Burger Sliders for a Crowd

 

This is the PERFECT recipe for summer! Love it to serve a crowd! Recipe and photo from Hip2Save!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 90/10)

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 slices of cheddar cheese

12 mini buns, such as King's Hawaiian Rolls

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix ground beef with onion, egg, garlic powder, Worcestershire, salt & pepper.

3. Press evenly into one layer in a 9"x11" baking dish and bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 9-10 minutes until browned and no longer pink in the middle.

4. Remove any grease from the pan, if there's any. Cut the burgers into 12 two-inch squares. If desired, cut cheese slices in half or quarters, and place a piece of cheese on each slider. Put back in the oven for a minute to melt.

5. Compile each slider or serve a pan with rolls on the side for everyone to compile their own sliders with toppings and condiments. Enjoy!

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken

This amazingly delicious, easy, and versatile meal (and its picture) comes from Easy Chicken Recipes! I served ours on buns, but you could put over rice, mashed potatoes, salad, in burritos or tacos--the sky's the limit! A good pulled chicken recipe is perfect for these busy weeknights.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups BBQ sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, covering them fully.

Cook the chicken on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.

Shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker or remove to shred and return to the sauce.

Give the chicken a good stir to coat it in the sauce.

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken

 

Hopefully by now you've seen this recipe floating around, but if not, it's a great one to try! It tastes great and we loved it on ciabatta rolls! Recipe and picture from Cookies and Cups!

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs boneless chicken breasts
• 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese
• 2 (1 oz) packets dry Ranch seasoning
• 8 oz bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled

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Instructions

1. In a slow cooker combine place chicken, cream cheese, and Ranch seasoning.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
3. Once chicken shreds stir with a large fork or spoon, so the chicken shreds and all the ingredients combine.
4. Add in crumbled bacon and stir to incorporate.
5. Serve warm.

3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

Okay I love easy meals, but easy doesn't always equal delicious, but this one definitely defies those odds! Best sloppy joes I've had! This is a great meal to make ahead, cool, then freeze in ziploc bags to heat and eat later! Recipe from eatingonadime.com!

1 lb ground beef
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup mustard
1/2 cup ketchup

Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 5 minutes before serving. Serve on ciabatta rolls!

Poppy Seed Ham Rolls

This recipe and pictures come from Faithful Provisions and was brought to our freezer group!

1 stick butter
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon grated onion
8 ounces thinly sliced ham
 2 (6 ounce ) packages Swiss cheese
2 packages rolls (baked in tin pans and all sliced in half, like a big sheet of rolls)
 

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire, and onion into a small sauce pan and heat until butter is melted. While that is heating through, remove rolls from pan and slice in half and remove the top, like a sheet. Pour 1/4 of butter mixture on bottom layer of rolls. Layer ham and cheese, then top with another 1/4 of the butter mixture, then put roll top on. Repeat with second pan. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and it is heated through. Slice along roll lines (to create individual sandwiches) and remove from pan to serve.

Easy Calzones

This recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman's calzones. I just simplified the recipe a little bit to save time. These are perfect for freezing so you can pull out one for lunch or dinner on-the-go.

I used my Easy Bread Maker Bread Recipe for the dough--I made up several batches ahead of time (just do the "dough" setting, don't finish the loaf), rolled them into small balls and froze them in bags. Then when I was ready to make these calzones, I pulled out the dough, set on a greased baking sheet, covered with a towel and let rise for about 3 hours, until they were soft and had risen a little bit. Then I assembled the calzone. You could use Rhodes rolls and do the same process, or make up your own favorite bread/roll recipe.

 16 rolls (dough)
15 ounces, fluid Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
2 whole Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
Pepperoni slices
Marinara Sauce, For Serving
1 whole Egg Beaten

Preparation Instructions

*Place frozen rolls (or frozen bread loaves) on a baking sheet to thaw. Cover with a tea towel and let thaw and rise for 2 to 3 hours.
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
*In a bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley.
*When rolls are thawed and risen, roll them out on a lightly floured surface until paper thin. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons (approximately) filling onto half of the dough circle. Layer with pepperoni slices (I used 5 for each). Fold half of the dough over itself, then press edges to seal.
*Brush surface of calzone with beaten egg, then bake for 10-13 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.


***If you are freezing these, complete all steps, then wrap cooled calzones in saran wrap, then place in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. I put about one cup of marinara sauce in a sandwich-sized Ziploc right inside that bigger bag to freeze with them. Then heat and eat when you're ready!

Freezing Sandwiches

Now that I have a child in school, I am making sandwiches for her lunches as well as for my other kids at home. That's a lot of sandwiches to make every day! They all love PB&J, so I started freezing them in individual bags so that I can pull them out ahead of time. These are perfect for everyday lunches or for zoo trips, etc, when you'll be outside. They stay nice and cool and still taste fresh. I can fit about 6 sandwiches, individually bagged, inside a gallon-sized ziploc. This is a perfect project for kids to help with, too; my daughter helped spread all the peanut butter and jam for me and stacked the bread!

French Dip Crescents with Au Jus

These were brought to our freezer exchange, too, in a gallon freezer bag, the Au Jus in a quart freezer bag. These are the perfect lunch for kids or even as appetizers for a party!

2 packages crescent rolls, 8 count
1 pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced
4 ounces Swiss or provolone cheese, cut in 16 equal sized pieces
*Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.
*Spread a small dab of horseradish on each crescent, then place a slice of roast beef and a piece of cheese on each crescent.
*Roll crescents starting from the wide end and ending at the narrow end. (Freeze at this point if you are freezing, then when ready to serve, bake, frozen, at 375 for 11-13 min)
*Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until crescents are a golden color.
*Serve with Au Jus and enjoy! 

Au Jus Sauce
Olive oil, just enough to sautee
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced (I use jarred)
1/8 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon flour

*Caramelize the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two more.
Deglaze the pot with white wine, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
*Add beef broth and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Strain broth and then return it to pot. Add flour and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Slow Cooker Easy French Dip Sandwiches

 I also made this recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff into a freezer meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2-3 pound roast (either beef or pork- we use whatever is on sale that week!)
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef consomme (I can always find this mixed in with the soups)
6-8 buns (we love hoagie buns, but any kind will work)

Directions:
Place roast in greased slow-cooker. Pour consomme over the top of the roast. Cook on low 8-11 hours or on high for 5-7 hours. Remove roast and save extra juice for dipping! With 2 forks, pull apart roast (when it is done, it should pull apart easily . . . almost fall apart). Serve meat on buns and use extra juice to dip sandwiches in.

Mini Sausage Calzones

I forgot to take a picture of these before freezing them, but we didn't forget to taste them--they are delicious! I found this recipe on food.com. You and your kids will love them!! To freeze, prepare them completely; cool and then wrap each individually in saran wrap and foil and place in a labeled ziploc bag. When you are ready to serve from the freezer, thaw and reheat for 10 minutes or until heated through. Easy!

• 1 lb frozen bread dough, thawed
• 4 ounces sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup grated lowfat mozzarella cheese
• 2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
• 1 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk

1. Divide dough into 16 portions.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F.
3. Grease a baking sheet.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage.
5. Cook until brown and crumbly, drain fat.
6. Stir onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and pizza sauce into skillet, simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Roll each dough piece into a 5in circle.
8. Spoon sausage mixture onto each circle, sprinkle with cheeses.
9. Moisten edges of dough with water.
10. Fold dough over to enclose filling, press to seal.
11. Place on prepared baking sheet.
12. Beat eggs with milk.

PB&J Quesadilla

I saw this idea on Good Morning America a few months back. They had kids on the show cooking different variations of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I gave this one a try this afternoon for lunch and it was great! I even liked it!

1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Tortillas
Peanut butter--we used crunchy
Jam

*Heat oil in skillet. Spread peanut butter and jam on half of a tortilla and fold in half. Put in skillet until lightly browned. The jam gets warm and gooey--so good!

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

These are amazing!! Great alternative to greasy hamburgers. Serve with roasted potato fries.

1-1/4 lbs. ground turkey breast
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 slices of smoked cheddar
1 small red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rings
1 large tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 c. baby spinach or romaine lettuce
1/4 c. chipotle “ketchup” (recipe below)
Dijon mustard
4 hamburger buns (I use whole-wheat), split open

*Prepare the grill/skillet. Combine the turkey, shallot, garlic and cilantro, mixing gently with your hands (take care not to overwork). Score the meat into four equal portions and shape the portions into patties (make the patties slightly larger than the surface area of your buns). Sprinkle both sides of the patties with the salt and pepper.

*Grill the turkey burgers for 5 to 8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. When the burgers are almost done grilling, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty (the cheese will melt as the burgers finish grilling). Also place the buns, cut sides down, on the grill to toast; remove when lightly browned. Serve the grilled patties and toasted buns along with the remaining fixings.

Chiptole “Ketchup”

1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), minced
1 Tbsp. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotles)
2 Tbsp. sour cream or Greek yogurt
juice of one lime
salt, to taste

*Whisk together the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, sour cream and lime juice in a small bowl. Add salt to taste.

Philly Sandwiches

Trust me, this recipe is SO worth trying! My friend had her 5th baby a while back and I made a huge pan of these sandwiches (that's a lot of mouths to feed!) for their family, and they were all so excited. Their 3-year-old ate two whole sandwiches! They're that good!

Sirloin steak, thinly sliced (you can also use sliced roast beef)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. basil
Small, white onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
Swiss cheese, sliced
Hoagie buns

*Mix all spices together in small bowl. Rub LIGHTLY over one side of the meat. (Too much and they'll be way too salty!)
*Brown strips of steak in olive oil. When meat is no longer pink, place on hoagie bun.
*Saute onion and green pepper in seasoned oil. Place over meat on the bun.
*Cover meat and veggies with sliced Swiss cheese. Broil in oven until melted.

Applewood Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger

***This is not my picture, I used the Kraft one for the recipe since I left my camera at a friend's house...But it did turn out looking this good!
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
4 hamburger buns
4 slices cheese (I used the new Cache Valley "Applewood Bacon Cheddar"--SOOO good!)
*Cook ground beef. Add ketchup and BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Put on toasted buns and cover with cheese until it melts. DELISH!!
This is a great summer meal, served with corn on the cob and watermelon!

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

This sloppy joe mix is delicious, right in time for warm weather BBQs!
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped green pepper
2/3 cup chopped onion
2 cups ketchup
2 envelopes sloppy joe mix
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
12 hamburger buns
*In large skillet, cook beef, pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in ketchup, sloppy joe mix, brown sugar, and mustard.
*Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 4 hrs or until flavors are blended. Yield: 12 sandwiches