Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Stuffed Meatball Sliders may seem like a great deal of work. They are. However, they are completely worth it. 2 of these make a meal and your family and guests will be so impressed. This is what you should serve on Independence  Day.

I used King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls because they are a good size for this dish, they come pre-sliced and they are YUMMY! You can use your favorite brand. Mid’s pizza sauce was perfect for the marinara sauce. It is inexpensive, made with all-natural ingredients, and most importantly, delicious. 

You can make the meatballs and peppers a day before. Remove them from the fridge to give them enough time to come to room temperature and then assemble the sliders as directed. Make an extra batch of meatballs and freeze them for another day.

 

 

 

 

Servings: 9 sliders
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a mixing bowl, a smaller bowl, a cutting board and knives, a large heavy pan, a smaller skillet, a fork, a silicone spatula, tongs, an 8x11.5 glass baking dish, and foil (maybe a serrated knife)
Time:  Active time 30 minutes; Cook: 75 Minutes, Sandwiches in about 2 hours

 Ingredients:

Mozzarella Middle

• 1 ½ pound ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12-ounce container of baby mozzarella balls (ciliegine- say ‘chili-ay-JEE-nay”)
• Braising liquid (stock, sauce, wine, whatever strikes your fancy)
• 1-9 pack of King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls
• 1 red bell pepper (8-10 ounces)-I used different colored baby bells for color
• 1 ½ cups of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Mid’s Pizza Sauce)
• 9 slices of provolone, cut a bit larger than the slider buns
• 6 tablespoons of butter

1.  Remove 10 of the mozzarella balls from the container and set aside. You don’t want to contaminate the rest of the cheese.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in the bowl and mix with your hands. Take a pinch of the meat and fry it. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
3. Roll out about  2 ounces of the meat, just as if you were making a regular meatball. Then pat the meat ball out flat. Place one cheese ball in the center and pinch the meat closed around it. Check and make sure that no cracks appear in the meatball were the cheese can escape while it is cooking. Make the meatball a little flat, so it sits nicely on the bun.(See the video below.) Continue to do this until you have 9 meatballs. You will have a little bit of meat left over. Make a test meatball.
4. Heat the oil on medium.  Brown the meatballs on all sides for about 8 minutes.  Turn them ¼ time every 2 minutes. Drain the fat from the pan.
5. Add enough liquid to the pan to cover the meatballs about 2/3 of the way.  Simmer them for about 45 minutes. Check the test meatball to see if it is done.
6. While the  meatballs are cooking, cut the bell pepper into long then strips and cook until desired crispiness. I usually like my pepper still crispy, but for sandwiches I prefer them to be softer.
7. When the meatballs are done, melt the butter in the microwave safe bowl. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Lay a large piece of foil in the bottom of the baking dish.
8. King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls come pre-sliced. If you are using another brand, use the serrated knife cut the rolls in half horizontally.
9. Place the bottoms of the bread on the foil. Spread the bell peppers evenly over the bread. Top the peppers with the meatballs. Use the spatula to spread the top halves of the bread with marinara sauce. You can spoon a little onto the meatballs if you want. Lay a slice of cheese onto each meatball. Place the top bun onto each sandwich. 
10. Pour the butter evenly over the sliders. Use the pastry brush to make sure all the bread is covered in butter. Seal the foil closed. You may need another sheet of foil. 
11. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow the sliders to rest for 2-3 minutes. You may need a knife to cut the sliders apart. Serve warm. 

 

 

Red, White and Blue Burgers

Red, White and Blue Burgers

Independence Day was my inspiration for these Red, White and Blue Burgers. Red comes from the sweet and a little spicy Sweet Pepper Relish. Sharp and slightly sour Lemon Garlic Aioli provides the white. Blue cheese is bluish and finishes up this burger perfectly. This was wonderful. The flavors meld seamlessly. I ate one for breakfast the next day.

Servings:  6 burgers

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, mixing bowl, no-powder latex gloves, a spatula, a heavy bottom frying pan
Time: Prep-10 minutes, Cook-7-10 minutes, Burgers in 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef (the best that you can afford)
• 1 ½ tablespoons Montreal Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of water
• Salt & Pepper
• Sweet Pepper Relish
• Lemon Garlic Aioli
• 6 ounces of crumbled blue cheese
• 6 buns
• Cooking spray

1. This is easiest to do with your hands. Put on the gloves. Mix the beef, the Montreal Seasoning and water together. Don’t over handle the beef as it will make tough burgers.
2. Divide the ground beef into 6 equal patties. Make a small dimple in the center of each burger. Generously, salt and pepper the burgers. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium-high. Place the burgers into the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes and then flip. Cook for 5-6 more minutes. Place an ounce of cheese onto each burger during the last minute or so of cooking so that it will melt.
3. To serve smear each side of the split buns with Lemon Garlic Aioli. Place the warm burgers onto the split buns, cheese side up. Top each burger with the Sweet PepperRelish. The burgers really do not need anything else. So very good!

Mushroom Not Burgers

Mushroom Not Burgers

I am absolutely NOT a vegetarian. I will tuck into a rare steak like a ravenous dog! However, we do go meat free on Mondays. I also have many friends who are meat free.  Mostly, though, I am making alternatives to ground beef burgers because I am trying to stretch my cooking talents. I have been creating original recipes for almost a decade. I want to try something new.

This was very successful. The trouble with making veggie burgers is finding a balance between patties that are juicy enough to be tasty but not so juicy that they fall apart. The trick with these Mushroom Not Burgers is to refrigerate them. So, make the mushroom mixture the day before and fry them up the next day.

I recently made Bean Burgers. How do these compare? The Mushroom Not Burgers have a consistency closer to a beef patty. They are also ‘meatier’ because of the umami in the mushrooms and soy sauce. Meat eaters would probably prefer the mushroom burgers. I personally liked the taste of the Bean Burger better, but I could eat my own weight in black beans. The mushroom burgers are more labor intensive and more expensive. Both beef alternatives were very good, and I would have either again any time. This summer, if you are having a BBQ, these are good options to offer your friends who don’t eat meat.

If you want, you can substitute a ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 2 teaspoons onion powder for the garlic and shallot. You may also add a teaspoon or two of your favorite steak seasoning to the mixture before refrigerating. I added 2 drips of liquid smoke, too. But that is unnecessary and if you get liquid smoke be very careful. One drop goes a long way.

Servings: 10 sliders or 5 burgers

Hardware: A can opener, a strainer, cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a mixing bowl, a storage container with a lid, a spatula, a large, non-stick skillet (I used cast iron)

Time: Active time: 15 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes; the mixture must rest overnight

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of mushrooms (I used a mixture of button, shiitake and portobellos)
• 1-16 ounce can of garbanzo beans
• ¼ cup naked sunflower seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small shallot (1-2 ounces)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1cup plain Italian style breadcrumbs
• ½ cup flour
• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan 
• Buns and burger topping

1.       Rinse and drain the beans. Roughly dice the shallot and garlic cloves, set aside.

2.       Add the mushrooms, 8 ounces at a time to the work bowl of the food processor. Pulse until 8 ounces of the mushrooms are almost a paste. Place those into the mixing bowl. Grind the next pound into pieces about the size of aquarium gravel. Add those to the mixing bowl. Pulse the last 8 ounces of mushrooms, along with the shallot and garlic cloves, until they are roughly chopped. Scrape everything from the processor into the bowl.

3.       Cover the bottom of the skillet in a little oil and place over medium high heat. Cook the veggies until the mushrooms give up their liquid. This may take about 5-6 minutes. You may need to cook them in batches. Drain the mushrooms in the strainer. You can smash them a little with the back of the wooden spoon to remove even more liquid. Place them back into the mixing bowl.

4.       Place the beans into the processor and grind them up as small as possible. Scrape them into the mixing bowl. Do the same with the sunflower seeds. Allow everything to cool completely.

5.       Mix the eggs, salt, pepper soy sauce, crumbs and flour into the cooled mushrooms. Place this into the airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

6.       Heat the oil in the skillet over medium. Form the mushroom mixture into a little tiny patty. Cook it on both sides. Taste this and adjust the seasonings. Then make ½ to ¾ inch patties. Shape the patties to fit the buns you are using.

7.       When the pan is hot, sauté the patties 4-5 minutes on each side. Make sure that they are not burning. You may need to coat the pan between batches. You can keep the cooked patties warm on the lowest setting in the oven.

8.       Serve the Mushroom Not Burgers with the same toppings you would serve with hamburgers.