Beefy Cheesy Sliders - Home Cooked Recipe #83

In addition to perusing Pinterest and the internet for recipe ideas, I also watch a boat load of cooking shows on Food Network and the Cooking Channel. One of my favorite Food Network shows is The Kitchen which premieres new episodes on Saturday mornings. Sunny Anderson is one of my favorite hosts from that show and when I saw her recipe for these yummy sliders I had to make them. I varied the recipe slightly but the results are still delicious. You can find here original recipe HERE. These are great for a party or tailgate or any event where you are wanting delicious little sandwiches.

Beefy Cheesy Sliders

Ingredients:

• 12 count slider rolls (I use Hawaiian Rolls - the butter flavored ones)
• 1 tbs Montreal steak seasoning
• 1/2 lb roast beef, sliced paper thin
• 8 oz shredded cheddar
• 4 oz provolone slices (I use Sargento ultra thin slices)
• 1/4 cup chipotle mayo 
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 2 tbs grated onion
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan
• 1 tbs Worcestershire
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350. Slice the rolls in half and place the bottom halves in a baking dish. Sprinkle the Montreal steak seasoning on the buns then top with the provolone slices. Top the cheese with the roast beef slices. Mix together the cheddar and chipotle mayo and spread over the roast beef slices. Top with the roll tops. Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, Parmesan, grated onion, and red pepper flakes. Brush this mixture over the tops of the rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake and additional 5 minutes to brown the rolls. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe Sliders - Pinterest Pick #22

I may have mentioned before that I adore a slider. Maybe once or twice! I think they are a great food for parties or for an easy weeknight meal. Plus I have little hands so I like sliders better than a regular size sandwich.  Sliders are so customizable as well.  You can see another one of my slider recipes HERE. Also, I love sloppy joes! I have two other sloppy joe recipes which you can find HERE and HERE. This is also a pick I found on Pinterest. You can find the original pin HERE

and the original recipe HERE.

Sloppy Joe Sliders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package (12 count) slider rolls (I used King Hawaiian's butter flavored rolls)
• 2 cups of shredded or sliced cheese (I used shredded cheddar)
• 1 stick butter, divided (3 tbs melted, 5 tbs whole)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ketchup (I prefer Heinz)
• 2 tbs brown sugar (if you don't want it overly sweet, I would cut this down to 1 tbs)
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbs chili powder (I have been a big fan of ancho chili powder lately)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown ground beef. About halfway through, add the onion. When beef is browned, add bell pepper and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes before adding sauce ingredients. Add butter, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for at least 5 minutes, up to an hour on a low simmer.  Use one tablespoon of the melted butter on the bottom of a baking dish. Pleace the bottom of the slider rolls on top of that butter. Pile up your meat on top of the bottom buns. Sprinkle your shredded cheese, or lay out your cheese slices on top of the meat. Top with the top buns. Brush the tops with the rest of the melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes. I served mine with tater tots for that old school feel. Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes - Pinterest Pick #17

I found a new recipe on Pinterest! I like experimenting with Sloppy Joe flavors as you may remember from my Mexican Sloppy Joes (find that recipe HERE). I saw one on Pinterest this week for a Philly Cheesesteak version and thought it would be a great addition to my recipe collection. You can find the original pin HERE and the original recipe HERE. There's not much I would change about this recipe the only thing I did different was saute my onions in with the meat, then add the butter. It came out great!  

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 4 brioche hamburger buns (or whatever kind of buns you like)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, diced (I used a red onion, any onion you like would work)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (the original recipe called for green, which is traditional, but I had an orange one on hand, so that's what I used)
• 4 oz button mushrooms, sliced (NOTE: my hubby doesn't care for bell peppers OR mushrooms, so I sauteed them separately in a little olive oil & garlic salt, then my mixed my portion of meat in later - if you don't mind them in your recipe, add them in with the beef & onions, & if you don't like them, leave them out entirely!)
• 2 tbs ketchup
• 1 tbs Worcestershire
• salt & pepper (I used Lawry's garlic salt & fresh ground pepper for an extra kick)
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 cup beef broth
• 4 slices provolone cheese, diced

Directions:
Brown ground beef & onions. (TIP: I like to really sear mine on each side to develop a flavorful crust before I break it up.) Add butter after meat is browned, & stir until butter is melted in.  Add ketchup & Worcestershire & stir until beef is coated. Mix cornstarch & beef broth well, pour into meat & bring to a boil, constantly stirring. Reduce heat & let simmer 5 minutes. Shut off heat & stir in provolone. Season with salt & pepper. Serve on brioche buns. Serve with your favorite side, we used tater tots. Enjoy!

Mexican Sloppy Joes - Pinterest Pick #7

We never ate too many sloppy joes when I was growing up but I have had them once or twice.  It's a great meal idea for kids but I never really considered it a grown up dinner. While browsing through Pinterest I came across a recipe for a spin on sloppy joes that had a Mexican feel.  I decided to try it and I am declaring it a winner!  Instead of the buns you could always use tortillas and the meat would also be great as a taco filling.  Lots of options!  You can find the original pin HERE and the website where I got the recipe is HERE.  Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest!

Mexican Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 poblano, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 10 oz can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso)
• 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded 
• 4 burger buns

Directions:
Brown the ground beef.  While halfway through, add in diced onion and diced poblano as well as garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  When beef is browned, drain and return to pan.  Add in enchilada sauce and simmer on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes.  Spoon meat over bottom buns.  Sprinkle generously with cheese.  Top with tops of buns and serve. 
Enjoy!

Larkins Famous Subs - Restaurant Review 4

Half Of A Salami Sub At Larkin's Famous Subs And Catering

Phew!  It's been a busy past couple of months, and some of you have noticed that I haven't been posting on a weekly basis like I normally do.  I felt bad that I've neglected this site and have made a resolution to get back to my weekly posting routine.

This week we are going to talk about a restaurant, and next week I will give you guys a new recipe.  Actually two recipes, a main dish and a side dish.  So make sure your check back next week for that.
Today we are talking about a place in south Orlando, who's full title is Larkin's Famous Subs and Catering.  You can find them at 7728 Daetwyler Drive Orlando, FL 32812-4077, and reach them at  (407) 859-9634.  I could not find an actual website for them, but I did find a couple of videos on YouTube that you could check out if you wanted to see a little more about them ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hohE8_E4OhM ).

I first heard about the shop from my boyfriend's brother-in-law, who was eating there quite a bit, and raving about how good the sandwiches were.  I checked the shop out on Yelp and Urban Spoon and saw that the shop had pretty rave reviews online from other customers as well.

The Steak-O-Cheese

Salami with Provolone

It's a quaint tiny shop, with a nautical themed decor.  There are newspapers to read, and our table had a list of thought-provoking questions.  There is a big screen TV, which I believe was playing the news while we were eating.  There are some tables where you can sit down and enjoy your sandwich, or you can take your order to go.  Not only do they have sandwiches, but they have salads, and they offer daily specials such as Tuesday Tenderloin (a beef tenderloin sub) and the Beef Short Rib Special.
They are a little more expensive than your average sub shop, but the quality of ingredients are very high, and the sandwiches themselves are large.  You also get chips on the side, as well of your choice of pickles or peppers on the side (pepperoncinis).  Subs can be ordered in regular or junior, the regular being 8 inches long with a pound of meat.  Junior is 6 inches.  You can get the subs with mayo, mustard, italian dressing, tomato, lettuce, and onions included.  I also counted at least 10 salads on their menu, but that could vary. 
I did not order one of the sandwiches off the menu, I just asked for a salami sub with provolone cheese and all the toppings and they were more than happy to oblige.  My boyfriend ordered the Steak-O-Cheese, with no mustard or italian dressing.  We both had potato chips with our sandwiches, and I opted for the pickles while he opted for the peppers. 
There was so much meat on the sandwich!  We both opted for the regular (the 8 inch, 1 pounder), and I don't think we realized how big that really was.  But both sandwiches were delicious, and I ate the majority of mine (although I did leave some meat behind, it really was a lot!).   

Larkin's is a very enjoyable place, with really good service.  We received our orders surprisingly fast, the food quality was high, the subs were delicious, and the staff was friendly.  I would recommend checking them out if you're in the area, visit Yelp and Urban Spoon to see what other customers said, and check out the YouTube video I gave the link to.

Food Truck Adventures 4 - C&S Brisket Bus

When I was researching all of the food trucks I wanted to try in Orlando, I found that two of them were competing to be on the Food Network for the Great Food Trucks Race.  One was Big Wheel Provisions which I ate at during my first Food Truck Bazaar, and the other was C&S Brisket Bus.  The Brisket Bus was at the Food Truck Bazaar, but I came across Big Wheel first, and the line for C&S was massive.  So I thought I would wait until they were at a lunch location close to me and try them then.

On September 2, 2011 I saw the tweet that C&S would be at the Citgo on University and Metric, the same location I had found The Crooked Spoon at.  unfortunately, since that date, no more food trucks are allowed there so they all have to find a new Friday lunch spot.

I got to the C&S Brisket Bus as soon as it opened.  I was determined not to miss out on the limited items they had.  They had just done the Apopka Food Truck Roundup the night before, and were running low on their supplies.  They did have one item I definitely wanted to try, and that was their Beef N Cheddar. 

They only had few items on their menu.  One was a pot roast, which we did not try, and they also had chopped bbq which we skipped as well, in favor of the Beef N Cheddars. My companion also got a grilled cheese.  They offered a side of fries for $2, but sandwiches were our main focus.

We ended up having a nice conversation with the owner of the truck.  There was only one person ahead of us, and more people did not show up until we had our food.  IT gave us a great opportunity to learn more about the food truck life.  We found out from him that the Maitland Food Pod, which is weekly, only has about 300 to 400 people on average  with 9 trucks or so in service.  But the monthly Apopka Food Truck Roundup had way more people than that, and C&S's line was 50 to 60 people deep at one point, with a 45 minute wait.  That's fairly impressive!  It was interesting and I'd love to have more conversations with food truck owners.

Let's get back to the food.

The grilled cheese looked good, but standard.  I had one bite, and it was simple yet tasty.  Just bread, butter, and cheese.  Our beef and cheddars on the other hand were pretty great!  The beef was moist and tender, and had a very savory beefy flavor.  I like beef that tastes like beef.  This fit the bill.  The bun was soft and easy to eat, which I happen to like in my bread.  There was also delicious sauteed onions and melty, sharp cheddar cheese.  It was a great choice.  This sandwich has my stamp of approval!

The prices were fairly good.  The chopped bbq was either $5 or $6.  The pot roast was $8, the grilled cheese was $5, and our beef and cheddars were $9. 

Visit them when you get a chance!  They cook their meat right, and it's a great place for people who like brisket done right.  Unfortunately their website http://brisketbus.com is down at the moment.  When I visited the site it said it's been down since September 9, 2011.  Hopefully they will have it up soon.  But they do have a twitter and a facebook, so follow them and show your food truck love!

Food Truck Adventures 1 - The Crooked Spoon

The Crooked Spoon

Food trucks started popping up at locations fairly close to our house.  After I did all my research and started following them on Twitter, I discovered one of the trucks, The Crooked Spoon, would be at the corner of University Blvd and Metric on Fri 8/12/11 for lunch.  So off I went to eat at my 1st Orlando food truck!
The Crooked Spoon menu contained a couple of burgers, a ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, chicken quesadilla, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and on special was an Italian beef sandwich.  

Crooked Spoon Burger

Their motto is "traditional fare with a twist".  I think that's a fairly accurate description of the food this truck offers.  All the item seem like fairly standard items from their titles, but once you read the descriptions, you see where the "twist" comes in.
For instance, the quesadillas started out as chicken, cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, but then took a turn by including pineapple BBQ sauce and mango salsa.  The turkey sandwich had a description that reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner because it had a sage aioli and a cranberry chutney.
My companion ordered the Crooked Spoon Burger.  It was an Angus beef burger with chipotle aioli, onion marmalade, swiss cheese, tomato, spring mix lettuces, and was on a brioche bun.

Italian Beef

Homemade potato chips and Italian Beef

The burger was juicy, and the accoutrements complimented the Angus beef.  As with my sandwich, the burger was served with homemade potato chips, which we'll get to in a moment.
For my meal, I chose to go with the special, the Italian Beef.  It was not at all what I expected.  I am used to your Chicago Italian Beef, dripping in au jus.  However, while The Crooked Spoons Italian Beef was not what I had pictured, it was FANTASTIC. 
This sandwich had a tangy but creamy sundried tomato aioli, deliciously smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced beef that had been pepperoncini braised, and had giardinera.  Instead of a traditional hoagie roll, this sandwich was on a levain bread.  Levain is a starter that is used instead of yeast to make bread.  It gives it a delicious, almost sourdough taste. 
In my opinion, the Italian Beef was well balanced.  You had the rich meat, which was braised until incredibly tender and sliced thin.  The nice vinegar bite from the crunchy giardinera cut the richness of the beef, and the smoky, melted mozzarella lent a different flavor profile.  By adding the sundried tomato aioli, the sandwich had an element of creaminess, which was offset by the tang from the sundried tomatoes.  I cannot wait to have this sandwich again!
But lets talk about their homemade potato chips.  I don't know too many people or restaurants that can make what I consider a good potato chip.  The Crooked Spoon?  They do it right!  First of all, they don't tell you that your sandwich comes with potato chips on the menu, so it's a pleasant surprise.  Secondly, these chips are fried correctly.  They have some body to them, but they contain the right amount of crunch.  Which for me is ESSENTIAL in potato chips.  A lot of people/restaurants cannot get that crispy crunch correct.  These chips had a good salt ration, and I'm also excited to eat the chips again on my next visit to this truck.
Now lets talk Mac and Cheese!
The Crooked Spoons Mac and Cheese had not one, not three, but SIX cheeses in it's blend.  I'm not exactly sure what all 6 were, but I believe there was some mozzarella due to the delightful strings that stretched from the box to the fork going to my mouth.  The cheese blend had a pungency to it, and my companion suggested there might be a blue cheese involved. 
This macaroni and cheese dish was not just noodles and cheese.  It also contained bacon (who doesn't love bacon?!?), basil, and roasted red and yellow peppers, and was topped with a light breadcrumb.  And the macaroni was not your traditional elbow macaroni, but instead a rotini.  And I have to say, I do love rotini. 
I would say this was a good Mac and Cheese.  On that token though, I am a macaroni and cheese purist.  I did not need the peppers or basil.  I love most of all a good macaroni and cheese where cheese and macaroni are basically the two main star ingredients.  Breadcrumb toppings are good as long as they are baked and are the perfect crunchy, golden brown.  The Crooked Spoons Mac and Cheese is great for people who like gourmet macaroni and cheeses.  But if you're more traditional, this will not fit the bill.  All of this being said, I would eat this dish again, it just would not be my first choice.
Overall, The Crooked Spoon was a good choice for my first Orlando food truck experience.  The food was fresh, hot, and tasty.  There were a couple of people in line, and we did have to wait a little bit, but it was not an unpleasant wait.  I like that this truck puts it's own spin on what we think of as classic sandwiches and burgers.  I loved their potato chips!
So I urge you to get on out there and try your local food trucks.  Whether you're from Orlando or somewhere else, the food truck revolution is upon us.  I am so glad to be starting my food truck adventures and cannot wait to share more of them with you.

***On 9/1 Steve from the Crooked Spoon appeared on Orlando's local Fox 35 News.  In his interview he said that the Mac N Cheese had Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Swiss, Provolone, and Gorgonzola.  Glad we now know the cheeses! Turns out, my companion was right about there being a blue cheese (the Gorgonzola) and I was wrong about the mozzarella (must have been the provolone that gave all those melty strings!).