Tasty Tailgate Treats Slider-ing Through September

1. Gather together all of the ingredients and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan add 1 teaspoon of the garlic and the Mexican oregano and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Cut the rolls in half lengthwise and place the bottom half in the pan.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and remaining 2 teaspoons of the garlic over low heat until translucent, or brown them for more flavor.
6. Add the chicken to the onions and stir in the enchilada sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Spread the enchilada chicken mixture over the rolls edge-to-edge and top with the cheese.
8. Place the tops of the rolls on top of the chicken and cheese.
9. Stir the butter mixture and brush over the tops of the rolls. Use all of it. Tent a piece of foil over the rolls and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the tops have slightly browned.
10. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the cilantro (optional). Let cool just a few minutes before topping with avocado slices (optional). Use a spatula to serve the sliders.

Crispy Shrimp Sliders with Spicy Slaw

Ingredients:

• 12-pack slider rolls
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup pepperoncini peppers chopped (or other mild pickled pepper, like banana or pimentos)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste, or a few dashes of hot sauce, to taste
• 3 cups bagged cole slaw mix, or shred your own
• 18-ounce frozen, breaded popcorn shrimp, like SeaPak brand
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced or sliced

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Without separating the rolls, lay them open (cut side up) on a sheet pan. Toast these in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes as it is preheating. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise with Calabrian chili paste in a large bowl to make the dressing. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to combine. Set aside.
4. Arrange shrimp in a single layer on another baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping over halfway through.
5. To assemble, place the bottom rolls on a serving tray. Scatter the shrimp evenly over the rolls. Layer on the prepared slaw, then sprinkle on the diced tomatoes. Top with the top half of the rolls. Use a knife or small metal spatula to separate the sliders and serve.

Juicy Mushroom and Swiss Sliders

Ingredients: 

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 3 lb ground beef
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 tsp cream of mushroom
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 16 slices of Swiss cheese or cheese of your choice – a white cheddar would be tasty too
• 8 slider buns

For the Secret Sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 6 tsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp sriracha
• dash sea salt
• dash black pepper
• dash red pepper
• dash garlic powder

Instructions: 

1. Cut your onion in half and chop it into small pieces. Add 1 tbsp of butter to a medium-low heated pan. Add chopped onions and cook for 25-30 minutes until they are soft, translucent, and golden brown. Set to the side when done.
2. Add 1 tbsp of butter into a separate cooking pan on medium heat and cook fresh mushrooms for 5 minutes until soft and golden brown. Set to the side when done.
3. In a medium bowl, break your ground beef into small pieces. Add ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom, sea salt and black pepper. Mix ingredients.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Form your ground beef into 8 small patties. Add the patties to a large skillet cooking for 4 minutes on each side. Once you flip the patties, add the Swiss cheese slices to each patty. Once the cheese melts, remove from the heat.
5. Add mayo, ketchup, red pepper, sriracha, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl for the secret sauce. Stir until blended.
6. To build your slider, layer your bottom bun with a patty, cooked onions, and mushrooms, and top off with secret sauce. Top with the top bun.

Roast Beef and Provolone Sliders on Everything Buns

• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus additional for buttering baking dish
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic 
• 1/2 tablespoon dried minced onion 
• Pretzel salt or kosher salt 
• 1 package Hawaiian sweet rolls
• 1 1/2 pounds shaved rare roast beef from the deli counter, preferably a premium brand like Boar’s Head 
• 2 cups crispy French-fried onions 
• 1 pound sliced sharp provolone
• 1 cup spicy pickle rounds 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
2. Stir together the melted butter, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Without separating into individual rolls, slice the top half of the bread off the bottom. Place the bottom portion of the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Layer the shaved roast beef on top, then the crispy onions, then a layer of provolone, then top with a layer of pickles. Place the top section of the rolls on the sandwich stacks. Stir the spiced butter and then liberally brush over the tops of the rolls until entirely coated.
4. Bake, uncovered until the cheese is ooey gooey and the tops of the rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into sliders with a large chef’s knife.

On The Menu

Next week I will have a mix of taste treats that will get you through the end of September. Hopefully, the temps will be dropping and we will finally have some football weather. Have a great weekend of games. Enjoy!