Sliders

Oh, I love a good burger.  I am not the type to order one just anywhere I go, but a well seasoned burger with my favorite toppings is a favorite.  When I saw Ina make these the other day, I knew I had to try them.  This was my first attempt at finding a good hamburger recipe and my search is over. There is so much flavor in the meat and the combination of herbs and spices makes for a very tasty burger.    This was delicious and sliders are easy to handle and allow you try try different combinations in one meal.  For example, we had half with blue cheese and half with cheddar.  Whether you are feeding two or a crowd, they work for anything!

From my little kitchen to yours... enjoy.

Sliders

Adapted from Ina Garten

Recipe Notes

Ina's original recipe called for thyme.  I had rosemary on hand so that is what I used, but either will work great.  I also added the worcestire for an extra kick, but if you do not have any on hand, you do not need to worry because you will still have very flavorful burgers.  For the buns, I used kaiser rolls, but any mini sized bun will work.

Ingredients

• 1 pound premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
• 1/2 tablespoon good Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon worcestire sauce
• 6 thin small slices of your favorite cheese (I used sharp cheddar on some, and blue cheese on others)
• 6 small buns (I used kaiser rolls) brioche buns work well too
• 2 ounces baby arugula
• 1 medium tomato, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds
• 1 small red onion, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds
• Ketchup, for serving
• Step by Step
• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.
• 
  
  Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, without compressing the meat. Shape the meat into 12 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.
  
  When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the sliders over with a spatula and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, until medium-rare, or cook longer if you prefer the sliders more well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, place 1/2-ounce Gruyere on the top of each burger and close the grill lid. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.
  
  Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill.
  
  Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato and red onion. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with ketchup.
  
  
  

Makes 6 sliders

Deli Style Sandwiches @ Home

As I have mentioned before, I am not a peanut butter and jelly kinda girl.  Nor do I like most sandwiches people make at home.  Until I realized you could easily make almost any yummy sandwich at home with a few of the right ingredients.  I am mainly talking about this so I can share my new favorite bread.  This is the Italian White Loaf from Central Market.  They have all kinds of breads to spice up your sammies, but you should definitely give this one a try!  Simply layer your favorite meat, cheese and spreads and stick under the broiler for about 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't burn!).  Layer on veggies and you have yourself a deli style sandwich! Enjoy!
My Deli Style Sandwich
Central Market Italian White Loaf Bread
Monterey Jack Cheese
Thinly sliced deli ham
Avocado slices
Tomato Slices
Coarse sea salt and pepper

Pesto Mozzarella Melt

I have yet to find a recipe that involves pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes that I am not in love with.  Whether on a pizza or stirred into pasta, the Italians had it right when they combined these three.  I love using our griddler to make quick paninis and this is one I make the most.  If you do not have a griddler or panini press, you can use a nonstick skillet to get a sammie toasty and melted.

Pesto Mozzarella Melt

makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

4 thick slices of sourdough

3 tablespoons fresh basil pesto 

1 tomato, sliced 

slices of fresh mozzarella, about 1/4 inch thick

olive oil

Step by Step

1.  Heat griddler to medium heat and lightly coat plates with cooking spray

2.  Lightly coat one side of each piece of bread with olive oil. Spread pesto on the other side of both slices.

3.  Layer pesto side of bread with tomatoes and cheese and place other piece of bread on top so that the sides brushed with oil are both facing out.

4.  Lay sandwich on griddler and close lid.  Allow sandwich to toast and mozzarella to melt.  

5.  Continue to cook until bread is to desired crispiness.

6.  Remove from griddler and serve.

Introducing Mr. Hungry and his favorite meal.

How can I possibly be sharing my kitchen and recipes and not ever address my biggest taste tester, my husband, Mr. Hungry.  Whether it's the fact that he will eat anything I put in front of him (at least once), or the countless times he has walked in the kitchen and said, "What do you think you could whip up in here for me to eat?"... the name just fits.  

And what better addition to his introduction than his favorite meal: Steak Sammies.  I have to say this is one of those times where my picture just doesn't do the recipe justice.  I'm sure someone could take a more glorious picture of these, but you should trust me and try them! These sandwiches are perfect for so many reasons and especially because they only have 5 ingredients.  The combination of the havarti cheese and seasoned steak and onions pairs perfectly.  I feel like you can't go wrong feeding this sandwich to any man in your life.
Steak Sammies
Serves 2
Recipe Notes
I have tried these sandwiches with both new york strip steak and ribeye.  I personally go for whatever is on sale and I am sure they would be just as delicious with another type of steak.  If you have a thin piece of steak, you can even skip the slicing step and use a whole piece of steak on your sammies.  It is important to let the onions cook in the balsamic vinegar for awhile, but if the edges start to turn black, turn down the heat.   Make sure you let the steak come to room temperature before grilling for best cooking results.
Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 white onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 slices havarti cheese
2 portions of boneless ribeye or ny strip steak
French Baguette

Directions
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
2.  Add onions and balsamic vinegar and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.  Heavily salt and pepper steak and grill until steak is cooked medium.
4.  Allow steak to cool and slice into 1 inch thick slices.
5.  Slice baguette in half horizontally and cut two 6 inch sections.
6.  Lightly brush with olive oil and toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
7.  Remove bread and stack steak, onions and then cheese on top.  Top with other side of bread and serve immediately. 

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

I grew up not being a sandwich fan at all. I can say I have still never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my 24 years of living and grew up taking cheese and turkey separately in my lunches. I just never warmed up to the idea of soft bread with turkey, mayo and soggy tomatoes. However, sandwiches with yummy ingredients and nice toasty bread are now some of my favorites. This is basically a sandwich I ordered all the time at Central Market and then figured I could easily make this at home. Not only is this so easy, but goes great with really any kind of cheese and your favorite bread can easily replace the ciabatta roll, which happens to be my favorite. This is already a pretty fast meal, but can be sped up even more by using precooked chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

ingredients

2 ciabatta rolls

2 thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons of pesto (fresh or store bought)

coarse sea salt

step by step

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees

2. Generously sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.

2. Grill chicken till cooked thoroughly.

3.  While chicken is grilling, lightly brush olive oil on one side of the bread and lay a slice of     mozzarella on the other side

4.  Bake both sides of bread in oven for 5 to 10 minutes (cheese melted and bread slightly crispy)

5. Let chicken cool slightly and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.

6. Set oven to broil

7.  Add sliced chicken to cheese side of bread and 1 1/2 tablespoons to the other side of bread.  Add a couple dashes of coarse salt to taste. 

8.  Bake in oven on broil for 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully because sandwich can burn quickly).

9.  Remove from oven and combine sides of sandwich.  Cut diagonally to serve.

Ever have all of the wonderful insides of your sandwich come spilling

out when you try to cut your sandwich in half?
Solution! Wrap in wax paper and then cut in half.

Stay tuned later in the week to find a great way to use leftover pesto!