Who doesn't love a slider? Meatball Sliders!!!

Who doesn't love a slider? Their is something about eating a smaller version of things that makes it fun!

Brian was having a group of guys over to watch a UFC fight, so I was trying to think of something easy that would satisfy this group of hungary men. After tossing out a couple of ideas Brian decided on the meatball slider idea.

We went to Costco and bought their Kirkland brand meatballs, I heard they also come in turkey but I could not find them that day. We also picked up the rolls they make in their bakery. So many come in both the meatball bag and roll bag that you will be sure not to run out of either.

I followed the directions on the meatballs and cooked them in the oven until they started to brown. While they were cooking I warmed up a couple jars of spaghetti sauce in my crock pot. You can use any jars of sauce you prefer, I just grabbed a couple of cheap jars from Trader Joes. After the meatballs were done I added them to the warmed sauce and kept the crock pot at the warming temp. Next to my crock pot on the counter I set a bowl of the rolls and a plate of provolone slices cut to the size of the rolls.

When I got home Brian told me more than once what a hit these were and I could tell by the amount of meatballs that were left... not very many.

As a side dish I made the boys an italian inspired pasta salad....I'll post that recipe in the future for summer!

So next time you are having a gathering this is a stressless idea to feed the masses!

Pizza... Breakfast Pizza!

I saw a recipe in my new Rachel Ray magazine for a breakfast pizza, so one saturday morning I used her recipe as inspiration for my own breakfast pizza based on what I had in the fridge. I usually have a Pillsbury pizza crust in my fridge for a quick pizza when I have a craving. I baked it first though without the toppings following the directions on the package. As it cooked I browned up some pre-packaged hash browns with some onions and red bell pepper I diced up. After the hash browns were cooked I set them aside on a plate. Then I scrambled up about 4 eggs with some left over ham I had in the fridge. By that time the pizza crust was done. So I took that out of the over and spread some reduced fat sour cream on it, a thin layer. Next I layered the hash browns and spread them out and then the scrambled eggs over that. I put some shredded cheddar cheese over the top and then put the pizza back in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese melted.

This turned out pretty darn good I must say! Brian said it has moved to the top of his favorite breakfasts! This would be a great recipe for a brunch if you are having a group of people over! Make a nice fruit salad and you have a great breakfast.

I need an egg poacher!

So about a month ago Brian got the idea to poach an egg for breakfast...which I never attempt after going through a whole carton in college trying with a roommate. To my surprise, Brian did it and made it look easy. So the next weekend I decided eggs benedict for breakfast would be awesome and Brian could easily poach the eggs. Well his first attempt must of been beginners luck because we went through about a half a carton before we successfully got 4 poached eggs to our liking. But if you have a poacher this is a yummy breakfast to make at home.

You will need:

• english muffins
• canadian bacon
• successfully poached egg
• hollandaise sauce (I just get a packet mix)

*Layer in the same order on top of english muffin and enjoy=)

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup....a family favorite!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 cubanelle peppers (light green, mild Italian peppers), seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces (if you can't find these use a additional bell pepper in a different color)
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, grated, divided
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how much spice you like
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices white bread
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 egg
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup (about a handful) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
• Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish
• A loaf of crusty, whole grain bread
• Directions
• Place a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add mushrooms, peppers, onion and the two smashed garlic cloves, and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• While vegetables cook, rip the bread into small pieces and soak them in the milk in a mixing bowl for about 5 minutes, until most of the milk has been absorbed.
• Add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the soup pot with the veggies and turn up the heat to bring the stoup to a bubble.
• While you're waiting for the stoup to bubble, make the meatballs: Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and discard it. To the mixing bowl with the soaked bread, add the ground turkey, egg, grated cheese, parsley, the remaining grated garlic clove, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything with your hands to combine.
• Form the meat into 2-inch meatballs. Once the stoup is bubbling, drop in the meatballs then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the stoup into shallow bowls and garnish with basil and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pass some crusty whole grain bread at the table for mopping up the leftovers.

*I sometimes boil up a cup and a half of macaroni noodles and add it to the stoup for something extra=)

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