Directions

1) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand 5-10 minutes, until the yeast becomes frothy. Add the melted butter, flour and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium for 5 minutes, until the dough becomes pliable. Remove dough from the bowl and place in a large greased mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a bowl. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a 7-inch log. Cover logs with a cloth for 10 minutes to rest the dough.

3) Using a large pot, over medium heat, bring 16 cups of water to a boil. Add baking soda. Gently add 2 logs to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Using a flat slotted spoon, remove from water and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining logs. Cut 3 shallow diagonal slits on the top of each pretzel roll. Brush the tops of each roll with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve same day.

Yield: 8 buns

Directions

1) For the braised chicken, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown chicken breasts 2 minutes per side. Add beer, chicken broth and whiskey to the skillet bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Prepare barbeque sauce while chicken is cooking.

2) For the barbecue beer sauce, In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender 2-3 minutes. Add chili sauce, beer, honey and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and set aside.

3) When chicken is cooked through, remove from heat and cool covered for 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and using 2 forks or your hands, shred chicken finely. Toss with prepared barbeque sauce and serve on slider buns.

Serves 6

1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1) For the chili, in a small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne. Set aside. In a large pot, brown ground beef over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat. Drain off the fat and set beef aside. Using the same pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, red and green peppers, stirring about 5-6 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Add tomato paste and the seasoning mix and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, salsa, kidney beans and browned beef. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2) For the fries, preheat oven to 425ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut baking potatoes into ½-inch thick matchsticks. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika and pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp, tossing a few times during cooking.

3) For the pico de gallo, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, parsley, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.

4) To assemble, preheat broiler to high. Place fries on an oven safe dish, top with chili and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over top. Place under the broiler to melt cheese. Remove from oven, top with pico de gallo and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Directions

1) For the dough, place warm water in a small bowl and dissolve honey in it. Sprinkle yeast over water, cover and let stand 10 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add flour, salt and olive oil. Using the dough hook attachment, add the yeast mixture on low speed. Turn speed to medium and continue to mix for 4 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Place in a large bowl that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.

2) Meanwhile, for the roasted vegetable topping, preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss potatoes, zucchini, peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and oregano together. Place vegetables on baking sheet and cook 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove from oven and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 475ºF.

3) After the dough has doubled in size, knead it for 1 minute. Spread dough into a lightly oiled 14-inch pizza pan. Spread pizza sauce onto dough and evenly sprinkle roasted vegetables over sauce. Using a tablespoon, drop dollops of ricotta cheese on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Lightly brush around the edges of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 12-14 minutes, until edges are golden. Let pizza rest 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Yield: 8-10 slices

1 cup roasted peanuts
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp water
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

1) For chocolate bottom layer, line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup cream over medium heat just until hot. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Distribute melted chocolate evenly between muffin cups and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the bottom chocolate layer to harden.

2) For the peanut butter layer, in a microwave-safe dish, melt peanut butter and butter together. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Place a few tablespoons of peanut butter mixture over hardened chocolate, filling the muffin cup ¾ of the way up. Refrigerate for 15 minutes more to harden.

3)For the top layer of chocolate, in a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup cream over medium heat just until hot. Remove from heat and whisk in ¾ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Distribute melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer. Garnish with caramelized peanuts. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes before serving.

4)For the caramelized peanuts, combine peanuts, sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously, until peanuts turn an amber color without burning them. Remove from heat, spread out on parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and let cool. Break into pieces and garnish peanut butter cups.

Yield: 12 peanut butter cups

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 250ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Coat a large mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place popcorn and pretzels in the bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will bubble up a little). Quickly and carefully pour over the popcorn and pretzels and toss using wooden spoons to mix. Spread over prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

2) Remove from oven and transfer popcorn mixture to parchment paper to cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. Cool completely to let chocolate set. Store in an airtight container.

Serves 8-10

Directions

1) For the pretzel dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water and brown sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 5 minutes, until the yeast becomes frothy. Add the melted butter, flour and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium for 3-4 minutes, until the dough becomes pliable. Remove dough from the bowl and place in a large, lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

2) Preheat oven to 425ºF. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into long ropes and cut into 1-inch pieces to make pretzel bites. Cover pretzel bites with a cloth while working on the rest of the dough so it doesn’t dry out.

3) Using a large pot, bring 16 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Add baking soda. Boil pretzel bites in small batches for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a flat slotted spoon and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bites. Cut a crisscross slit on the top of each pretzel bite. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve with honey mustard dip. Best prepared and served on the same day.

4) For the honey mustard dip, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey and lemon juice until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: Approximately 115-120 pretzel bites

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.

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