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. 

 

 

Peach Salsa

Peach Salsa

Peaches are in season right now. There are many wonderful dishes you can make with them. Try my Sunshine Peach Cobbler. It is amazing.

However, my husband and I are trying to eat less sugar and fat and more veggies and fresh fruit. Peach Salsa helps us move toward that goal without being boring (I’m looking at you steamed broccoli.)

This would be delicious on Jerk Chicken, Pan Seared Pork Chops, Island Pulled Pork Tacos or Crispy Chicken Tacos. You could also eat just the salsa with chips. It was really good!

Servings:  Makes 3 cups
Time:  prep: 5-10 minutes; Rest: 2 hours-overnight
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board and a large knife, a pot and a bowl to peel the peaches, a wooden spoon, a zester, an airtight container

Ingredients

• 4 large peaches (about 2 cups)
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 tomato (⅓ cup-3 ounces)
• 1 small red onion (⅓ cup-3 ounces)
• ½ a green pepper or 3 baby bells (⅓ cup-3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 lime
• Salt and pepper

1.   Peel the peaches. Blanch the jalapeño at the same time. To blanch the pepper, cut it in half, discard the seeds and remove the white ribs. Boil the pepper for about 2 minutes and then plunge it into an ice bath.
2.  Dice the peaches. Zest and juice the lime. Dice and seed the tomato. Dice the onion and peppers. Try to cut the fruit and veggies into equal size pieces.
3.  Mix the fruit and veggies with the cilantro, zest and lime juice.
4.  Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate overnight. Allow the salsa to return to just below room temperature before serving.

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!

Port and Cheddar Burgers

Port and Cheddar are an amazing combo

My husband and I visited St. Petersburg, FL recently to see a concert. We decided to stay for a few extra days and visit the town. St. Pete has many art galleries and artist collectives. We visited the Dali Museum and the Dale Chihuly Glass Collection. We also saw a glass blowing exhibition at the Morean Glass Studio and Hot Shop.

Happily, all this creativity wasn’t confined to visual arts.  Downtown was full of funky, little bistros, gastropubs and diners. Every meal we ate that week consisted of an everyday food elevated in some inventive and delicious way. One evening, after visiting my friend Roger’s club Enigma, we ate at a place around the corner called Engine 9. Their Wino Burger inspired me to start thinking about wine as a condiment.

I cooked a good port down until it was basically a syrup. The best cheddar that I could afford balanced that sweetness with a sharp, pleasant bite.  French fried onions complimented both flavors and added a needed crunch. It isn’t necessary to use any other toppings. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would enhance this dish without detracting from it. My husband, who is not an adventurous eater, loved these.

Servings:  6 burgers

Hardware:  Measuring cups, a sauce pot, a silicone spatula, a spatula, a heavy bottom skillet with a lid
Time:  Active time 15 minutes; Cook: 15 Minutes, Dinner in about 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• Enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet 
•  Salt and pepper 
•  ¾ cup of the best port that you can find
• 12 ounces of the best cheddar you can afford 
•  4 ounces French fried onions
• 6 toasted buns

1.  Cut the cheddar into 12-1 ounce slices.
2. Place the port in the sauce pot and allow it to boil until it is a thick syrup. This took about 10 minutes, but the time could vary. You want the port to be the consistency of honey. You can cook the burgers while the port is reducing.
3. In the skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Divide the ground beef into 6 equal ¾ inch patties. Make a small dimple in the center of each burger. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the patties just before placing them on the heat.
4. Place the burgers into the skillet. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, keeping the lid on the skillet. Check the thickest burger for desired temperature. Place 2 cheese slices onto each burger during the last minute or so of cooking. Cover the skillet so that the cheese will melt.
5. To serve, place the warm burgers onto the split buns, cheese side up. Top each burger with the a generous helping of the port sauce and then pile on the onions. So simple, so good.