First BLT's of the Summer

Jun 29 2017

Nothing looks better on a pellet smoker than a pound of bacon cooking and nothing goes better with it than some garden tomatoes! I used to have to wait until late July or early August when my tomatoes ripened. I think for about 10 years now Jolly’s produce stand goes to Tennessee and brings in tomatoes early and they are good.

I use Kah’s thick cut bacon and cook it on my Traeger, a pound will just fit. I cook it at about 280-290 deg. F at grill level. It takes about 1 ½ hours to get crispy like we like it.

I should call mine a BTL since that’s the way I want mine stacked; bacon on the bottom, tomato then ice berg lettuce on a cheap ole white bun or bread. I want 3 layers of bacon, mustard on the bottom and mayo on the top.

It tasted so good I had a second sandwich!!

Bacon at 1 hour

At 1 1/2 hours ready to serve

My supper

2nd supper

Lipton's Meatloaf, Smashed Potatoes and carrots

Jun 28 2017

My first real meal in about 1 ½ months! I was getting tired of eating carry ins; my wife doesn’t cook a lot, but she did make salmon patties last week. My stomach was getting back to normal. I had blood tests last Tuesday and saw my Dr. Monday. She said all the numbers were back to normal. I have two more tests to make sure all is OK.

The Lipton’s meat loaf is not my favorite but I like it and it’s my wife’s favorite. It doesn’t take much prep work I use Lipton’s Beefy Onion soup mix. I had some smashed baby Dutch potatoes and carrots as sides.

I only used 1 ½ lbs. ground chuck so cut the water and bread crumbs some. I made up the meatloaf early and had it ready for the oven. I had to use the oven since I don’t have my smoker fixed yet. We like meatloaf and I think this is the first time I have done it inside since 2011 when I got my pellet smoker.

I got the meatloaf in the oven at 350 deg. I set it on a foiled trivet in a Lodge CS skillet to drain the fat. I cut crosses in enough potatoes for the two of us and nuked them for 5 minutes on high. I smashed them up roughly, and added, a little salt, dried garlic and poured ½ stick melted butter over them and in the oven. The carrots I did stove top with water a couple pats of butter, salt and parsley. It took about 1 hour 20 min. for the meatloaf. My potatoes were done early so I placed them on my warming burner.

I had some Kings Hawaiian hot dog buns left so that was our bread and butter rolls. Did that ever taste good to me!

Click Here for printable meatloaf recipe

All but the eggs

Meatloaf

Potatoes

Carrots

My supper

Off Sick for a While

Jun 06 2017

This has not been a good year for me.  I January I came down with both stomach flues that were going around back to back. I got all over those and was waiting on spring weather to start cooking out. It was a wet spring.

I had some trouble with my pellet smoker and looked like I needed a new temperature sensor so I got one on order. I never got it installed before coming down with another stomach problem. It was diagnosed as CDef and I wound up in the hospital for 4 days and rounds of tests.

I got out just a week ago and today went back to my family Dr. for a visit. She said I am doing fine. I have two more tests to do as an out-patient at the hospital. I should be done with those in a month. In the meanwhile I am eating better and hope to get back to normal soon.

To help get you started on the summer BBQ look through my archive, there are plenty of good recipes there. Also you can always go to Lets Talk BBQ forum for any help you need and good recipes there too!