Game Day

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo

July 20, 2021 By Joi Sigers

I have quite a few Rachael Ray Cookbooks in my cookbook collection. Okay, let’s be honest and have full disclosure here…. I have every single one except for the newest one, and that’s just a matter of time. She’s a favorite TV Personality and cookbook author, so if her name’s on it, I’m not just “in,” I’m “all in.”

The cookbook pictured here is just one of my favorites.

Guy Food: Rachael Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals is filled with recipes you’ll use again and again – the Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers (with HEAVENLY Green Onion Mayo) is a classic example of why you need this cookbook.

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo – by Rachael Ray

5 slices bacon, chopped
4 scallions, cleaned and trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese, crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
4 crusty Kaiser rolls, split (or wrap in the romaine if you have to eat gluten-free like me)
4 leaves crisp romaine lettuce

Preheat grill pan over high heat.

In a medium pan brown bacon over medium high heat and drain on paper towel lined plate.

Brush scallions with a little oil and grill on hot grill pan 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat to cool.

Combine ground beef with Worcestershire and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide meat into 4 equal parts. Combine cheese crumbles and cooked bacon. Take 1/4 of the meat in your hand and make a well in the center of it. Pile in cheese and bacon, then carefully form the burger around the cheese and bacon filling. Make sure the fillings are completely covered with meat. When all 4 patties are formed, drizzle burgers with oil and place on hot grill pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side over high heat, reduce heat to medium low and cook burgers 7 or 8 minutes longer, turning occasionally. Do not press down on burgers as they cook. Transfer burgers to a plate and let them rest 5 minutes before serving.

Green Onion Mayo: Chop cooled, grilled scallions and add to a food processor. Add mayonnaise and cumin to the food processor and pulse the onions and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Pile burgers on crusty buns and top with crisp lettuce leaves and a slather of green onion mayonnaise. As you bite into the burgers, you will find a smoky, cheesy surprise at the center.

Below are just a few of the other recipes in this great little cookbook:

There’s a very manly chili recipe with some surprising ingredients that will be tried in this very kitchen this week!
Blackened Chicken Pizza
A recipe for Mahi-Mahi Fillets, grilled
Tenderloin Steaks with Gorgonzola and Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
If you or your guy (or kids! – they always love them) have a thing for chicken tenders, there’s a recipe for pecan-crusted chicken tenders you’ll flip for
Cheddar and Chive Bread
Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime
Grilled Halibut Tacos with Guacamole Sauce
A lot more!

If you love great food, and especially if you have a guy you love to cook for, you’ll want to grab a copy of Guy Food: Rachael Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals right away. It’s just a little over $10 and these are recipes you’ll use all year long…. year after year.

Gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter

September 23, 2019 By Joi Sigers

The gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter shown here isn’t just on my gift-giving list this year, it’s at the top of my, “Buy for my own darn self” list as well.

My family celebrates any and all seasons, days and occasions as we can. What can I say? We love to eat, love to laugh, love to make a lot of noise and look for a reason to do all of the above at once.

Football season was made for families like this one!

Whether it’s college football or the NFL, weekends just become a lot more fun this time of year, don’t they?

Product Description from Amazon

This rectangular Football Platter will be a big winner on game day
Designed to look like a football field, this platter is perfect for serving your guests lunch meat and cheese, hors d’oeuvres and more
Football platter measures 17 inch long x 11 inch wide
Crafted of ceramic
Use & Care: Microwave and dishwasher safe

I’m picturing so many delicious things on this gorgeous platter…. pigs in blankets, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, chips, cheese and crackers… and, just like that, I’ve made myself hungry.

See Pfaltzgraff Football Platter for more information and a closer look. This is a beauty.

Frank’s RedHot Introduces Wingman Saucy Support Line AND a Chance to Win a Decked-Out Tailgate Truck! (2019)

September 3, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Are you as excited for the return of football as I am?! Autumn, crock-pot meals, chili, soup, Chai Tea Lattes… this is my time of year!

In celebration of the start of football season, Frank’s RedHot is kicking off #WingmanSweepstakes (2019) on Twitter. Now through September 27^th, Frank’s is YOUR Wingman! They’ll be responding to fans’ questions about tailgating (and the football and cooking life, in general, I’d imagine). When you use the hastag, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a brand new truck. Not just any truck, mind you. This truck comes with football tickets, a hot sauce fountain, a ridiculously-over-the-top blow up bottle for Frank’s RedHot, a grill, essentials for Buffalo wings (obviously), cornhole and more.
Frank’s isn’t just putting the SASS in chicken wings, they’re putting the FUN in autumn!

Best of luck… I hope one of you win this outstanding prize!

(Continued below the video….)

Press Release

Frank’s RedHot celebrated the start of football and tailgating season by kicking off the #WingmanSweepstakes on Twitter. Through September 27th, the Frank’s Wingman will be responding to fans’ burning questions about tailgating (and life) from what the brand has dubbed their “saucy support line,” while also entering them for chances to win one of four weekly prize drawings and the grand prize – a Frank’s Wingman Tailgate Truck.

This is no fantasy, it’s the real deal! As the saying goes, Frank’s RedHot urges fans to, “Put that S#!t on everything!” This time, that means a truck that comes decked out with Frank’s RedHot tailgating essentials like football tickets, a hot sauce fountain, a grill, essentials for Buffalo wings (obviously), cornhole and more – showing that Frank’s is the wingman that has your back in the most brag-worthy way.

“Frank’s RedHot is everyone’s game-day wingman, and – like a hilariously good friend – sometimes gives you bold advice,” says Alia Kemet, Creative & Digital Strategic Director with Frank’s brand. “For instance, Wingman could tell you something simple like how much Frank’s to put on your wings, or whether to bring a date that you just met to the game. The Frank’s Wingman is there by your side to support all of your saucy tailgating adventures.”

To enter, Twitter users are encouraged to tweet a question at @FranksRedHot, with the hashtag #WingmanSweepstakes, for an assist. By doing so, they will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win the Frank’s RedHot Wingman Tailgate Truck. Fans who are participating will also have the weekly chance to win mini tailgate Wingman kits equipped with a bottle of Frank’s RedHot. All entries must be sent from the account owner, and received no later than September 27, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Use of any automated method to send Entry Tweets is prohibited and will result in disqualification. No purchase necessary to participate. For full terms and conditions of the sweepstakes, visit FranksRedHot.com/sweepstakes.

As the go-to hot sauce of any game-watching event, Frank’s RedHot is the franchise player of your favorite tailgating recipes – Buffalo wings, Buffalo chicken dip, RedHot chili and more. Recipes are available at franksredhot.com/recipes.

About Frank’s: It all started back in 1920 when the first bottle of Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce was introduced. Made with a premium blend of aged cayenne peppers, Frank’s RedHot adds the perfect blend of flavor and heat to your favorite foods. Frank’s Cayenne Pepper Sauce was used as the secret ingredient in the original Buffalo wings created in Buffalo, NY in 1964. Try our family of products including the Original sauce, Buffalo Wings sauce, Queso Dip seasoning mix, Buffalo Ranch seasoning, Frozen Buffalo Wings and more. Visit www.Franksredhot.com for more information and recipes.

Frank’s is one of McCormick & Company’s brands. As a global leader in flavor, McCormick has built a portfolio of leading flavor brands that enhance people’s enjoyment of food all around the world. Every day, no matter where or what you eat, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick. McCormick Brings the Joy of Flavor to Life™.

Be sure to follow Frank’s on Twitter!

Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

October 10, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Cream Cheese, Chiles, and Jalapeno Dip

This dip makes any game, movie, or History Channel show even better – this isn’t conjecture, I’ve done the studies. It combines some of my favorite things in the culinary world: Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapenos.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Serve with tortilla chips and lose yourself in the yumminess.

If there are leftovers, refrigerate them. The next morning, spread on bagels, toast, or English muffins – you will NOT believe how incredible it is. Again. I did the studies. Anything for you.

Jalapeno Peppers Stuffed with Cream Cheese

August 13, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, About to Go Into the Oven

Back when I could eat all the gluten and wheat my little heart desired, Jalapeno Poppers from Arby’s were an absolute addiction.

Truth is, I was always beyond obsessed with Arby’s in every way possible – unfortunately I haven’t been able to eat at one for over a year and a half (they’re surprisingly one of the worst restaurants at providing gluten free options).

Anyway, I’ve now come up with a couple of ways to satisfy my cravings. I could conceivably fry stuffed jalapeno peppers, using gluten free flour and cornmeal – and they’d be fantastic – but my favorite way to satisfy that delicious cream cheese meets jalapeno heat craving is simply to bake them.

It’s easy, delicious, and much healthier than frying them.

Jalapenos and Sargento Medium Asiago “Tastings”

This isn’t any sort of product placement or plug, I just simply LOVE Sargento’s “Tastings” and highly recommend them. They’re the ideal size for keeping on hand in the refrigerator. I always use them up without any being wasted. I always have Asiago and Parmesan in the fridge and mix it up with other varieties as well.

I also list Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the ingredients below – again, I’m not trying to sound like a commercial. It’s simply one of the brands I’m insanely loyal to.

These stuffed jalapeno peppers make delicious appetizers and would be beautiful for game day, Christmas, or any time you want a little pop and personality with your meal.

Gluten Free Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

12 large Jalapenos
4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese (each works beautifully)
2 TBS chopped Italian Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Going lengthwise (top to bottom, the length of each pepper) – slice off the top quarter of each jalapeno. Scrape out the seeds. You’re making little vessels that you’ll fill with the cheese mixture.
Finely chop up the removed thirds from six of the peppers (use all of them if you can take the heat!).
In a mixing bowl, combine: the reserved chopped pepper, cream cheese, grated Asiago (or Parmesan or Romano) cheese, finely chopped parsley, and salt/pepper.
Fill the peppers with the cheese mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. As you can see in the picture at the top, I use Parchment Paper Pre-Cut Baking Sheets (something I’ve fallen completely in love with – they make clean up SO much easier) – but you can certainly make these without parchment paper.
Bake 15 minutes.

I served mine with store-bought Sweet Chili Sauce and never regretted the decision for a single second. However, they are outrageously delicious on their own and actually don’t require any sauce.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, About to Go Into My Mouth!

King of Pop Patriotic Gourmet Popcorn: Cherry, Blueberry, and Kettle Corn

June 29, 2015 By Joi Sigers

King of Pop Patriotic Popcorn

As I’ve said several times on Get Cooking, I’m a huge fan of Gourmet Gift Baskets.com. HUGE. The idea of giving delicious gifts (always the right fit, size, and color) just really floats my boat.

The fact that everything Gourmet Gift Baskets is absolute perfection makes that same boat skip across the water!

What you see pictured here is from one of Gourmet Gift Baskets companies, King of Pop. This is the beautiful and delicious King of Pop Patriotic Popcorn: Cherry Blueberry, and Kettle Corn. You get the cherry and blueberry flavors along with the GREAT flavor of the kettle corn.

{Review Continued Below….}

King of Pop Gourmet Red White and Blue Popcorn

King of Pop Patriotic Popcorn

These tins are available on both Gourmet Gift Baskets and King of Pop – same price, same fast delivery, same ease of purchase. The choice is yours.

I read on one of the websites where someone left a comment saying they wished the tins were more “patriotic,” maybe with a flag or something. I’d have to politely disagree a little. I love for tins to be reusable as much as possible and think that a solid color or a handsome design (like the one here) is right on the money.

In fact, this Patriotic Blend isn’t just perfect for the Fourth of July, President’s Day, Patriot’s Day, or Flag Day – it’s IDEAL for those of you who are Patriots fans or would make a perfect gift for the Patriots fan in your life.

Same would hold true for Texas Rangers fans and other sports teams with the colors red, white, and blue.

If the tin were decorated solely for the Fourth of July (or President’s Day, Patriot’s Day…), it’d be a little awkward to give as a gift on any other day.

{Review Continued Below….}

King of Pop Patriotic PopcornSee either Gourmet Gift Baskets or King of Pop for ordering information. I’m honestly not sure how many days it’d take to get to you, but you may very well be able to order it now and have it in time for the Fourth of July.

How cool would that be?

Either way, this popcorn blend is absolutely delicious as well – and gorgeous to boot.

Best Cheeseburgers You Can Make At Home

June 1, 2015 By Joi Sigers

I don’t throw the words best or ever around freely – especially not in the same sentence. So you can rest assured that since I’m calling these the best cheeseburgers (or hamburgers, if you leave off the cheese.. but why would you do that???) you can make at home, they truly are in a league of their own.

The wonderful combination of….

an iron skillet
butter
quality cheese (Sargento is my cheese of choice)
ground chuck
sauteed onions

…. make these cheeseburgers so delicious it’ll feel like you’re eating cheeseburgers for the first time in your life.

First off, you have to have an iron skillet for these particular burgers. At least for these particular burgers to be the “best ever.” Can you use a regular skillet or griddle? Of course. BUT the results will not be as good as they are with an iron skillet – this I promise you.

Secondly, butter. Butter, butter, butter. No substitutions. I don’t know why this matters as much as it does, but it matters almost as much as the iron skillet.

{Recipe Continued beneath the iron skillet….}

Let’s build those cheeseburgers!

First of all, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in an iron skillet over medium heat. While the butter melts, chop one sweet onion. Ti doesn’t “have” to be sweet – see, I can be flexible on some things.

You’ll want to saute the onion in the melted butter for a good 15 minutes. While they’re sauteing, season them with freshly cracked black pepper – and don’t be stingy. You’re not just making great tasting sauteed onions, you’re laying the foundation for the flavor you’ll be giving your cheeseburgers. Black pepper is a very, very, very good thing when red meat is involved.

After 15 minutes, transfer the onions to a plate and cover with foil to keep them nice and warm.

Add another tablespoon of butter to the iron skillet.

Generously season 1 lb of ground chuck with salt and pepper. I plop my ground beef onto a piece of wax paper and season the whole shebang. This ensures that “all” of the meat is seasoned as opposed to just the outside.

Now you’ll want to divide the seasoned chuck into four balls of equal size. Place the balls into the skillet and smush each one down with the back of your spatula. To those outside of Kentucky, smush is the same thing as smash, just with more of an attitude.

Don’t worry about pressing too hard – you want them to all but stick to the skillet. This is what’ll give them that delectable crust we’re all looking for. Cook over medium-high heat for about two minutes, then flip.

Place one or two slices of cheese on each burger, then add a dollop of sauteed onions on top of each cheeseburger.

While they finish up (it’ll just take a few minutes – by the time the cheese has melted, they’re ready), toast your buns in a separate skillet. Simply butter the inside of the buns and lightly toast in the skillet. Again, this may seem like a small detail – but it’s essential. I normally buy buns that are seeded, just because back in the day (before my body decided that wheat and gluten were evil), I preferred them. Don’t know if it was because they tasted better or because they’re just so darn cute. Maybe a little of both.

If you have to eat gluten free, needless to say… skip the seeded buns! Toast gluten free bread or simply serve your burgers in leaf lettuce. I’ve done both and they both are delicious options.

As for toppings or sauces for your cheeseburgers, I’ll let you be the judge. Mayonnaise with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles is fantastic. On the other hand, so is mustard with the same toppings.

{Continued beneath the yum….}

However… here is my favorite presentation – and it may seem odd, but you’ll have to trust me: Slather a layer of Thousand Island Dressing on the inside of one of your toasted buns and call it a day. Seriously, these cheeseburgers are so incredible, on their own, they don’t need anything except a little Thousand Island.

Serve with crinkle cut fries, tater tots, or whatever floats your boat.

Random thought…. is there anything in the world that photographs more beautifully than crinkle cut fries? Okay, aside from Jennifer Lopez…

Perfect Gift Idea for Baseball Loving Dads: The Joy of Ballpark Food

May 20, 2015 By Joi Sigers

When I was asked if I’d like to read and write a review for The Joy of Ballpark Food, I probably replied to the e-mail so fast they thought I’d been expecting them. I couldn’t help myself, though. Two of my greatest passions in life are baseball and cooking – for a book to combine the two… it was almost more excitement than I could handle!

Seriously, I just about live for baseball. Not only do I NEVER miss a televised game with my beloved St. Louis Cardinals, I watch the other teams as often as possible too. It occurred to me not long ago that I probably watch more baseball than baseball reporters do.

And I’m good with that.

The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine is JUST the book baseball fanatics like myself need in their life. Not only do you get a baseball history and insight into each ballpark, you learn more about hot dogs and ballpark food than you ever thought you’d know.

The author is Bennett Jacobstein. He works during baseball season in the concessions stand at Municipal Stadium (home of Minor League Baseball’s Class A Advanced San Jose Giants), which is darn cool. He has also worked quite a few times at Oakland Athletics games, which is also ridiculously cool.

This fun all American book has given me a great idea, too. I’m going to start planning hot dogs and game-day snacks accordingly. When my Cards are on, I’ll make a hot dog described under the St. Louis Cardinals pages or I’ll make a hot dog or snack in honor of our opponent for that day.

{Review Continued beneath the Picture…}

In fact, the next time we play the Cincinnati Reds, I’m going to make Waffle Bowl Sundaes. Hurry up, Reds!

While the foods and dogs do not come with actual recipes, they aren’t really needed. I mean, after all, a Waffle Bowl Sundae is a waffle, ice cream, chocolate and/or caramel sauce, peanuts, whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries.

Like I said… hurry up, Reds!

The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine would make an out of this world Father’s Day gift. You could pair it with a tee or cap from dad’s favorite baseball team or even an Electric Hot Dog Steamer!

That’d be one of the most delicious Father’s Day combos of all time.

Click through for a closer look at The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine – whether it’s for you, dad or someone else who knows that baseball is the greatest sport of all time.. this is a must have book.

One more picture from the book… what? Two of the three pictures involve the Cardinals? How’d this happen? What kind of sorcery is involved here?…

Tangy Honey Mustard Dip: Recipe With a “Kick-y” Ingredient

June 4, 2014 By Joi Sigers

In the Glutino Gluten Free Pretzels review I just posted, I told you about a killer Honey Mustard Dip I came up with. Inspired by these crisp and delicious little pretzels, I wanted a sweet and tangy honey mustard dip. One that special, delicious, gluten free, and (one of my all-time favorite adjectives) “kick-y”.

Definitely kick-y.

I have an old “go to” honey mustard dip I’ve always served with salads and chicken, but I wanted something a little more tangy. While scourging the refrigerator, I saw a bottle of Guy Fieri BBQ Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce. I thought… “Hmmm, why not…”

I grabbed my other ingredients and set to work. I’ll list the brands I used but feel free to use your own brands. If (like me) you have to eat gluten free, though, be sure to choose brands that are. When it comes to Mayonnaise, Hellman’s is the only one I”ve found that IS gluten free. It’s also exceptional, so it’s all good.

Tangy Honey Mustard Dip

1 cup Hellman’s Mayo
4 tsp French’s Mustard
2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed, if possible)
4 TBS Honey
2 TBS Guy Fieri Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
Rachael Ray’s Pink Himalayan Salt (just a little)

Combine everything. That’s it.

A Few Tips:

Experiment with different brands/flavors of BBQ Sauce. This brand and flavor is just my own personal favorite – which can probably be attributed to the fact that it’s pretty sweet.
This makes a good amount, which is a necessity because it’s super delicious – but feel free to half it if you’d like.
I use local honey which may or may not make the dip better.
For a knock out game day platter, serve block Colby cheese (sliced) and pretzels (Glutino for the GF crowd) along with the dip.
Chicken is excellent with this dip.
I would imagine that big fat baked pretzels would be amazing, too.
I’ve never used this dip as a salad dressing, but I’m thinking it’d be pretty darn good.

West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Maker Review

February 6, 2013 By Joi Sigers

My Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper Review: The pictures speak for themselves!

I’ve always loved popcorn – not only is it delicious, let’s face it, popcorn’s crazy fun to eat. However, popping it, with all the pan shaking and grease splattering, isn’t even remotely fun. I don’t know about you, but if I do have any muscles in my body, they certainly aren’t in my arms. Popeye might enjoy the pan shaking, but I can do without it.

The last time I made popcorn the old fashioned way, it took more time than I wanted to spend and made a bigger mess than I wanted to clean. I decided, then and there, that my next trip to Target would include buying a popcorn maker. Since I never tease myself about anything as serious as shopping at Target, I did joyfully add to my kitchen’s small appliances collection. I chose the West Bend Stir Crazy 6-Quart Electric Popcorn Popper and we’ve been getting along famously.

Whrrrr… it spins one way, then the other way for even distribution and popping.

The West Bend Stir Crazy Electric Popcorn Popper is Very, Very, Very Easy to Use

As I said, I don’t want to spend a lot of time when it comes to popping popcorn. Usually, if we’re having popcorn, it means something is on television that’s SO important it calls for snacks. If this is the case, the last thing I want to do is to be in the kitchen and away from the fun for very long. I certainly don’t want a huge mess to have to clean up. The Stir Crazy Popcorn Maker is a dream come true. You simply put three tablespoons of oil into the base, add a cup of popcorn, spread it out, put the lid on, plug it in… then watch the fun.

My arms are so happy!

The Stir Crazy takes care of the kernel rotation, and before you know it, you have a heaping bowl full of deliciously and perfectly popped popcorn. You simply unplug and turn the Stir Crazy upside down, filling the clear bowl (which can double as a serving bowl) with delicious hot popcorn.

There’s even a butter dispenser on top. You can put a few pats of butter into the “well” before popping and watch as the butter deliciously melts over the popcorn as it pops. I didn’t use butter in the batch of popcorn you see here because I had other plans. I am WILD about adding M & M’s to popcorn – a habit I first tried at the movie theater. I had popcorn, a box of M & M’s, and a Coke. I didn’t have a third hand, so before I left the concession stand, I dumped my M & M’s into my popcorn. Snacker’s ingenuity. When I got to my seat, I reached in and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn, accompanied by a few M & M’s…

Boom! It was so delicious, I wouldn’t dream of having movie popcorn without M & M’s ever again. It’s equally great with Peanut M & M’s as it is with regular.

I also add M & M’s to my popcorn at home about half the time. Sometimes I buy peanut, sometimes regular. This time, I bought M & M Minis because they were so gosh darn cute.

Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper, M&M’s Minis, and Amish Popcorn… Good things are about to happen.

You can use your favorite popcorn from the store in the West Bend Stir Crazy 6-Quart Electric Popcorn Popper. My husband regularly picks up bags of AMAZING Amish Country Popcorn when he’s in Rural King. For this particular batch, I used their Baby White (Extra Small and Tender) variety – a favorite. The small and tender popcorn is a perfect match for the M&M’s Minis. And, again, so gosh darn cute.

The West Bend Stir Crazy Electric Popcorn Popper is Fast and Clean Up is a BREEZE

Popping time in the Stir Crazy is about 5 minutes – and it seems even quicker than that. Maybe it’s because I enjoy the show so much.

As for clean up, the Nonstick-coated popping surface makes it so easy it’s ridiculous. It’s almost as if it cleans itself. If I could only get the rest of my kitchen appliances to master this trick.

I absolutely positively recommend the West Bend Stir Crazy 6-Quart Electric Popcorn Popper – 100 percent. If you (like I did) microwave popcorn, you might want to rethink the habit. Researchers say this practice is actually very unhealthy. It isn’t the popcorn that poses the danger, but the bags, themselves.

Besides, the Stir Crazy makes popcorn that tastes so fantastic, it puts microwaveable popcorn to shame.

You will use this guy year round…

Wintertime with NFL games, NCAA football and basketball.
Summertime – Baseball and popcorn are one of my personal favorite combinations.
Movie night – what’s a movie without popcorn??!
During your favorite shows (Swamp People, Survivor, Justified, Food Network…).
Halloween – popcorn balls just became a cinch.
Christmas – popcorn for stringing is faster than ever.

Grab a Stir Crazy at your nearest Target or order one on Amazon today by clicking the following link – West Bend Stir Crazy 6-Quart Electric Popcorn Popper. It actually costs the same both places. If you’ll notice, on Amazon, there are a lot of different seasonings and special popcorn popping oils to buy along with your Stir Crazy.

Whatever you do, give M & M’s in your popcorn a try. If you WANT them to melt a little, add them right away – if you want the candies to stay firm, let the popcorn cool off just a little. Either way, you’ll be blown away!

As delicious as it is pretty.

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo

Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo – by Rachael Ray

Gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter