Homemade White Castle Sliders

Whenever my husband and I are on a road trip and see a White Castle we ALWAYS stop.

I don't know what it is about those sliders, but we just love them.

Now everyone knows they're not the best tasting burgers, but there is something so addicting about them.

So, since we haven't been on a road trip is some time, I found this recipe and decided to give it a shot.

I am SO glad that I did, because they really did come out just like White Castle's!

The secret is the onion flakes, it really makes them taste the same.

Looks like we'll be having them a lot more!!

Ingredients:

1/2 - cup dried onion flakes

2 - pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef

1/2 - teaspoon seasoned salt

6 - slices cheddar cheese or American cheese slices

12 - small party rolls (Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls or Sara Lee Rolls)

dill pickle slices

Directions:

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant patty.

Sprinkle with seasoned salt. At this point you can use a drinking straw and poke holes throughout the meat. That is what they do with the original white castle sliders.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the patty.

Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into patties.

Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift patty with onion layer onto each bun bottom.

Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 12- 15 sliders depending on how big you cut them.

Recipe Source: www.mommyskitchen.net

Cheesy Taco Soup

I've never had a taco soup before, but seeing as we're having a horrible winter with negative temperatures, I just needed something to warm me up!

This recipe was perfect for that and I loved how hearty it was.

I ate this right up and quickly got another bowl full!

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

2-1/2 cups milk, divided

salt & pepper

1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

1 package taco seasoning

10oz can Rotel, undrained

15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

Crushed tortilla chips

Directions: 

Brown ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, until no longer pink. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then whisk in flour and cook for one minute.

 Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, season with salt and pepper, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir mixture until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. 

Remove from heat then stir in shredded cheese until smooth. Set aside.

Add taco seasoning, rotel, black beans, cheese sauce, and remaining 1-1/2 cups milk into cooked ground beef then stir well to combine.

 Bring to a heavy simmer then turn heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve with crushed tortilla chips and more shredded cheese, if desired.

Recipe Source: Iowa Girl Eats

Sliders

Sliders

I saw the Pioneer Woman make these on her show and I knew that they had to go on the menu quick!

They were perfect and delicious, but more importantly the kids loved them because of their miniature size.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

6 dashes Worcestershire sauce (less if you prefer)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 whole dinner (or slider) rolls, split

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium heat.

Mix the ground beef, heavy cream, Worcestershire and the salt and some pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Form 1/4 cup of the meat mixture into patties, making 16 patties total. Make an indentation with your thumb to keep the patties from plumping too much when they cook.

Grill the sliders until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and pile on a platter.

Toast the halved buns on the grill. Place the sliders between the buns and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Pioneer Woman

Beef Fajitas

or the old-fashioned tortilla way.

My husband LOVES fajitas, so he was quite excited when I made these delicious Beef Fajitas.
If you're on a low carb diet, I did some like that as well using lettuce cups instead of the tortilla.

Ingredients

1 whole Beef Flank Steak

1/2 cup Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed, about 3

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced

 Oil, For Frying

 Flour Tortillas, Warmed

 Cheese (grated Cheddar/jack Or Crumbled Queso Fresco)

 Salsa

 Sour Cream

 Cilantro Leaves

Preparation Instructions

In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. 

Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. 

In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat.

 In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. 

Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. 

Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

Heat the same same skillet (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. 

Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare.

 Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.

Slice the meat right before serving and serve with all the fixins. 

Braised Brisket

Braised Brisket
I saw this recipe and knew immediately that my husband would love it....which he did!
I loved that it was a crock pot recipe, those are the best, and I seared mine on the stove top and then transferred it to the crock pot for the rest of the day.

You will need:

1 (3 pound) brisket

¼ cup salt

1 Tbsp pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 carrot, peeled & roughly chopped

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

4 cups dry red wine

1 Tbsp beef Better than Bouillon or 3 bouillon cubes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

6 sprigs of fresh herbs (any combination of 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, or oregano)

What to do:

The brisket can be braised in a crock pot or pressure cooker, or on the stove top or in the oven- whichever you prefer. If you choose the oven, set it to 375 F.

If  you have a roasting pan large enough for the shape of the brisket, use that to sear the brisket on stove top. If not, use 6 quart saucepot & cut brisket in half to fit.

Season brisket with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in saucepot or roasting pan on high. Cook brisket for 5 minutes on each side to sear well. Remove meat from pan and add carrot, onion, & celery to pan. Roast vegetables for 5 minutes until they start to brown.

Shimmy the meat back into the pan, or if using crock pot, pressure cooker, or different pan, move the meat and vegetables there.

Add red wine. Anything you have is fine. Cover the brisket with water and add Better than Bouillon, tomato paste, and fresh herbs.

Cooking options

Oven: 3 hours at 375 F

Saucepot: 3 hours on low, with pot tightly covered with lid or foil

Crock pot: 3 hours on low

Pressure Cooker: 2 hours on medium-low

Once the brisket is done cooking, remove the pot or pan from heat, and let the meat rest 30 minutes in the juices. 
Use a spoon to skim any fat off the top of the liquid.

If the sauce isn’t thick enough, transfer it to a medium saucepot and cook it over medium heat until it reduces to the thickness you want. 
Then return it to the cooking vessel.

Slice the brisket and put it back in the sauce.

I like to serve with mashed potatoes or cauliflower gratin.

Recipe Source: The Busy Mom’s Cookbook by Antonia Lofaso

Beef Tamale Bake

Beef tamale bake

I really enjoyed this recipe because I love the combination of peppers, beans, corn, and meat. It reminded me of a tex mex dish. 

Cornmeal toppings:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ tsp salt

4 cups water

Other ingredients:

 1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¾ tsp salt

Fresh pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes in thick puree

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen & thawed, or canned & drained)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Make the cornmeal topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic breaking up the meat with a spoon, until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the seasonings, tomatoes, beans, and corn and simmer 5 minutes.

In a 9X13 inch baking dish, lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, place meat and vegetable mixture.

 Spread cornmeal topping over the mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. 

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: The big book of casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

Ingredients you will need: 

1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef

1/2 cup Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs

1 clove Garlic, Minced

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup Milk

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced

1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce

12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)

4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each

To Make:

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. 

Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Add onions and cook for one minute. 

Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. 

Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. 

Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. 

Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Serve immediately!

Source: Pioneer Woman

Worth it Lasagna

This recipe does entail a lot of ingredients, but I have to say that I made it for family and it has quite the taste. It is really different, I have never imagined cooking a lasagna with raisins in it, but the flavors all mix well together!

This is a great recipe for a big get together, make a fresh green salad to go with, and it will be a hit!

Worth It Lasagna

This recipe is for 2 casseroles, you can make one and freeze one or just halve the recipe.

2 jars (26 oz each) meatless spaghetti sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

½ cup burgundy wine

2 Tbsp brown sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

¾ cup raisins

2 tsp italian seasoning

1 ½ pounds sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cartons (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 packages (24 oz each) frozen cheese ravioli, thawed

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

18 slices provolone cheese, cut in half

6 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

5 large tomatoes, sliced

In dutch oven, bring first 5 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring often.

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until done and drain. 
Stir in raisins and Italian seasoning; add to sauce. 
In same skillet, sauté mushrooms and onions until moisture is gone. 
Stir into sauce.

In large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, spinach, and grated parmesan cheese; set aside.

In two greased 13x9 dishes, layer with 1 1/3 cup sauce, half package of ravioli, 1 1/3 cup sauce, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese, six half slices of provolone cheese, 1 cup Monterey jack cheese and 2 ½ cups spinach mixture.

Top each with 6 half slices of provolone cheese,
 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, 1 1/3 cup sauce, remaining ravioli and sauce, 
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese, six half slices provolone cheese, 
sliced tomatoes and remaining Monterey jack cheese. (Dish will be full).

Cover and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes. 
Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes more.

Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup

I LOVE lasagna, so when I saw this recipe for Lasagna Soup, I knew I had to try it.

It's a wowzers too!

This is my new go to soup recipe on a chilly day.

For the soup:

2 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. hamburger meat

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. tomato paste

1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6 c. chicken stock

8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

8 oz. ricotta

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

additional cheesy yum:

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

To Make:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add meat, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes.

 Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. 

Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. 

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. 

Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. 

You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. 

Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Enjoy your amazingness!

 Source: http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com