American on Sam's Recipes

Vanilla Cheesecake

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:20:00 -0500

Ingredients

1 Cup Finely Ground Graham Crackers (5 ounces; from about 8 sheets)
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Melted)
2 1/4 Cups Sugar
48 oz Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
1 Pinch Kosher Salt
2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
6 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
Boiling Water (for roasting pan)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.
Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl.

Hurricane

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 oz Light Rum
2 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Lime Juice (Freshly Squeezed)
1 oz Orange Juice (Freshly Squeezed)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Puree
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 Tsp Grenadine

Instructions

Add the light and dark rums, lime and orange juices, passion fruit puree, simple syrup and grenadine into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a large Hurricane glass over fresh ice.

Glow Tini

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 oz Skyy Citrus Vodka
1/2 oz Bols Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Bols Peach Schnapps
1 oz Sweet & Sour
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 Blue Glow Cube (optional)

Instructions

Build in martini shaker with ice, shake, strain, and pour into glass with sugared rim. Add cube.

Notes

From the 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Rustic Chili

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 Yellow Onions, Diced
2 Bell Peppers, Diced
5 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Lb Ground Beef (80/20)
1 Lb Ground Italian Sausage
5 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tsp Dried Basil
1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 (28-oz) Can Crushed Tomatoes
3 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
1 (6-oz) Can Tomato Paste
1 (16-oz) Can Kidney Beans, Drained
1 (16-oz) Can Pinto Beans, Drained
3 Tsp Peppers in Adobo Sauce, Pureed
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Cooking Oil

Instructions

In a 7 to 8 quart, heavy Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic, with a large pinch of kosher salt, and sauté until softened. Add the ground meats and stir, breaking up the meat and cooking until the meat is no longer pink.

Melon Ball

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 oz Midori
1 oz Vodka
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Watermelon Balls

Instructions

Fill a collins glass with ice. Add Midori and vodka, and top with orange juice.
Stir to combine. Garnish with various types of melon balls, skewered.

Burger Sauce

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:40:42 -0400

Ingredients

Mayo
Ketchup
Dijon Mustard
Pickles, diced
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Powder

Instructions

Add some mayo to a bowl, this makes up most of the sauce. However much sauce you want to make, use about 10% less than that in mayo
Add Ketchup to the sauce till the color looks like this:
Add a little bit of Dijon mayo, about 1 teaspoon per cup of mayo but you can add more or less. Whish to combine well.
Add diced pickles, enough so that each bite of the burger will include a couple pieces of pickle.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Notes

I have never measured the ingredients for this and with how its written, you won’t need to.
I personally prefer cold brined , non sweet pickles, but you do you.
You can add in some of the brine too for flavor , but if you do, use less salt.

Potato Leek Soup

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:54:54 -0500

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Medium Leeks, light green and white parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
Salt and Pepper
1 Garlic Clove, sliced
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Chives, for Garnish

Instructions

In a large pot, melt butter over medium. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add broth, potatoes and bay leaf; season with salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, adjust heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer until potatoes are completely tender, 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Working in two batches, if necessary, transfer soup to a blender and purée just until smooth. (Resist the urge to overprocess in the blender, which can result in gummy soup.) Return soup to the pot or, for an extra-silky soup, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot.
Stir in cream and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
Divide soup among bowls and garnish with chives. Serve warm.

Cheddar Beer Bread Rolls

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:32:04 -0500

Ingredients

815 grams bread flour, plus more for work surface
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 Tsp coarse kosher salt
55 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons softened, 2 tablespoons melted), plus more for the bowl and pan
60 ml honey
480 ml beer, such as pale ale
200 g shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, preferably white

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine bread flour, yeast, salt, 2 tablespoons softened butter, honey and beer. Mix on low speed for 4 minutes. The dough should come together around the dough hook. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix for 2 minutes more, occasionally stopping to scrape the dough from the hook. Add 1 cup/115 grams of the Cheddar cheese and mix until incorporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until nearly double in size, about 1 hour.
Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 even pieces. Gently round each piece of dough into a ball, and place into the prepared pan. (The rolls may not touch now, but they will fill in the gaps when they rise and bake.)
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until they look visibly puffy. Toward the end of rise time, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons melted butter, and top each roll with 1 tablespoon of the remaining white Cheddar, being careful to keep the cheese away from the edges of the pan.
Bake the rolls until golden brown, and the cheese on top is melted and browned (the rolls should have an internal temperature of 190 degrees), 17 to 22 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:08:33 -0500

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 12-ounce bunch fresh spinach, finely chopped (or 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted, drained and finely chopped)
Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn or shredded
4 oz sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 Cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, finely grated

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until it’s softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add spinach to pot one handful at a time, letting each handful completely wilt before adding the next. Add crushed red pepper, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid from the spinach has evaporated (no need to drain), about 3 minutes. Add artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, just to take the raw edge off the artichokes.
Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese and mozzarella. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until all the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and pecorino, and season with more salt and pepper. You can certainly eat this dip straight from the pot (or transferred to a serving bowl), but running it under the broiler for a crispy top is also an excellent option. To do so, transfer dip to a small ovenproof skillet (6 to 8 inches). Place in oven and broil until the top is golden and the dip is bubbling, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sit a minute or two before serving.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 01:23:11 -0400

Ingredients

4oz Béchamel (See Related Recipes)
7oz Heavy Cream
1/2 Shallot (Brunoised, or very finely diced)
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese, more for topping (See notes)
Enough cooked pasta to loosely fill the baking dish
Breadcrumbs
Butter , cubed
Salt to Taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit or or 205 Celsius
In a cold pan add the Béchamel, heavy cream, shallot, Siracha, dijon, and a pinch of salt to a sauce pan and put over medium heat, medium high if you are paying attention to it.
When it starts to bubble, mix everything, when it starts bubbling all over, take off heat and add the cheese.
Taste for salt, add some sriracha if it tastes too rich or theres no heat, add some more shallot if you don’t taste it at all, add some more cream if its overly thick or dry.
Add the cooked pasta and stir or toss to combine, pour into the baking dish thats sitting on a baking tray.
Cover the baking dish with a light covering of bread crumbs, then a thin layer of cheese, then another thin layer of breadcrumbs then crumble the butter onb top.
Bake until the edges of the baking dish are bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Notes

May need slightly less cheese, I always did 2 good handfuls when I made this in a restaurant.
You can replace the cheese with whatever you want.
The scale of this recipe might seem weird but its from a steakhouse, this was the portion for a single order of baked mac and cheese.

Southern Sausage Gravy

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:37:13 -0400

Ingredients

1 Lb Bulk Breakfast Sausage (Bob Evans Original preferred)
1/2 Small Onion (Finely Chopped)
1 Tbsp Butter
4 Tbsp Flour
2 Cups Hot Milk
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley (Chopped)

Instructions

Heat a medium saucepan to melt butter.
Gently sauté onion in melted butter until clear then turn up heat and add sausage, stirring until broken up and fully browned.
Stir the flour into the cooked sausage and cook for about a minute.
Add heated milk and continue to stir mixture until it just begins to boil and thicken, then reduce heat.
Season with salt and pepper
Serve on top of warm biscuits

Notes

Recipe came from my grandfather. He says it shouldn’t take much salt but plenty of fresh ground black pepper is a must!

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:27:22 -0400

Ingredients

6 Large Chicken Breasts
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 Lb Fresh Spinach (Washed and Chopped)
1/2 Lb Feta Cheese (Crumbled)
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Large Eggs (Beaten)
2 Cups Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Peanut Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Cup Dry White Wine
1/2 Whole Lemon (Juiced)
1/4 Cup Parsley Chopped

Instructions

Using a heavy water glass or wooden mallet, pound each breast between 2 sheets of plastic until about double in area size, but not torn.
Preheat Oven to 350F or 175C
Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil and garlic. Stir for a moment and add the spinach. Saute the spinach until barely wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool and drain in a colander.
Lay each chicken portion flat on the counter and salt and pepper to taste. Place 1/12 of spinach in a layer on each piece of chicken and add a bit of the cheese. Roll up and hold together with toothpicks.
Mix the milk with the eggs and dip each piece into the egg wash and then dredge in the bread crumbs. Pan fry in a bit of peanut oil until golden brown, turning once. (Or deep fry in oil at 375 degrees until golden brown.) Remove the pieces to a pan and cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the gravy. Drain the fat from the frying pan, leaving the scrapings in the pan. Heat the pan and add the butter and mushrooms. Saute until tender and then stir in the flour, being careful to keep stirring as it thickens. Add chicken stock, wine and lemon juice. Cook until thickened, stirring with a wire whip. Check seasoning.
Pour gravy over the chicken rolls and serve with a parsley garnish.

Notes

Recipe originally from here: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/2e4c415l/all-hands-stuffed-chicken-breast.html
Modified by my Grandfather. His notes: “The filled chicken rolls are pretty messy and difficult to handle, particularly when dipped into the egg wash, but get better when coated and really bind together once you begin to fry them. Lots of work, but worth it!”

Shepard's Pie

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:38:25 -0400

Ingredients

1 1/4 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes (Peeled and Cubed)
3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 Lb Ground Beef
2 Tbsp Flour
3/4 Cup Beef Broth
3 Tbsp Ketchup
4 Cups Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3/4 Cup Light Sour Cream
1 Tsp Salt

Instructions

Place cubed potatoes and garlic in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Brown ground beef over medium heat in a skillet. Stir in flour, mixing with beef drippings.
Add beef broth, ketchup and vegetables. Stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, until thick.
Transfer beef mixture into an oven-proof casserole dish.
Drain potatoes and smash them a little bit before adding 1/4 cup of grated cheese and sour cream. Mash together until smooth.
Spoon potatoes onto the middle of the meat mixture. With a fork, spread potatoes from the center to the edges to form the top layer.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe archived from here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219919/chef-johns-shepherds-pie/

Truck-Stop Buttermilk Pancakes

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 22:04:00 -0400

Ingredients

5 Cups Buttermilk
5 Cups All-Purpose Flour
5 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Milk
6 Tbsp Butter (Melted)
5 Tsp Baking Powder
5 Tsp Baking Soda
5 Tbsp Sugar
1 Pinch Salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar; stir into the wet ingredients just until blended. Adjust the thickness of the batter to your liking by adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Continue with remaining batter.

Notes

Recipe pulled from here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/76448/truck-stop-buttermilk-pancakes/

Salisbury Steak With Mushrooms

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:15:02 -0400

Ingredients

1 Lb Ground Beef
1/3 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Onion (Chopped)
1 Egg (Beaten)
1 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 Cups Beef Broth
1 Large Onion (Thinly Sliced)
1 Cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
3 Tbps Cornstarch
3 Tbsp Water

Instructions

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed. Shape beef mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
Fry patties in a large skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, onion, and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more. Transfer patties to a platter and keep warm.
Bring onion mixture to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir into onion mixture. Cook and stir until onion gravy is thickened, about 1 minute. Pour over patties to serve.

Notes

Recipe copied from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229566/salisbury-steak-with-mushrooms/

Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 18:58:57 -0400

Ingredients

2 oz lemon vodka
.5 oz Cointreau
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz strawberry syrup (In Related Recipes)
Sugar (Garnish)

Instructions

Rim a coupe glass with lemon juice and superfine sugar.
Add lemon vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice and strawberry syrup to a shaker.
Add ice, shake and strain into the rimmed glass.

Strawberry Syrup

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 18:45:41 -0400

Ingredients

Strawberries
Sugar

Instructions

Start with how every many strawberries you want to. Rise them and then cut off the tops.
Put them in a saucepan and cover with water, plus a quarter inch.
Put the saucepan on the stove on medium high heat and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the strawberries lose their color and become pale, pull off of heat.
Place the fine mesh strainer on top of the measuring cup and pour the mixture into the strainer. Do not press or disturb the strawberries. Let them drain naturally.
Add equal amount sugar and mix till combined.

Notes

Once you put the strawberries in the sauce pan, do not touch them. Messing with them or trying to squeeze extra juice out of them will just make the syrup cloudy.

Sausage and Peppers Shells

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:47:45 -0400

Ingredients

1 Lb Italian Sausage
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves garlic
1 Bell Pepper
1 Box Medium Pasta Shells (16oz)
16 Oz Marinara Sauce
4 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Half and Half/Light Cream
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until golden.
Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until soft, 5 minutes.
Add shells and stir until coated in sausage and peppers, then pour over marinara and chicken broth. Simmer until shells are al dente and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes.
Stir in half and half and mozzarella. Serve

Notes

Recipe is originally from Delish

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THC Distillate Gummies

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 14:37:33 -0400

Ingredients

1 ml THC Distillate
1 Box Jell-O (6oz)
4 Packets Gelatin (28g)
1/2 cup Water (Cold)
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Vegetable Glycerin
12 drops LorAnn Oil Flavoring (Optional)

Instructions

Combine Jell-O, Gelatin, water, and sugar in a small sauce pan, mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit to bloom, 10-20 minutes. It should turn mostly solid
Heat Saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir until mix has completely dissolved, just before it starts to boil.
Remove from heat
Mix in THC distillate, Glycerin, and Flavoring (Optional)
Pour into molds. Put in fridge till the set.
Once they are set, remove from the fridge and place on cooling rack. Let cure 12 - 24 hours.
(Optional) Toss in sugar or Citric Acid (makes them sour) to prevent them from sticking together.

Notes

Can also replace the cold water with juice for additional flavoring.
Might need a little more Glycerin, mix and add more if they do not look completely combined.