beer Archives - Frugal Bites

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread with Self Rising Flour

April 25, 2013 by frugalbites 4 Comments

One of the reasons I like beer bread is that it is SO easy. It surprises me how costly the prepackaged mixes are! The basic beer bread with self-rising flour recipe is super-frugal and only uses a few ingredients. Plus, it’s easy to tweak the basic recipe to come up with fun creations like this Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread. It’s great to serve at a party with dips and spreads.

Frugal Tip: If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread with Self Rising Flour

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 8

This variation of beer bread uses self-rising flour to make it easy.

Ingredients

12-oz. beer
3 C. self-rising flour
¾ C. Cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, chopped into crumbles
¼ C. butter

Instructions

Mix the beer, self-rising flour, Cheddar cheese and bacon together in a bowl. Spread batter in a greased bread pan.
Melt the butter and pour over the top.
Bake 40-45 minutes at 375. At the end, I sprinkled a little cheese on the top of the loaf for color.

Filed Under: Blog, Muffins and Rolls Tagged With: bacon, beer, bread, cheddar, cheese

Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl

December 29, 2012 by frugalbites 2 Comments

Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl

Bread bowl
One bulb roasted garlic, mashed into spreadable paste (DIY: How to roast garlic)
1 brie cheese round
1 tsp. rosemary leaves

This baked brie recipe is sure to impress any guests at your New Year’s Eve gathering. They’ll never guess how easy (and frugal!) it really is. First, I started with this Super-Easy Bread Bowl Recipe. Basically, it’s any regular beer bread recipe. Instead of making it in a bread pan, bake it in a bowl. There are many variations on beer bread. For this recipe, don’t make the sweet version. You’ll want the savory nature of the cheese to stand out. I normally add about 1/3 – 1/2 C. sugar to my beer bread. For this version, I’d dial back the sugar in the bread dough to just a tablespoon or two.

Next, cut the top off the bread bowl and hollow out enough of the bread to insert the brie round, reserving the bread which you’ll cut into cubes for dipping. Spread the roasted garlic paste over the brie and sprinkle with rosemary. Next, put the top of the bread bowl back on and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 40-45 min. at 350 until the cheese has melted. Remove the top and cube for dipping as well.

Frugal Tips: If you haven’t yet discovered all of the great seasonal cheeses at ALDI, head there PRONTO! Many of them will go away until next November. Their brie is just $2.99. You can’t beat that! We also really loved their Spanish cheese variety pack, which included yummy Manchego cheese.

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: beer, bread bowl, brie, garlic

Roasted Garlic & Herb Beer Can Chicken

July 28, 2012 by frugalbites Leave a Comment

Beer can chicken is one of those meals you can’t go without making each summer. It’s tender, flavorful, and falls right off the bone. Best of all, it’s easy and doesn’t cost a lot!

I got the whole chicken for under $5 at ALDI. The seasoning is McCormick’s Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herb. We use our Weber Poultry Roaster for his, but it’s certainly not necessary. Just stick a can of beer in the cavity of the bird, place on a solid surface (like a roasting pan) and you’re good to go!

Roasted Garlic & Herb Beer Can Chicken

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

The beer makes the chicken moist and flavorful!

Ingredients

1 4-lb. chicken, whole
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 Tbsp. McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb (or other poultry spice)
1 can beer

Instructions

Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry. Rub the chicken with the olive oil, then rub with spices. Take a few swigs of beer (you don’t want it to be too full) and place the can in the cavity of the bird, and secure it on a flat surface (like on a roasting pan). Use the legs of the bird as a tripod, or support to keep it stable.
Grill over medium-high heat for 1¼ – 1½ hours. Cover the grill for the first hour of cooking. After that, check the bird periodically to see if it has reached the internal temperature of 160-165 degrees. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Frugal Tips: When it comes to preparing a whole chicken, don’t throw ANYTHING away! You can use the drippings to make a flavorful chicken gravy. Add a little Wondra and whisk on the stove with a little water until it has thickened.

I also simmer the chicken carcass for about 60 minutes to make homemade chicken stock. Store them both in zippered containers for future use.