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beef

The Funky Java Burger

June 6, 2020 by Cody

The Funky Java burger is stacked with bleu cheese, cinnamon apples, caramelized red onions, and espresso rub to create an explosion of flavor!

The Funky Java burger is stacked with bleu cheese, cinnamon apples, caramelized red onions, and espresso rub to create an explosion of flavor!

Several years ago, I spent the weekend in St. Louis for a good friend’s bachelor party. Typical guy’s trip……ball game, casino, good times, and we ate some good food!!  One place, Bailey’s Range, was legit! With top-notch burgers, scratch shakes, and a couple dozen local beers on tap, we got comfortable for a bit.  

My wife was pregnant at the time, so I wasn’t really drinking.  It “takes two to tango” and I’m not the type of dude to leave a friend hanging on the outside of a good time when I partly put them there. She has been one of my best friends from the get, so I didn’t consume alcohol and followed the pregnant diet for nine(ish) months; which was easy except for the constant batches of muffins. I couldn’t hang with her on those and that didn’t seem to bother her in the least.  Anyway, since I wasn’t balancing the liquid diet on this trip, my inner foodie was going wild! 

This place has a revolving menu with weekly burger battles so this burger isn’t there anymore, but it was. And it was amazing! It sounds crazy, I know.  Trust me, though, just go for it!  

The Burger & Coffee

This is a perfectly balanced half pound burger! The espresso creates a very robust sear on the meat.  Therefore, my favorite cooking method for these is the flat iron grill or cast iron.  This method helps create the perfect glazed coffee crust. If you decide to downsize the burger, consider dialing back on the espresso as well.  I’ve made these on 1/3 lb patties and it can be easy for the coffee to become overwhelming with a slight bitterness when dealing with smaller burgers. 

The Funky Java Burger

The Funky Java burger is stacked with bleu cheese, cinnamon apples, caramelized red onions, and espresso rub to create an explosion of flavor!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 brioche buns
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tbs sugar
  • 4 tsp espresso
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Patty the meat into two, 1/2 lb patties. Salt & Pepper to taste and rub 1 tsp of espresso onto each side. Cook to your preference over medium high.
  2. While the burgers are cooking, caramelize the onions by placing them in a skillet, over medium heat.
  3. For the apples: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Core/chop the apple. Mix the cinnamon and sugar well. Liberally cover the apples and place them in the skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft and golden brown.
  4. As soon as the burgers are removed from the heat, top them with equal amounts of bleu cheese (1/8 cup each) allowing it to soften slightly.
  5. Toast the brioche buns and place the burgers on the bottom halves. Equally cover the burgers with the fried apples and caramelized onions.

Notes

If you have a hard time balancing things in the kitchen, simply prepare the onions and apples prior prior to the meat and keep them warm until time to serve.

© Cody
For other delicious burger recipes, check out The Triple Stack Burger and PB&J Burger.

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dish Tagged With: beef, bleu cheese, caramelized onions, espresso, fried apples

The Best Chili Recipe

March 6, 2020 by Cody

Look no further!! With double meat and just the right amount of spice, this is the Best Chili Recipe!

Look no further!! With double meat and just the right amount of spice, this is the Best Chili Recipe!

About ten years ago, a friend of mine was talking about his delicious chili recipe.  He was hyping it up to the max.  Even taking it so far as to say, “It’s probably the best chili you’ve ever had in your life!” So, obviously, I had to try this stuff.  Lo and behold, it was the best chili I had ever tasted! 

The Best Chili Recipe

Look no further!! With double meat and just the right amount of spice, this is the Best Chili Recipe!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb sirloin steak
  • 1 onion
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 tbsp fire roasted green chile peppers
  • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can dark kidney beans
  • 1 can light kidney beans
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 packet chili seasoning
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a Dutch oven (or pot) over medium/medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef first, using a small portion of the chili seasoning to add some flavor to the meat. Salt and pepper the steak to taste and thinly slice. Once the meat is partially browned (about 3/4) you can add the steak (Tip: I highly recommend giving the steaks a quick sear in a cast iron or on a grill before slicing to increase flavor) Cook for approximately 5 min, or until the ground beef is thoroughly cooked.
  2. Chop the onion and pepper. Mix in the onion, poblano, and chile peppers. Then dump the tomatoes, beans, broth, and remainder of chili seasoning and stir well. Bring to a boil.
  3. Add the tomato paste and stir well, evenly distributing the paste throughout. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer for at least 30 min.
  4. Enjoy.

Notes

For an alternative to the chili packets, check out Flavor God seasonings

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 439Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 669mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 40g
© Cody
Category: Main Dish
For other delicious recipes, check out Southwestern Chili and Loaded Potato Chili!

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dish Tagged With: beef, chili, cowboy, filling, hearty, steak

50/50 DIY Sloppy Joe

October 3, 2019 by Cody

This venison and beef, DIY Sloppy Joe is a great introduction to wild game!

This venison and beef, DIY Sloppy Joe is a great introduction to wild game!

I hunt and, when successful, I add to the freezer inventory to enjoy at a later date.  When handled and cooked properly, wild game is very palatable. Yet, I hear it all the time,….. “too gamey” or “musky”.  For those who feel that way, my argument is that somewhere after the kill, you’re lacking in skill (or at least whoever prepared it is).  There are various ways to improve the over all quality and taste of game meat.  When introducing a weary eater to wild game, I typically use ground meat to prepare a dish that has an abundance of additional flavors.

Enchiladas, spaghetti, Bolognese, and meatloaf are a few examples of good “introductory” game preparations. And, of course, there’s this Sloppy Joe recipe!!  I’ve made all of the pre-mentioned meals with venison (only) and nobody said a word about the use of wild game; until I asked, that is.  Then it’s “I thought there was something different about it”. 🙄 It was enjoyed, none the less.  If I’m dealing with an overly certain critic or super skeptic, I mix this 50/50 blend (venison/beef). This is the secret!! Just ask my grandma.  She refuses to eat wild game and hasn’t touched the stuff 🤫😉.

The 50/50 Meat

Now, especially in recent years, I process my own harvest.  This allows me to vary my lean/fat ratio as I see fit.  For standard ground venison, I usually stay around 80/20 or 80/15 and utilize pork fat as the other ingredient.  However, for ground game that I intend to add to beef, I do not add pork fat.  In adding a lean game grind to an 80/20 ground beef, the leanness is increased by about ten percent.  The result? A 90/10 venison and beef mixture.   If this doesn’t get your weary wild game guest to cross over, there may be no hope for them. 

50/50 DIY Sloppy Joe

This venison and beef, DIY Sloppy Joe is a great introduction to wild game!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. ground venison
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 1 1/3 cup of ketchup
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

  1. Blend all dry seasonings together in a bowl. Season the meat with approximately half and save the rest for a later step. Tip: sub the seasonings with 1 tbsp of Flavorgod Everything.
  2. Brown the ground meat over medium-high heat. If you have any questions about this step, this is a good read (click here).
  3. Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. When meat is approximately halfway browned, add the chopped onion and pepper.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine Worcestershire, ketchup, and brown sugar.
  5. When the meat is fully browned, add the sauce and remainder of seasoning. Stir well.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  7. Serve on a sesame bun.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 316Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 678mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 31g
© Cody
Category: Main Dish

Filed Under: 30 Minutes or Less, Beef, Main Dish, Uncategorized Tagged With: beef, DIY, sloppy joe, venison, wild game

Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti

September 9, 2019 by Cody

With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 

With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 

 

I was in a spaghetti funk for quite a while.  Mainly, I contributed it to the amount of spaghetti UGRs with canned green beans we consumed while overseas.  I had similar issues with canned/pouched tuna and beef jerky for a bit, too.  I think it just put me in a stage of burnout that I still haven’t fully gotten out of years later.  The standard meat, sauce, and noodles would take me right back to the unwelcome strange aftertaste and mild heartburn burps that I just didn’t care to relive. 

My wife is a pastaholic and pizza addict, so I had to figure something out.  Happy wife, happy life, right? After a handful of “I’m just not a spaghetti fan anymore” nights, I found it! I remade the recipe for the family (extended too) and it was a hit.  I’ve stuck with this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti recipe ever since.  

What is Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti?

Exactly as it sounds, the base of this delicious pasta dish is two types of meat.  We use a lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10 work great) and an all pork Italian Sausage.  Doing this really amps up the flavor and makes for a more well-rounded sauce.  To give it the rustic vibe, simply add chopped vegetables to the sauce. 

With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 

Ingredients needed for Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti

  • Beef
  • Italian Sausage
  • Green & Red Bell Peppers
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • 2 Jars of your favorite sauce
  • Spaghetti noodles
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

How to Make the Best Spaghetti

  • Place a deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I also like to add a pinch of medium ground black pepper to the oil, but that is up to you. 
  • Chop the peppers, onions, and garlic and add to the skillet to sauté. While the vegetables are cooking, add a pot of water to the stovetop and bring to a boil.  
  • Once the onions have started to caramelize, remove the vegetables from the skillet and add both the beef and sausage.  Cook thoroughly before returning the vegetables to the skillet.  Mix well and reduce heat to low.  Pour in both jars of sauce and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer while the noodles cook. 
  • Place the noodles into the boiling water with a dollop of olive oil and couple pinches of salt.  Cook per the package instructions and drain.   
  • Ladle the sauce over a bed of noodles to serve.  Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Spaghetti

As with every recipe, quality ingredients matter.  For years, we have sourced our beef from local farmers.  I highly recommend you do the this too, if you are able.  The same applies to the pork in our freezer.  It was raised here by people we know.  I’ve also used Italian Sausage that was made from a hog from Florida that found its way to my freezer through memories with my friends and daughter.  If none of these are options for you, then pick a lean grass fed beef and an all pork sausage from the store. 

With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 

Now, I’ve used jars of sauce in this recipe to keep it simple.  But that does not mean it has to taste like pasty heartburn over wet noodles!!! Buy a quality sauce.  You can’t go wrong with brands like Botticelli or Bertolli. The same concept applies to noodles.  Chop some fresh vegetables to mix in with the meat and sauce.  It matters, trust me!! Let the meat, veggies, and sauce simmer for a bit to infuse all of the flavors before serving. 

Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti

With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz spaghetti noodles
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 green pepper
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 2-3 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp seasoned salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper (optional)
  • 1 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 lbs. ground Italian sausage
  • 2 Jars of Spaghetti sauce
  • Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Place 1 tbsp of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat (go ahead and add a couple twists of cracked black pepper if you’d like).
  3. Chop the peppers and onions. Then, add the peppers and let them sauté for about 6-8 minutes. About halfway through, add the onion. As the onion begins to caramelize, add the minced garlic. Allow the garlic to become fragrant and toast (not burn) for about 30-60 seconds before removing the vegetables aside to a bowl.
  4. Brown the beef and pork in the same skillet, being sure to scrape any tid bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook thoroughly.
  5. Once the meat is browned thoroughly, return the vegetables to the skillet and mix well before pouring in the jars of sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce to low. Stir occasionally.
  6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a box of spaghetti noodles to the boiling pot of water and cook per instructions (usually 10-12 minutes) and drain.
  7. Ladle the sauce over a bed of noodles and top with fresh Parmesan (optional).   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 961mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 31g
© Cody

Other Pasta Recipes:

Three Cheese Tortellini

Spicy Sausage Black Bean Pasta

Chicken Penne Arrabbiata 

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dish Tagged With: beef, double meat, Italian sausage, onions, pasta, peppers, rustic cut, spaghetti, vegetables

The Triple Stack Burger

September 7, 2019 by Cody

Three meats and three cheeses stacked up to make one amazingly delicious burger!

Three meats and three cheeses stacked up to make one amazingly delicious burger!

The Story Behind the Triple Stack

At 19 years old, I stopped by TGI Friday’s to get a bite to eat with my mom.  I ordered what I think was called the “triple jack burger”.  Jack Daniels is, or was at the time at least, a big thing there so I’m guessing that’s where the “jack” part came from, or maybe pepper jack cheese.  Same year, I’m in Iraq talking about one of the first things that I’m going to eat when we get back to the States.  In my experience, this is a pretty common conversation.  It doesn’t matter if you’re eating steak and lobster every Wednesday, your mind always tries to wander to something “better” that you can’t get to……..yet. On this one, all I kept going back to (in terms of food at least) was that burger.  

Months later, I walked through the doors of TGI Friday’s with a few friends to get my fix.  We ordered drinks and, although I was overly certain on what I wanted, began searching the menu.  Then, I started to get that stomach drop feeling of startled panic.  I had skipped straight to the only section that mattered to me, the burger section. Guess what wasn’t there!? The burger that I had been mouth watering over for the past several months!!! 

To make the situation worse, every menu item had the calories posted right next to the title.  As I voiced my devastation, my friend threw in his complaint of the calorie notes.  Nobody wanted to see that, haha. We were there to indulge, not be taunted with the reality of bad decisions.  One of the guys asked, “just want to go somewhere else?” Me, “yea man, this place sucks”. We paid for the drinks and bounced. If I’ve been back since, it was masked by my unfilled crave for the long lost burger. 

The Fix

You know how craves go! Nothing satisfies except that exact thing, right? My only option was to figure it out and recreate.  For this, some lame copycat recipe (not that I don’t use those, too) wouldn’t give me my fix.  I had to go above and beyond to make it better than the real deal; a burger that would put a grin on my face and honor that night’s exiting statement.  Over a decade later, I’ve done it!

The Triple Stack Burger

Three meats and three cheeses stacked up to make one amazingly delicious burger!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 lb hamburger patty
  • 4 slices black forest ham
  • 2 slices of quality bacon
  • 1/4 cup pimento cheese
  • 1 bakery fresh bun
  • 1 tsp of sweet & spicy bbq sauce

Instructions

  1. The Burger: I prefer burgers on a flat iron. I just think they're better that way so I sit a flat iron on my grill grates with some wood chips underneath for the best of both worlds. Also, I'm a firm believer that fresh ground is better than prepackaged, but there isn't always time for that. Regardless, just patty 1/3 pound of the ground beef, season it, and cook to your liking via your preferred method. For seasoning, I typically use seasoned salt but Bad Byron's Butt Rub works good here too.
  2. The pimento cheese (don't buy the stuff in the container): Using a cheese shredder, shred 1/2 lb of American cheese, 1/2 lb of Monterey Jack cheese, and 1/4 lb of medium or mild cheddar cheese into a large bowl. Add 3 tbsp of chopped pimentos, 1 chopped jalapeno, and 1/2 cup of mayo (light is fine) and mix thoroughly. You'll have plenty of extra for sandwiches, etc. I took what was left to a party with some Wheat Thins for people to munch.
  3. The Triple Stack: On a fresh bakery style hamburger bun or brioche bun, stack the cooked patty, ham, bacon and pimento cheese. Spread the barbeque sauce on the top half of the bun and press down enough to mash the pimento cheese across the other toppings, but not so much that you smash the whole thing. For the sauce, I recommend Rufus Teague Touch O' Heat for this behemoth. The sauce is supposed to be an underlying flavor note. While I always encourage you're own personal touch, let's try to keep this a burger and not turn it into a barbeque sandwich.

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dish Tagged With: bacon, beef, burger, ham, pimento cheese

Oceanside’s Loaded Street Hot Dog

August 20, 2019 by Cody

This loaded, bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California is overflowing with flavor!

This loaded, bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California is overflowing with flavor!

I was in Oceanside, California one afternoon to pick up some gear from a local tactical store (circa 2010).  I was pretty depleted from the night before and had definitely felt better.  As I was leaving the store, I asked the guys outside what they had going on. They had a flat iron grill rolled up and were packing bacon wrapped hotdogs in croissant-style buns and recommending “that you try it with all the toppings to get the full effect”. So, I did. These dudes pulled me from the depths of hangoverville (for less than $5 w/ a drink) with this flavor packed hot dog. I don’t think they’ve ever tasted as good as they did on that specific day, but it’s close. 

What is a Loaded Hot Dog?

A loaded hot dog is exactly what it sounds; a hot dog loaded down with all of your favorite toppings.  It’s typically a mouthful! If you’re not wiping the corners of your mouth……you might not have enough toppings. My personal minimum to consider a hot dog as “loaded” is five toppings. This bacon-wrapped loaded hot dog has nine!

Toppings for Loaded Hot Dogs

There is an exhaustive list of possible hot dog toppings out there ranging from hot like chili, melted cheese, and fries/tots to cold fresh chopped veggies. To prevent getting too far off topic,  we’re going to keep this list narrowed to the nine toppings required for Oceanside’s Loaded Street Hot Dog. And those are bacon, black beans, shredded cheese, tomatoes, diced onions, yellow mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish.

This loaded, bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California is overflowing with flavor!

How to make a Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog

Wrapping a hot dog in bacon doesn’t require an abundance of skill, but it isn’t quite as simple as just rolling a frank in bacon.  You want the hot dog covered, from end to end, while maintaining minimal overlap of the bacon.  If there is too much overlap, you could have some undercooked portions of chewy bacon that stretch and make an already messy hot dog even messier. Start at one end of the hot dog and wrap the bacon in spiral motion covering no more than 1/4th of the bacon with each rotation.  This will help you get a crispy coated hot dog from the grill.

This loaded, bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California is overflowing with flavor!

Ingredients for Oceanside’s Loaded Hot Dog

  • all beef hot dogs
  • bacon
  • black beans, drained/rinsed
  • shredded cheese
  • Roma tomatoes, diced
  • yellow onion, diced
  • croissants/brioche buns
  • Mustard
  • Mayo
  • Ketchup
  • Relish (Spicy)
  • Salt & Pepper (optional)

How to Make Oceanside’s Loaded Street Hot Dog

  1. wrap each hot dog in one slice of bacon and cook over medium heat for 8-12 minutes (rotating every 2-3 minutes), or until bacon is evenly crisped.  Cooking on a flat iron is my preferred method but, if you’re on a gas/charcoal grill (400), just make sure you monitor the flame.  The bacon grease drips will cause it to rise, even on gas.
  2. Butterfly your croissants, stopping just shy of slicing in half in order to achieve the hot dog bun effect.
  3. Place the bacon wrapped hotdog in the croissant and top with 1-2 tbsp spicy relish. Putting the relish on first helps bind the incoming veggies.
  4. Place the diced onion, tomato, and black beans on top of the relish covered dog.
  5. Top with mustard, ketchup, mayo, and desired amount of cheese.
  6. Hit with a fresh crack of sea salt and pepper if you’d like and you’re ready to get messy!!!!  You’ll likely need a napkin, and possibly a shower if you have a beard.

This loaded, bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California is overflowing with flavor!

Tips for Making the Best Loaded Hot Dogs

Use good buns! There’s nothing wrong with a bag of bunny buns for a good backyard cookout with all of your friends.  But we’re going over the top here! I’ve said when talking about burgers and sandwiches and I’m saying it now.  The bun can make or break your end result.  The OG hot dog from Oceanside came on a fresh croissant roll but if you can’t find any at your local bakery, a good brioche bun will suffice. Serve them warm.

Spray your cooking surface. If not, the bacon wrapped around the hot dog is likely to stick to the grill and start to unravel when you turn it.  

Evenly cook your hot dogs. I recommend rotating the hot dogs every 2-3 minutes in order to evenly crisp the bacon and avoid any burnt spots.  This can also help prevent sticking and unraveling during cooking.

Don’t rush the finishing touch. When I first had this hot dog, we ate them standing around the car to keep from trashing the inside.  While there were some topping droppings on the ground, it wasn’t as bad as you might think.  If those dudes would have spoon splashed the toppings all over the hot dog/bun, it would have been a different story.  Be delicate when portioning and applying your toppings.  We’re going for loaded, not sloppy.

Other Delicious Recipes:

Keto Chili Cheese Dogs

Triple Stack Burger 

Oceanside's Loaded Street Hot Dog

A bacon wrapped hot dog from the streets of coastal California that's loaded with flavor and doesn't break the bank!!

Ingredients

  • 4 all beef hot dogs
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1/2 can of black beans, drained/rinsed
  • ½-1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 croissants
  • Mustard
  • Light Mayo
  • Ketchup
  • Spicy relish
  • Salt & Pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wrap each hot dog in one slice of bacon and cook over medium
    heat for 8-12 minutes (rotating every 2-3 minutes), or until bacon is evenly
    crisped.  Cooking on a flat iron is my
    preferred method but, if you’re on a gas/charcoal grill (400), just make sure
    you monitor the flame.  The bacon grease
    drips will cause it to rise, even on gas.
  2. Butterfly your croissants, stopping just shy of slicing in half in order to achieve the hot dog bun effect.
  3. Place the bacon wrapped hotdog in the croissant and top with 1-2 tbsp spicy relish. Putting the relish on first helps bind the incoming
    veggies.
  4. Place the diced onion, tomato, and black beans on top of the relish covered dog.
  5. Top with mustard, ketchup, mayo, and desired amount of cheese.
  6. Hit with a fresh crack of sea salt and pepper if you’d like and you’re ready to get messy!!!!  You’ll likely need a napkin, and possibly a shower if you have a beard.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 593Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1197mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 21g
© Cody
Category: Main Dish

Filed Under: Main Dish Tagged With: bacon wrapped hot dog, beef, grill, hot dog, loaded hot dog, summer

Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie

August 20, 2019 by Cody

This quick and easy spin on Shepherd’s Pie is a great introduction to the world of hearty pub fare.

This quick and easy spin on Shepherd’s Pie is a great introduction to the world of hearty pub fare.

 

I’m a pub guy, through and through.  Clubs just aren’t my thing.  You can keep the hella long lines guarded by yoked seven footers, flashing lights that only give your partial profiles of the nights new found love, loud music that keeps you from actually hearing what someone is saying to you (not that it really matters), and sweaty people that leave looking like they got tsunamied after a CrossFit workout in search of the closest fast food or pizza joint to absorb the rest of what they didn’t sweat out. I prefer decent pub fare in a place that has good background music, where you can actually carry on a conversation, and it is accepted (probably expected) that every now and then, someone is getting shithoused to the point of fisticuffs.

I was twenty-one when I had my first Shepherd’s Pie at New York New York’s Nine Fine Irishmen in Vegas.  This ignited a pretty adventurous pursuit of good food, drink, and laughter.  To be fair, I wasn’t exactly lacking on the drink and laughter part at that point, but it was mostly accompanied by shitty food.  I instantly sought a string of pubs on the West Coast, ended up in one in Ireland that was definitely prevented from reaching it’s full potential, and still actively search them out today.  Matter of fact, me and the missus frequent one before nearly every tattoo sesh……sometimes after, too. 

This quick and easy spin on Shepherd’s Pie is a great introduction to the world of hearty pub fare.

Souvenir glass from the pub that started it all.

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

In simple terms, Shepherd’s Pie is minced meat covered with a layer of mashed potatoes and baked.  But of course, it’s not that simple.   Originating in Scotland, Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb as the meat ingredient.  Traditionally, it was served with a pastry topping until the Irish got a hold of it and introduced potatoes. Its close relative, Cottage Pie, uses beef as the meat ingredient.  Traditionally, it was topped with a sliced potato crust, but you can substitute mashed potatoes here, too. Pretty blurry line, huh? The key difference is the meat used in the pie.  

That brings us to this “Shepherd’s Pie”. So, we typically use one pound of beef and one pound of lamb.  I personally don’t care which meat you choose.  But just know that using all lamb gives you the authentic base for shepherd’s pie and, if you use all beef, it is technically cottage pie.  Maybe, since I blend both and have put my own spin on the flavor profile, we should call this “Farmer’s Pie”. What do you think?

Ingredients needed for this Quick & Easy Shepherd’s Pie

  • ground beef/lamb
  • shredded cheese
  • onion, chopped
  • mustard
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • seasoned salt
  • Parsley
  • black pepper
  • instant potatoes
  • frozen peas and carrots

This quick and easy spin on Shepherd’s Pie is a great introduction to the world of hearty pub fare.

How to make Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat the oven and boil water. Preheat oven to 350 and bring water to a boil for the instant potatoes.

Prepare the meat.  Add the ground meat, onion, and seasoned salt to a skillet over medium heat. When the meat is about halfway browned, add the mustard and Worchestershishishire 🙂 and continue to cook until there is no more pink.

Prepare the vegetables. Cook the frozen peas and carrots per package instructions.  Remove the now boiling water from heat and stir in the instant potatoes until smooth.

Make and bake the pie.  In the same skillet, mix the meat, vegetables, and cheese. Cover the meat and vegetables with the potatoes and garnish with cheese and parsley. Finish in the oven. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie

I have a few different meat pies that I make depending on my mood, but this simple version is a regular in our house.  It’s quick, hearty, and can serve countless people.  Seriously, I’ve fed up to twenty people by just multiplying this recipe. Now, typically, this is the part where I tell you that fresh is best.  That’s the truth! But that isn’t what this recipe is about, it’s about being quick, easy, and packed with flavor.  There are, however, a few key tips:

Drain the vegetables.  Don’t just dump the bag of frozen vegetables into the meat! Make sure to drain the excess liquid from the bag beforehand.

Pick the right potatoes.  I highly recommend using the Idahoan instant potato pack. I use the Buttery Homestyle unless I can find the Classic (my personal favorite).  Make sure to mix well and not leave it too dry.  Remember, it is going in the oven.

Use both meats.  I’ve explained the meats traditionally used in pies, but I still recommend using both for this recipe.  First off, I understand that lamb can be an acquired taste for some, and this is a great way to introduce it to folks.  Second, I’ve already put a different spin on this dish with the mustard so no reason to stay on the “traditional” path at this point.

Other Pub-style recipes:

Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Fish Cakes

The Funky Java Burger 

 

Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie

This quick and easy spin on Shepard’s Pie is a great introduction to the world of hearty pub fare.
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground meat (1 lbs lamb/1 lbs beef)
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tsp Parsley
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 8 oz instant potatoes
  • 1 frozen steamer bag of peas and carrots

Instructions

  1. Place skillet over medium heat. 
  2. Preheat oven to 350.
  3. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil for the instant potatoes.
  4. Add meat, onion, and seasoning (except parsley, that's for later). Brown until approximately half of the meat is no longer pink.
  5. Add the mustard and Worchestershishilshire 🙂  and continue until all meat is cooked.
  6. Start your veggies – four minutes in the microwave should
    work and don’t forget to drain the excess liquid.
  7. Place the meat back into the skillet (no heat) and mix
    in the cooked veggies and cheese (save some for garnish).  Slowly stir.
  8. Check the water for the instant potatoes. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat.
  9. Dump the cheesy meat/veggie mixture into the roasting pan.
  10. Allow that to sit while you return to your water and stir in
    the instant potatoes.  A fork is the best
    tool, for me, here.
  11. Cover your mix with the potatoes and garnish with your
    remaining cheese and some parsley.
  12. Place in oven for 6-8 minutes to finish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 392Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 1462mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 34g
© Cody
Category: Main Dish

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dish Tagged With: beef, hearty, Irish, lamb, meat pie, pub fare, Shepard's pie

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