Ultimate Sriracha Burger

This burger was wonderful. I loved the mix of saltiness from the soy sauce and spiciness from the Sriracha. I actually mixed the meat the night before so the flavor really had time to get in there.

Barely adapted from Oishii

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons Sriracha, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick cut bacon
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
4 buns
4 thick slices Swiss cheese
1 tomato, sliced
several handfuls of spinach

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, soy sauce, 2 1/2 tablespoons. of the Sriracha, and the pepper. Be careful not to overmix. Form the mixture into 4 patties, and set aside, on a parchment-lined plate, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium high heat. In a medium frying pan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon, turning as necessary. Once the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy, remove the slices from the pan, cut each in half crosswise, and drain onto paper towels.

Grill the burgers, turning once, 4 to 41/2 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer registers 130° to 135°F for medium-rare.

While the burgers are cooking, combine the blue cheese dressing with the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha in a small bowl.

Lightly toast the buns on the grill during the last minute of cooking time.
Assemble the ultimate burger! Spread the blue cheese mixture on both halves of each hamburger bun. Stack a burger patty, slice of swiss cheese, bacon, slice of tomato, and a small handful of spinach between each hamburger bun.



Recipe Rewind: Savory Shortbread and Italian Spinach Spread

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This is a quick and easy recipe when you are looking for some good old comfort food. I really like the use of cottage cheese in this recipe since it is something I usually have around. Give this a try to warm you up as it starts to get cooler outside.

From: The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS

1-¼ pound ground chuck
1 can 15-ounces tomato sauce
½ teaspoons salt
pepper
8 ounces, weight egg noodles
½ cups sour cream
1-¼ cup small curd cottage cheese
½ cups Sliced Green Onions (I omitted)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.


Recipe Rewind: White Lasagna Toss

Slow Cooker French Dip

I just love coming home from a long day at work to the smell of dinner that is ready to go. This is an easy recipe that is filling and tasty. And don't skip dipping your sandwich in the sauce, it is a must!

Adapted from: Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
a few good dashes of worcestershire sauce and hot sauce
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Trim excess fat from the rump roast, salt and pepper the roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup, beer, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. (Mine cooked for about 11 hours while I was at work).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

Recipe Rewind: Manly Meaty Pasta Salad

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

This is a fun (and cheap) twist on the Philly Cheesesteak. Of course the orginal recipe calls for onions, and some people add peppers and mushrooms...but you won't find any of that here. For a side dish I simply made some extra cheese sauce and served that with some cooked broccoli.

Adapted from: A Taste of Home Cooking, originally from Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef consume
salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded
chopped sweet cherry peppers

DIRECTIONS

Preheat boiler.

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of olive oil, brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the steak sauce and beef consume, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and toast under broiler, keep your eye on them so they don't burn!

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and cherry peppers; replace the top of the roll.

Recipe Rewind: Creamy Taco Mac and Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Salad

Marlboro Man Sandwich

I always had cube steak growing up, but never in a sandwich. After years of seeing this recipe I finally gave it a try. I am happy to say I am glad I did. As you may be able to guess I omitted the onions (I hate them) when I made this, but I have kept them in the recipe below because chances are you will prefer it that way. Although I took away the onions, I couldn’t resist the urge to add cheese to this. Cheese is a must when it comes to sandwiches. This is a great fast weeknight dinner.

From: The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS

1 whole large onion
2 sticks butter
2-3 pounds cube steak
seasoned salt, such as Lawry’s
½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire sauce
hot sauce, to taste
4 whole French/deli rolls
provolone cheese – optional

DIRECTIONS

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with cheese and other half of roll.

Recipe Rewind: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Peanut Butter and Cream Brownie Torte

Ultimate Meatballs

People are always on the lookout for a new meatball recipe for parties. Give this one a try next time you have a gathering...your slow cooker will be empty before the party is over!

Adapted from OceanSpray

INGREDIENTS

1 14-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce
1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs
1 lime

DIRECTIONS

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Just before serving squeeze the lime over the meatballs and mix in the lime juice.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

Recipe Rewind: Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo and Dijon Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

I was really craving something Mexican and after searching the web I stumbled across this recipe. I had never made brisket like this before and I was little worried it may end up tough...but it turned out wonderful! Mine was served on chipotle corn tortillas and Chili Lime Rice.

From: Food Network

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo (2 chiles-not 2 cans)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons molasses
tortillas/buns
pickled jalapenos/cheese/sour cream/rice* optional for serving

DIRECTIONS

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and boil until it's almost gone, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours (I cooked mine for 10 hours).

To serve, leave the meat in the slow cooker and use 2 forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. Pile the meat on sandwich buns or tortillas and serve with jalapenos, cheese, sour cream and/or rice.

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Buffalo Style Meatballs

Now I realize this is hardly and recipe and some people may not even think it is blog-worthy. But when I made these they were a big hit. Plus I know people are always looking for another way to serve meatballs in the slow cooker for parties. I thought it as a nice alternative to buffalo chicken wings. I have also come to realize that I like putting wing sauce in traditional recipes =). All I did was throw some frozen meatballs in, poured in some buffalo wing sauce (I used Texas Pete brand) and stirred. Then I followed the cooking directions from the meatball package.

One year ago: Taco Bake

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I should start by saying I have a pretty large (6.5 quart) slow cooker and it was full. You may want to adjust the amounts if you have a smaller slow cooker, don’t have a ton of people to feed or don’t want leftovers. This was the first time I have ever made corned beef and cabbage. I think it will be a St. Patrick’s Day tradition from here on out. For one, corned beef and cabbage are on sale this time of year, two, it is so easy and three is it good! I got the idea to use vinegar, sugar and a bay leaf from a recipe I found on All Recipes.

INGREDIENTS

3.3 pounds corned beef with spice packet

24 ounces baby red potatoes, cleaned
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 small to medium cabbage, cored and cut in quarters
1 quart beef broth
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Mix together beef broth, spice packet, vinegar and sugar, set aside.

Place carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with corned beef. Place potatoes around your corned beef (it is ok if some are on top). Pour beef broth mixture over corned beef and add in the bay leaf. If the corned beef is not covered in liquid add some water. Top with cabbage wedges and cook on low for 8 hours.

One year ago: Eggs In Purgatory

Italian Drip Beef

This was the first thing I made in my dutch oven I received for Christmas...and what a great way to break it in. I could eat this every week and not get tired of it. Don't let the peppers scare you away if you are not into spicy foods. The flavor was fantastic. I however do like spicy food, so I will add more peppers next time. I would have to say that the worst part of making this was having to smell it all day and not be able to tear into it. It smelled amazing!

From The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS

1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
1 can Beef Consomme
3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt

pepper
¼ cups Water
½ jar (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients (except rolls) in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it’s tender!**

Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

One year ago: Strawberry Cupcakes

Party Meatballs

Next time you are looking for a recipe for meatballs for a party try this instead of the grape jelly version. I cheated and used pre-made meatballs instead of making my own. They were still great.

Adapted from Kraft Foods

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of frozen meatballs

1 jar (10 oz.) apricot preserves
1/2 cup BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook to directions on meatball package.

Irish Beef Hand Pies

It wasn't pretty, but it was tasty. I found this recipe while thumbing through a Martha Stewart Magazine, Everyday Food. I hate working with pie crust, but it was worth it. The original recipe called for ground sirloin, but the grocery store was out so I used lean ground beef...which also saved me some money. For some reason I added a little ketchup, it just seem like it needed it.

Adapted from: Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ head green cabbage shredded
½ pound red potatoes scrubbed and diced
1-pound ground beef (93/7)
3 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon dried thyme
Course salt and ground pepper
2 - 9” piecrusts, homemade or store bought
All-purpose flour for rolling

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Heat oil over medium heat, in a saucepan. Add potatoes and cabbage. Cook for about 7-9 minutes. Add beef, cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and 1 cup water. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with fork. Add salt and pepper. Let cool completely.

On lightly floured surface, roll each crust into a 14” square. Cut into 4 equal squares place ½ cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a ½:” border. Brush edges with water fold over and crimp with fork to seal. Make 3 small vents.

Transfer to baking sheets bake until golden brown 10-12 minutes

TO FREEZE: Arranged unbaked pies on a baking sheet (not touching); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil and store in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months

To bake from frozen: Bake for 28-30 minutes of 400.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons wing sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon steak grill seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all the above ingredients.

Roll into balls. (I used a cookie scoop to measure) Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.

You can serve this with a dipping sauce of 1 part wing sauce to 3 parts ranch dressing.

Baked Ziti

I had never had baked ziti before (weird, I know). So I searched for a recipe to try out.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped (omitted)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound Italian sausage (added this to the original recipe)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (omitted - I forgot it)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown sausage and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Add pasta to sauce mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.