BBQ Rib Sauce.   Ever.  Promise.

Whenever my family would go visit my Grandparents in California, my dear Grandpa would make these ribs for us.  Now, I've never been a huge fan of bbq sauce, but this stuff? I could drink it!  Lather it on the meat while it's cooking, and make sure to have extra for dipping!

The Best BBQ Rib Sauce
Recipe by Ron Paul (My grandpa, not the politician!)

Makes enough sauce for 3 lbs of ribs

2 Tb brown sugar
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tb paprika
1 teas salt
1 teas dry mustard
1/4 teas chili powder
1/8-1/4 teas cayenne powder
2 Tb worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 can tomato sauce (8oz)

If you don't have tomato sauce use 1 cup tomato juice, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 cup ketchup

Mix ingredients together and simmer for 15 minutes.

Apply the sauce to the ribs right before cooking. Apply generously and cook for a few minutes. Add more sauce until ribs are well coated.  Use extra sauce when serving.

Serve with LOTS of napkins! Enjoy!

Shirley J's Sloppy Joes

 

Can I be honest here? I've never been a huge fan of Sloppy Joe's. So, when my oldest son came home from school lunch telling me how much he loved them, I resigned myself to making them once in awhile. Sauce from a can? Hmmm... not that great. 

Enter Shirley J's! 

Shirley J is a local food mix company. They offer mixes of everything from a dry BBQ sauce to bread mixes. They sent me some products to try, and this recipe is the first. (All opinions are my own.)

The BBQ "sauce" is actually dry powder that you then add liquid to. Sounds funny, but it's so nice! It's amazing the flexibility that a powder creates, allowing you to mix in lots of different liquids! This Sloppy Joe recipe was a hit- getting a thumbs up from my oldest! 

BBQ Sloppy Joes

Shirly J recipes

1/2 cup Shirley J BBQ Sauce Mix

1 lb ground beef

1 diced onion

8 oz tomato sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey 

Hamburger buns

In a large skillet, brown hamburger and onion.  Drain extra grease and discard.

While meat is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate sauce pan. Simmer 2-3 minutes, and add to browned hamburger.  Mix well, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve on buns with lots of napkins! 

Enjoy! 

Monterrey Chicken

If you have noticed, I tend to like Chili's Restaurant. I haven't meant to cook so many "copycat" recipes from there, it's just happened! So far, I've posted these copycat recipes:

Roasted Garlic with Asiago Cream Sauce
Southwest Style Eggrolls
and soon to come: a recipe for their Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie!

I was wanting chicken the other night, but something a little different. I was reminded of this dish, and knew it would be easy to recreate at home. Plus, at home, I can control the toppings! It's a great meal for a group, or just for one. I cooked it just for myself, putting just bbq sauce on the kids chicken.

Monterrey Chicken
The Double Dipped Life

Serves 4 as written

4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Bacon strips, cooked crisp and chopped
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 Green Onions, diced
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and then bake in the oven for about 20 minute at 350 degrees. Smother the chicken breasts with BBQ Sauce on both sides and return to oven for about 3-5 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Evenly top each chicken breast with the crisp bacon and cheese, broil for 30-60 seconds under the broiler to melt the cheese (optional). Top the chicken breasts with the chopped tomato and green onions. Enjoy!