Sliders

For our 4th of July cookout, we’re having sliders! For our mini burgers, we bought ground beef and ground lamb fresh from our local farmer’s market and set up a burger bar so that our guests can fix their sliders the way they like. We served these with grilled corn on the cob and herb butter. Happy Independence Day!

For beef sliders:
Source: Sliders, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
2 pounds premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
1 tablespoon good Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces cheese (like Gruyere, Swiss, or Colby)
12 small slider buns or Brioche buns
4 ounces baby arugula
3 medium tomatoes, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
2 small red onions, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
Ketchup, for serving

Directions
Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. 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 ½-ounce cheese 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.

For lamb sliders:
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slider buns or pita pockets
1 medium tomato, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
1 small red onion, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
Feta cheese (optional)
Tzatziki sauce (optional)

Directions
Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.

Combine first 9 ingredients and gently mix together with a fork to combine. Shape the meat into 6 (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 3-4 minutes on each side. 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, red onion, and feta. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with tzatziki sauce.

Sizzling Beef with Scallions and Black Bean Sauce

I’ve been a fan of Jamie Oliver’s for years, and I really like his crusade to change eating habits to battle obesity for better health. This recipe, from his Food Revolution website, was so easy to prepare and so full of layered flavors. While the recipe calls for beef, other proteins can easily be substituted, such as chicken, pork, shrimp, or even tofu (for a vegetarian option). Be careful not to over-season with the soy sauce or it can get salty quickly—better yet, use low-sodium soy sauce. What a fast, healthy, and tasty dish!

Source: Sizzling Beef with Scallions and Black Bean Sauce, Jamie Oliver

Ingredients
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup long-grain or basmati rice

1 ½ pound top loin or sirloin

A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic

½ fresh red chile

2 scallions

A small bunch of fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Peanut or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of good-quality black bean sauce

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 limes

1 egg, preferably free-range or organic

Directions
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, add the rice and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the rice in a strainer, run it under a cold tap to cool, then allow to dry out in the fridge. Trim any excess fat from your steak and slice the meat into finger-sized strips. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the chile. Cut the ends off your scallions and finely slice. Pick the cilantro leaves and put to one side, and finely chop the cilantro stalks. Get yourself a big bowl and put in the ginger, garlic, chile, scallions, cilantro stalks, and steak strips. Add the sesame oil and mix everything together.

Preheat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and once it’s very, very hot add a good lug of peanut oil and swirl it around. Add all your chopped ingredients from the bowl. Give the pan a really good shake to mix everything around quickly. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, taking care to keep everything moving so doesn’t burn. Add the black bean sauce, and stir in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and the juice of half a lime. Keep tossing. Taste and season with black pepper and a little more soy sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer everything to a bowl, and cover with aluminum foil. Give the pan a quick wipe with ball of paper towels and put back on the heat. Add a lug of peanut oil and swirl it around. Crack in your egg and add a tablespoon of soy sauce - the egg will cook very quickly, so keep stirring. Once it’s scrambled, stir in your chilled rice, scraping the sides and the bottom of the pan as you go. Keep mixing for a few minutes until the rice is steaming hot, then taste and season with a little soy sauce.

Divide the rice between two bowls or plates. Spoon over the meat and black bean sauce and sprinkle over the cilantro leaves. Serve with wedges of lime — great!

Ina's Mini Meat Loaves

McHubby and I love meatloaf, so when Tonya of What’s on My Plate chose this Barefoot Bloggers selection, I was happy to try Ina’s recipe. I used one package of ground chuck and a package of lean ground beef to lighten it up a little. Other than that small change, I kept to the recipe pretty closely. The onion mixture sauce smelled so good, and while it seemed like a lot of onions, they provided a sweet flavor after they were sautéed. For shaping the loaves, I actually used my mini loaf silicone pan.

These little meat loaves were tasty and perfectly sized for individual portions. While we enjoyed these, I have to confess that we still prefer our favorite meatloaf. Maybe I’ll just make our favorite in the smaller, individual size next time.

Source: Individual Meat Loaves, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon good olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup canned chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 ½ pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
½ cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
½ cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.

Contessa's Company Pot Roast

I love pot roast but I haven’t had it in a long time, so I was looking forward to making the Contessa’s Company Pot Roast, chosen by Lisa of Lime in the Coconut for Barefoot Bloggers. This pot roast is perfectly flavored and fork tender. While it was cooking, the aroma emanating from the oven was so enticing, I couldn’t wait for dinner! I can understand why this pot roast is special enough to serve to company!


Source: Company Pot Roast, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients
1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
Good olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 branches fresh thyme
2 branches fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 ½ hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Sliders, or miniature hamburgers, are a great party food when you want to have appetizers or smaller sized portions. To ensure that the seasonings permeate the meat mixture before I form my patties, I added Worcestershire sauce and English prime rib rub to the ground chuck and lightly mixed together.

Adapted from: Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bobby Flay

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

½ lime, juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sliders:

1 to 1 ½ pounds ground chuck, 80/20
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon English prime rib rub
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cheese slices, your choice

Mini burger buns Burger Bar (if desired):

Chipotle Mayonnaise

Pickles

Red onions
Tomato slices

Lettuce

Directions

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Sliders:

Preheat grill over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, lightly mix the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, English prime rib rub, salt, and pepper until just blended. Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly.

Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.

Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.

Slow-Cooker Three Bean and Meaty Chili

Everyone seems to have their “go-to” chili, and this one is mine. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you—the slow cooker does all the work! I love a really thick, chunky chili with depth of flavor. I use ground bison, which is leaner and sweeter than beef. The chipotle chile imparts a smoky spicy flavor that is offset by the subtle sweetness of the brown sugar. (If you like a less spicy chili, remove the seeds from the chipotle chili before mincing.) Masa harina, a Mexican corn flour, should be stirred in at the end of cooking to help thicken the liquid slightly and give off a hint of corn flavor. Serve with your favorite chili toppings, and pair with a salad or cornbread.

Ingredients
1 (15 ½ ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ½ ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ½ ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound ground bison (or ground beef), browned and drained
1 pound diced beef sirloin, browned and drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons masa harina

Toppings
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Scallions, chopped
Jalapeno peppers, chopped
Salsa
Crackers

Directions
Put ingredients in slow cooker in the order listed, through salt and pepper. Carefully stir. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or high 5 to 6 hours. Add masa harina and stir. Cover for another 10 minutes.

Garnish with favorite toppings and serve hot.

Ina's Spaghetti and Meatballs

I'm excited to have recently joined Barefoot Bloggers, especially since I have been a longtime follower of the Barefoot Contessa. This week, we're making Ina's Real Meatballs and Spaghetti. The meatballs are delicious, tender, and moist. McHubby and I both loved this dish! Thanks to Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake for this selection.

Source: Real Meatballs and Spaghetti, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients
For the meatballs:
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 ½ pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and ¾ cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of ¼-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.