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grilling

Tequila Lime Chicken with Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole

May 20, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

I have no problem pretending that some days of the week are food holidays as an excuse to make celebratory food. Life is short. I don’t need rules that say it can’t be just like Super Bowl Sunday or St. Patrick’s Day.

In fact, I declare today a Cinco de Mayo again just so you can make an excuse to prepare Tequila Lime Chicken with Homemade Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole. Grab a cold Tecate and your sombrero because you’ve got some serious kitchen cooking to do!

Topped with homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, and crushed tortilla chips for crunch, Pioneer Woman’s Tequila Lime Chicken goes well with a chilled Mexican beer or my Grilled Pineapple Peach Margarita made with silver tequila.

This grilled chicken dinner is multi-step but worth every moment. Seriously, have you ever purchased store bought guacamole or tried to find pico de gallo on a grocery store’s salad bar? The guacamole tastes artificial and tends to have a mouse-like texture and salad bar pico de gallo is incredibly watery. Fresh is best so don’t hesitate from making homemade guacamole and pico de gallo because the freshness of each one elevates the flavor of this dish.

First, prepare the pico de gallo in advance. Combine equal amounts of diced tomato, white onion, cilantro, and one seeded jalapeno. (Leave the seeds and pulp inside the jalapeno if you prefer more heat.) Once mixed, squeeze a half of a lime into the bowl and mix again to incorporate the juice well.

Now, let’s make the fresh guacamole. Learn how to pick out the perfect avocado here. Take your knife around the outside of each avocado and carefully remove the pit of each one. There’s a new trend called Avocado Hand. Don’t let it happen to you. Be careful! Use a knife to carefully a circle around the outside of the avocado and then cut each half into diced squares so you can scoop the avocado meat out with a spoon into the bowl. Once you’ve added the avocado to the a large bowl, add enough of the pico de gallo to the bowl and mix it gently so you leave it chunky.

Cover the guacamole bowl with plastic wrap and make sure to press the plastic against the guacamole to form a tight seal. This method, and the lime juice in the guacamole, will keep it from browning too dark and it will keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Extra guacamole is a good thing. Serve with tortilla scoops chips and a fresh lime wedge.

Finally, let’s tackle the main entree Tequila Lime Chicken. Full disclosure here: this is not my recipe but instead Ree Drummond’s (Pioneer Woman’s) recipe. Her recipe requires you to use a food processor to prepare a creamy tequila based marinade and pour it into a Ziplock bag and then refrigerating it for several hours. You could also use a blender in a pinch.

While you could certainly use a mesquite flavored tequila like Jose Cuervo, I prefer a lighter silver tequila. I can thank college for that preference.
Add all marinade ingredients into a food processor.
Combine marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend well. You don’t want garlic chunks.
Add chicken breasts to marinade.

The alcohol will cook out of the marinade once the chicken is grilled but the flavor will linger. Later, you’ll remove the chicken from the bag and and grill it over medium high heat 4-5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest a couple of minutes before serving it topped with sprinkled taco cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Crumble tortilla chips in your hand add sprinkle them on top for added crunch. Don’t forget a wedge of lime on the side to squeeze on top of the entire plate!

Optional sides could include warmed black beans and Mexican rice with folded flour tortillas. Use some of that extra tequila to make my recipe for Grilled Pineapple and Peach Tequila Cocktail.

Mexican food is one of the best culinary experiences that people can have. -Karla Souza

Let me know what you think of these recipes in the comments section below. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Again.

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Taste Tagged With: alcohol, avocado, blender, cheese, chicken breasts, cilantro, Cinco de Mayo, cocktail, condiments, corn tortilla, Cuervo, Cuisinart, fiesta, food processor, garlic, grill, grilled, grilling, guacamole, herbs, hispanic, holiday, jalapeno, lime, lime juice, lime wedge, margarita, marinade, mexican, olive oil, onion, peach, pepper, pico de gallo, pineapple, pioneer woman, plastic wrap, salt and pepper, tequila, tomato, vegetables

How To Make the BEST Hobo Dinners

July 26, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

When visiting my boyfriend’s family in Upstate New York the first time, I heard them say we were going to make “hobos” over an open fire. Hobo dinners in Girl Scouts meant that you stuffed meat, potatoes, and canned veggies in a foil pouch and cooked it camp side, which were just okay. So, I wasn’t all too excited to for this family’s hobo dinners. But that all changed when I tasted the delicious, ooey-gooey sandwich that came from a scalding hot pie iron that night. How do you make the BEST hobo dinner? You have a family competition and sample everyone’s sandwich!

Someone in his family declared it a major competition and the prize was a certificate. We were a competitive bunch and I really wanted to win to prove myself as the outsider. While our take on the reuben sandwich didn’t win first place, it received rave reviews. The key was to use homemade sauerkraut, deli cut corned beef, sliced Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on light rye sandwich bread.

The winner of the hobo cook-off  in the Sandwich Dinner Category was a copycat version of McDonald’s Bic Mac. It’s layered seasoned ground beef (cooked), cheese, shredded lettuce, thin sliced pickle, and special sauce. DON’T FORGET THE PICKLE! Everyone agrees that the pickle makes the hobo dinner taste just like, or better than, the McDonald’s sandwich.

If my memory serves me correctly, an after-dinner treat made with blueberries, coconut, and white chocolate won best bite in the Dessert Hobo Category.

The flavor combinations are potentially endless and that’s what so fun about eating them around a fire with family and friends. Add the backdrop of tall trees, chill music, and a cold craft beer  then the night is just about perfect. (I also wrote a post on Upstate New York breweries, if you’re interested some seriously well-made beer.) There are a few necessary tips that you must follow to ensure a well-fired sandwich.

pie-irons
You can purchase a pie iron, or double version of one, at any big box outdoors store for around twenty dollars. This photo was taken at Cabella’s.

Tip #1: Close the latch on the pie iron while it’s still empty. Place it on hot coals or logs for at least 5-10 minutes to warm up. Stainless steal pie irons don’t cook your sandwich the right way and often burn the contents. Use cast iron every time!

Tip #2: Remove the pre-heated pie iron from the fire and rest it on a block of wood or another safe, flat surface. Open it and spray it with cooking spray thoroughly.

Tip #3: Line each side of the pie iron with sandwich bread and begin topping it with your choice of meats and cheeses. You must use cheese! Think of it like a grilled cheese on steroids.

hobo-dinner
If it can go on a pizza, it tastes great as a “hobo.”

hobo-dinner2

Tip #4: Once your toppings (and possibly squeezed mayo, mustard, dressing) are loaded, close and fasten the pie iron. Place it back on the coals.

Tip #5: Turn your pie iron every 3-4 minutes. You might even need to open it and check for doneness, as every fire is different in temperature.

Final Tip #6: Try not to overcook your hobo dinner (like the one below) because you get caught up in talking and boozing. 😉 See an example below. Ha! But, seriously…it was oh so yummy. You’ll never eat just one because someone else always has a flavor combination you want to try.

hobo-dinner4

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Filed Under: Sandwiches, Taste Tagged With: camp cooking, camping, fire pit, grilled cheese, grilling, hobo, hobo dinners, open fire, outdoor cooking, pie irons, pizza, sandwich

Indoor Grilled Corn with White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders

July 21, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

You know it’s hot outside when you don’t even want to grill out.

The kind of heat that zaps your energy. Even your dog doesn’t even want to go out in it. My pup gave me crazy eyes when I tried to prompt her to walk to the mailbox with me mid-afternoon. It was 102 degree here yesterday and there was no way I was going to hang out over a hot flame to make one of my summer favorites, the All-American beef burger, for dinner. Then a bright idea popped into my head and I decided to use my cast iron ridged grill pan to make Indoor Grilled Corn with White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders. Problem solved.

When it’s a scorcher outside but you still want that charred flavor, bring the fun inside and enjoy some air conditioning (and maybe a cold one if you’re so inclined) while grilling on your stovetop. You’ll need a cast iron grill pan, which can be purchased at any big box store.

Reminiscent of a Juicy Lucy burger, this meaty slider is stuffed with white sharp cheddar and goes perfectly with caramelized grilled corn.
Reminiscent of a Juicy Lucy burger, this meaty slider is stuffed with white sharp cheddar and goes perfectly with caramelized grilled corn.

Selecting fresh corn on the cob should be pretty easy, right? All the pros tell you to peel back the top of the husk and peek inside at the kernels. If the kernels are bright in color and huge, buy it. If you have a minute, remove the husks while standing in the produce section to guarantee that you’re buying healthy-looking corn.

Tip: Having trouble shucking every bit of the husk silks from the corn before grilling? Rub a new toothbrush along the kernels to remove easily remove the silk.
Tip: Having trouble shucking every bit of the husk silks from the corn before grilling? Rub a new toothbrush along the kernels to remove easily remove the silk.

After cleaning the corn, brush each cob with a light coating of olive oil. Bring the grill pan to medium high heat, turn on the vent hood on low, and grab those tongs. You’re about to make amazing caramelized corn indoors!

Since you're grilling indoors on the stove, remember to turn on the hood vent on low to catch any smoke.

Top your finished corn with a quick mixture of garlic chive butter. I used 3 T. butter with 1 tsp chopped fresh chives and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

Top your corn with any one of the season butters as listed in this butter recipe post.
Top your corn with any one of the season butters as listed in my previous post Flavored Butter 4 Ways.

Below is my recipe for White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders, which are incredibly juicy and easy to make after removing the corn from the grill pan. (You will need to reduce the heat to medium.) Prep this hamburger mixture recipe in advance of grilling the corn. Use a tip I learned from Ina Garten and mix the burger mixture with a fork and not your hands. Nobody likes a burger with the texture of a hockey puck and this tip leaves your burgers fat and juicy. Using 90-10 ground beef is less fattening so you won’t have as much smoke when grilling indoors.

Leave space between your sliders.
Leave space between your sliders.
Do you see that glorious oozy goozy cheddar cheese?
Do you see that glorious oozy goozy cheddar cheese?
grilled-corn-hamburgers6
Clearly we like ketchup at our house. The only dill pickle that makes my plate is a Claussen kosher dill spear. Their jars are packed with flavorful pickles that snap when you eat them. Save any leftover pickle juice for Saturday morning bloody marys.

onedelightfullife.com

Serves 4 sliders

Indoor Grilled Corn with White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders

If you can't take the heat, get away from the grill? Try caramelized grilled corn and juicy burgers made INDOORS!

20 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
  • 2 T. French's Chardonnay dijon mustard
  • 2 diced garlic cloves
  • 1 T Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning
  • 2 chopped slices of sharp white aged cheddar
  • heavy pinch pepper
  • 2 T. butter

Instructions

  1. Add all of your ingredients, except the butter and the cheese, into a large bowl.
  2. Slowly incorporate the ingredients using a fork-not your hands!
  3. After thoroughly mixed remove the fork and form four small burger patties with your hands.
  4. Create a divot inside each patty with your thumb and place cheddar cheese inside.
  5. Fold up the edges of each patty around the burger to re-form it. Set all four patties on a plate.
  6. Brush butter on the outside of both sides of each patty.
  7. Heat a indoor cast iron grill pan to medium heat.
  8. Place all patties in the pan and grill 5-6 minutes on each side. Don't move them until you can do so easily when nudging a spatula underneath them. Don't smash the burger with the back of the spatula either!

Notes

You can swap any cheese for the sharp white aged cheddar. The brushed on butter gives the sliders a bit of a crispier outside crust.

7.8.1.2
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Nutrition

Calories

285 cal

Fat

25 g

Carbs

2 g

Protein

14 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Filed Under: Dinner, Grilled, Taste Tagged With: cast iron, cheddar, cheese, chive, Claussen, dill pickle, garlic, garlic chive butter, grilled, grilled corn, grilling, hamburgers, herb butter, indoor grilling, sharp white cheddar, sliders, summer grilling

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Hello! I'm Vanessa. Welcome to One Delightful Life, a blog created to add more delight to your life with delicious recipes, travel destinations, and lifestyle improvement ideas. Thanks for exploring my blog!

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