PHILLY CHEESESTEAK BURGERS

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK BURGERS
When I first saw this recipe I thought it looked heavenly.  It features smoked provolone cheese sauce.  Being a person who enjoys just about every kind of cheese ever made, I found this to be very appealing.  The sauce is creamy and flavorful and just the perfect complement to the burger and vegetables.  You can use whatever type of bun you enjoy most, but the results will be the same--a savory, creamy and delicious sandwich.

I have not made these myself, but I think if I had cheese sauce left over, I might be tempted to use it as dipping sauce or a sauce for grilled or steamed vegetables.  Olivia found this recipe at the Slow Roasted Italian web site and it is definitely one to try and probably make many times over in the future.  We hope you enjoy the burgers!
-Nanette

Cheesy Philly Cheesesteak Burgers
serves 4

Burger
2 pounds ground sirloin or chuck
1 tablespoon Montreal grill seasoning
1 tablespoon A-1 Steak Sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Toppings
1 large yellow onion
2 bell peppers (I used ½ each: red, orange, yellow and green)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns
1 recipe Smoked Provolone Sauce (recipe below)

Combine burger ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix with hands to combine.  Do not over mix.

Form beef into 4 patties, slightly larger than your bun.  Make a slight indentation in the center of the burger to prevent it from doming up in the center. (The indentation will rise as your burger cooks).  Set aside while you prepare the toppings.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, add onions.  Toss to coat, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile in a large skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter.  Add sliced peppers, toss to coat.  Cook until peppers are soft.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Preheat grill to high.

Grill until golden brown and slightly charred (about 3 minutes), turning once (cook for 3 minutes on the other side for medium). Close grill cover.  Try not to press down on your burger with a spatula. It will cause the juices to escape and will create a dry burger!

Toast buns on low or indirect heat.

To dress burger:  Place burger on toasted bottom bun, top with ¼ of the sautéed peppers, ¼ of the caramelized onions and a heaping spoon of smoked provolone cheese sauce, top with toasted top bun.  Serve and enjoy!


Smoked Provolone Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
8 ounces smoked provolone cheese, shredded or torn
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Add flour and whisk; allow flour to cook for 2-3 minutes to cook out the ‘floury’ taste.  Add milk, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.    Add cheese and stir constantly until you have a smooth mixture.

Reduce heat to low, until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

NO BAKE TWIX PIE

NO BAKE TWIX PIE

The summer entertaining season is in full swing and who isn't looking for a delightfully delicious dessert to wow their guests?  Olivia found this great recipe at WWW.THESALTYMARSHMALLOW.COM and it is a winner.  It is sweet and light and just the thing to end a summer meal.  Olivia was serving this at a function she was hosting so she decided to make the serving easy  by putting it in canning jars.  You can put them in half pint jars or smaller depending upon how much dessert you want to serve.  Your guests can grab them and go.  It is a beautiful dessert that is just the right amount of sweet and it is fun to eat.  Try it soon!
-Nanette

NO BAKE TWIX PIE

Ingredients

• 1 11 Ounce Box Vanilla Wafers, Crushed
• 1/3 Cup Butter, Melted
• 1 8 Ounce Package Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 8 Ounces Cool Whip, Thawed
• 2 Cups Twix Candy Bars, Chopped
• Chocolate & Caramel Sundae Sauce, For Drizzling

Instructions

1. Spray a pie pan with non stick cooking spray.  Pour the crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter into the pie pan and mix until well combined.  Firmly press the wafers onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.  Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese with the vanilla extract until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Fold in the whipped cream.  Fold in 1 cup of the chopped Twix candy.
3. Spread filling into prepared crust, smoothing out the top.  Chill for at least 3 hours, until pie has set.
4. Before serving, top pie with remaining Twix and drizzle with chocolate and caramel sauce.

BLUE CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED PEPPERS

BLUE CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED PEPPERS
The peppers are coming on strong in the garden. We have had lots of rain in our area and a healthy amount of heat and sunshine. This recipe for stuffed peppers is sure to please the backyard barbecue fan who loves blue cheese and bacon. If you don't like blue cheese, try substituting a cheese you particularly enjoy. Follow her pictures, notes, and recipe and you are sure to enter a whole new realm of grilling pleasure.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

I used the small sweet peppers that come in a bag in the grocery store.  I cut the tops off, cleaned them out, and cooked them a bit over the grill.  I wanted to make stuffed peppers instead of the slices of pepper as the original recipe states.

I mixed the filling up and spooned it into a gallon sized plastic bag.  Seal the top of it, cut the tip off, and use the filled bag to fill each of the peppers.

I used a grill basket to place the peppers in so they would stand up and could go back on the grill.  The peppers didn't take up all of the space in the basket, so I wadded up a piece of foil and placed it in the basket so the peppers stand up.

I placed the grill basket back on the grill until the cheese mixture was hot and bubbling.

TA DA!  These are so delicious!!!

BLUE CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sweet yellow, orange or red peppers
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Cut peppers into quarters. Remove and discard stems and seeds. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, blue cheese, bacon and green onion until blended.

Grill peppers, covered, over medium-high heat or broil 4 in. from heat 2-3 minutes on each side or until slightly charred.

Remove peppers from grill; fill each with about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture. Grill 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 

Sugar Free Cucumber Salad

Sugar Free Cucumber Salad

When I was a kid, our summer food menu often consisted of sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob and anything fresh from the garden or produce stand.  Sliced cucumber salad was a staple, but my mother always made it with sugar.  Dietary restrictions require I not use sugar if possible, so I substituted stevia for this recipe and it worked beautifully.  Olivia has an abundance of cucumbers this year so she gave me some to make this salad.  My mother didn't use herbs in hers but I like herbs so I added them to mine.  You can use any seasonings you like. Let this sit in the refrigerator overnight for the best flavor.  We hope you like it.

-Nanette

1.  Peel and slice cucumbers and one onion (the milder the better).

2.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 3.  Add herbs you enjoy.  This time I used fresh dill and some fennel plus a little minced garlic.

 4.  Microwave on high for at least one minute equal amounts of white vinegar and powdered stevia (or sugar if you prefer).  Stir until the stevia or sugar is dissolved.

 5.  Pour over the cucumbers, onions, and herbs.  Mix well.  Refrigerate overnight.

Another tip:  Once you have the dressing made, you can keep adding cucumbers to it for a few days and enjoy the salad all week!