Thanks to MUG’s Root Beer for providing Brew N BBQ kits for the following dads.  Should make their Fourth of July holiday a special one.

Nate & Jesse (Dad)

Buster Dog and Lil Buster Dog

Tom (Nice starter beard) and Nicole

Jimmy & the kids

Mike & daughter’s graduation

I’m the proud father of two adopted boys: Michael (5) and Christian (4).  Kids can drive you to laughter or tears in a moment.  Both of my boys love hanging with dad, especially around the smoker or in the kitchen.  At our house, Father’s Day is not about dad, it is about the family.  It is OUR weekend to camp, swim, see movies, whatever.

Here’s a recipe that we plan to make together and hope that you dads will also spend some time in the kitchen.  This is one that the kids will love, too.  It involves ROOT BEER, a kid favorite for generations.  This recipe is from the folks at MUG Root Beer.

1 Cup MUG Root Beer
1 Cup ketchup
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1/4 Orange Juice
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 T dark brown sugar
1 T molasses
1/2 t lemon peel
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.  Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.  Cool slightly.  Transfer to bowl.  Cover and refrigerate.  Can be made 2 weeks ahead; keep refrigerated.

WARNING!!!!  FREE STUFF AHEAD!!!!!

MUG Root Beer has offered a MUG Root Beer Brew-B-Q pack for my readers.  It includes everything shown in the picture above.  Not only do you get everything to make the BBQ sauce recipe above, but you also get an apron, lunch bag and enough MUG Root Beer for BBQ sauce and root beer floats.  The first 5 dads who send me a picture of themselves with their kids/grandkids will get a MUG Root Beer Brew-B-Q pack.  Send the photo along with your name and address to MUG@plowboysbbq.com.  Photos of all winners will be posted here on Father’s Day.

What to do with leftover, stale muffins?  Bread pudding of course, topped with a vanilla rum sauce.  First break the muffins into large pieces along with additional slices of bread.  Because the muffins have a high sugar content, the additional bread fills out the dish and reduces the sweetness a bit.
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
12 day old blueberry muffins
4 slices stale bread
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine butter and sugar process until well blended. Add cinnamon, and vanilla, and pulse to combine.  While the processor is running crack 3 eggs into the mixture. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the heavy cream and pulse to combine.

Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add muffins and bread slices.  Scatter the fresh blueberries and gently mix to incorporate. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants; soak for 8 to 10 minutes. You will need to push muffin and bread pieces down during this time to ensure even coverage by egg mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 35minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes to brown the top. The bread pudding is done when the custard is set, but still soft. Allow to cool.

Vanilla, Rum Sauce
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
1 T dark rum
1 T vanilla extract
1 T light corn syrup

Bring to boil in sauce pan.  Serve warm over bread pudding.

This was our dessert category entry at the Smokin on the Creek BBQ contest at Sugar Creek, MO.   Cheesecake was mixed with diced fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze and formed into large balls.  Then everything was dipped in dark chocolate and set onto slivered almonds.  Garnished with fresh strawberries on a simple white platter.

The dessert pictured above placed 6th out of 28 entries today.  Dessert is a very challenging category because of the very high talent of dessert competitors.  I don’t consider myself one of those people at all.  Thus, I’m very proud of how this finished.

Meatloaf is one of life’s comfort foods.  Add some mini burger buns, melted cheese, mayo, and a splash of worchestershire.  You’ve got meatloaf sliders.  Meatloaf on the go!

My son Michael (5) will have his first BBQ contest this year on April 4.  His only competition has been this same location, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, last year when he was four years old.  He placed 3rd in chicken and 4th in hamburger in his age group.  Came home with a trophy for 3rd place.  He got his own Big Green Egg last year when we won a BGE through Kooker’s Kare.  I made him a table just his height.  This weekend, he wanted to practice.  Today was chicken wings.  Tomorrow will be hamburgers.

Michael had his choice of rubs.  Of course, he chose our Yardbird rub.  No pressure, no pressure.  I gave him a couple of options for sauce: BBQ sauce, traditional wing sauce, or a honey glaze.  He went with the honey glaze.  An excellent choice.  The wings were GREAT!

A sample bag of BBQers Delight Hickory pellets were used for flavor.

Apparently, it helps to stick your tonque out a bit as you apply your seasoning.  Michael’s ready for competition!  He’s improved a lot since last year.  His ability to use tongs, apply rub and glaze has gotten a lot better.  He’s excited.  He’s been asking every day this week to practice on this “Little Green Egg”.

After having a bowl of Campbell’s condensed cheddar cheese soup, I knew I could find something better that I could make from scratch.  Through the search, I found Dr BBQ’s Mac n Cheese Soup.  This is a recipe from Ray Lampe’s (aka Dr BBQ) NFL Gameday Cookbook.  Ray is a friend and fellow competition BBQ’er.  Among many things, Ray is the executive chef at Justin Timberlake’s Manhattan restaurant: Southern Hospitality.

continue reading "Dr BBQ’s Mac n Cheese Soup"

The 2nd Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines, IA begins this weekend.  The day long tribute to bacon kicks off at 10am today with bacon bloody mary’s and caps off with a 3:30p bacon eating contest.  Though the agenda contains lectures such as “Baconology part II”, it looks more like an opportunity to drink beer and eat bacon.

I wonder if the “Bacon Press” will be there to cover the event.  LOL!  Mr. Bacon Pants will be there.   Jason Mosley, Mr BP, joined the organizers to help promote and coordinate this year’s event.

Jason and Aaron from BBQ Addicts were invited to share the Bacon Explosion with the hundreds of Bacon Festival participants.  The guys are preparing 30 Bacon Explosions so that everyone can have a “healthy” sample.  In addition to some tasty smoked bacon and sausage, folks will get to taste some Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub and Blues Hog BBQ Sauce.  Jason and Aaron grabbed a few cases of Yardbird Rub and Blues Hog pints to take with them to use for their samples and sell to festival goers.  Here’s a picture taken at the event this morning.  Looking forward to a full recap at BBQ Addicts when the guys are back.

BBQ Addicts is now selling 5 lb bags of bulk Yardbird Rub in their new online store.  Plowboys BBQ is the first product line available a the new BBQ Addicts store.

Bovine Bold rub is also available in bulk through BBQ Addicts.

BBQ Addicts, creators of the famed Bacon Explosion, are starting a Monthly Rubdown.  The first Rubdown features Plowboys BBQ rubs.  We’ve hooked them up with some shirts and coozies for giveaways to their buyers and readers.  BBQ Addicts will be selling Plowboys Rubs as their first products in their online store.

We are very excited to be partnering with these fellow Kansas City BBQ Addicts!