Buffalo Chicken Sliders

I have to admit something:  A big part of the reason that I like to cook semi-healthy is to support my sugar habit.  If I can whittle calories from savory foods, I won't even hesitate.  But, nearly all of my desserts are full-blown whirlwinds of sugar and fat and all the deliciousness those two nasty ingredients bring to the mixing bowl.  So, of course, when I found a recipe for a healthified version of buffalo wings, I jumped all over it.  


And then I forced our friends to guinea pig it with us over New Years.  Know what?  It's darn good.  Darn good!  It's all the yum of buffalo chicken without the skin and the deep-frying.  Plus, you get to make it in a crock pot, so it's pretty easy to haul to a Super Bowl party and serve up.  And then dig into the cookies and cupcakes.  You have my blessing :)


Enjoy!





Healthier Buffalo Chicken Sliders
adapted from Allrecipes


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 8 oz. buffalo wing sauce
• 1 oz. (or 1 1/2 Tbsp.) dry ranch salad dressing mix
• low-sodium chicken broth
• 
  shredded cabbage
• ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing

10 small sandwich rolls or small buns, split

• 
  
• Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, with the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Add enough chicken broth to almost cover the chicken.  Cover, and cook on Low for 6 hours (or High for 3 to 4 hours), flipping the chicken breasts over occasionally.
• 
  
• Once the chicken has cooked, shred the meat with two forks.  Cook for another 30 minutes or so, to allow the shredded chicken to soak up juices.  In a separate bowl, toss shredded cabbage with enough dressing to lightly coat.  Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, topping with the cabbage mixture, and additional dressing and hot sauce, if desired.  Makes 10-12 sliders.
  

Ingredient lineup:

Dump the hot sauce, ranch mix, and chicken broth into a crock pot.

 Shred the chicken with a fork and allow to soak up juices for half an hour.

Dig in!

Red, Wine and Blue Burgers with Baked Jalapeno Poppers

This is one serious burger.

I mean you better be ready for it's awesomeness!! Ready for the heat of the poppers - Hubby thought they were fabulous!

Ready to be totally blown away by the Best Burger you have ever eaten!

I had to make a few changes - fresh spinach for watercress and Parmesan cheese for manchego - in rural OK - I am just not able to find things ingredients.

Only one thing left to be said - 5 spoons - hands down!

Red, Wine and Blue Burgers
Rachael Ray
Just In Time Cookbook

Ingredients:

12 large jalapenos
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces manchego cheese, grated
2 to 3 Tbsp green olives with pimientos, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
Salt and Pepper
2 lbs Ground sirloin
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2 tsp grill seasoning, such as McCormick;s Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1/2 palmful
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), 2 times around the pan
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 tsp hot sauce
4 kaiser rolls, split
2 bunches watercress, trimmed of any thick stems
Fancy potato chips, such as rosemary flavor
6 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch sticks

Preheat oven to 425.

Working lengthwise, slice off the top quarter of each jalapeno and set aside. Use a small spoon or paring knife to scrape the seeds out of each jalapeno, making little canoes.

Finely chop the reserved pepper trimmings and place in a mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, manchego, olives, parsley, salt and pepper and combine thoroughly. Use a small spoon to fill the canoes or transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner, and squeeze the mixture into the hulls of your jalapeno canoes. Arrange the poppers on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

While the poppers bake, make the burgers. Combine the ground sirloin, scallions, grill seasoning, Worcestershire, and red wine in a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Using the side of your hand score the meat into 4 equal portions, then form each portion into a large 1-inch-thick patty. Make and indentation at the center o each patty so that as the burgers cook and plump the tops will remain flat and even.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Once you see ripples in the oil add the patties and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium, or until they reach your desired doneness.

While burgers are cooking, put together the blue dressing. In a mixing bowl combine the buttermilk, blue cheese, hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. Blend until thoroughly combined. Toast split rolls in the oven until lightly golden.

Place a burger on top of each toasted roll bottom. Top the burgers with some watercress and a couple of dollops of the blue cheese sauce. Serve with the poppers, fancy chips and celery sticks.