Tater Tot Casserole

This is good "comfort food" on a cold, snowy or rainy day.

Ingredients:

•  3/4 lb ground beef 
  
•  1/2 lb sausage (hot)
  
•  1 can whole kernel corn
  or 1/2 pkg frozen corn
  
•  1 can pieces of mushrooms (optional)
  
•  1 can of cream of mushroom or celery soup 
  
•  1 package of shredded cheddar cheese 
  
•  1/2 an onion (chopped) 
  
•  1 bag or less of tater tots 
  

Prep:
Heat oven to 400F. While cooking ground beef till done mix together the corn, mushrooms, soup, 1/2 bag of cheese, and the onion. After ground beef is done mix all ingredients together.

Put in a well greased baking pan. Top with tater tots, and bake at 400∞ for about 30 mins.

Ten minutes before its done top with rest of cheese. Bake till tots and cheese is done. Serves about 4 people.

Variation:
For a mexican flair, use Campbell's Nacho Cheese soup (instead of the cream soup) and some frozen Santa Fe blend vegetables (black beans, corn, & broccoli instead of corn). Add 1/2 tsp chili powder to the beef, or season to your own taste.

Pete's Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

•  1 tsp. garlic powder
  
•  1 tsp. onion powder
  
•  1 Tbs. meat tenderizer
  
•  1 tsp. pepper
  
•  2 Tbs. Sam Seltzer's Steak Seasoning*
  

Marinade:

•  1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
  
•  2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  
•  1 tsp. scotch
  

Prep:
Allow steak to become room temp. Mix dry stuff (except Seltzer's) and sprinkle equal amounts on each side, one side at a time. After sprinkle, take fork and stab vigorously. Allow to sit about 20 minutes.

Mix wet stuff and pour equal amounts on each side.

Sprinkle Seltzer's equal on both sides, one side at a time. After Seltzer's take fork and pat onto surface of steak. Flip over and repeat.

Put steak on plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temp until the coals are ready.  Grill to your own taste, we like medium rare, about 4 minutes on each side.

*If you don't live in Tampa, FL and can't find the Seltzer's steak seasoning, McCormick's "Montreal Steak" will work, it's very close.

Kevin's Spicy Meatloaf

Ingredients:

•  2 eggs
  
•  1 1/2 stacks of saltine crackers, finely crushed
  
•  1 tsp salt
  
•  1/2 tsp sage
  
•  1/4 to 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
  
•  1/4/ to 1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
  
•  1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
  
•  1 to 2 dashes hot seasoning (paprika, chili powder, Bam!, etc.)
  

Meats:

•  1 lb lean hamburger (or ground turkey works well) 
  
•  1/2 lb ground pork sausage (medium or hot, mild isn't strong enough)
  

topping:

•  1/2 cup catsup
  
•  1 Tbl hot mustard (oriental or horseradish)
  
•  1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
  
•  1 Tbl brown sugar
  

Prep:
Mix the first 7 ingredients (everything but the meats) well, then drizzle enough milk to make it the consistency of hamburger. It should not be dry or too mushy.

Knead and mix by hand until the loaf looks like ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide in 2 balls and make oblong loaves about 1 1/2 inch high. Place in a 13 x 9 pan (with baking potatoes, if you are making them) and bake for 1 hour @ 350 degrees.

About 15 mins before the meatloaf is done, coat the with the topping and put it back in the oven to finish.

BBQ Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
BBQ Beef Brisket, point end

•  3-4 lb point end brisket, nicely marbled w/ fat left on one side.
  
• Marinade
  
•  1 tsp cayenne
  
•  1 TB paprika
  
•  3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  
•  3 tsp brown sugar (lite)
  
•  1 TB parsley
  
•  1 TB oregano
  
•  1 tsp red pepper seeds
  
•  1 tsp meat tenderizer
  
•  1 tsp garlic/pepper blend steak seasoning
  
•  1 TB salt
  
•  1 tsp pepper
  
•  1 TB vinegar
  
•  1/2 cup pureed grape or cherry tomatoes
  
•  1 TB worcestershire
  

Prep:
Line a bowl large enough to hold the meat with enough plastic wrap to completely wrap the meat.

Mix dry ingredients and rub directly onto meat. Mix wet ingredients together and spoon over and under the meat. Wrap the meat tightly in the plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.Marinate for at least an hour (up to overnight).
Soak wood chips (hickory or mesquite) in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Spray brisket with non-stick cooking spray to help seal in the juices.
If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, you will need to add coals about once an hour. For a 22" grill, start with 25 coals on each side of the grill and a drip pan below the meat. Add 8 coals to each side every hour to prolong the cooking time. Add a handfull of wood chips every 30 minutes and to give the fire a chance to "perk up."

Mop the brisket with your favorite mopping sauce. Mopping sauce should have a vinegar/acidic base to break down the connective tissue, but no sugar which will burn. For this, I used:

Mopping Sauce Ingredients:

•  1/4 cup vinegar
  
•  1 tsp worcestershire
  
•  1 tsp habanero salsa
  
•  several drops of Tabasco sauce
  
•  1 cup coffee (no cream or sugar!)
  

Smoke for 1 to 1 1/4 hour per pound.