We're now in Walmart, both in-store and on Walmart.com!
Vote for your favorite recipe
You can vote one time per day between May 6-15. Voting closes at midnight EST on May 15.
Smokey & Spicy 3-Bean Bake
My inspiration for this dish came from my childhood memories of cookouts.
Each summer, our whole family from all over the country would get together for a reunion at this quaint little park situated just off the highway between two small towns.
I came up with smoked side dish that everyone would love because those smells made me so happy when I was rowing up. The smell of wood smoke and charcoal, as well as meat cooking, was intoxicating and made all of the sides such good companions.
It was important for me to serve a side that I knew would be a crowd pleaser. This easy to prepare smoked bean dish will go perfectly with your other smoked meat mains at a cook out. This side dish is certainly a notch above my childhood memories of baked beans … delicious back then, and even better now!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
-4 thick bacon slices, cut into ½ inch pieces
-1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
-3 large mini bell peppers (3 colors), chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-16 ounce can chili kidney beans in spicy chili sauce, drained and rinsed
-15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
-15 ounce can pinto beans with jalapeño, drained and rinsed
-15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
-1/3 cup Turbinado cane sugar
-1/3 cup hickory smoked BBQ sauce of choice
-1/3 cup ketchup-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
-1/2 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
-1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon Lime pepper
-1 green onion stem, cut on an angle, for garnish-Bear Mountain Hickory Chips
Instructions:
1) Set smoker to 250 degrees. Let the smoker come up to temperature. Have wood chips ready (I used an electric smoker and Bear Mountain Hickory wood chips).
2) In a heavy skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add in the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3) Meanwhile, mix all remaining ingredients into a grill safe 4-5 quart heavy casserole dish.
4) Stir-in the bacon, onion, pepper-garlic mixture.
5) Put into smoker, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. If it starts to dry out too much, stir in some water.
6) Garnish with the green onion stem cuts.
7) Serve and enjoy with your other cook-out dishes!
Fajita Grilled Hasselback Chicken
On her 30th birthday, I threw my daughter, Caitlin, a surprise party. Friends and family from California, Massachusetts and New Jersey gathered in Pennsylvania to celebrate her. And they came hungry. Caitlin is a summer baby, so a BBQ
around the pool was the perfect setting. She just loves Mexican food, so in addition to the usual fare I created this more elegant chicken dish inspired by fajitas. There really is nothing better than gathering those you love most
around a big table of delicious food.
Prep time: 20 minutes Â
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup lime juice
-1/4 cup olive oil
-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
-2 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce
-1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
-1 teaspoon fine sea salt
-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-2 teaspoons honey
-¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 each -red, yellow and green bell pepper, seeded, ¼-inch thick slices*
-1 red onion, ¼-inch thick half-moon slices
-2 cups warm rice
-Freshlime wedges
-Thinly sliced green onions for garnish
-BearMountain’s Chef’s Choice Signature Blend, if using pellets
Instructions:
 1) Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).
2) While coals are lighting, stir together lime juice, olive oil, pepper sauce, cilantro, fajita seasoning and salt in a liquid-measuring cup.
3) With a sharp knife, cut 5, Hasselback style slashes on each chicken breast, keeping breast intact. Do not slice all the way through the meat.
4) Place chicken in a large sealable bag and add 1/3 cup marinade (reserve remainder in cup). Seal bag, forcing out excess air, and marinate chicken at room temperature, about 15 to 30 minutes.
5) Stir honey and black pepper into remaining marinade until blended to make sauce.
6) Remove chicken from marinade. Fill the slits in each chicken breast with alternating slices of peppers and onions.
7) Grill chicken on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning chicken occasionally and moving it to avoid flare-ups if necessary, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.
8) During last minute of cooking time, brush both sides of chicken with some of reserved sauce, then continue to grill, turning over once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more.
9) Serve chicken drizzled with remaining sauce over rice.
10) Garnish with lime and additional grilled vegetables.
*Note: Any leftover cut peppers and onions can be tossed with a little marinade from the chicken bag and grilled until crisp tender.
The Party Pig: Maple Bacon Pecan Gooey Butter Bars
Living just a hop, skip and a jump from the bakery that accidentally whipped up the first Gooey Butter Cake, our Wednesday nights were the highlight of the week. Aunt Sally and Uncle Don would roll in with a fresh gooey masterpiece from the bakery, and we'd all gather at Grandma's, forks at the ready. Over the years, that cake's seen some changes—from added nuts to swapped out flavors—but it never lost its magic. It's the one thing we all agree on, no matter what: Nothing beats a slice of Gooey Butter Cake. This is my spin on the classic and it has been a hit no matter where I take it.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Serves: 18 large bars
Ingredients:
Topping
-8 ounces bacon
-1 cup chopped pecans
-1/8 teaspoon red pepper
Crust
-1 ¾ cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-½ teaspoon salt
-¼ cup malted milk powder (like Ovaltine)
-1 large egg, room temperature
-½ cup butter, room temperature
-2 tablespoons bacon grease
-1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips
Filling
-8 ounces cream cheese, softened
-½ cup butter, softened
-3 tablespoons maple syrup
-2 teaspoons maple flavoring
-2 eggs, room temperature
-2 tablespoon bourbon
-3 cups powdered sugar
-Extra powdered sugar for decorating bars
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Line a 9x13 metal baking pan with parchment paper
Topping
1) For the topping, abacon to a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry bacon turning occasionally until crispy. Be careful not to burn the bacon.
2) Drain bacon on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease
for the crust. Discard the rest of the grease and wipe the pan with a paper towel.
3) Return pan to medium heat, add in pecans, sprinkle the red pepper
evenly over the pecans and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until lightly
toasted.
4) Remove pecans and place in a small mixing bowl. Crumble the bacon into
the bowl and mix. Set aside.
Crust
1) While the bacon is cooking, In the bowl of a food processor, add flour,
sugar, baking powder, salt, malted milk powder, egg, butter and bacon grease.
2) Pulse for 30 seconds at a time until mixture comes together. Don’t over
process (it will be crumbly).
3) Press mixture evenly into prepared baking pan.
4) Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Set aside.
Filling and Finish
1) In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment mix cream
cheese, butter, maple syrup, maple flavoring and bourbon until smooth
with no lumps.
2) Add in eggs and mix until just combined.
3) Mix in powdered sugar until well combined.
4) Spread filling over the crust.
5) Evenly sprinkle the pecan and bacon topping over the filling.
6) Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top and edges are starting to turn golden brown.
7) The center will still be a little jiggly. It will set as it cools.
8) Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
9) Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the bars.
This can also be served warm with some vanilla ice cream!
Note: This recipe is for the oven, however it can be made on your pellet grill. Follow the recipe above using a 10 inch cast iron skillet. When it is ready to bake, set the grill for 350 degrees and preheat for 15 minutes. Put the cast iron in and bake for 40 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes for doneness. I would use Bear Mountain Maple Bourbon Pecan Pellets for this recipe.
