MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN DILLY DALLY POTATO SALAD MONDAY 05-21-18 1:34
Don’t dilly dally or you’ll miss what we are making today and we wouldn’t want that now would we?
With Memorial Day right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what new side dishes we’re going to be serving at this year’s picnics and barbeques. Of course, we’re not giving up all our old favorites, but by adding a new one to the mix it keeps things exciting. And the one we’re sharing with you today is diabetic-friendly and summertime fresh. We start out cooking about two pounds of red skinned potatoes until they are tender, but not mushy. After we drain them, we let them sit for a bit while we mix together some low-fat plain yogurt, a bit of mayonnaise, a squirt of Dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar and a few spices. After cutting the potatoes into chunks, we add them to our dressing and some diced celery, chopped red onion and some fresh chopped dill. We toss this all together before popping it in the fridge to chill for a bit. You see with the fresh dill, the accent of the mustard, the vinegar and the tang of the yogurt, this has everything to make it the star of this weekend’s holiday bash. So what do you say you go online and get the recipe for what we call, “Dilly Dally Potato Salad,” And no one has to know it’s diabetic-friendly since it’s so big on taste. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “fresher and brighter way” for you to say ...”OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN EXTRA CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN TUESDAY 05-22-18
1:23
It’s time to shake up your Memorial Day menu with a dish that’s good hot or cold and is always welcome. Any ideas about what it is?
With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, many of us are starting to think about what we can serve when the family comes over. If you’re like me, you want something that you can make ahead, something that’ll feed a crowd, and of course, something that’s really tasty. How about fried chicken that’s so crispy your relatives sitting across from you can hear the crunch? We start by bathing some cut-up, bone-in chicken in a mixture of milk mixed with a beaten egg. From there, we dip the chicken into seasoned flour and once it’s coated, gently shake off the excess flour. Before we add our chicken to the hot oil, we want to make sure the temperature is about 350 degrees F. This way, it’ll cook evenly inside and out. After it’s cooked, we let it drain for a second on a wire rack and it’s ready to dig into. You can also make this a day or so ahead and serve it chilled or simply heat it up in a warm oven right beforeserving it. Talk about a main dish that’ll be welcomed with open arms! Of course, you’ll want to team this with the typical go-alongs. To get your hands on the recipe for our, “Extra Crispy Fried Chicken,” head over to our website. I’m Howard, with Kelly in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “crispy-crunchy way” for you to say…”OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN GARBAGE PASTA SALAD WEDNESDAY05-23-18
1:26
Today we’re talking trashnot that kind of trash but the good kind. It’ll all make sense, I promise.
With Memorial Day right around the corner we’re on the home stretch of planning what we should serve when the gang gets together. And if you’re the one in charge of making a side dish, then you might want to pay close attention because today we’re making a pasta salad that uses anything you have on hand. The first thing we do is cook a package of rainbow pasta until it’s tender. Once it’s cool we start adding all sorts of stuff. Everything from cauliflower and broccoli, to red onions and chunks of cheddar. We even added sliced pepperoni and black olives to give it even more flavor. You see, this is one of those what they call “Garbage recipes” where you can add whatever you have on hand. This way, the stuff that’s just sitting in your fridge will go to good use and not end up in the trash. Then we toss the whole thing with some Italian dressing and pop it in the fridge. And don’t let how simple it is fool you. You see the dressing brings all the flavors together and the pepperoni and the cheese adds a nice surprise. To get the recipe for what we call, “Garbage Pasta Salad,” go online and while you’re there make sure you check our free e-cookbook that’s loaded with our best deli salads. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “simple way” for you to say … “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN ICE BOX STRAWBERRY THURSDAY 05-24-18
SHORTCAKE BARS 1:26
Today I’m taking a trip down memory lane with a dessert that my neighbor made for me when I was a kid. It’s an oldie, but goodie!
Today, I want to share a recipe that my neighbor, Mrs. D., used to make every summer when I was growing up. It wasn’t fancy, as a matter of fact, it was pretty simple, which is what made it so good. It’s been years since I last had it, and Mrs. D is no longer with us, so here’s my rendition of it based on lots of good memories. To make the crust we combine some finely crushed sugar cookies with melted butter. This gets pressed into a 9 x13-inch pan and gets baked off. Next, we beat together some heavy cream with granulated sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Now to that, we add some cream cheese and whip it up until it’s nice and fluffy. At this point, grab a rubber spatula and fold in lots of sliced fresh strawberries. All of this goodness now goes on top of our cooled crust and into the fridge it goes to firm up. I can still remember how she topped each piece with extra berries. To get the cool and refreshing recipe for Mrs. D’s “Icebox Strawberry Shortcake Bars,” all you have to do is stop by our website. I bet this would be perfect for any Memorial Day get-together. I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “berry easy way” for you to say… “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN THE ULTIMATE HERO BURGER FRIDAY 05-25-18 1:32
Want to be a Hero this holiday weekend, we have a way to help you do just that.
When we think of Memorial Day, most of the time we think of backyard get-togethers, maybe a mattress sale, and of course, lots of food. However, I want to make sure that we don’t lose sight of what the day is truly about. Remembering those who gave of their life so we can live in freedom. With that being said, I want to share a recipe for what I call the “The Ultimate Hero Burger.” Up until recently, I would start by buying a big package of ground beef and forming it into burgers, and then cooking them off. They were good, but when I have a bunch of people over, I’ve found it’s a lot easier to use premium frozen burgers since I can cook them right from the freezer. That way there is no waste and it saves me prep time. After testing a bunch of different brands, we came across one, called the Hero Burger, which donates a portion of the proceeds to help veterans and their families. Pretty cool, huh? Once they’re cooked to our liking, we melt some cheese on them, and place them on buns that we’ve already topped with lettuce, tomato, and caramelized onions. Then, we finish each one with sliced pickles, crispy bacon, and our tasty 5-star mayo. You better open wide because these are big in size and flavor. To get the recipe for what we call the “The Ultimate Hero Burger,” simply visit our website. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “memorable way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN PATRIOTIC BLUEBERRY MONDAY 05-28-18
PIE PARFAITS 1:26
We’re celebrating this Memorial Day with a decorative dessert that comes together in no time. So stick around.
Happy Memorial Day! Did you know that back in the mid 1800’s Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day? It was named that because after the Civil War, people gathered on this day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. So to honor all the men and women who gave their lives so we can live in freedom, we created a decorative dessert in their memory. After cutting a blueberry pie into slices, we cut each slice into chunks. As for the pie, that can be a frozen one that we cook and cool, or a pre-baked one. Now to build our parfaits, we place a piece of pie in the bottom of each parfait glass, and top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. On top of that goes another layer of pie, more ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping. And to make these patriotic, we drizzle on some strawberry ice cream topping and finish it with a strawberry and an American flag. What a nice and refreshing change-of-pace dessert to add to your Memorial Day or any day’s dessert line-up. So don’t skip a beat, go online and get the recipe for what we call, “Patriotic Blueberry Pie Parfaits.” This way you’ll have a decadent and decorative dessert on hand to kick off summer. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we honor those who served in our military and gave of themselves so we can live a life filled with lots of…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN CHILI DOG BUBBLE BAKE TUESDAY 05-29-18 1:24
Memorial Day weekend might be over, but that doesn’t mean our love of hotdogs is over too. We’ve got a way to dress them up so you can serve them for dinner this week.
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. If you’re like most Americans, you probably had hotdogs yesterday, as we kicked off the unofficial start to summer. If you have a few dogs left over, grilled or not, we have an easy way to turn them into a fill-you-up casserole that’s comfort at its best. The first thing we want to do is cut about 8 hotdogs into half inch chunks. And as I said, these can be ones that you’ve already grilled or right out of the package. Now, we add those to a couple cans of chili, along some chopped onion. After mixing this well, we sprinkle it with lots of cheddar cheese. To make this a real showstopper, we top this with a package of refrigerated biscuits that we’ve cut up and tossed with butter, before popping it in the oven. This is the perfect dish to turn those leftover hotdogs into a hearty summertime casserole that’s always welcome. When this comes out of the oven, smothered with cheese and topped with buttery biscuits, it’s nearly impossible to resist. The recipe for what we call “Chili Dog Bubble Bake” is online now and is one of those recipes that you’re going to want to hold on to all summer long. I’m Howard, with Kelly in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “comforting summer-time way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN COCONUT-CRUSTED WEDNESDAY 05-30-18
PORK CHOPS 1:22
Today we’re going nuts in the Test Kitchen, nuts for coconut that is.
There’s just something about coconuts that makes us smile. Maybe it’s because we associate them with those fancy tropical drinks that we have on vacation while sitting next to the pool. Or, it could be from fond memories of digging into a decadent coconut cream pie, or cake, that our mom used to make for special occasions. But for those of you who’ve never enjoyed coconut beyond that you’re missing out. So let me introduce you to coconut in a whole new way. All we do is bread a few thick-cut pork chops with some panko bread crumbs mixed with shredded coconut, and a few spices. After coating them with cooking spray, we bake them off, while we throw together a fresh tasting pineapple salsa that goes together in no time. I think we could serve this on bricks and it would taste good. Once the chops are cooked to at least medium and the breading begins to get crispy, it’s done. Then we spoon our pineapple salsa over them and dig in. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it. So what do you say, you go online and get the recipe for our “Coconut-Crusted Pork Chops,” with the Pineapple Salsa because one bite is all it takes to have you smiling from ear to ear. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “coconutty fresh way” for you to say (bite) …“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN THE ULTIMATE TUNA MELT THURSDAY05-31-18
1:34
You’ve probably had this in a diner and maybe at home when you didn’t know what else to make. Wondering what it is? Stick around, we’ll show you.
Every once in a while we choose a recipe that seems so simple you might think, “Who needs a recipe for that?” Today’s recipe might sound like one of those, but once you taste it, you’ll understand why it’s so special. First of all, when it comes to buying tuna, I don’t believe that all tuna is equal. Maybe I’m a tuna snob or it’s just the way I grew up with, but for me, tuna should be white, solid and packed in water. And then, it needs to be drained really well. You can do that by pressing the lid into the can or you can pick up one of these tuna presses, which make this a breeze. After it’s flaked, we add some mayo, and then to make this the ultimate tuna melt some Italian dressing and sweet relish. After it’s mixed, we place a few slices of tomatoes on some rye bread, top it with the tuna, and layer on some cheddar cheese. When this gets baked just long enough for the cheese to melt and the bread to get all toasty, it’s done! And since we leave this topless, it’s best to eat this with a fork and knife. The recipe for what we call “The Ultimate Tuna Melt,” is on our website, and would be perfect to serve with a bowl of soup and some chips. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “basic, yet tasty way” for you to say …“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN ALL-IN-ONE ITALIAN BAKE FRIDAY 06-01-18
1:31
It’s National Dairy Month, so make sure you join us, and don’t forget to bring your appetite!
Here in the Test Kitchen, we’re always looking for new ideas to help you add excitement to your meals. Well, with June being National Dairy Month, there’s no better time than right now to check out what the dairy case has to offer. In fact, the next time you go shopping, do yourself a favor and spend a few extra minutes to see what inspires you. We’ve picked up a variety of traditional and Greek yogurts and tried them in all sorts of dishes. They can add a creamy, exotic taste to almost anything. Plus, they’re good for us! When it comes to milk options there’s everything from fat-free and lactose-free ones to all the nut and soy-varieties. That means there’s something for everyone. If you’ve never added chip dip, sour cream, or cottage cheese to your recipes, then it’s time to give it a try. So in celebration of National Dairy Month, we’ve created a casserole that highlights many of these favorites. The filling features cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and Parmesan cheese with a few spices. We layer that with a saucy meat mixture and finish it with refrigerated French bread dough and some shredded mozzarella. Once it’s baked, get ready to dig into lots of creamy, meaty goodness. To get the recipe for what we call our “All-In-One Italian Bake,” simply visit our website. And don’t forget to check out your dairy case for inspiration. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “dairy-licious way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”