Cheeseburger Balls

Cheeseburger Balls

A new Ball posting is a long time in the making, but these are really good and worth the wait. It is pretty pathetic to admit, but I made these for the Super Bowl… Yes I know that was months ago and it is currently March Madness, but these will be great for your Final Four party, and the kids will even love them.  I will not lie, it may resemble a McDonald’s Cheeseburger, but I am not upset about that J. I suggest you serve them with Special Sauce or even Catsup.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

½ Large White Onion – Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic – Chopped

1lb Lean Ground Beef

8oz Cream Cheese

8oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

48  ½ Inch Squares Velveeta Cheese

¼ Cup Chopped Pickles or Dill Pickle Relish

3 Packages crescent Crescent sheets (or rolls)

 

Sautee Onion and Garlic in Olive Oil for 5 minutes, add ground beef and cooked until cooked through. Drain in a strainer to get rid of access fat. Place softened Creamed Cheese in a bowl and add meat mixture, shredded Cheddar Cheese and Pickles; Mix until combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cut crescent sheets into 16 squares. Take about a tablespoon of filling in your hand and flatten out.  Put a square of cheese in the middle and form into a ball. Place ball of filling in the middle of the crescent square and form into a ball. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until browned.

Special Sauce…

1 cup mayonnaise

4 Tablespoons Ketchup

2 Tablespoons grated Onion

2 Tablespoons Dill Pickle Relish

4 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)

½ Teaspoon Celery Salt

½ Teaspoon Salt

Combine all ingredients and serve alongside balls!

Enjoy!

 

The Best Banana Bread

So I have been trying to perfect this banana bread recipe for some time (let me tell you, I don’t think this has been upsetting to my coworkers since they have been the guinea pigs) and I think I am just about there. The milk chocolate makes it a little extra indulgent and the nuts add the perfect crunch. Try it out and let me know your thoughts!

4 Ripe Bananas (not overripe)

1 Egg

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3 Tablespoons Melted Butter

2 Tablespoons Bourbon (optional)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

¾ Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Chopped Nuts

 

Mash bananas, and add egg, vanilla, butter, and bourbon, combine. Add the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and combine. Slowly add the wet ingredients and mix until just combines. Add chocolate chips and nuts to combine.

Pour into a greased or butters 2 pound bread pan. You should have enough batter to make a few muffins if you like.

Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes. Let cook and serve.

Tacos 2 Ways

So it is full on winter right now, dreary skies and highs in the teens, the perfect time to eat some tacos, drink some tequila and dream of Mexico, the sun, and warmer weather. I love short-ribs so I thought it would be the perfect filling, but the pork belly at the butcher looked so good, so I figured I would just use both. It went perfectly with a nice cold Paloma; I hope this brightens your winter like it did ours.

Tacos

2 ½ pounds Bone in Short Ribs – trimmed

1 pound Pork Belly

4 Cups Chicken Stock

5 Dried Ancho Chili Peppers – Seeded & Stemmed

5 Arbol Chili Pods – Seeded

1 ½ White Onions – Cut into large pieces

8 Cloves Garlic – Peeled and Smashed

Olive Oil

2 Bottles Beer (I used Molson Canadian)

20 Sprigs Thyme

Salt & Pepper

Brown about 1 tablespoon of Oil in a Dutch oven, salt and pepper the meat and brown short ribs in batches, about 3 minutes per side. Do the same with the pork belly in another pot. Meanwhile bring stock and chili peppers to a boil, turn off and let steep for 15 minutes. Once peppers are soft, blend peppers and stock until smooth.

Remove fat from pots, leaving about a tablespoon in each. Divide onions and garlic between the two pots and brown, 5 minutes. Add back in the short ribs and pork belly, divide pepper mixture into the two pots, add a bottle of beer to each and 10 sprigs thyme. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 3 hours.

Remove thyme, short ribs and pork belly from pots and blend the remaining liquid, onions and garlic until smooth. Add back into the respective pots. Remove beef from short ribs and any fat. Return to the pot and heat through. Remove fat from pork belly, shred meat and return back to the pot to heat through.

Serve with pickled onions, Cheese Sauce, Chipotle yogurt slaw, guacamole, fresh cilantro and an ice cold Paloma of course.

http://lovetorunlovetoeat.blogspot.com/2012/03/shrimp-tacos-with-chipotle-yogurt-slaw.html

Pickled Onions

½ Red Onion – Sliced Thinly

1 Cup Vinegar

1 Cup water

3 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Salt

Bring liquid to a boil so sugar and salt dissolve; let cool for 5 minutes, and then add sliced onions. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Cheese Sauce

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Flour

16 ounces Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 ½ - 2 Cups Whole Milk

½ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg

1 Small Can Green Chili’s

Add butter to a pot and melt, add flour to form a roux, cook 1 minute. Add milk and whisk until thick; add nutmeg and cheese, stir until smooth and the desired consistency. Add Chili’s and serve with tacos.

Paloma

¼ Cup Fresh Grapefruit Juice

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

1 Teaspoon Sugar

¼ Cup Tequila

¼ Cup Club Soda

Pour some kosher salt on a plate. Rub half of rim of a glass with a grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar in glass; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in tequila, add ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

 

Sausage Balls

I don’t know about you, but one of the things I love most about food is how it always brings people together.  Christmas Eve has always been one of my favorite nights of the year for that reason; we have a big party with family, friends, and of course lots of food.  It’s a tradition that everyone loves, down to the Whisky Sours and Sausage Roll-Ups my grandpa has been making both since I can remember. Instead of the traditional sausage roll-up, I decided to make the ball version this year. It’s simple and delicious, I hope you enjoy!

Sausage Balls

8oz Cream Cheese – softened

1lb Breakfast Sausage

8oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 oz. Can Water Chestnuts – Chopped

¼ cup Green Olives – Chopped

½ tsp. Cayenne – More if you would like it spicier

2 Packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Sheets

Brown Sausage until cooked through, drain.  Combine sausage with the remaining ingredients and mx thoroughly, it is easiest to just use your hands. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cut each package of dough into 16 squares and place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each; form into a ball. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Serve with Spicy Marinara.

Spicy Marinara1 Jar marinara sauce

1tps Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Combine and heat

Pumpkin Risotto

It is officially my favorite time of year, Autumn! There is a nice crisp in the air, yes I am one of those people who like cold weather, the leaves are changing to bright shades or red and orange, and fall flavors are out in full swing, apples, squashes, and one of my favorites, pumpkin.  I think what I like most about pumpkin is its versatility; it is great in desserts, think Pies, Pumpkin Rolls, and Cookies, but it is also great in savory dishes such as soups, pastas, and yes risotto. I found a recipe last fall and have tweaked it a couple times since.  Romano cheese gives it a nice richness, while the Goat cheese gives it a slight tang.  The addition of Pumpkin gives it a creaminess and a touch of sweetness that will keep you coming back for more! 

 

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Leak Sliced Thin (Soak in water to get all of the grit out)

1 Cup Arborio Rice

¾ Cup White Wine

6-8 Cups Chicken Stock

1 ½ Cups Canned Pumpkin

¼ Cup Ramano Cheese

2oz Goat Cheese

Add Chicken stock and pureed pumpkin to a sauce pan and turn on low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pan and add the leak, sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice and brown for 1 minute. Add white wine, stirring constantly until dissolved. Once dissolved, add two ladles of the stock/pumpkin mixture, stirring frequently. Once the liquid is dissolved, add another ladle of stock. Continue the process, adding stock and stirring frequently until rice is just slightly al dente, about 35-40 minutes. Once it is to the desired consistency, add both cheeses and salt to taste. I like to serve as a side dish since it is rich, but feel free to use as a main dish as well.

It's a Taco...BALL!

It is finally football season! Okay, okay, I may be a couple weeks late on this, but regardless, the time is here to spend your weekends on the couch with a group of friends, cheering on your favorite team, ours of course, the Buckeyes.  I don’t know about you, but it is not a true football Saturday, or Sunday without some great food, and when I say great food, balls must be included. It has been a while since I have come up with a new ball, but I think this one will be a crowd pleaser. The ingredients are simple, but the flavors are bold; this is one that is definitely worth trying!

Ball Filling

1lb Ground Turkey/Chicken/ Beef (I used Turkey)

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

2 Jalapeno’s - seeded and chopped (I left seeds from half of one to add some spice)

1 bunch green onions chopped (white parts only)

2 8oz packages Cream Cheese - Softened

8oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Shredded

1 15.5oz Can Corn – drained

½ bunch Cilantro – Chopped

2 packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Sheets

Brown meat until cooked through. Add Taco seasoning and ¾ cup water, cook until thickened.  Add Taco Meat, Cream Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Jalapeno’s, Green Onions, Corn, and Cilantro to a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Cut Crescent sheets into 16 squares and place a dollop of filling in the middle. Fold corners together and form into a ball.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve with Cilantro Sour Cream and Avocado spread if desired

Cilantro Sour Cream

1 Cup Sour Cream

Zest of 1 Lime

Juice ½ Lime

1/4tsp Salt

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

Combine all ingredients and chill 20 minutes

Avocado Dip

2 Avocados

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

Dash Lime Juice

1 Clove Garlic Chopped

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Onion

1 Small Tomato- Diced

Salt to Taste

Dash of Tobasco (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the tomato and combine until smooth. Add tomato and combine gently; ensure seasoning is correct. Chill 20 minutes

Sweet Corn Risotto

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler, and that can mean only one thing, summer is coming to an end.  I don’t know about you, but I am not sure where it went. Now don’t get me wrong, I am always excited for fall, the cool crisp air, changing of the leaves, and football of course, but there is one thing that I will surely miss about summer, the abundance  of fresh local produce we wait all year long for.  Of all the local produce we can get our hands on, I would have to say that Sweet Corn is my all-time favorite.  There is so much that one can do with it, boil it, grill it, add it to salads, but my new favorite use has to be creating a sweet, creamy risotto out of it.  Boiling the cobs make a perfect stock and fresh cut kernels add the right amount of texture to the finished dish. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Ingredients

8 Ears Fresh Sweet Corn

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 Leeks – sliced and rinsed

1 Cup Arborio Rice

½ Cup White Wine

4 Cups Chicken Stock

4 Cups Corn Stock (recipe to follow)2 ounces Goat Cheese

½ Cup Romano Cheese

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Corn Stock

Cut the kernels off the cobs and set kernels aside. Place corn cobs in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil and let boil for about 40 minutes creating a stock; remove cobs from stock. Combine ½ of the corn kernels and about 4 cups stock in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add corn mixture to a pot with chicken stock and turn on low to keep warm.

Add butter to a large pan on medium to medium-low and melt. Add leaks and sweat out for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly, and then deglaze with white wine. Once the wine is dissolved, add 2 ladles full of stock, stir until liquid dissolves. Add 1 ladle of stock at a time and let dissolve stirring consistently throughout. Continue this process until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Add Romano and goat cheese, along with remaining corn. Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!