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. 

 

 

Cheesesteak Sliders

Cheesesteak Sliders

The holidays are  always crazy busy. I wanted a quick, easy snack that both my mom and husband would eat. Enter the Cheesesteak Slider. These were so tasty that I made them again later in the week.

 

I used to date a guy from Philadelphia. When we visited his family, we went downtown and had a Cheesesteak. Believe it or not, all the venders were using Cheez Whiz. You can use American cheese if you want, but for authenticity (and speed and ease) use the bright yellow stuff from the jar. Trust me. You can also add sautéed mushrooms if you wish. Just make sure to drain them and chop them up before adding them with the peppers and onions.

 

You can serve these as a snack, as an appetizer at your socially distanced New Year's Eve bonfire or as a meal. If you enjoy these try my Italian Sausage and Pepper Sliders  or my Chicken Taco Sliders.

Servings: 12 sliders
Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 35 Minutes, Sandwiches in about an hour
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring cups and spoons, a microwave safe bowl, a second bowl, a serrated knife, a silicone spatula, tongs, a wooden spoon, a pastry brush, a skillet, an 8x11.5 glass baking dish, and foil

Ingredients

• 1-12 pack of King’s Hawaiian Rolls
• 1 stick of butter
• Olive oil for the bottom of the skillet
• 1 bell pepper (8-10 ounces)-I used different colored baby bells for color
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 1-pound roast beef cold cuts (I used Boar’s Head Londonport)
• ½ cup Cheeze Whiz

1.  Melt the butter in the microwave safe bowl. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Roughly chop the onions and pepper into small chunks. Heat the oil over medium. Cook the peppers and onions until they are the desired tenderness. Remove them to the second bowl.
3. Roughly chop the cold cuts. I find this easiest to do by rolling it up and  slicing it in one direction and then the other direction.
4. With a large, serrated knife cut the rolls in half horizontally. Don’t separate the rolls. You are creating one large top slab and one large bottom slab.
   
   
   
5. Lay a large piece of foil in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the bottom of the bread on the foil. Spread the chopped cold cuts evenly over the bread.
   
   
   Make sure to not pile all the meat in the middle but spread it out to the edges. Top the roast beef with the peppers and onions.
   
   
   Use the spatula to spread the top ‘half’ of the bread with Cheeze Whiz.
   
   
   Lay the top slab onto the bottom one. 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. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Allow the sliders to rest for 2-3 minutes. Following the outline of the top buns, use a serrated knife to slice into 12 sliders.
   
   
   
7. Serve warm.
   

Instant Pot Pork Belly BBQ

Instant Pot Pork Belly BBQ

Pork belly is much more than just unsmoked bacon. It has juicy fat layers wrapped around the meat and when cooked properly has a similar texture to pork loin. But is luscious because of that fat. That may not sound like your thing, but that just means more for ME!

The first time I cooked pork belly, I did it low and slow in my Dutch oven. Tonight, I made it in the Instant Pot. If you like BBQ, you will love this. Instant Pot BBQ Pork Belly tastes like you simmered it forever. In reality dinner was ready in took less than an hour, with only 10 minutes top of prep. And it was so, so, so, so very good.

You can use any of the sweeteners but NOT all three. I used soy sauce to give the meat a more appealing color and a little jolt. You could substitute Worcestershire sauce, but I would use less as it can be overpowering. Finally, you can use 1½ cups chicken broth rather than water and Better Than Bouillon, but BTB is magic and I would definitely try it if you haven’t.

Servings: 6 sandwiches

Hardware: A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, an Instant Pot®, a strainer, silicone oven mitt and a wooden spoon

Cooking time: Active time: 10 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes; Sandwiches in an hour

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork belly, sliced into chunks
• Cooking spray
• 1 large red onion (8 ounces)
• Sweetener (1 tablespoon honey OR 1 tablespoon honey OR ½ tablespoon molasses)
• 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1½ cups water
• 1½ cups of your favorite BBQ sauce-you can use more or less-depends on how sloppy you like your BBQ (We like Sweet Baby Ray’s Original)  
• Rolls, pickles, pickled jalapeños, mustard other sandwich toppings

 

Browning first adds depth

1. Quarter the onion and slice the pork belly into chunks.
2. Spray the inner pot with cooking spray and set on sauté. Add the pork belly and brown for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion, sweetener, Better Than Bouillon, soy sauce and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn off.
3. Place the lid on the IP, making sure the valve is set to ‘sealing.’ Turn on the pressure cook setting and set for 25 minutes. When time is up, allow to naturally release for about 15 minutes and using the silicone oven mitt move the valve to ‘release.’
4. Strain everything from the pot and discard the liquid. Return the meat and the BBQ sauce to the IP and heat through.
5. Serve immediately on your favorite sandwich bun. Offer your guests pickles, pickled jalapeños, mustard and any other sandwich topper that you think they might like.

Cauliflower Fritters

Cauliflower Fritters

We participate in Meatless Monday. We aren’t going vegan, nor gluten free. We are just trying to cut back on meat. These Cauliflower Fritters are delicious. You can serve them as is with a little sour cream or on a roll as a slider. You can use them to sneak veggies into the diet of picky eater.

You could add any herb or some shredded cheese. You could also change up the seasoning to suit your taste. I purchased riced cauliflower, but you could buy a fresh head and rice it yourself. Do not purchase frozen cauliflower. It is too soft.

Servings: 12 fritters (3 fritters with a side make a meal. 2 sliders make a meal.)

Hardware: A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a large bowl, a small bowl, a spatula, a non-stick skillet (I used cast iron), optional-ice cream scoop

Time: Active time: 5 minutes; Cook: 10 minutes; fritters in 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups riced cauliflower (I purchased mine in the produce section)
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan

1.       Slice the onions and roughly chop the chives

2.       Place the cauliflower into the large bowl and zap for 2 minutes.

3.       Add everything to the work bowl of the processor but the breadcrumbs, green onions and the frying oil. Pulse until the mixture forms a soft dough. You should stop a few times to scrape down the sides and bottom of the work bowl. The mixture should be able to form a soft ball. If it is too soft add flour or cheese. If it is too dry add a tiny bit of oil. Fold in the green onions.

4.       Heat the oil in the skillet over medium. Place the breadcrumbs into the small bowl. Form the cauliflower mixture into golf ball sized balls. I use an ice cream scoop or a ¼ measuring cup to make sure the fritters are uniform in size. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs. The dough is so soft it will sort of form a patty shape when you place it in the pan. If not give it a little squish.

5.       When the pan is hot, sauté the fritters 4-5 minutes on each side. They should have a crispy crust on the outside. Make sure that they are not burning. You may need to coat the pan between batches. You can keep the cooked fritters warm on the lowest setting in the oven. Serve warm.