Friday, May 28, 2010

Dinner's Ready In Two Minutes: Sliders

They don't call 5:00 PM the witching hour for nothing. After making dinner a couple thousand times for your family (in my case I think it's about 3700 suppers since I got married) you need a break. For me, that break is sliders.


They're easy enough to make, freeze well, are infinitely customizable and warm up in less than two minutes. How crazy is that?

Start with ground beef. We usually use 2/3 of a bag (12 patties) of Costco sirloin patties, but if pounds of fresh ground are on sale, I eyeball the right amount.

You'll also need one bag of Costco Dinner rolls. You can use any dinner rolls you like - I'm just going for the easiest possible path here.


Sprinkle your large patties with seasoning - I use garlic salt - and cut each into three pieces. Shape each piece into small patties. If using ground beef you'll have to guess-timate. Your goal is a patty that is about two inch inches in diameter.


Cook to desired doneness. We like ours well done and I cook the burgers indoors on our George Foreman Grill.



See how cute they are:



Allow to cool completely. And I really mean it! COM-PLETE-LY!!!!! If you don't, the meat will let off steam in the bag and your buns will get soggy. I'm terrible at letting things cool so I feel your pain - go paint something, then come back.


Cut a roll in half and slide in some meat:





Put them in gallon sized Zip-loc freezer bags. One dozen fit comfortably in each bag.



Next time you know your day is going to be frantic you can defrost a bag of these (or as many as you need) and that's one thing off your list. You can warm these from frozen as well but it takes about a minute longer.

To reheat: put several sliders on a dinner plate (our plates hold about five), cover in Saran Wrap and microwave on high for one and half minutes. Allow to sit for about a minute until serving.

Serve with: lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, cheese, bacon, stir fry sauce, BBQ sauce - whatever you like.

These are also a lifesaver if you need a lunch unexpectedly and they pack well to school or work.

I failed to take a picture of the actual meal (don't you hate that) because, to be honest, we were tired and frazzled and I was busy being grateful that dinner was ready, not taking well-lit shots.

Linked up with:

sweetcharli"


 
Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up party!

11 comments:

chksngr said...

Awesome...I'm going to costco this weekend...I think I will do this...especially since my boy is home all day now that it is "summer"

TLF said...

Fabulous idea.. Thanks for sharing!!

Mary C. said...

Great idea, Nicole. I am forwarding this to my daughter. She's always freaking out about dinner and lunches.

Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas said...

Great Idea!! I have those Costco rolls in the freezer..Thanks for the time saving idea..Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!
Barb @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com

memakingdo said...

Thanks for the recipe I have been making freezer meals this week and can't wait to try this one out!

Kalleen at Second Street said...

Get idea! I need a bigger freezer.

Heather - Dollarstorecrafts.com said...

Great tip! My huge challenge for cooking is that my husband is vegetarian. We end up doing bean burritos a lot...

Soooo, did you know you are getting a chocolate crafting kit in the mail from me? Yep, prize winnings for April Stash Bust!! It's so awesome, you guys are gonna love it.

p.s. Thanks for your review of "What's New, Cupcake?" -- I have the book, but haven't cooked anything from it yet.

p.p.s. I heart Costco. :)

Diane Mars said...

Love it I know what you mean I get tired of thinking of just what to prepare! Hugs, Diane

Kami @ Sweet Charli... said...

Hey Nicole! I am so glad you posted this idea because I am always looking for dinners that I can make ahead! This will be perfect, and seems so easy! Thanks for linking up!! As always, another great idea from you!

NoDebtMomma said...

I love freezer meals! I hadn't thought about this before!

I found you through Tator Tots and Jello!

Sam
Mom. Undecided.
http://momundecided.blogspot.com/

Modern Distaff said...

I just came across your blog. So many great posts, this one in particular. I'm in the sick/can't cook with out a ventilator stage of pregnancy so if I could get all this done at one time it'd be a huge life and time saver! I would have never thought of using rolls or freezing them together. Thanks for sharing the idea.