Hawaiian Sliders

These little sliders are awesome!  We got to try them at a party and honestly, I could not get enough, but didn't want to make a pig of myself when there were so many other things to eat.  They went fast anyway!  Guess you could say they were the star of the show.

 The ones we had were overstuffed with ham and cheese (maybe double of what the recipe calls for), which made them even better, but the topping is what makes it so special with a blend of delicious tangy sweetness.  The crunchiness resulting from the sauce baked on the bread was also very nice. Outstanding!

I would love to make some with smoked turkey and swiss cheese too.  

Not only did they make the perfect appetizer, they would be great for a quick lunch with some chips.

Awesome discovery!

UPDATE:  We have made these sliders twice and propose the following changes:  No onion.  Cut the sauce recipe in half.  For some reason, our sliders did not come out crispy, but somewhat soggy.  We added 10 minutes to the baking time in the oven uncovered . . . it still wasn't enough time to make them crunchy enough for our taste.  Next time we will bake them 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

We love this recipe and will continue to tweak it until they are perfect for our taste.  I must say that the sauce is awesome, like a sweet barbeque sauce, and would be great with some shredded chicken in place of ham and cheese.

I really can't say where this recipe originated since it has been posted all over the place.  It is like, what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Ingredients

• 1 package Original Hawaiian 12-pack dinner rolls 
• 1 small sweet white onion, minced or grated 
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter 
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard 
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 package deli sandwich ham, cut into 12 small squares 
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, each cut in half 

Instructions

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds and brown sugar. Allow to sauté for a few minutes, until onions are translucent and tender. Remove from the stove. 

Cut the rolls in half horizontally, removing the tops and placing the bottoms on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place a spoonful of sauce on each roll, followed by a slice of ham and piece of cheese. Place a roll top on each. 

Move the sliders closely together. Slowly pour the remaining sauce right over the tops of these small beauties. 

Cover with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Bake at 350F or place on an outdoor grill over low heat, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for another two minutes until the tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Hawaiian Sliders

These little sliders are awesome!  We got to try them at a party and honestly, I could not get enough, but didn't want to make a pig of myself when there were so many other things to eat.  They went fast anyway!  Guess you could say they were the star of the show.

 The ones we had were overstuffed with ham and cheese (maybe double of what the recipe calls for), which made them even better, but the topping is what makes it so special with a blend of delicious tangy sweetness.  The crunchiness resulting from the sauce baked on the bread was also very nice. Outstanding!

I would love to make some with smoked turkey and swiss cheese too.  

Not only did they make the perfect appetizer, they would be great for a quick lunch with some chips.

Awesome discovery!

UPDATE:  We have made these sliders twice and propose the following changes:  No onion.  Cut the sauce recipe in half.  For some reason, our sliders did not come out crispy, but somewhat soggy.  We added 10 minutes to the baking time in the oven uncovered . . . it still wasn't enough time to make them crunchy enough for our taste.  Next time we will bake them 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

We love this recipe and will continue to tweak it until they are perfect for our taste.  I must say that the sauce is awesome, like a sweet barbeque sauce, and would be great with some shredded chicken in place of ham and cheese.

I really can't say where this recipe originated since it has been posted all over the place.  It is like, what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Ingredients

• 1 package Original Hawaiian 12-pack dinner rolls
• 1 small sweet white onion, minced or grated
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 package deli sandwich ham, cut into 12 small squares
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, each cut in half

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds and brown sugar. Allow to sauté for a few minutes, until onions are translucent and tender. Remove from the stove.
2. Cut the rolls in half horizontally, removing the tops and placing the bottoms on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place a spoonful of sauce on each roll, followed by a slice of ham and piece of cheese. Place a roll top on each. Move the sliders closely together. Slowly pour the remaining sauce right over the tops of these small beauties.
3. Cover with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Bake at 350F or place on an outdoor grill over low heat, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for another two minutes until the tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve immediately.
   

Honey Lemon Chicken

Simple, economical and tasty chicken!!

This chicken dish would be great

 with rice and broccoli :)

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs or breasts with skin
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
juice and zest of a lemon 
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or dried oregano

Preparation:

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Heat the garlic, honey, lemon juice and zest, oregano and olive oil in a pan.

Place chicken in a casserole dish and pour heated lemon and honey mixture from pan over the chicken.

Bake 40 minutes, basting the chicken occasionally.  Place lemon slices on top a few minutes before taking chicken out of the oven.

Recipe from the book "Le meilleur du poulet"  Ed. Larousse
Image Credit:  Chili & Tonka

Marvelous Cannoli Cake

WOW . . . what a presentation and awesome cake concept!

I like the option of making this semi-homemade by using a box cake mix, but it would probably be extra special if a rich butter cake recipe were used for the cake.  The filling sounds divine!

TIP:  Don't forget to drain the mascarpone and ricotta cheese to avoid runniness.  I let it drain for around an hour before using.

The recipe comes from Taste of Home, where many of my tried and true recipes came from through the years.  I used to buy their yearly cookbooks regularly and still go to them when looking for something special.  The link to the original post follows the recipe.  

Check out Taste of Home's website for more awesome recipes!

Ingredients

1 package French vanilla cake mix (regular size)

FILLING:
1 carton (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

FROSTING:
2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Diamond of California Sliced Almonds
2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and extracts; stir in chocolate. In another bowl, beat the Mascarpone cheese, confectioners' sugar, milk and extracts on medium speed until creamy (do not overmix).

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining filling over top of cake to within 1 in. of edges. Frost sides and top edge of cake with 2 cups frosting.

Press almonds into sides of cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Refrigerate until serving. 

Yield: 12 servings

Marvelous Cannoli Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home