Mushroom-and-Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

2 lbs. ground beef
4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into four squares (16 pieces)
slider rolls, split
spicy fry sauce
BBQ dipping sauce
sautéed mushrooms

Mix ground beef, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients. Form 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into patties, making an indentation with your thumb to keep the patties from plumping too much when they cook. In a skillet, melt butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add four patties at a time, indented side face up. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip. Spoon generous portion of sautéed mushrooms on each patty, then top with one or two squares of Swiss cheese, depending on your preference. Place lid on skillet and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until burgers are cooked through and cheese is melted. Remove to a place and keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the meat mixture.

Toast halved buns under the oven broiler. Spread generously with spicy fry sauce (or BBQ sauce).

Notes: The recipe indicates it makes 8 hamburgers. With 2 pounds of meat, that would mean each hamburger is 1/4-lb. size. That's a little too large for my definition of a slider, so I made the patties a little smaller. I just divided the meat mixture in halves until I had 16 sections, and then formed each of the sections into a patty. Also, this recipe translates well to grilling rather than pan frying. I made the patties flat for grilling so they would cook faster. Finally, for slider rolls I used Grandma Sycamore's hot dog buns cut into thirds. I also recommend the ranch rolls from Harmon's bakery.

All-American Burgers

Around Super Bowl time, I was looking for a mini-burger recipe. I found this one from Rachael Ray on Food Network's website. Instead of mini-burgers, I just ended up making regular burgers and it worked just as well. These burgers have a kick so if you don't like spicy, then beware.

1-1/4 lbs. ground sirloin
2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
2 Tbsp. A-1 sauce
1 Tbsp. grill seasoning
1 tsp. paprika

Mix ingredients together. Form into patties (makes 4-5 burgers). To make a double batch or more, meat can be made into patties ahead and placed on cookie sheets to store 24 hours. Serve on buns with favorite hamburger toppings and Special Sauce.

Special Sauce:
1/4 C. ranch dressing
1/4 C. ketchup
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

Notes: You may substitute ground beef for the ground sirloin (I have used both and actually prefer ground beef). For the grill seasoning, I use McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Golden Citrus Chicken

One of my favorite things during summer is barbecuing with my family. My brother-in-law Brandon is the best grill-master I know. His steaks are always perfectly cooked and he grills so the chicken has the crisscrossed charcoal lines. Brandon and Deborah's house is the perfect place to relax. They have a deck with the most comfortable chairs. There is a ceiling fan to keep you cool and a stereo system with an iPod input. Their backyard is huge and they have this inflatable water slide to keep all of the kids busy. I really enjoy going to their house. Because we grill so much during the summer, we are always trying to find new marinades. This one was tasty.

2/3 C. Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 C. orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice
4 boneless chicken breast halves

Combine soy sauce, garlic, and juices; pour over chicken in Ziploc bag. Turn bag over several times to coat chicken. Marinate for 20 minutes, turning bag over once. Grill chicken until chicken is no longer pink in the center.