CJ's Tasty Things : January 2021

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Air Fried Tater Tot Chili Pie in the Ninja Foodi Grill

Air Fried Tater Tot Chili Pie

By CJ's Tasty Things

Ingredients:

•Tater Tots (2/3 to 1/2 of a bag)

•Chili (about 3 to 4 cups)

•Bell Peppers and Onions (about 2 cups)

•Cheese (2 to 3 cups)

•Black Pepper (to taste)

•Onion Powder (optional to taste)

•Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (optional)

Accessories used:

•Ninja Round Baking Pan

You can also just use the base pan/baking pan that comes with the grill.

Directions:

•Preheat your Ninja Foodi Grill to 390° on the Air Crisp setting.

•Air Fry the Tater Tots for 10 to 12 mins gently turn over at about 7 minutes (depending on how many you have in the basket) you want them done but not super crispy.

•Remove the basket from the grill.

•Smash half the tots into the Ninja Round Baking Pan.

•Top with shredded cheese.

•Add the chili of your choice, either canned or homemade. I used Hormel Chili with Beans.

•Add a can of drained Tomatoes and Green Chilies if desired.

•Add the Bell Peppers and Onions, (I used Birdseye Frozen Bell Peppers and Onions) you can use fresh if you'd like.

•Season with Black Pepper and Onion Powder.

•Carefully place the Ninja Round Baking Pan into the base pan.

•Air Fry for 5 minutes to defrost and lightly brown the Bell Peppers and Onions.

•Top with a light layer of Shredded Cheese.

•Air Fry for 3 more minutes.

•Smash the remainder of the Tater Tots while the Cheese is melting.

•Remove the pan to heat safe surface.

•Add the rest of the Tater Tots and gently smash the over the top as evenly as possible.

•Season with Black Pepper and Onion Powder.

•Gently return the pan to the grill, being careful not to scratch the base pan.

•Air Fry for 5 more minutes.

•Add more Cheese and Air Fry another 3 minutes until melted.

•Remove from the grill and let rest.

•After about 5 minutes it should be good to go.

•Serve with a Silicone Spatula and enjoy! This comes out of the Ninja Round Baking Pan nicely, it's a very nice surface to work with.

•Top with Sour Cream and Green Onions if desired, I prefer it plain as there's already Cheese and Onions in it.

For more information on using your Ninja Foodi Grill, Tips, Tricks and Recipes, feel free to join the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group on Facebook found here.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Monday, January 18, 2021

Ninja Foodi Grill - Dehydrating Rack and Round Accessory Baking Pan

A lot of people have been wondering if you could use one layer of the 3 tier dehydrating rack under the round Ninja baking pan in the regular sized Ninja Foodi Grill.

It seemed like a great idea so I decided to try it.

At first glance, it looked awesome! The rack is well made and the pan is nice and sturdy. But unfortunately it's too tall for the lid to close when it's on the rack.

The rack does come in handy for shorter pans or for use under a foil pouch, like I used here to reheat leftovers. This shorter pan isn't from Ninja and while it works, it's not as well made, it's thinner and not as good at being non-stick.

Hope this helps some of you!

For more information on using your Ninja Foodi Grill, Tips, Tricks and Recipes, feel free to join the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group on Facebook found here.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Sunday, January 17, 2021

Chicken Pot Pies, Oh My!

Who knew that seeing someone post some cooking times online could result in me testing more cooking methods... the bottom line is always use your meat thermometer to check the internal temperature on your food because even though it looks done, it might not be done. Also, don't blindly follow someone else's cooking times because their ingredients might vary in size, density, thickness and could have been a different starting temperature than yours. Always check your food while cooking.

Part 1: My original post Baking 10oz Pot Pies:

https://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/2021/01/chicken-pot-pie-in-ninja-foodi-grill.html

Part 2: My second post Baking 7oz Pot Pies:

https://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/2021/01/chicken-pot-pie-in-ninja-foodi-grill_16.html

Part 3: Air Fry vs Bake - Trying the times and temperatures that were posted in the group and confirming my suspicions that they were not accurate:

https://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/2021/01/chicken-pot-pie-in-ninja-foodi-grill_18.html

Part 4: Air Fried 7oz Pot Pies 

https://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/search/label/Chicken%20Pot%20Pie 

For more information on using your Ninja Foodi Grill, Tips, Tricks and Recipes, feel free to join the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group on Facebook found here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/340956310185851
Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings 
Instagram:   http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/ 
Recommended Reading:   https://grillingmontana.com/
Happy Cooking!  - CJ

Is it safe to use Aluminum Foil in your Ninja Foodi Grill?

Q: Is it safe to use Aluminum Foil in the Ninja Foodi Grill?

A: Your experience with foil may vary... basically it's use at your own risk and be aware that it can scratch. That said, I use foil to make pouches for my food and I'm just careful not to scratch anything and I don't have a bunch of balled up rough edges either. I also make sure that the foil is secure and won't be blown around and damage anything. I have not had any issues with it and will continue to use it. I don't really line pans with it for "easy clean up" but I use it to help certain foods cook more efficiently like frozen Broccoli and to prevent burnt edges like on pies.

Be careful when lifting a pouch in and out, don't slide it around.

The same with any accessories and pans.

For more information on using your Ninja Foodi Grill, Tips, Tricks and Recipes, feel free to join the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group on Facebook found here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/340956310185851

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

More Basic Info on the Ninja Foodi Grill - Can you Grill and Air Fry at the same time?

Cooking Steak n Cheese and answering the question, "Can you grill and air fry at the same?"

This video covers:

Part 1: Grill functions and preheating

Part 2: Defrosting during preheat

Part 3: Almost done defrosting, chopping up the steak.

Part 4: Adding the onions and bell peppers, talking about distracted cooking, oops!

Part 5: Added the Tater Tots

Part 6: Adding the cheese, larger portions, what to cook first, internal temperatures.

Part 7: Checking the food.

Part 8: Toasting the bun.

Part 9: The end result and talking about what to cook first for larger portions.

Part 10: Clean up

If the video doesn't load correctly it can be found by clicking here or going to https://youtu.be/HTzO_hXNmpY

For this video I used frozen "short cut" type of items for a quicker prep time in my Ninja Foodi Grill. The short cut items still allow you the feeling of homemade and give you the flexibility to create your own combinations. They also save time, energy and the convenience of frozen foods lasting longer than fresh vegetables that may spoil before you get to use them. They are also good for those who can't go to the market as often as required to keep fresh vegetables on hand. If you have access to fresh vegetables, you can also slice and freeze your own for quicker meal prep times and to preserve them for future use.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/ Blog: http://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/ Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Basic Info on the Ninja Foodi Grill

Basic Info on the Ninja Foodi Grill
By CJ's Tasty Things

Here is a general overview of how to use your Ninja Foodi Grill 
(I'm using the 5 in 1, Ninja Foodi Grill, without a smart probe)

This video will cover the following:
The basic pans - The base pan, the air crisp basket and the grill grate
The basic functions - Grill, Roast, Bake, Air Crisp, Dehydrate
The screen - How to remove it, (see my other post on how to clean it)
How to convert standard cooking instructions for the grill
Selecting the cooking functions
Preheating, Cooking during preheat and Skipping preheat
Using the timer
Checking the food and the internal temperature without a smart probe
Checking the food at the end and turning off the unit

If the video doesn't load correctly, it can be found by clicking here or by going to: https://youtu.be/rrtX7C4NjLQ

A few group members have been scared of using their new Ninja Foodi Grill's and have said that the other YouTube videos were too fast for them. So hopefully, I've explained everything in a way that will help our new group members.  Watch along as I cook some Chicken Nuggets and Tater Tots. I wanted to use some basic frozen items that everyone can typically find locally.   

For more information on using your Ninja Foodi Grill, Tips, Tricks and Recipes, feel free to join the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group on Facebook found here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/340956310185851
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/
Blog: http://cjstastythings.blogspot.com/
Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/
Happy Cooking!  - CJ

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Air Fried Chicken Pot Pie in the Ninja Foodi Grill - Part 4

Part 1 & 2 were created by my own cooking suggestions and part 3 was inspired by the cooking suggestions of others and didn't turn out as I had hoped. I decided to do part 4 and this time I set the Air Crisp mode on 325° F for 25 minutes.

For best results wrap the edges with foil straps and press down on the underneath side to ensure that the foil is secure and won't fly around and damage anything.

Air Crisp on 325° instead of 375° from part 3.

Rotate the basket halfway through.

Let rest for 5 minutes after cooking.

Nice golden brown crust.

The bottom crust was done and the internal temperature was 197 to 200° F (165° F is required) after a 5 minute rest inside the grill with lid closed.

Much better! So tasty for only .98 cents!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Chicken Pot Pie in the Ninja Foodi Grill - Part 3 Bake vs Air Crisp

Someone posted that they cooked Banquet Chicken Pot Pies on Air Crisp at 375° for 15 minutes and someone else even said to Air Crisp on 360° for 10 minutes. It didn't sound possible to me so I decided to check it out. As I suspected, it wasn't long enough and I ended up cooking it for 20 minutes with a 5 minute rest. The bottom crust was edible but not quite fully done, even with the internal temperature being 180 to 200° (165 is required) after a 5 minute rest inside the grill with lid closed.

I decided to try again.

I couldn't let it end that way.

I wanted to give Air Crisp another chance.

Afterall, it's kinda magical, right? This mini turbo jet of air so powerful that it makes anything it touches turn out so tasty!

This time I set the Air Crisp mode on 325° F for 25 minutes. The bottom crust was done, the internal temperature was 197 to 200° F (165° F is required) after a 5 minute rest inside the grill with lid closed.

So much better at 325° F!!!

So while Air Crisp cooks faster on the same temperature as bake, there's definitely foods that benefit more from the slower speed, or at least a lower temperature.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Chicken Pot Pie in the Ninja Foodi Grill - Part 2 for 7oz pies

Banquet Chicken Pot Pie, baked in my Ninja Foodi Grill! They're were perfect! So tasty and only .85 cents!

I baked them for 32 minutes on 375° until the internal temperature hit 165° in both pies. Which was right about the same time (35 mins) as it took for my Schwan's Chicken Pot Pie that I posted previously. The Schwans pies are 10 ounces vs the 7 ounce Banquet pie.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Chicken Pot Pie in the Ninja Foodi Grill - Part 1 for 10oz pies

Schwan's Chicken Pot Pie baked in my Ninja Foodi Grill! They were perfect! Golden flaky crust, steamy tender chicken inside and oh so tasty!

I used the bake setting for 35 minutes on 375° F (vs in the conventional oven for 50 to 55 minutes at 400° F) and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For best results, wrap the edges with a strip of aluminum foil and press down on the underneath side to ensure that the foil is firmly in place to prevent it from flying off. Loose pieces of foil could potentially damage the inside of your grill.

For food safety purposes, please make sure that the internal temperature of your chicken pot pie is 165° F or above. (After resting, my properly cooked pies have been closer to 200° F)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ

Friday, January 8, 2021

How to Air Fry Hamburgers in the Ninja Foodi Grill without them puffing up.

How to Air Fry Hamburgers in the Ninja Foodi Grill without them puffing up:

By CJ's Tasty Things

🍔 1 lb Ground Beef, 80/20 blend

🍔 Seasoning of your choice

🍔 Form meat into 4 - quarter pound patties.

🍔 Make a hole in the middle like a donut. The hole will mostly close up during cooking, but not completely.

🍔 Preheat Ninja Foodi Grill to 390° on Air Crisp

🍔 Add patties to the Air Crisp basket

🍔 Air fry on 390° until they reach your desired internal temperature, mine usually take about 10 minutes.

🍔 Flip the patties every 5 minutes.

🍔 Top with cheese and cook a few more minutes until it's melted to your liking. You can also let cheese melt during the rest period if you don't want bubbly melted cheese or if you are concerned about your meat cooking too long. I prefer well done burgers so the extra time doesn't bother me.

🥓 Bacon is optional and can be cooked next to the patties or before the patties. If batch cooking raw bacon followed by burgers and fries, you'll probably want to drain excess grease before moving on to the burgers. Cooking for extended periods of time with grease or drippings in the pan can cause it to get really crispy in the base pan and might result in some smoke at higher temperatures. See my post on cooking bacon from frozen for more information.

🍟 Frozen French Fries or Tater Tots can be done before the burgers and cooked until they are done inside but not fully crispy outside.

🍟 Air Fry on 390° typically for 7 to 10 minutes depending on individual products size, thickness, quantity and desired level of crispness on the outside. Some frozen fries take 7 minutes, other types can take 11 or 12 minutes. You really just have to watch them.

🍟 Remove them to a plate and cover with foil if desired.

🍟 Then you can cook your burgers and remove them to rest.

🍟 Add the Fries or Tots back in for a few minutes to finish crisping.

🍞 Buns can be toasted in 1 to 3 minutes depending on how toasty you like them, check often. I do these last on top of the Fries or on the sides of the Burgers.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjstastythings

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cjstastythings/

Recommended Reading: https://grillingmontana.com/

Happy Cooking! - CJ