Bread Pudding with Pecans, and Whiskey

I did not use a recipe for this, I simply flew by my pants, from memory here is the approximate ingredients.

6-7 Large Cinnamon Rolls (I make this when I have leftover stale rolls)
4 Hamburger buns, Hawaiian rolls or brioche bread
6-7 Whole eggs
2 Cups whole milk or half and half
1/2 cup or so of Pecan Pieces
2 handfuls of Coconut (optional)
1 cup Raisins (optional)
4 tbsp of Whiskey (or more)
1 tbsp of Vanilla
3/4 Cup of white sugar
1/2 Cup of brown sugar
1 1/2  tsp Cinnamon or to taste.
1 tsp nutmeg


Break up rolls and bread into bite-sized piece into a buttered or non-stick medium casserole dish. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl adding the Pecans, coconut and or raisins last. Pour Mixture over the bread items and hand toss to distribute evenly. Pat down the mixture so all liquids soak in. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean, do not over baker.

You can make a drizzle glaze from brown sugar, butter, and whiskey with a little vanilla. You can also serve this with just a little cream.


This is a dish made from leftover breakfast sweets and bread. Although you can use any bread item, I prefer to make this dish when I have a significant number of stale cinnamon rolls. Softer bread such as hot dog buns, hamburger buns mixed with the cinnamon rolls is a winner. Other types of bread such as brioche or Hawaiian sweet rolls would be perfect as well.

Smoked Pulled Pork Enchiladas (leftovers)

So this is a dish made from leftovers, I always sneak a bag of pulled pork or chicken away into the freezer for this very purpose. I am not trying to remake the wheel here so I am using canned enchilada sauce, if you make and freeze your own then you are a superstar.

4 Cups Pulled Pork (leftover)
1 Onion diced
1 Bulb Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 Poblano pepper, charred, peeled and diced
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
*1-1 1/2 Tsp Seasoning Mix
Corn Tortillas
Red Enchilada Sauce
Green Enchilada Sauce
Shredded Cheese blend or Oaxacan cheese and Cheddar shredded and blended.

Place the thawed pulled pork in a crockpot with diced onion, minced garlic, dice Poblano peppers, seasoning, and chicken stock. Heat on high for about 2 hours. Warm the enchilada sauce, dip each tortilla into the sauce, fill with pork and roll placing each enchilada seam side down in a casserole dish. I do one side of red sauce enchiladas and one side of the green sauce. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Top with the cheese halfway through cooking.  Bake at 3:50 for 30 Minutes.

Seasoning Mix:
1/4 Tsp Cayenne
1/4 Tsp Coriander
1/4 Tsp Oregano (Mexican)
1/4 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Paprika
Save the rest for something else

Slap Yourself Smothered Pork Chops

6 Bone in Pork Chops
1 Bulb Fresh Garlic, minced
5 Ribs of Celery chopped
2 Medium Onions, slivered
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper, slivered
1 Pound of Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Flour
4 Cups Chicken or Turkey Stock (I Use Better than Bullion Brand) Salt source
Cracked Black Pepper enough to season chops while searing
1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix (salt source)
1 Tbsp Smother Seasoning
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley or Celery Leaves
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoon Oil

Smother Seasoning
This is a basic blackening seasoning. I use Sensational Seasoning salt-free Cajun Blackening.
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp White Pepper
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Ground Oregano

This along with black/white pepper, onion/garlic powder is a basic chicken seasoning. I have a salt free mix by Marion Kay spice 99x chicken seasoning with these ingredients.
1/2 Tsp Ground Sage
1/4 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Tsp Ground Savory
1/2 Tsp Ground Thyme
1/2 Tsp Ground Marjoram
1/2 Tsp Ground Bay Leaves
(Do not add Salt)

Mix both spice list together, do not add salt. Now you have a good smother seasoning that works great on smothered turkey wings or baked chicken. Use a heaping tablespoon in the smothered pork chops and store the rest. 

Plug in a Large Crockpot on high. Heat Oil and butter in a skillet and sear off pork chops, season generously with black pepper. Transfer chops to crock pot.

Add flour to skillet and cook flour while whisking, add stock and whisk scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add Smother Seasoning and Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Bring to a bubbling simmer, pour the sauce over the chops (scrape the pan with a spatula and get all of that good sauce).

Clean pan and add 2 tablespoons butter and oil and sear mushrooms on medium high heat, turn down the heat, add celery, onion and bell pepper, saute another minute.

Transfer everything into the crock pot. Lastly add in the garlic, raw along with the parsley/celery leaves.

Note:  Salt in the recipe comes from two sources, the chicken stock, and the Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Don't add any additional salt.

Cook on High for 5 hours. Walk away at this point, come back hours later with a pan of fluffy rice and enjoy... it is okay to cry when you taste it.

Tip: If the gravy is not thick enough, make a cornstarch slurry, stir into the gravy about 30 minutes before plating.

My Old School Lipton Onion Meatloaf

This recipe is the very first meatloaf recipe I ever created, I was about 17 when I first made this. It follows a lot of the ideas from the Lipton Onion Soup box recipe with my own twist thrown into it.

3 Pounds Ground Beef (lean)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley/or chop the leaves from the celery
3 Cloves of garlic smashed and minced
1 Tsp black pepper
1  1/2 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
5 slices of white bread cut into little cubes, you can dry these out first if you like
2 Eggs

Wash and finely chop your celery, bell pepper, and onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut bread into cubes (it is easiest to do in a stacked grid pattern). Crumble the ground beef into a large mixing bowl 

Add all ingredients to the bowl, using two large forks toss everything together distributing evenly. Use one fork to make sure it is well mixed in a raking and tossing pattern (do not mash the mix, mashing makes meat tough and it can end up dry).

Scoop half of the meat blend into a loaf pan. You have enough to freeze the remainder for a second loaf or make a large meatloaf for a crowd. I press the meatloaf firmly to the sides so the glazed doesn't fall off.

I freeze the other half of the meatloaf for a second loaf. (my personal time hack)

Glaze
1 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

This is a super easy topping for this meatloaf. I cook the meatloaf halfway, then pour and spread this glaze on top.