Small Bites

  Last night, I made sliders for a super bowl party that we went to. I have to say that they were pretty good. My mom told me about the recipe which was on Good Morning, America.

Mini Sliders

From the kitchen of Cristina Ferrare

Servings: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Cook Time: 1-30 min

Ingredients

2 packages (about 12 per package) Hawaiian dinner rolls or whole wheat hamburger buns

2 pounds chuck roast (have your butcher grind it fresh)

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

6 slices sharp cheddar cheese, cut into quarters, at room temperature

Ketchup, squeezed right from bottle

Bread-and-butter pickles

Cooking Directions

With a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut slider-size buns out of the dinner rolls. If the buns are too thick (they will be if you are using Hawaiian dinner rolls), just press down to flatten them before using the biscuit cutter. They will bounce back just a little, leaving you with the perfect buns.

Shape the sliders by rolling a golf ball–size meatballs between your palms, then pressing them into 2-inch-wide patties 3/4 inch thick. You should have enough beef to make 16 to 18 miniburgers, maybe more. Sprinkle both sides of the sliders with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet until searing hot. Brush a tablespoon of canola oil over the grill pan. Sprinkle the miniburgers with kosher salt. Place the miniburgers salt side down on the grill, and sprinkle the tops of the burgers with kosher salt. Grill for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, then flip over once more and add a slice of cheese on top of each burger. Grill for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted (if you have a large enough lid, cover the burgers, as this will help the cheese melt quicker). Transfer the burgers to a warm platter.

Grill the buns on the same grill pan, lightly toasting the inside tops and bottoms only (about 15 to 20 seconds).

To assemble the burger, put a squirt of ketchup and a pickle on the bottom bun, add the burger, and cover with the top bun. Serve immediately. 

  Tonight, I made another dish off of the Good Morning, America website. I made the Taco Bites and they were delicious!! I would definitely suggest making them! I couldn't find the phyllo mini shells, so I made my own with phyllo dough and mini muffin tins. I baked them at 350 degrees for 7 minutes and they turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself!!

Taco Bites

From the kitchen of Cristina Ferrare

Servings: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Cook Time: 1-30 min

Ingredients

Homemade tomato salsa (I used picante sauce)

Guacamole (I made my aunt's guacamole)

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1/2 pound ground beef

1 package taco seasoning, set aside 2 Tbsp.

1 package mini phyllo shells, approximately 15 (you can find them in the frozen section of your market)

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded small (I like to use white cheddar, but yellow is fine too)

Cooking Directions

Make the salsa, place in an airtight container and set aside in the refrigerator.

Make the guacamole, put the pit from the avocado in the middle of guacamole, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place the avocado pit in the guacamole when storing to keep it from turning dark.

Heat a heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl it around the pan.

Add ground beef, breaking up the meat with a metal spatula. Brown until the beef starts to form a crust and most of the juices have evaporated.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning over the beef. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook until all the water has evaporated and the meat starts to sizzle. Break up the beef as small as you can for 3 to 4 minutes using a metal spatula.

Place a bowl underneath a mesh strainer and add the beef to strain the excess oil. Let the oil drain into the bowl. Discard the oil.

Heat the phyllo cups according to package directions. Cool for 15 minutes before filling.

To assemble the taco bites:

Place 1 teaspoon of the beef on the bottom of the phyllo cup. Spread a teaspoon of guacamole and frost like you would a cupcake. Add 1 teaspoon of the shredded cheddar cheese and top with a touch of the salsa.