Best Places to Pig Out Meals That Will Blow Your Mind and Tip the Scale

Warning: This article is only for those with stomachs of steel. We’re taking you on a tour of the country’s most extreme eateries including a 60-pound burger, an 80-pound pizza and fried Twinkies. Throw out your scales and pile up your plates — these are extreme pig outs.

Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub
Clearfield, PennsylvaniaTwo hours outside Pittsburgh you’ll find Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, home of the world’s biggest burgers. To put these burgers in perspective, the average hamburger is about 1/4 pound of beef; at Denny’s, the burgers start at 2 pounds. From there, weights of these monster burgers increase to 6 pounds, 15 pounds, all the way up to the 62-pound Beer Belly Buster. Dressed with 5 pounds of cheese and 7 pounds of additional toppings, the Beer Belly Buster can serve up to 200 people.

Country Pancake House
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Flapjacks, johnnycakes, hot cakes, pancakes — call them what you like. At Country Pancake House you’re guaranteed to find the country’s craziest selection of supersized pancakes. Their menu features over 120 different kinds of pancakes including: smoked salmon and onion, prosciutto and blue cheese, pineapple and ham, and shrimp pancakes. These griddle concoctions are created at the customer’s request and are available in 2 sizes: the medium, 8-inches wide and four to an order and the large, over a foot wide and 2 to an order. Add some huge toppings to your order, and chow down on a 5-pound, 2,500-calorie breakfast. After all, it is the most important meal of the day.

The Chip Shop
Brooklyn, New YorkWhen in doubt, fry it. At The Chip Shop in Brooklyn, New York, you can experience the greasiest, crispiest, fattiest fried food there is. Owner Chris Sell opened the restaurant in 2001 and brought his passion for frying British chips to New York City’s popular outer borough. French fries are the tamest item on The Chip Shop’s menu; unique options fresh from the fryer include hard-boiled eggs, pudding, mac and cheese, candy bars, cupcakes and Twinkies. This last delicacy features 780 calories and 28 grams of fat.

Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria
CaliforniaIn California, Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzerias have 18 locations serving up the biggest deliverable pizza in the entire world. The giant Sicilian is a 54-inch-square pizza featuring over 20 pounds of dough, 1 1/2 gallons of tomato sauce and 12 pounds of mozzarella cheese. Orders for this monstrous meal must be placed 24 hours in advance to line up the ingredients and manpower needed to create the world’s biggest pizza. Add up to 30 toppings, and a four-man team with a flatbed truck will deliver this 80-pound pizza to your door.

Ben & Jerry’s
Waterbury, VermontIce cream is America’s most popular dessert, and no two names are more famous in the biz than Ben and Jerry. These two big names know how to create a big dessert — the Vermonster ice cream sundae features 20 scoops of ice cream, four bananas, four ladles of hot fudge, 10 scoops of walnuts, three chocolate chip cookies, one fudge brownie, two scoops of your favorite toppings and an obscene amount of whipped cream — all served in the Vermonster bucket. This dessert is packed with 14,000 calories and 500 grams of fat — that’s the average person’s dietary consumption for an entire week and some serious brain freeze.

Jack-n-Grill
Denver, ColoradoJack-n-Grill serves up the biggest most extreme Mexican food in the country. Their breakfast burrito is filled with a dozen eggs, 15 ounces of chili and weighs over 7 pounds. Other extreme menu options include: enchiladas packed with five tortillas, 10 ounces of ground beef, cheese, onions and a generous dollop of guacamole; and the extreme burger is topped with a hot dog. Ladies — if you can finish the 7-pound burrito in one sitting, you’ll eat free at Jack-n-Grill for the rest of your life. That’s right, free for life.

R. U. Hungry
New Brunswick, New Jersey
The R.U. Hungry sandwich stand is serving the ravenous students at Rutgers University in New Brunswick “fat sandwiches” till the wee hours of the morning. At this stand, anything and everything can be served between 2 slices of bread. The “fat moon” slaps 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, 2 chicken fingers and French fries on a roll. Even more outrageous, the “fat Philly” takes a cheesesteak and adds gyro meat, 2 chicken fingers, 2 mozzarella sticks and french fries. While not exactly brain food, these sandwiches have been a staple in New Brunswick and for the RU students in need of a late-night “snack.”

Heart Attack Grill
Chandler, Arizona
Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona, is the country’s most perilous pig out. Its menu is a killer catalog of the greasiest, fattiest foods featuring one staple ingredient: lard. The Quadruple Bypass is the menu’s aptly named deadliest meal: 2 pounds of ground beef soaked in lard and served with all the fatty fixings, including killer french fries. The restaurant’s ER-themed doocor is a playful reminder that its menu is serious…like a heart attack.

by Erica Walsh

Butterbeer

This is part III in a mini-series of Harry Potter snacks from the books brought to life (part I is on Honeydukes treats, part II is all about the cauldron cakes, and part IV showcases decadent butterbeer cupcakes).

Last August, my family made the two thousand mile journey to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Orlando has always been one of my family’s favorite vacation destinations. Add in my love (and obsession) with Harry Potter and we all knew that once the park officially opened I couldn’t be kept away for long.

On the big day, we woke up at an obscene hour to a bright dawn. While the rest of my family was dragging their feet and speaking in yawns, I was too excited to dwell on my lack of sleep and tired eyes. I had been waiting for this day for years. I was running on sheer adrenaline.

This was my moment.

When I entered the park, I was immediately swept away by the architecture and the detail. The park truly has the atmosphere, look and feel, and sights and sounds (well, if you don’t count the occasional woosh from the rollercoasters) of the world of Harry Potter I had imagined. I could have spent hours walking up and down the cobblestone streets simply admiring the tremendous amount of detail that was put into creating this world. Even the subtlest objects, mentioned only briefly in the books, were now here in front of me, fully imagined.

I’m pretty sure I had a grin on my face a mile wide.

Believe it or not, “window shopping” was one of my favorite sights in the park. There were dozens of little shop fronts with windows that each lead into a tiny world. The level of detail was so unbelievable, it was almost overwhelming. I didn’t know where to look next. However, I did notice that, like any good wizarding shop, many objects would move of their own volition (but only if you took the time to spot it!).

Cauldron shops, music stores, clothing boutiques—I just wish they had all been real.

After riding the attractions, it was time to sample everything Hogsmeade had to offer. First on the menu, Butterbeers. My family decided that we each wanted one to ourselves (when you stare at them while waiting in line for an hour, you tend to get a bit greedy). Since it was a hot day, we opted for the frozen version. Were the Butterbeers what I had imagined? Not quite. Was it delicious? Absolutely. My sister and I both found them a little too sweet for our liking (that fact that it was nine in the morning may have played into it a bit), but I still managed to drink mine down to the bottom of the glass.

The recipe for Butterbeers I’ve posted here features a less sweet version than you’ll find at the park.

We came back to the park later in the evening to see how the look and feel would change after the sun had set. With all the lights dimmed to nothing but a soft glow, the park felt truly magical. Despite the hustle and bustle of busy crowds, for the first time I didn’t feel like I was at a theme park anymore. I had been completely transported to the world I could only dream about before.

The castle, lit up in all its glory, was simply breathtaking. Hogwarts almost looked like a painting, with all the gorgeous colors and shadowing of the towers and turrets. If only I could walk across that bridge…

I think these photos tell the story better than I ever could.

This was the perfect ending to what I can only call a perfect day.

Butterbeer

These Butterbeers are rich, fun, and fizzy. Your favorite drink from the Harry Potter series is now available to muggles like you! The Butterbeers are created by mixing a butterscotch/caramel syrup into cream soda and then topping it with a healthy dollop of butterscotch infused whipped cream. When taking a sip from the mug, you willget a whipped cream mustache. Trust me, it’s all a part of the novelty. Fair warning, these drinks are on the sweeter side, so make sure to bring your sweet tooth along (not that it has ever been a problem for me!).

Butterbeer
Adapted from Huffington Post

Yields 4 servings

1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda, chilled

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, bring to a gentle boil and turn off the heat after about a minute of cooking.

Turn off the heat and add the butter, salt, vinegar, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature before using.

In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining cream (1/2 cup) with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.

In each glass, mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar syrup with 1/4 cup cream soda. Pour in the rest of the cream soda until it is nearly to the brim of the glass. Top with whipped cream.

Plum Clafouti

I am but a humble self-taught photographer. Everything I know about photography I’ve learned through trial and error. A year and a half’s worth, in fact. Every time I set out to shoot a new dish or dessert, I learn something new. Food photography has grown into something I really enjoy. It’s challenging and difficult, true, but there is such a sense of satisfaction when a photo turns out just right.

Yet, there is always more to learn.

One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to take a photography course. This summer I did just that. While I knew so much about a few topics, in others I knew virtually nothing. It was definitely a growing experience for me as a photographer.

When I take my camera out of the quiet of the kitchen, there is a moment (or two) of real panic. Photography intimidates me. Portraits and landscapes strike an honest fear deep within my heart. Since I am most familiar with still life photography, I get a bit unnerved when things begin to move out in the real world. People walk around. Trees sway in the wind. Vehicles are constantly stealing the limelight. It makes getting the shot I want nearly impossible. I have so much respect for all the professional photographers out there.

In the kitchen, I’m the boss. I manhandle the cookies. I govern the fruit with an iron fist. Not a stray crumb will leap out of place. Not on my watch. I direct the light, shadows, and composition. Food photography makes me feel in control. It is my comfort zone.

But, just as staying in comfort zones is all and well, it’s important to step out of them just as often as you stay in. This is what the photography course was all about for me. I left my comfort zone completely and tried out new subjects (people! Nature!) and new techniques (like HDR). Whether it has made me a better photographer, I’ll never know, but I am certain it has made me a much more informed one. And, really, that’s all I can hope to ask for.

Note: I will be vacationing in Portland and the Oregon coast over the next week. I may be a bit scarce in the coming days, but you can bet I’ll be back with many new stories and recipes to share with you before you know it! I can never stray from pastries for too long. See you soon!

I first made this Plum Clafouti a year ago, at the request of a roommate. In the next few weeks, I couldn’t help but make it a twice more. This Plum Clafouti is delicious. Before the plums go into the clafouti, they are lightly sauteed in butter and sugar, rendering them soft and utterly divine. Cream and eggs are combined and poured over the plums, which sets into a thick custard during baking. This clafouti is best served warm, but I gobbled it up just as quickly when it was cold (and for breakfast, no less). This is a summer dessert—light, with more than enough fruit to make you forget about the butter and cream.

Plum Clafouti
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande

1 pound plums, cut in half with stones removed (I used 6 medium sized plums)
2 tablespoons sugar + 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cornstarch

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F (210 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons sugar. Place halved plums face down into the butter and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until well blended. Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

In a small bowl, mix together milk and cornstarch until well combined. Whisk milk mixture into egg mixture.

Place plums face up in prepared baking dish. Pour the liquids over the plums. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Keep refrigerated in a covered container.

TAGGED WITH CLAFOUTI, CUSTARD, PLUM IN CUSTARD/PUDDINGS