Black Forest Ham, Bacon & Provolone Cheese Sliders

I saw these little rolls at the grocery store & they looked so yummy. I had to find something fun to do with them. We had a picnic planned for the pool the next day so I decided to make mini sandwiches. It turned out to be a fabulous idea. We all loved them, even my 4 year old daughter (who would not try any sandwich other than peanut butter & jelly or grilled cheese)!! They were so good, I ended up making them 2 weekends in a row by request! They were perfect for our picnics- I made them one weekend at the beach & then again for a day at the pool. They would be great for tailgating, as an appetizer, or a special treat in school lunch boxes!! Ingredients:

Dinner Rolls

Black Forest Ham, thinly sliced from the deli

Provolone Cheese, slices from the deli

Bacon, cooked & broken in half

Mayonnaise

Dijon Mustard

The bread is really important here, I mean it is a sandwich after all! I used a roll that was crusty on the outside but still soft & chewy in the middle. A sour dough roll would be great for this too. You don't want to use a soft yeast roll or the slider hamburger buns though. They would get too soggy & fall all apart. Next to choosing the right bread, I believe the secret to a good sandwich is in the assembly. I put mayonnaise on the bottom side & mustard on the top sides of the roll. Then I layer in this order: Mayonnaise on the bottom of the roll, bacon, ham, provolone, ham, then mustard on the top. Really, I just think it's important to have the ham touching the mustard & the bacon touching the mayonnaise.

Serve with some fresh fruit & it's a fabulous day at the pool! Look at that bite!

He can easily down 4 of these- in one sitting

Last bite!

Perfectly Grilled, Bacon, Cheddar & Jalapeno Burgers

Who doesn't love a good burger? Charcoal flavored, topped with you favorite ingredients- the possibilities are endless. It may seem so simple, but it's actually taken us years to cook them perfectly at home. This is our fool proof method, slightly adapted from Weber's Big Book of Grilling.Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of 80/20 Ground Beef

Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper

Buns

Toppings:

Bacon Slices, cooked

Sliced Sharp Yellow Cheddar

Sliced Fresh Jalapeno

Lettuce

Sliced Tomato

Thinly Sliced Yellow Onion

Dill Pickle Slices

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Ketchup

Directions:

Light your charcoal chimney. If you are using a gas grill, heat to 350-450 degrees. Make your patties 1/4-1/3 lbs each. It's really important not to use super lean beef for burgers. You need to fat to flavor the meat & keep it moist while grilling. Trust me, I've tried & tried. Lean meat produces a dry burger every time. Form your patties, trying not to over work the meat. Using your thumbs, press an indention in the center, making the centers thinner than the edges. This will keep your burger from puffing up in the center & reduce shrinking. (They will shrink some regardless, so keep that in mind with the size of your buns too!)

Grill over direct, medium heat 8-10 minutes, flipping once & cooking with the lid on, as much as possible. When burgers are cooked to desired temperature, bring the burgers inside & immediately top with cheese. Cover the platter with tin foil to seal in the juices & melt the cheese. Or, if you have an oven safe platter, place them in the oven at 200 degrees. Just for a few minutes, while you prepare the topping & get the buns toasted. Do not skip this step! This is what keeps the burgers from being dry.

Toast the buns, either out on the grill or in a toasted oven inside. Slice all of the fresh toppings toppings. When everything is ready, top the cheddar burgers with bacon & serve. Let everyone build their burgers to their preference.

My hubby loves Jalapenos on his!
I highly suggest you make these with your picky kids. Let them help you slice the cheese & top with bacon or what ever their favorite toppings are. This was the first burger that my 4 year old daughter actually ate- and she loved it!!

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Blue Cheese Dip

I warned you when I made the Pepperoni & Mozzarella Egg Rolls that you would be seeing these again! And just in time for football season, these are stuffed with chicken meat doused in buffalo sauce with blue cheese dipping sauce! A fantastically fun twist on buffalo chicken wings. Egg Roll wrappers can be found at any grocery store these days, in the produce section. Near the bagged salads & freshly prepared veggies, fruit, etc. Ingredients:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (or 2 cups shredded Chicken Meat)
1 small Carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1-2 Green Onions
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles (about 2 oz)
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 package Egg Roll Wrappers

What else you'll need:

Oil for frying
Blue Cheese dressing
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Celery Sticks
Baby Carrots

Directions:

Roast your chicken breasts (if using), drizzled with olive oil & seasoned with salt & pepper, in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (just until fully cooked). Let it cool slightly then chop or shred into a mixing bowl.

Add the finely chopped carrot, chopped green onion (reserving a little bit for topping), mozzarella & blue cheese crumbles to the chicken & combine. Add the Buffalo sauce to coat. We like Frank's Buffalo Sauce, but use what ever is your favorite. Preheat your oil to 375 degrees. Lay out a few egg roll wrappers on the counter. Put about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling in the center. Using a pastry brush (or your finger) dipped in water wet all 4 edges of the egg roll. Fold up the bottom corner, then the 2 sides & roll up. The package has directions & diagrams for you to follow too. Deep fry for 1-2 minutes, just until lightly browned. They will continue to cook after you pull them out of the oil. I line a baking sheet with paper towels to drain the egg rolls on after they come out of the oil. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving, they will be HOT! I add extra blue cheese crumbles to store bought blue cheese salad dressing for dipping. Sprinkle the reserved spring onions on top and serve celery sticks & baby carrots on the side. Yum!!  Blue Cheese- جبنه معفنه, روكفور

Warm & Cheesy Spinach Dip

My husband thought that he didn't like spinach for at least the first (maybe even the second) year we were together. When I finally convinced him to try it again, guess what?!? He did like it! Especially when it's cooked with lots of cream & cheese & topped with bacon like in this! This is seriously better than any dip I've had in a restaurant. You'll love it. And you can certainly add artichoke hearts to it too, I make it both ways. Ingredients:

2 (9-10oz) boxes of frozen, chopped Spinach, thawed

4 tbsp of Butter

3-4 Garlic cloves, minced

1 small Yellow Onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

2 cups Heavy Cream

1/4 cup Chicken Stock

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup shredded White Cheddar Cheese

12 oz jar of Artichoke Hearts, drained & coarsely chopped (optional)

3 pieces of Bacon cooked & crumbled (optional)

Hot Sauce (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a chef's pan or large sauce pan over medium/ high heat. Add the onion, season with salt & pepper, & cook until soft. Then add the minced garlic & cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the flour & cook 1 minute, stirring or whisking constantly.

Slowly add in the cream & chicken broth stirring or whisking to incorporate. Cook until it starts to boil.

Add the Parmesan Cheese & Hot Sauce (This is optional, add it if you'd like some heat.) & stir until it's melted. Turn off the heat & let it cool for about 5 minutes.
While your cheese sauce is cooling, drain your spinach. The best way that I have found to do this is to us a a kitchen towel. Make sure you are ok if it is tainted green though! I've always been able to get mine clean, even a white one. But...just in case, use an older one. Open the towel out & lay it on the counter. Dump the thawed boxes of spinach out on the the middle of the towel. Pull up the 4 corners & squeezed the liquid out over the sink. Make sure you squeeze hard & get all the liquid out...you do not want a watered down spinach dip!
It should end up a tight little clump of spinach. Stir the sour cream & the drained spinach into the cheese sauce. (Add in the artichoke hearts too if you are using them.) Make sure you mix well so the spinach gets incorporated well in the cheese, it tends to clump together. Check your seasonings, add salt & pepper of needed.
Pour the spinach & cheese mixture into a greased casserole dish. I used a small, glass casserole dish. Sprinkle the white cheddar on top, then add the crumbled bacon pieces.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, just until he cheese is bubbly on top. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, bread sticks, crustini or baguette slices.

Cheesy yummy goodness!
This recipe is based on a recipe that I got from my mom several years ago. She got it off the internet, but I don't know the original source.

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce

This is the recipe that started my love affair with Mexican food. Before I tasted this, I didn't think that I liked anything (beyond Nachos or that prepackaged, yellow Taco Kit) Mexican. My best friend's parents first made this for us one Fourth of July & I HAD to have the recipe. (They are amazing cooks, I'm always trying to replicate something that they make!) It's been more than 10 years & I've hardly changed a thing from the instructions that I wrote down that 4th of July evening. This is a fabulous recipe! Ingredients:

(For the Sauce)

2 Green Peppers

1 Pablano Chile Pepper

1-2 Jalapeno Peppers

1 medium Onion

4-5 cloves of Garlic

15 oz can of Tomato Sauce

6 oz can of Tomato Paste

1/4- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth

3 tbsp of Olive Oil

2-3 tbsp Fresh, chopped Cilantro or Parsley

1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

2 tsp ground Cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

What else you will need:

Tortilla shells, we use flour tortillas in the taco or fajita size.

Fillings & toppings:

You can fill your enchiladas with anything you'd like- shredded cheeses or meats like chicken, beef, or pork. Just make sure you have cheese to top with! We also like to serve them with sour cream & hot sauce. Directions:Roughly chop the peppers, chili & onion. Discarding all the seeds & tops of peppers. Depending on how spicy you like your food, take care with the jalapenos. I remove all the seeds & the ribs. But I am feeding a 4 year old so if you like heat you may want to leave some. Smash the garlic to remove the skins. Place them all in a large chefs pan or sauce pan with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, just until they are soft.

In a food processor or blender, puree the tomato sauce, paste, sauteed mixture, cilantro or parsley (we prefer parsley!). Add as much of the chicken broth as you need to the mixture moving easily.

Pour the sauce back into the pan that you sauteed the peppers & onion in. Add the cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. (This is when I get the fillings together.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make an assembly line with the sauce, tortillas, fillings, and a casserole dish (greased with non-stick spray). We filled our enchiladas with chicken & cheese. I baked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2) seasoned with Adobo Seasoning (found in the spices or hispanic section of the grocery store) & drizzled with olive oil at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. After letting it cool for a little bit we finely chopped it. I used shredded mozzarella cheese, but you can use any cheese you'd like.

Put a few spoon fulls of the sauce in the bottom of the greased casserole dish. I used a smaller dish, since I was only feeding 3 people. (These freeze fabulously so you can make a bunch or what I usually do is just freeze the left over sauce for another meal.)

Spoon a little of the sauce a tortilla & spread it around (both sides) then fill. I do mostly chicken with a little bit of cheese. (I put most of the cheese on the top later.)

Roll the filled tortillas like a burrito (fold up the sides & roll) and place on top of the sauce in the casserole dish.

Spoon more sauce over top of the tortillas, be generous- you don't want dry enchiladas! Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble. I sprinkle a little more chopped parsley on the top.

I made saffron rice with this but some times we make refried or black beans too. PS- This is my husband's plate. A normal person would eat 1-2 of these, depending on how you fill them & what sides your serve.