It’s BBQ Season! Grilling weather has arrived and we have two recipes for your outdoor table that are the perfect size for sharing with friends and family.

Cherry BBQ Sauce

I love taking my family to Cherry Days every summer. It’s one of my favorite things about living in North Ogden! I also love my giant cherry tree that gives us thousands of cherries every year. My Jalapeno Cherry BBQ sauce is a delicious, unique way to use them! Dark sweet cherries add the perfect natural sweetness to this easy, homemade sauce.

12 oz (or 1 ½ cups) fresh or frozen dark sweetcherries, pitted and roughly chopped

2 tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1⁄2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Liquid smoke

2 tsp. ground mustard

Salt and pepper

Heat a large saucepan to medium-high and add butter. Add onions and jalapeno and cook until soft and browned.Turn heat down to medium and add garlic. Cook about 1 minute then add remaining ingredients.Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Carefully transfer to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.Makes about 3 cups. Freezes well if needed.

Tex Mex Pasta Salad

Being from East Texas means I add a little Tex Mex to any dish that I can. I have been dreaming up this salad for a while now and love how it turned out! Pickled jalapeños were always on the dinner table when I was growing up; add more if you want it spicier. This pasta salad is the perfect dish to take to all of your summer BBQs!

16 oz bowtie pasta

1 (11 oz) can Mexicorn, drained

8 oz cheddar cheese, small cubes

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 oz can sliced black olives, drained

1/3 c. pickled jalapenos, finely diced

1 bunch green onions,chopped

1 c. fresh tomatoes, diced

1⁄2 c. cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
1 c. mayonnaise

1⁄2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. sugar

1⁄4 c. lime juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, make dressing by whisking together mayo, sour cream, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.