Meatball Sliders

Jun 25, 2012 by Lindsey

Hi, readers! Well, this is awkward. I feel like the boy who didn’t call you back after things were going so well on your dates. Can you forgive me for not posting a blog post in nearly a month? I promise, its me… not you. I’d like to try things again now. You are very special to me… let’s have dinner sometime.

Really, this last month has been pretty crazy. Work took over my weekends,  then summer vacations, and now.. I have two broken ribs to remind me that I really do need to slow down and take care of myself. So, in the spirit of “resting” and trying to heal my little broken bones, I have been laying around watching terrible movies and thinking of what to cook for you tonight. I came to two conclusions during my sofa meditations:  (1) It turns out that “Big Miracle” starring Drew Barrymore and three humpback whales is quite the tear jerker, and (2) meatball sliders need to be in your life, like,  right now.

These sliders were well worth the trouble I went through to prepare them. The recipe is quite simple, but going to the grocery store with two broken ribs is not a piece of cake. I would do anything for these sliders, though. They are that good!

Enough about me, though. Let’s talk about you. I think you are going to love these meatball sliders that are easy enough for a weeknight meal, but cute enough for a casual weekend get together. You can eat two or six, depending on your appetite. I promise that after trying these buttery, cheesy, tomatoey, meatbally little sliders, you will want more than just one! Here’s how you do it, dear readers. I hope you enjoy!

Meatball Sliders

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a dash of pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar of marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package of butter hawaiian rolls
• 6 slices of provolone cheese, cut into quarters
• serve with pasta or a fresh side salad

Instructions

Begin preheating your oven to broil.

First, prepare the meatballs by mixing the ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl with a fork. Using your hands, roll them into tiny meatballs about the size of one tablespoon each. You will have between 12-18 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet and brown the meatballs over medium heat.

While those are browning, I took a minute to slice my provolone cheese into quarters. This was fun to do. You will enjoy this step if you, too, are amused by strange things.

Ok. The meatballs should be brown, so pour in the whole jar of marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover for 20 minutes and go do something fun.

It turns out that my idea of “fun” was preparing a little side salad. When I came back, these meatballs smelled amazing and were perfectly cooked.

Start assembling the sliders. Place one-quarter of provolone cheese on the bottom half of the roll then the meatball, then another provolone piece, then top it off with the other half of the roll. You might need to squish them down so the meatballs don’t roll off onto your counter. That is a mess, trust me. Finally, put your finished sliders under the broiler for no more than 1 minute. Just long enough to melt the cheese and warm the bread.

I served these sliders with a simple side salad dressed with some EVOO, honey, and balsamic vinegarette. Jason and I were happy campers at the end of this meal. And, guess what? Tomorrow night’s dinner of spaghetti and meatballs is already halfway ready!

 

Enjoy, everyone! See you next week!

Lindsey

 

 

 

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