Texas Pepper Jelly Blog

Texas-Style Deviled Eggs for Barbecue Month!

Craig Sharry | May 20, 2014

Remembering that May is Barbecue Month, let’s talk about a side dish to go with that awesome barbecued meat!

Deviled eggs are always a hit, and Texas Pepper Jelly has already posted several delicious recipes for these delicious eggs. Here’s another one!

Ingredients:

This recipe for Texas Style Deviled Eggs will be the hit of your outdoor meal – after the meat, of course. (Especially if you are using Craig’s BBQ Sauce or Texas Rib Candy as you grill!) (Or both!)

12 boiled & peeled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (My family prefers MW)
1/4 cup Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tbs. Dijon mustard (yellow mustard will work, too.)
Dash salt
Dash pepper
Dash onion powder
Dash garlic powder
Paprika

What to do:

Slice each boiled egg in half, put all the yolks in a bowl and arrange the whites on a tray.

With a whisk, stir the yolks until you’ve got what looks like powder in your bowl. Get all the lumps out. Add all the spices and condiments, except for the Paprika, and begin to add your sauces a little at a time, until you’ve got a good “filling” consistency. You might need to add a little more pepper jelly, or you might not need the full 1/4 cup. It varies. I always put fresh pineapple chunks in the middle of the serving tray and get the necessary pineapple juice for the eggs from what drips off my hands as I cut it up. Oh hush. It’s no worse than kneading bread.

With a spoon, begin to fill the egg whites. If you’ve got an icing bag, that makes a nice swirly effect. I just use a fork, myself.

When all the eggs are filled, sprinkle the Paprika over the tops. Cover, and place in the refrigerator until it’s dinner time.

Stand back.

P.S. Sometimes, I add a little pickle juice. Any kind of pickle juice works, and this adds a little more jolt to your eggs.

P.P.S. As you can see from the picture, not everybody here likes Paprika. You might have to leave a few eggs un-sprinkled, too. Easy fix.

Category: BBQ, Craig's BBQ Sauce, Spicy side dishes, Texas Rib Candy, Texas Tips, TPJ Recipes | Tags: Barbecue Month, deviled eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, fresh pineapple, May, May is Barbecue Month, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, paprika, pepper jelly, Pineapple Habanero, pineapple juice, spicy eggs, spicy picnic sides, Spicy side dishes, Texas Pepper Jelly

May is Barbecue Month!

Craig Sharry | May 11, 2014

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It’s finally May, and the cold winter is over. With the spring comes the advent of barbecue season, so uncover that grill, clean it well, and let’s start cooking dinner in the back yard!

Remember that when we are barbecuing our supper, we are working with fire, whether it be gas or charcoal. Be sure to have a water source nearby, in case there is an accident. If there are small children nearby, have the hose hooked up and ready. Small children can move like lightning, so be alert whether you’re in charge of the grill, or just waiting for your burger! I can’t stress enough that having a good water supply within a simple arm’s reach is absolutely essential.

The aromas of cooking meats will often attract insects and animals, as well as friends and neighbors. A simple, inexpensive insect-repelling bracelet on all of your dinner guests can prevent the bees and mosquitoes from feasting on your kids! It’s a good idea NOT to wear perfume, cologne, after-shave, or any strong fragrance when you’re going to be outdoors for any length of time. If you smell like flowers, you can’t blame the bees for trying!

Accidents will happen no matter how careful and watchful we are, so have some bandaids and antiseptic nearby. Bites, burns, and the general falling-down and falling-off-things are part of being children. Some of your adults will need a band-aid on occasion, too. Maybe even you. Cooking over a grill can be splattery, and some of those splatterings might really hurt!

Once the blissfully awesome aromas of barbecue start wafting throughout your neighborhood, don’t be surprised if you get unexpected guests. Barbecued meat, combined with fabulous sauces such as Craig’s BBQ Sauce or any of his Texas Pepper Jellies will bring out the hungry people. A child who has to be bribed to eat three bites of a kitchen-cooked hamburger during the winter might devour two, when they’re prepared on a grill and slathered in sauce.

Winter is over. Spring is here. Summer is nigh. Get out the grills and get it ready. You’ll be using it a lot. And while you’re thinking about it, make a list of all the Texas Pepper Jelly products you’ll be needing, and get them ordered. You don’t want to have to go to the store and buy something off the shelf and waste all that excellent meat! Texas Pepper Jelly products will turn your backyard barbecue into a festive occasion!

Category: BBQ, Craig's BBQ Sauce, Texas Pepper Jelly | Tags: antiseptic, aromas, band-aids, barbecue safety, barbecue sauce, Craig's BBQ Sauce, grill, May is Barbecue Month, neighbors, Texas Pepper Jelly, water supply, winter is over

The Aroma of Good Barbecue is Irresistible!

Craig Sharry | May 1, 2014

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It’s here. It’s finally here. Official grilling season has begun, and no matter what kind of neighborhood you live in, the aromas of outdoor barbecue have begun wafting into our senses.

There is nothing like the scent of good barbecue to wake up your taste buds; just the thought of Craig’s BBQ Sauce on some tender grilled pork or chicken is enough to make a strong man salivate. Heck, vegetarians – VEGANS – have a hard time resisting the aroma of good barbecue. (Don’t worry, vegetarians and vegans, Craig’s BBQ Sauce is delicious on non-meaty foods, too!)

The aroma of grilling meat alone is enough to drive us all insane with hunger and longing, but add to that aroma the aroma of a good barbecue sauce and you’ve got some serious heaven on earth in your back yard, my friends.

You can buy Craig’s BBQ Sauce by the jar or by the gallon. If your family is really into barbecue, I’d go for the gallon and save yourself the repeated ordering. My own family is extremely picky about barbecue sauce, but since they’ve tasted Craig’s Barbecue Sauce, none other will do. They can’t be fooled, either. Ask me how I know that.

Add some deviled eggs – just add some Apple Habanero Rib Candy to your own recipe – and some Sweet Fire Potato Salad, and you don’t have a mere meal; you’ve got a feast!

Category: BBQ, Craig's BBQ Sauce | Tags: Apple Habanero Rib Candy, barbecue, barbecue season, Craig's Barbecue Sauce, Craig's BBQ Sauce, deviled eggs, grilling season, irresistible aromas, potato salad, vegan, vegetarian, wafting aromas

Spicy Pineapple Salsa – YUM!

Craig Sharry | April 23, 2014

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Oh my GOSH, the house smells so good nobody can even sleep! I mixed up a big batch of Spicy Pineapple Salsa a few hours ago, and the aroma is lingering. . . .

This spicy, fruity salsa is so versatile! It can be used as a salsa dip, with veggies, chips, whatever you and your family like to eat with salsa. It can also be used with various grilled meats, which makes it the perfect accompaniment for your grilled steaks, pork, chicken, etc. Spoon some of this pineapple salsa over your grilled meats and you’ve got a feast.

Fresh pineapples are at a good price right now, too. Our local Kroger’s had really nice ones for 99 cents each!

Texas Pepper Jelliy’s Spicy Pineapple Salsa is also nutritious – it’s full of good fresh fruit and vegetables. Don’t tell the kids, though.

My husband likes the pineapple to be chunky. I prefer it to be diced finer, since it’s salsa we’re discussing. Cater to your own family here.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced pineapple (fresh is best)
1/2 cup Pineapple Habanero pepper jelly
1/2 cup diced onion (I use red for the color)
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 lime or lemon, juiced (I’ve used both; my family prefers lime; I prefer lemon. Your call!)
Dash Kosher salt

What to do:

Throw everything into a big mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. It will be juicy; this is good.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Hire a guard for your refrigerator; people have been known to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night to sample Spicy Pineapple Salsa – you know, just to make sure it’s okay.

This salsa is like candy. Or maybe crack. It’s that good.

Category: Spicy condiments, Super Easy Party Recipes, Texas Cookin' Tips, Texas Pepper Jelly, Texas Tips, TPJ Appetizers, TPJ Recipes | Tags: fresh pineapple, grilled beef, grilled chicken, grilled pork, nutritious snacks, pepper jelly, Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly, salsa, spicy pineapple salsa, spicy Texas snacks, Texas Pepper Jelly

Texas-Style Salmon Patties

Craig Sharry | April 12, 2014

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We’re having salmon patties for supper tonight. This is one of my mother’s and my husband’s favorite suppers. I think it’s because they both like to munch the cold leftovers while they watch TV, but that’s probably more information than you wanted to know. 🙂

Yes, we invited Mom over for supper.

The Wonderful World of Texas Pepper Jelly has enhanced our family menus to the extent that if I do serve something “bland,” I hear about it. Sometimes I continue to hear about it the next day, even. I do try to use a Texas Pepper Jelly product almost every day. They are just so good.

Here is the recipe for Texas-Style Salmon Patties.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz can Alaska Pink Salmon
1/2 cup dried mashed potato flakes
12 square saltines, crushed fine
2 eggs
1/4 cup Apple Habanero Pepper Jelly
1 apple, peeled and diced fine
Dash onion powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups canola oil

What to do:

In a large mixing bowl, stir all the ingredients except the canola oil, until thoroughly blended.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and drop the mixture by tablespoons into the oil. Cook about three minutes and then turn each pattie. When both sides are crispy-brown, remove to a paper-towel-covered platter or plate. Serve immediately.

Set out all your Texas Pepper Jelly products, for some people like to experiment with different dipping or coating flavors with salmon patties.

Tonight’s menu:

Texas-style salmon patties
Baked potatoes
Sweet corn
Yeast rolls
Yellow cake w. chocolate fudge icing

General consensus: Yum.

Category: Spicy main dishes, Texas Cookin' Tips, Texas Pepper Jelly | Tags: Apple Habanero Pepper Jelly, ingredients, simple suppers, spicy dinners, spicy suppers, Texas Pepper Jelly, Texas Pepper Jelly menus, Texas-style salmon patties, TPJ Recipes, what to do

More Spicy Sloppy Joes from Texas Pepper Jelly!

Craig Sharry | April 9, 2014

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We love Sloppy Joes here. We consider it a meal.

By the time I’m finished adding things to the ground beef, Sloppy Joes ARE a meal in this house.

Hot, savory, spicy, full of vegetables, fruit, and goodness, Texas Pepper Jelly’s Sloppy Joes are a meal that your family will ask for, over and over. You probably read about our Sloppy Joes last year, and our Zesty Crockpot Sloppy Joes a couple of years ago, but I’m cooking up a new batch of Texas Pepper Jelly-style sloppy joes tonight, so I’m talking about them again!

Put some of our extra-special potato salad on the table, too, and friends, you’ve got a MEAL.

Here’s how to make tonight’s Spicy Sloppy Joes:

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
1/4 pound ground sausage
1 cup Craig’s BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded pineapple

What to do:

Cook the ground beef and drain thoroughly. Crumble the meat as finely as you can.

Add all the other ingredients to the pan containing the beef. Mix and cook for another ten minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve right away.

This recipe makes a spicy mixture that is delicious on a bun, over tortilla chips, mixed with cheese and formed into a cheese ball or left in a bowl and used as a dip, etc. However you use it, it’s going to be great.

We serve it on toasted buns. There have never been any leftovers in the history of Texas Pepper Jelly products used in our home.

Side effect: Your house will smell FANTASTIC for several hours, even after supper is long over. It will make your entire family long for another sandwich around 10 p.m., but there won’t be any leftover.

Unless, of course, you made a double recipe and hid half of it from your family so you could bring it out and re-heat it for that before-bedtime snack.

This will make you Mother of the Year, by the way.

Throw some

Category: Craig's BBQ Sauce, Slow cooker delights, slow-cooker meals, Spicy main dishes, Spicy sandwiches | Tags: Craig's BBQ Sauce, crockpot sloppy joes, delicious sloppy joes, fruits, many kinds of sloppy joes at Texas Pepper Jelly, pepper jelly, Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly, sloppy joes, spicy sloppy joes, Texas Pepper Jelly, vegetables

Onion Rings – Texas Style!

Craig Sharry | March 30, 2014

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There’s nothing as good as a big pile of crispy, spicy onion rings on a big platter!

Texas Pepper Jelly’s onion rings are especially good. They’re not that hard to make, either. Heck, cutting up the onion is the hardest part!

Here’s how to make onion rings, Texas Pepper Jelly style.

Ingredients:

4-5 large onions (We use Vidalia onions)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup Craig’s BBQ Sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour (My family prefers white flour; I like whole wheat. Usually I mix it.)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (Regular salt is ok)
Dash black pepper
Dash garlic powder
Dash oregano
Cooking oil, a few inches, in a heavy skillet or pot

What to do:

Line a cookie sheet with a double layer of paper towels.

Peel and slice the onions and cut into rings. Separate all the rings. (Thickness of rings is up to you.)

I discard those weird onion centers, but some people like them. Your call.

In a shallow bowl, mix all the ingredients (except the onions and oil) thoroughly. If you need more liquid, add more beer. If you need more substance, add flour until it feels right. Your batter should have the consistency of pancake batter.

Using tongs, pick up each onion ring and dip it into the batter. Turn them over to make sure the rings are completely coated. Don’t try to cook all the rings at once; do just a few at a time. If you try to do too many at once, some will burn and you will get nervous, and nervous people should not be working near hot oil!

Do not allow small children to come near the stove or prep area. Cooking with hot oil is not for children!

Fry the onion rings until golden, and turn them when necessary. Each ring should take about 5 minutes, maybe a little less, maybe a little more. You must not leave the stove while the rings are frying, not even for a minute! Deep-fried foods cook FAST, and the cook must be calm throughout the process.

Remove the golden brown onion rings with tongs and put them on the paper towel-covered surface. Sprinkle with a little more salt if you wish, and serve as quickly as possible.

If your sliced onions seem to be “rejecting” the batter, sprinkle a little dry flour on them before dipping into the batter. Some onions are more accepting than others.

Set out some Texas Pepper Jelly products – onion rings are great for dipping!

When all the onion rings are done, let the oil cook completely and throw it out. It won’t be good for anything else.

Category: BBQ, Craig's BBQ Sauce, Spicy side dishes, Texas Cookin' Tips, Texas Pepper Jelly, TPJ Recipes | Tags: beer, buttermilk, Craig's BBQ Sauce, deep fat frying, flour, fried foods, garlic, hot oil, hot oil safety, onion rings, oregano, platter of golden onion rings, safety, Texas style

Craig’s BBQ Sauce: Baked Oven Chicken

Craig Sharry | March 23, 2014

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We had the yummiest dinner tonight! I took two frozen solid chicken breasts out of the freezer, put them in a small casserole dish, covered them with Craig’s BBQ Sauce and onion bits, covered the dish, and put it in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half. (An hour if your chicken isn’t frozen.)

There is something about Craig’s BBQ Sauce that turns any and every kind of meat into a gourmet delight, but I think my children love it on chicken the best. My husband and I love it on pork almost as well, but tonight we had chicken. I say “had” because there’s not a trace of it left over.

There’s a little corn and a handful of peas left over. There’re even a couple of yeast rolls left over. (We did eat all the baked potatoes.)

We are big barbecue sauce fans, but Craig’s BBQ Sauce out-performs every other kind I’ve ever tried and served. My husband and kids agree, and believe me, we don’t always have a 100% consensus on food. This time, however, everyone at the table agreed: best barbecue sauce EVER.

Craig’s BBQ Sauce is the most delicious bbq sauce you will ever have on your table. Hands-down, no other brand comes even close.

I may have emailed the picture of our dinner to the kids, who ate elsewhere tonight. I might have bragged about how good it was, and I seem to remember telling them that their fast food with friends was probably good, too.

I don’t think they fell for it. They were a little upset about that “no leftover bbq chicken” thing, too.

But honestly, when you use Craig’s BBQ Sauce on your chicken, no sane person would ever expect leftovers!

Category: BBQ, Craig Sharry, Craig's BBQ Sauce | Tags: barbecue sauce, Barbecued oven chicken, BBQ chicken, bbq pork, Craig's BBQ Sauce, Craig's BBQ Sauce is the BEST, delicious bbq sauce, oven chicken

Texas Pepper Jelly Presents: Party Rice!

Craig Sharry | March 3, 2014

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Plain white rice – that’s what you’ll start with. Cook the rice in the ordinary way. The extraordinary part comes afterwards.

The thing that makes your bowl of ordinary white rice so extraordinary falls under our category of “sometimes the simplest things are the greatest thing.” This recipe is a perfect example of that very simplicity, and the result is delicious, nutritious, and looks like you’ve slaved over it for hours.

To your bowl of plain white rice, add a cup of Texas Pepper Jelly – any flavor. Then add 1/2 cup of diced fruit that goes with your pepper jelly flavor. Diced apples with Apple Habanero. . . . shredded pineapple with Pineapple Habanero, etc.

Mix it up and put it on the table. Do not count on any leftovers. There won’t be any.

My husband has me whip up a batch of Party Rice as a late-night snack sometimes. Last night, for instance. Well, he found those few strawberries in the refrigerator and that jar of Strawberry Jalapeno pepper jelly in the pantry and figured it was an omen. And it was.

Texas Pepper Jelly’s Party Rice is seriously delicious. It’s good for you, too. I prefer it warm, but the kids like it ice cold.

It’s just so simple, but people will compliment you and mention how it must have taken you hours.

I’ll say it again: sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

Texas Pepper Jelly’s Party Rice is one of them.

Category: Spicy side dishes, Texas Cookin' Tips, Texas Pepper Jelly, TPJ Recipes | Tags: Apple Habanero, easy recipes, Party Rice, Pineapple Habanero, simple recipes, spicy rice, Strawberry Jalapeno, Texas Pepper Jelly, white rice

Crockpot Applesauce? Yes, Please.

Craig Sharry | February 21, 2014

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Who doesn’t like applesauce? Texas Pepper Jelly’s crockpot applesauce is the best you’ll ever eat – no exaggeration!

Our applesauce recipe is versatile, too; you can change the flavor of the applesauce by changing the flavor of the pepperjelly you add to it!

My family especially likes crockpot applesauce made with Apple Habanero pepper jelly.

Ingredients:

10 large Granny Smith Apples (You can use any kind of apple, but Granny Smith makes the best applesauce.)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (squeeze a real lemon)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Texas Pepper Jelly’s Apple Habanero Pepper Jelly
1/2 cup Truvia

What to do:

Peel, core, and dice the apples. Put them in your crockpot, and add everything else EXCEPT THE TRUVIA. Mix thoroughly.

Turn your slow cooker to “low” and set your timer for about six hours. Stir mixture occasionally. When you think it’s done (it’s done when you think it’s done!), stir it vigorously. If you think it’s still a bit lumpy, use a whisk on it. We like the lumps, but some people demand smooth applesauce. Either way, it’s delicious. Don’t use a mixer; it’ll be watery. Add the Truvia a little at a time, stirring between the adding. You might not need the full amount, or you might want more. Applesauce can get personal.

Once you get it exactly as you want it, put it in Tupperware and store it in the refrigerator. It’ll keep in there for a month. You can freeze this applesauce, too.

Eat up. It’s good for you.

Next time you make applesauce, use a different Texas Pepper Jelly flavor. Turn the making of applesauce into an art form.

Some people throw the apple peelings into the crockpot. I like this myself, but my kids don’t. As for you. . . . suit yourself!

However you choose to sweeten or flavor this applesauce, it’ll be the most delicious to ever grace your table. If your family can stop raiding the refrigerator long enough for you to set a bowl of applesauce on the table, that is.

Category: crockpot meals, Slow cooker delights, Texas Pepper Jelly, Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Habanero Pepper Jelly, crockpot applesauce, pepper jelly, spicy applesauce, Spicy desserts, Spicy side dishes, Texas Pepper Jelly, versatile applesauce recipe

« Older Entries Recent Entries »

Texas-Style Deviled Eggs for Barbecue Month!

May is Barbecue Month!

The Aroma of Good Barbecue is Irresistible!

Spicy Pineapple Salsa – YUM!

Texas-Style Salmon Patties

More Spicy Sloppy Joes from Texas Pepper Jelly!

Onion Rings – Texas Style!

Craig’s BBQ Sauce: Baked Oven Chicken

Texas Pepper Jelly Presents: Party Rice!

Crockpot Applesauce? Yes, Please.

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