Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich

 

I'm going to start right out of the gate by saying I had never tried a shrimp po boy before today. Sure, I'd seen tons of recipes and social media posts about them and they looked uh-mazing. But, I'd never tried one until now. 

To be fair this version is kind of a cheater version BUT it is still super duper delicious. All I did was pick up some crispy battered shrimp at the store instead of deep frying my own. Am I going to try a "real" po boy if I get the opportunity? YES. Absolutely. I need to see how close this one comes. 

What do you think? 

Regardless of how close it comes to an authentic po boy - it's pretty darned good and so easy peasy to make. 

Shrimp Po Boy 

Ingredients

Sauce

1/4 cup mustard

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp horseradish (prepared)

1 tsp pickle juice (or vinegar)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Sandwich

sausage buns (or other soft bun) 

crispy breaded shrimp

shredded iceberg lettuce

tomato slices

chives, diced fine

Instructions

Prepare po boy sauce - whisk together mustard, mayo, horseradish, pickle juice, garlic, paprika, and Cajun seasoning. You can add a tsp of hot sauce as well if you want it spicier!  Set aside. **This is best prepared at least 20 minutes before use so flavors can build. 

Prepare po boys - Cook shrimp as per package directions. Remove from heat and let sit while preparing buns. spread sauce generously on both sides of buns. Top with shredded lettuce, then shrimp, then a little more sauce, then tomato slices, then sprinkle with chives. 

These are delicious served warm but you can wrap them well and refrigerate until later. 

You do want to eat them the day they are prepared . They get a bit soggy if you leave them until the next day. 

They really are that simple. 

Of course, for the authentic experience you should fry your own shrimp but I'm pretty sure the secret to the shrimp po boy is the Cajun mayo. As written, this recipe makes a good amount so unless you are making a lot of sandwiches, you will have left overs. It's great on roast beef sandwiches, burgers, and as a veggie dip too. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cinnamon Buns

 

Ever wondered what would happen if you combined a pineapple upside down cake and a cinnamon roll?  Well, wonder no longer.

The answer is a deliciously tender cinnamon bun with a chewy, sweet, pineapple-caramel-cherry topping that will have you making these ALL THE TIME. 

You can use your favorite cinnamon bun base dough or use ours (CLICK HERE - Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls) The recipe for the topping written below is for our dough recipe - which makes 12 jumbo rolls. If you are only making a "regular" batch of dough then half the topping amount and use 1 9 X 13 pan. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients

Dough

Your favorite dough recipe OR use our recipe found HERE 

Topping

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup (or more) maraschino cherries

2 cans crushed pineapple, drained

Directions

Prepare dough up to the point where you have rolled it and cut it into sections.  

Line 2 - 9 X 13 pans with parchment paper and set aside. 

Make topping - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Pour evenly into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle with the crushed pineapple and maraschino cherries and set aside. 

Place 6 large rolls into each pan, on top of the pineapple cherry layer.

Cover and let rise somewhere warm for about an hour (or until doubled in size). 

Preheat oven to 350. Bake until buns are golden brown and are cooked through - about 30 to 40 minutes. Depending on your oven this can sometimes take even longer. Internal temperature should be 190 F or 88C. **NOTE** - you may want to place your pan on a cookie sheet as the topping can sometimes bubble up and out of the pan!!!

Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before inverting on to a tray. Be careful when doing this as the topping will spill out and it is very hot! 

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

You can, of course, make 24 smaller buns, putting 12 in each pan, if you prefer. We love the humongous buns but smaller is definitely easier if you are bringing them to a potluck or sharing with family and friends. 

Another dessert fusion recipe that you need to try! 

Garlic Pickle Turnovers

 

Sometimes the best recipes come together because of what you happened to have available in your fridge.

My niece loves pickles and wanted something to eat that was pickley. I searched through my freezer and fridge and found the ingredients to make these bad boys. Guys!! They turned out so well and are so easy to make. I made 6 large ones but you could easily make them any size you like! 

If you like garlic, pickles, and puff pastry then have we got the best treat for you!

Garlic Pickle Turnovers

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp pickle juice (from pickle jar)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried dill

salt and pepper

1/4 cup red onion, diced

5 - 6 pickles, sliced

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

pinch of dried dill for sprinkling on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Place puff pastry on flat work surface. Cut into 6 equal squares. Brush around the corner of each square with the beaten egg. 

In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, pickle juice, garlic, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper. Spread a generous spoonful into the center of each pastry square. Top with some red onion and pickle slices. (See photo below)

Repeat with remaining ingredients. DO NOT OVERFILL! You may have some of the cream cheese mixture leftover. Save it for another purpose. 

Fold the puff pastry into a triangle and press edges together with a fork so they are well sealed. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a little dried dill. Poke a hole in the top of the triangles with the fork for steam to escape. 

Bake at 400 until pastry is golden brown and crispy and bottoms are brown - about 15-20 minutes total. I turn the cookie sheet at 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly. 

You want them to be golden brown all over. If they are still a little pale then leave them in longer. 

These are best served warm but can be frozen and then reheated in the oven or air fryer. You could do microwave but then they will be a bit soggy and not crispy. 

Soooo ooey gooey good. Garlic and pickle and cream cheese is one of the best combos IMO. You definitely have a lot of wiggle room to change the recipe if you prefer. More onion, less pickles, more garlic, less dill..... measurements listed here are approximate so have fun finding out your favorite way to make them! Throw in some bacon and *boom* even better. 

Leftover Burritos

 

Burritos are a great way to use up leftovers because they are simple, fast, and delicious. There are a million different ways to fill them. I happened to have leftover pork and rice from a family dinner so decided to turn them into something I could prep and freeze for lunch and snacks later on. 

I have included measurements for the ingredients BUT these are pretty loose and can be altered A LOT to fit what you have on hand. Use them as a starting point. 

Leftover Burritos

Ingredients

Lime Cilantro Rice

1 - 2 cups cooked rice (I used basmati but any kind is fine)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Pico De Gallo

4 tomatoes, seeded, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small red onion, finely diced (any onion will do in a pinch)

2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded, diced (or more if you like spicy)

juice of 1 lime

Burrito 

12 - 14 8 inch tortillas (or 10 large ones)

3 - 4 cups cooked pork, sliced 

(I used pork steak but you can use any cut of pork)

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

lime cilantro rice (recipe above)

pico de gallo (recipe above)

Directions

Prepare rice - heat up leftover rice and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.

 

Prepare pico de gallo - stir together tomatoes, cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and lime juice. 

Set aside. 

Mix leftover sliced pork with the taco seasoning and heat until warm. If you don't have taco seasoning then you can use chili powder and cumin OR leave it off. 

Assemble your ingredients together. 

Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Layer a spoonful of refried beans, rice, pice de gallo, and meat in the middle of the tortilla. Be sure to leave space on either side for folding and rolling. DO NOT overfill. 

I found it helpful to watch a couple of you tube videos on how to roll a burrito so the filling doesn't spill out. The secret is to definitely DO NOT over fill them. 

If you are prepping these for eating later then you can wrap them in tinfoil for freezing. 

Plastic wrap will also work. I like tinfoil because it's a little sturdier if you are eating them right away. 

I believe I made 8 (8 inch) tortillas and 3 (10 inch) tortillas with the amounts above. 

We had half for dinner and then froze the rest. 

To reheat them: remove from tinfoil, place in microwave for 2 - 3 minutes to thaw and warm, then place in a lightly oiled pan and fry until golden brown on both sides to crisp up. 

I will often fry them when I first prepare them too. I like the tortilla to be a bit crispy. I then rewrap them in the tinfoil to eat them. 

It takes a little practice to be able to wrap the burritos up nice and snug. I highly recommend watching a few videos if you are unfamiliar with making them. It also helps to warm your tortillas if you find they are cracking when you wrap them. 

If you have a lot of leftovers, burritos are always a good way to use them up!