No, not Hammer Time – HAM TIME!

Although Hammer Time is fun, too.

These autumn days always have me craving a lovely smoked ham. So filling and fulfilling.

And one of my favorite things to do with a ham is dress it up with a special glaze. Certainly you can enjoy a tried and true, never-miss pineapple ham glaze, but I REALLY like this maple bourbon glaze.

It’s got a robust kick that makes it really feel like fall to me. You can get this yummy ham glaze recipe here. And try some of your own creations, too.

What are some of your favorite fall cooking traditions?

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Here’s my deal. I love wonderful home-cooked meals.

I even love cooking them.

But I don’t always have the time to spend making our favorites to enjoy all week long.

That’s why I like shortcuts and ways to maximize my work.

Leftovers.

I like leftovers. But only if I can spruce them up and make them more enjoyable than just a rewarmed meal.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

This amazing recipe for Honey Teriyaki Beef & Broccoli Salad is a great first meal. It’s delicious and I try to make more than I think my family will eat in one sitting.

Then, the next night I grill up some favorite veggies – peppers, onions – on skewers and then warm up the leftover beef from the salad. I put the beef on the skewers with the veggies and we have a reimagined meal that took very little time.

I truly, truly believe great food doesn’t have to take forever in the kitchen! Yum!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Maybe you’ve heard of chimichurri sauce, but doesn’t it sound more exotic to call it South American steak sauce?

I love this stuff. So spicy. So lively.

This recipe calls for us to liberally apply it to hanger steak. But you can use any cut you see fit.

After all, YOU’RE eating it!

Click here for the full recipe. Ole!!!

Photo courtesy of TastingTable.com.