Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sweet and Spicy Mini Meatball Sliders

Hello! I hope none of you have been holding your breath waiting on that Meatball Slider recipe. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get around to posting it. Football recruiting has taken over our lives (as it does every January), and has left us little time for anything else. This is our final recruiting weekend and National Signing Day is next Wednesday...Can I get an AMEN?! I'm really looking forward to getting back to normal, at least to our normal level of crazy.

Without further adieu...

Sweet and Spicy Mini Meatball Sliders


The first thing you need to do is make some meatballs. As crazy as it sounds, the most important thing to know about making meatballs is to not use too much meat in your mixture. Using too much meat makes hard, dense meatballs. I use 1 pound of ground beef, combined with a cup of crushed Saltine crackers (you can use bread crumbs if you prefer), 1 egg, 1 cup finely diced onions, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning to taste. Gentle mix all your ingredients and form into golf ball sized balls.


Brown meatballs in a small amount of oil, over medium high heat.

While meatballs are cooking make the sauce.


Combine 1 cup of ketchup, 1/3 cup creole or spicy brown mustard, 1 cup brown sugar, Tony's creole seasoning to taste, and a few dashes of hot sauce (I prefer Crystal). You can easily adjust ingredients to your own tastes. Once ingredients are combined, set aside until meatballs are browned.

Once meatballs are browned, add 1 can of Ro-tel tomatoes (including juice) to the meatballs. Cook a couple of minutes until the tomatoes start to break down a bit, then add the sauce to the skillet.


Cook an additional 5 minutes until sauce becomes thick and starts to carmelize.


Spoon 2 meatballs into each roll. I use Hawaiian sweet rolls from my bakery, but any roll will do. Top with remaining sauce and shredded pepperjack cheese.
Broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.



This recipe is super easy, economical and a real crowd pleaser. It can also easily be changed to suit your taste. You can use any kind of ground meat (beef, pork, turkey) and your favorite cheese. My version has quite a kick to it, but you can make it less spicy by using mild Ro-tel and omitting the hot sauce. 


Whip some up for the Super Bowl...They're YUMMY!


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Nice Suprise

My Broccoli and Cheese Soup was featured on


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Thanks for the mention, Amanda!

Tonight I'm working on

Sweet and Spicy Mini Meatball Sliders

I'll be back later with the recipe and pics. I hope everyone had a lovely Wednesday!


Monday, January 3, 2011

Broccoli & Cheese Soup


I hope you all had a Safe and Happy Holiday Season! The Gridiron Gang had a WONDERFUL Christmas and a RELAXING New Year...just the way we wanted it! 

I'm easing back into the blog with a quick and simple recipe that's just perfect for a nice hot lunch on those cold January days that lie ahead. This is my go to meal this time of year when I'm in a hurry, but still want something warm and satisfing to eat. Now all you foodies out there, don't scoff because I use Velveeta. I've tried other "real" cheeses and Velveeta really is the best choice for this recipe. Besides, I'm a Southern girl and using processed cheese products is in our genes!
Give it a try, I really think you'll dig it.

Broccoli And Cheese Soup

1 can of chicken broth
2 cups broccoli, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
salt & pepper

In a medium size sauce pan, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli, onion and garlic, and gently boil for about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Reduce heat and pour in whipping cream and add velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted and the soup is thickened to desired consistancy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into cup and top with croutons* or serve over rice.

*You can easily make your own homemade croutons, but I love these so much that I keep a bag in my pantry at all times.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
~GG



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