Dinner

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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs — Crispy Skin, Juicy Meat, No Oil Bath

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs — Crispy Skin, Juicy Meat, No Oil Bath

Chicken thighs are superior. Air frying them just proves it. Crispy skin, no pool of oil. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the most forgiving cut...

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas — One Pan, 20 Minutes, Dinner Done

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas — One Pan, 20 Minutes, Dinner Done

Everything on one pan. Peppers, onions, chicken. Oven does the work. This is the weeknight dinner that requires 5 minutes of prep, one sheet pan,...

Chicken Fajitas — Sizzling Skillet, the Sound Is Half the Experience

Chicken Fajitas — Sizzling Skillet, the Sound Is Half the Experience

Sizzling skillet, peppers, onions, chicken. The sound is half the experience. There’s a reason every Mexican restaurant brings fajitas to the table on a screaming...

Quesadillas — Butter the Outside, That’s the Tip, You’re Welcome

Quesadillas — Butter the Outside, That’s the Tip, You’re Welcome

Butter the outside of the tortilla before grilling. That’s the tip. You’re welcome. This single technique is the difference between a quesadilla with a soft,...

Chicken Enchiladas — Rolled, Sauced, Cheesed, Baked, Requested Twice Monthly

Chicken Enchiladas — Rolled, Sauced, Cheesed, Baked, Requested Twice Monthly

Rolled, sauced, cheesed, baked. My wife requests these at least twice a month, and I’ve never once said no because they’re easy, they feed the...

Taco Bell Quesadilla — It’s the Jalapeño Sauce That Makes It

Copycat Recipies

Taco Bell Quesadilla — It’s the Jalapeño Sauce That Makes It

It’s the jalapeño sauce that makes it. Everything else is just a vehicle. You could put this sauce on cardboard and it would taste good....

Pepperoni Pizza — Crispy Bottom, Melty Cheese, Curled Pepperoni Cups

Copycat Recipies

Pepperoni Pizza — Crispy Bottom, Melty Cheese, Curled Pepperoni Cups

Crispy bottom, melty cheese, curled pepperoni cups. This is the one. The gold standard of Friday galley dinner — pizza night was the one meal...

Homemade Pizza Dough — Friday Night Pizza, Easier Than You Think

Copycat Recipies

Homemade Pizza Dough — Friday Night Pizza, Easier Than You Think

Friday night pizza from scratch. Easier than you think, better than delivery. Friday dinner on the boat — pizza night was sacred. The CS would...

Crunchwrap Supreme — The Fold Is Everything, and I’m Teaching You the Fold

Copycat Recipies

Crunchwrap Supreme — The Fold Is Everything, and I’m Teaching You the Fold

The fold is everything. Once you nail the fold, you’re golden — literally, because you’re going to grill this thing seam-side down until it’s crispy...

Big Mac — Two Patties, Special Sauce, and Yes the Middle Bun Matters

Copycat Recipies

Big Mac — Two Patties, Special Sauce, and Yes the Middle Bun Matters

Two patties, special sauce, and yes the middle bun matters. I tested it. I made this burger with and without the middle bun and the...

Smash Burgers — Thin, Crispy, Stacked, and Better Than the Drive-Through

Smash Burgers — Thin, Crispy, Stacked, and Better Than the Drive-Through

Thin, crispy, stacked, and better than the drive-through for about a buck fifty per burger. Six months at sea, dreaming about a real burger —...

Grilled Ribeye Steak — Salt, Pepper, Screaming Hot Grill, Done

Grilled Ribeye Steak — Salt, Pepper, Screaming Hot Grill, Done

Ribeye, salt, pepper, screaming hot grill. Two minutes per side. Rest it. Eat it. Steel beach picnic — that’s what we called it when we...

Burnt Ends — The Crispy, Caramelized Best Bite at the Table

Burnt Ends — The Crispy, Caramelized Best Bite at the Table

The crispy, caramelized tips of the brisket. BBQ candy. The best bite at the table. Burnt ends originated at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City —...

Dry Rub Ribs — No Sauce, Just Smoke, Let the Meat Do the Talking

Dry Rub Ribs — No Sauce, Just Smoke, Let the Meat Do the Talking

No sauce. Just rub and smoke. Let the meat do the talking. If 3-2-1 ribs are the crowd-pleasing, saucy, fall-off-the-bone style, then dry rub ribs...

Grilled Chicken Thighs — Juicier, Cheaper, Harder to Overcook

Grilled Chicken Thighs — Juicier, Cheaper, Harder to Overcook

Thighs over breasts. Every time. Juicier, cheaper, and I’ve grilled hundreds of thighs over the years and I can count on one hand the times...

Pulled Pork — Pork Shoulder, Simple Rub, Patience, That’s the Recipe

Pulled Pork — Pork Shoulder, Simple Rub, Patience, That’s the Recipe

Pork shoulder, salt, pepper, smoke, patience. That’s the whole recipe. Pulled pork is the most forgiving meat you can smoke. Unlike brisket, which can dry...

Baby Back Ribs — 3-2-1 Method, Fall-Off-the-Bone Every Time

Baby Back Ribs — 3-2-1 Method, Fall-Off-the-Bone Every Time

3-2-1 method. Smoke, wrap, sauce. Fall-off-the-bone every single time. If brisket is the PhD of barbecue, ribs are the bachelor’s degree — still impressive, much...

Texas-Style Brisket — Salt, Pepper, Smoke, and a Full Day of Patience

Texas-Style Brisket — Salt, Pepper, Smoke, and a Full Day of Patience

Low and slow. No shortcuts. This is a weekend commitment and it’s worth every hour. First thing I did stateside after my last deployment —...

Meatloaf Sandwich — Arguably Better Than the Original Dinner

Meatloaf Sandwich — Arguably Better Than the Original Dinner

Day-after meatloaf between two slices of white bread is arguably better than the original dinner. I know that sounds controversial. I know the meatloaf dinner...

Sloppy Joes — Messy, Sweet, Tangy, and My Kids Eat It Without Complaint

Sloppy Joes — Messy, Sweet, Tangy, and My Kids Eat It Without Complaint

Messy, sweet, tangy, and my kids eat it without complaint. That alone makes it a winner. If you’ve been buying the canned sloppy joe sauce,...

Shepherd’s Pie — Meat, Veggies, and Mashed Potatoes in One Glorious Dish

Shepherd’s Pie — Meat, Veggies, and Mashed Potatoes in One Glorious Dish

Meat, veggies, and mashed potatoes all in one dish. Dishes to wash: one. Satisfaction: maximum. This is the kind of meal that earns its spot...

Chicken Fried Steak — Pounded Thin, Breaded Thick, Smothered in Gravy

Chicken Fried Steak — Pounded Thin, Breaded Thick, Smothered in Gravy

Pounded thin, breaded thick, smothered in cream gravy. Your cardiologist doesn’t need to know about this one. Chicken fried steak is one of those dishes...

Salisbury Steak — Fancy Hamburger in Mushroom Gravy. Outstanding.

Salisbury Steak — Fancy Hamburger in Mushroom Gravy. Outstanding.

Let me tell you what Salisbury steak actually is — it’s a fancy hamburger patty smothered in mushroom gravy. That’s it. And it’s absolutely outstanding....

Crispy Fried Chicken — The Friday Night Recipe That Kept Morale Alive

Crispy Fried Chicken — The Friday Night Recipe That Kept Morale Alive

Friday night on the boat was sacred. That was the one meal every week where we pulled out the good stuff — steaks, seafood, and...