BBQ Riburgers on Cheesy Garlic Bread

"Back to life. Back to reality."

As I'm back from our Month of Insane Travel, this song seems to be running on a loop in my head. Can anyone else relate?

Anyway, for anyone keeping track, I actually tried this recipe months ago. And it was fantastic! And I have several ways to make this a crazy quick meal! And then I forgot to tell you all about it!

Forgetting seems to be a theme in my life these days.

Not my clearest Final Product Shot but TRUST ME when I say this is good.
And really tall.

BBQ Riburger on Cheesy Garlic Bread
Recipe from Jeff Mauro
Prep time: 45-50 minutes  Cook time: 35 minutes

Chipotle Pineapple BBQ Sauce:
1 tbsp canola oil
1 clove of garlic, minced or grated
1/2 medium onion, minced (use a Vidalia if you've got it)
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
3 tbsp molasses
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (remove the seeds before chopping if you don't want to melt your tonsils)

Ground Pork Riburgers:
2lbs ground pork
Kosher salt

Cheesy Garlic Bread:
1 stick melted butter (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp minced garlic
One 32-inch French loaf, split and halved
3 cups grated mozzarella (fresh is best if that works for you)

Dill pickles for garnish, optional

1. For the BBQ sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, pineapple, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and chipotles. Simmer partially covered, stirring often, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Set aside.

Unless you like cleaning spots off your ceiling, cover the pot.

This smelled absolutely amazing.

2. For the burgers: Preheat a grill top or griddle to medium-high to high heat (yup, screaming hot to get that good sear). You can also use an outdoor grill, weather permitting, or the broiler if you don't care for a splatter-y mess on your stovetop (see below).

Cute little rectangles.

3. Form the ground pork into long, rectangular patties that fit the shape of the bread, keeping in mind that there will be two patties per half of bread. Season the exterior with salt and place on the hot griddle for 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.

The sear. Check out that SEAR!!

4. Turn off the heat and baste generously with the BBQ sauce. Flip and continue cooking for a couple more minutes, continuously flipping and basting the burgers.

Saucy!

In the interest of full disclosure, I make a mess when I cook.
All that white you see is grease splatter from cooking the patties.

5. For the garlic bread: Place the rack in the middle of the oven and set it to broil. Mix the hot, melted butter with the garlic and brush on the cut sides of the bread. Top with the mozzarella and place under the broiler just until the edges are lightly crisped, about 2-3 minutes.

Also full disclosure: I drink a little something when I cook.
I also put on music and dance around my kitchen while things simmer. Doesn't everyone?

Awaiting it's brush with garlic butter.

CHEESE 

It crossed my mind to just eat this for dinner and call it a day.

6. Sandwich Build: Place two burger patties on each bottom half of bread. Top with some pickles, if using, and the top half of the garlic bread. Slice each portion in half, yielding four sandwiches. And if the patties aren't saucy enough, serve with the remaining sauce. Or you can save that sauce for another night of riburgers.


Like so many other millions of high school students, I earned money for such essentials like green nail polish and future college textbooks by working at a local fast food restaurant. While there, they debuted a sandwich that is remarkably similar to this one. Except their version is revolting (my apologies to anyone who idolizes that sandwich). I remember holding my breath every time I had to walk past the container of hot BBQ sauce; yes, it smelled that nasty.

But my husband likes that sandwich. So when I saw this recipe pop up, I knew I had to give it a try. Not only did it actually sound appetizing, but it would be a sort of nice compromise. He gets his rib sandwich, but a tasty (& healthier!!) one that'd I'd make. And HO BOY are these good!! I love, love, love every part of this sandwich. I love the smoky, sweet, tangy-ness of the sauce. I love the simplicity of the burger patties themselves (meat and salt...for real? That's it?!?). And I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhve the cheesy garlic bread. Oh. My. Word. Buttery, cheesy, garlicky deliciousness!! Put it all together with some good dill pickles and I'm literally drooling on my keyboard right now. Oops, sorry Computer.

Now, for anyone looking at this recipe and thinking "no way on God's Green Earth am I going to deal with all those ingredients all at the same time after a long day at work. Are you kidding me Jeanna?!" Well, I have three words for you. Get Ahead Options:

• Make the sauce ahead of time. Make it a day, a week, or six months ahead of time if that floats your boat. You can freeze it or, if your freezer is packed, can it. Personally, I think this one sauce recipe is more than enough for two nights of sandwiches. I canned the leftover sauce when I first made this and it has been sitting happily on my basement shelf just waiting for a night where I'd like to make this again. Easy peasy!
• Make the patties ahead of time. Even though the patties don't require much time, this one can actually be a time and money saver. Buy the ground pork in bulk and make up the patties right away to freeze (wrap them individually in wax or freezer paper first). Then it's a simple matter to pull out the number you want to cook up to thaw while you're at work. Again, easy peasy.
• Even if you're one of those "I make everything my family eats myself"/Martha Stewart-types, I still highly recommend buying your favorite French bread. For this, we bought several loaves of bread from our favorite Italian restaurant and froze them. So when I made this, I pulled out enough for our little family and quickly made up the garlic bread.

Put all these Get Ahead tips together and you could seriously be eating these sandwiches in about 10 minutes. So what are you waiting for?!

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

The secret to the fabulous-ness of this one is not in the sauce, it's in the meatballs.

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes
Prep time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 40 minutes

Meatballs:
1lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko
1 clove garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger [Yes, two. Don't freak out and definitely don't skimp]
1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Teriyaki Sauce:
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Bowls:
Rice, enough to yield 1/2-1 cup of cooked rice per bowl
Fresh green beans OR pea pods, cut into 1" ish pieces and lightly steamed
Sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients, using a microplane to finely grate the two inches of ginger. Mix, using your hands, until evenly combined.

I'll admit: I was scared of this much ginger too. Trust me; just go with it!

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the meatball mixture into small balls, about one tablespoon each (1 recipe yields about 30ish meatballs). Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

I was a little generous and ended up with 24 meatballs.

These smelled even more amazing than they looked.

4. While the meatballs are in the oven, begin cooking the rice according to package directions.

I use my microwave to steam so did this actually a few minutes before the meatballs were done.

5. Teriyaki Sauce: (psst! This same sauce also appears here on my blog!) While the rice simmers and the green beans or pea pods steam, cook the teriyaki sauce. In a medium to large saucepan over low heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Turn off the heat and let sit until the meatballs are done. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.

Teeny bit of sauce in a great big pot

6. When the meatballs are done, transfer them from the baking sheet to the saucepan. Gently stir to coat.

This is why you need a bigger pot.

7. Assembly: Place 1/2 to 1 cup of rice in the bottom of each person's bowl. Top with about five meatballs and a drizzle of extra sauce. Scatter a few green beans or pea pods, then sprinkle the top with a few sesame seeds.

Layer 1: Rice. This is about 1/2 cup.

Layer 2: Meatballs and sauce

Layer 3: Steamed veg of your choice

Layer 4: Sesame seeds

This recipe is definitely going to be one of my staples! Not only is it fantastically flavorful from all the ginger, garlic, and soy sauce, but it's also easily adaptable to something even simpler. On a tough day, I could quickly turn this into a truly effortless meal using bottled sauce and microwave or instant rice.

You might think about using some pre-made frozen meatballs but I'd advise against it. For the very reason I alluded to earlier: the secret is in those meatballs. What's the secret? All that ginger. These little meatballs really pack quite the punch! So feel free to make whatever prep or assembly shortcuts you need to, but NOT with the meatballs. The spicy punch of the ginger is balanced out by the sweet-and-salty tang of the teriyaki sauce. The combination of which is a total Happy Flavor Bomb in your mouth.

Actually, to help myself out down the road, I plan on making up a few pounds of these beauties this summer and freezing them raw, just like I do my beef ones. Then for dinner time, it's a simple matter to pull out a few and bake them up while putting together everything else. You know me: I love my Get Ahead Options!

Meatloaf Sandwiches

I've been really frustrated the last week or so.

Last month I took the boys to visit my in-laws for a week and ever since then Gavin has decided to take up whining as his new hobby.  He practices this hobby everyday.  Religiously.  And it's not because of anything I or my in-laws did or didn't do; he's 4.  This happens.  Right now I just want to know does it ever END?????

On top of this reallyreallyreallyREALLY irritating habit, I haven't been having much success in the kitchen lately.  I've tried a few new recipes, and they've turned out ok... but that's just it: meh, O-K.  Nothing that makes me excited to find my laptop and tell you how much you need to make this RIGHT THIS SECOND.

So I've been frustrated.  And there is only one thing that can beat back Kitchen (with a smidge of Mommy) Frustration: comfort food.

Does it get any more comforting than meatloaf?  Didn't think so.

Meatloaf Sandwich
Recipe unintentionally adapted from Jeff Mauro

Meatloaf:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
Salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coarsely crushed saltine crackers (about 24 crackers)
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
2 large eggs
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork 
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

For the Sandwich:
4 slices sharp Cheddar
8 slices of potato bread
Pickle slices (3 to 5 per sandwich)

1.  For the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onions, season with some salt and saute until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes without letting the garlic brown. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Pre-cooking helps soften and draw out natural sweetness

2.  In a large bowl, add the crackers, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce and eggs. Whisk together, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the meat, parsley and cooled onions. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Using your hands, gently form the meatloaf into a loaf about 9-by-5-inches. Place on a baking sheet.

Overmixing meat = BAD.  Combine the add-ins first before adding the meat.

3.  For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Slather half of the glaze over the meatloaf, making sure NOT to touch the meatloaf with the spoon and then put that spoon back into the glaze.  Set remaining glaze aside.

My "loaf" looked more like a football.  I'm ok with that.

4.  Bake until the meat registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing for sandwiches.

ALL MEAT MUST REST!!!!!!

5.  To build the sandwich: Place a slice of cheese on a piece of bread, then a slice of meatloaf, spoon some of the reserved glaze on the loaf, pop on a few pickles and top with another slice of bread. Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches.

Yum yum yummy yum YUM

This is the first time I've ever used more than one meat in a meatloaf.  I know! Craziness I tell ya.  I have to say that I am a believer, a convert, a whatever you want to call me because I LOVE having pork as well as beef combined.  This was a juicy, tender, FLAVORFUL meatloaf.  The glaze was like a sweet, thin barbecue sauce... balancing these flavors with soft, hearty potato bread, sharp Cheddar and tangy pickles?  I'm pretty sure my taste buds wept.  Throw in some kettle chips and a frosty beer and I don't think any amount of frustration could withstand this amount of comforting goodness.