The John Wayne Complete Cookbook
Cookbook by: Topix Media Lab
“As much as he enjoyed a well-prepared piece of meat, what John Wayne loved best about a meal was how it brought us all together. Gathered around the table, trading stories and laughs, a dinner at the end of a long day of work meant good times and better company,” Ethan Wayne.
I grew up watching John Wayne movies – I can’t even remember how old I was when I saw my first one. My Dad’s favorite actor is John Wayne and he loves all of this movies – my Dad has seen a lot of his movies. My favorite John Wayne movies are McLintock! and The Quiet Man, such funny movies and I loved the chemistry between Maureen O’Hara and him.
Last year I was in the new 2nd & Charles used bookstore near me and stumbled upon The John Wayne Complete Cookbook and immediately bought it. I am excited to share the recipes I tried and my thoughts on this unique cookbook.
Cowboy Burgers
Burgers are one of my favorite things to order when I go out and I do enjoy them at home but don’t find myself making them often. I saw that these cowboy burgers were topped with fried onions (my favorite part of the green bean casserole) and wanted to have them immediately. Since our stove had died this was the perfect time to test these out on our grill. I made a few versions of these burgers – one with American cheese as the recipe called for, one with Swiss cheese (my preferred cheese) and two without cheese for my parents who prefer them that way.
The recipe for these was super simple to follow. I loved having the barbecue sauce on the burgers during cooking and adding more on the bun. Normally I would put mustard and pickles on my burger but with the Swiss cheese, barbecue sauce and fried onions it was perfect as is. My sister and my parents all enjoyed their burgers too. I will definitely make this again and every time I grill burgers, I will be putting barbecue sauce on them as they cook – it made such a difference in the final taste.
Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
A few years ago, I tried brussels sprouts for the first time and found out I really like them. This recipe for maple bacon brussels sprouts sounded delicious and quick to cook. I did use an electric skillet instead of a cast iron since our stove was broken so that made the recipe take a little longer than expected. The brussels sprouts we bought were bigger ones than what I have cooked before, so I was a little unsure of how long to cook them. Some of them came out perfect and some of them needed a little more time in the pan. Next time I will make sure the brussels sprouts we cook next time are all the same size for a more even cooking. I am going to try these again soon with the cast iron pan. Overall it’s definitely a recipe to add to your collection of sides.
Funny story about The John Wayne Complete Cookbook – it was published in 2020 but I have only seen it for sale on eBay and on/in used bookstores. I have no idea why you can’t get it on Amazon – I’ve done research and still couldn’t figure out what is going on. My best guess is that it was done as a special printing – which is a bummer because it’s a great cookbook, one of favorite I have tried over the last few years. I have a ridiculous number of recipes marked to try in it.
I’ve included an eBay link below where you can get a copy (not an affiliate link). I would love to know if you pick up a copy and which recipe is your favorite – let me know below.
