Burger Bash

Big plans this long weekend?!?  Need a fresh idea for burgers?!?  This will be perfect if you happen to be a big fan of buffalo wings.  Every now and then that buffalo craving just takes over and thankfully we can get that fix without the fuss of chicken wings.   There are so many recipes out there now that bring you the flavor of buffalo wings that aren't just wings.  Score one for the home team.  Buffalo Turkey Sliders is what we're about this week and I would like to think this version is a bit healthier than regular beef burgers, but with the added blue cheese dressing....maybe not so much. Maybe if you eat a few sticks of celery alongside, the calories won't stick either.

Originally we made our sliders with ground chicken (to mimic the buffalo chicken wing ya see) but we've not been able to consistently find it, so we've moved on to turkey.  The trick with turkey sometimes is getting it to stay together in patty form....and trying to ignore it's mushiness.  Adding an egg and some breadcrumbs definitely helps out here.  Turkey is so mild in flavor you have to actually give it flavor, so pile on the wing sauce.

The burgers are served up on those amazing Hawaiian rolls.  Oh my heavens above.  Who doesn't love those?!?  These sliders are easy to make up ahead and when you are ready to serve, toss them in a bit of buffalo sauce (we love Frank's).  Tear open a roll and lay that puppy on there, drizzle it with some blue cheese dressing (use your fav - Shelby makes ours and yum) and I bet you can't eat just one! We threw in a side of zucchini fries and tried to convince ourselves we were eating healthy, ha!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 lb. ground turkey (or chicken)
1 egg
1/2 - 1 cup breadcrumbs (we used Panko)
Salt/Pepper

Small rolls for buns (we used Hawaiian rolls)
Buffalo wing sauce (we used Frank's)
Blue cheese dressing (we made our own)

WHAT TO DO:
Make up the ground meat with an egg, salt/pepper and maybe some breadcrumbs. 
Form patties until all of the meat is used
and try not to be disgusted by the smoother texture of the turkey.
The colder the meat, the better it cooperates. 
Set patties aside or refrigerate for cooking later.

When you're ready to cook, heat a heavy pan to medium heat
and after spraying with a bit of non stick spray,
pan fry the thin little patties, flipping after several minutes
and finishing the cooking process on the other side.
Set patties aside to drain excess fat.

Slowly pour a bit of buffalo wing sauce over each patty
flip and then repeat on the other side.
You can refrigerate at this point or place in between
small rolls or buns.

These sliders will definitely hit the spot for that burger craving and will be over the top for your wing craving.  They'll be great made up ahead.  Double the amounts and you'll be able to feed a mob.

ENJOY!

The Day all Cylinders Fired

Is it the actual aging process,
exhaustion or craziness from raising kids
that makes you lose your mind?
My mind is like an old PC most days
that is churning and churning until it can
pull up the information needed.
Once in a while though, just once in a while,
it clicks.  Ideas come.  I can recall a word
I'm trying to say or actually remember
my children's names.
When these days come, you take heed my friend.
Take heed.

Our family recently celebrated Memorial Day,

as most all of America did by cooking out.

The hubby and I, along with the girls,

were off of work and out of school.

We were so excited that we planned a full menu.

The grill was getting fired up and

a few new recipes were about to be devoured.

As with most other times when we crank up the grill,

my mountain man makes a plea for

any and everything grill-able

to be brought forth so that

the heavenly perfume of charcoal grilling

can overtake every morsel of food we have.

The man loves grilled food.

Or is it just cow flesh.

No, maybe it's just meat in general.

And sometimes maybe, just maybe,
all the cylinders in my brain fire
and with a little thought and planning,
we are able to pre-cook several meals

worth of meat in one grilling!  It's a win, win!

On that fine Memorial Day,
we cooked steak to consume for that meal
and then threw on some hot dogs
and burgers for another meal.
Unbeknownst to me, the next day would be
National Hamburger Day! So perfectly fitting.
And voila, we pull out the hamburgers
and mom is a hero.

I know you've heard it a million times
and HALF a million times from me,
but these REALLY ARE
the best homemade burgers
we've ever had!

But first, a little sauce.

I came across a whiskey sauce recipe
and with it the hamburger patty instructions.
The sauce is what originally
caught my attention, but it also said
to put one shot of the whiskey into
the meat before making the patties.
Ok. Why not.
Maybe that's part of the secret?!
I'm not sure.  Prepare the patties however you like,
but this sauce, oh. my. goodness. Yum!

Whiskey Sauce.  Eee-gasp...yes, it's a whiskey sauce.
And you'll want to slather it on everything. 
If you're a fan of the Jack Daniels line at Chili's - here's your ticket.
This sauce would be great on steaks and chicken
not just burgers.


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup good whiskey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup catsup (or less)
1 tablespoon steak sauce (we used A-1)
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
(IF you're brave, we used 2 teaspoons)
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons bacon grease
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
(Makes about 2 cups)

WHAT TO DO:

Combine all ingredients in a medium size saucepan. 

Simmer until slightly thickened 

over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. 

Stirring frequently with a wire whisk.
Store in a jar or sealed container
and refrigerate until ready to drink use.

Who knew a sauce could throw something
over the top. Who knew.

Cook you a burger, add some bacon, grilled onions
and drizzle this sauce over it - and, BAM!
Awesomeness.

ENJOY!