Rachael Ray's Originial BBQ Sauce

Our plans for July 4th were simple. Fire up the grill. Houston has a burn ban in full force and all fireworks displays had been cancelled. That wasn't going to ruin the evening and we still decided to host dinner and enjoy our neighbors' company. Normally, we'll head to the store and just grab whatever looks or sounds good at the time for that night's dinner and everyone will contribute something as well. Not this time.

Early that morning I was flipping through a magazine when I came across a recipe for Rachael Ray's Original BBQ Sauce and had all of the ingredients on hand. Keeping it simple I decided just to grill some chicken and baste it with this sauce. We also grilled hot dogs and brushed the BBQ Sauce on some burgers. For a side dish I grilled corn on the cob brushed with olive oil and pickled jalapenos thrown into the foil pouches. Yummy!

The barbecue sauce is simple and has a tangy bite. Our neighbor stuck his finger in the sauce to sample and thought it was delicious. It received rave reviews from all.

Rachael Ray's Original BBQ Sauce

Star Magazine, June 27, 2011

Makes approximately 1 cup

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
• 1/3 palmful coarse black pepper - This is one reason I can't stand Rachael Ray's recipes. Every one's palms are different sizes. I just shook the shaker and sampled until it was to my liking.

And Action:

Place a small sauce pot over medium heat and add all the ingredients. Once the mixture starts to steam reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened and flavors are combined.