I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Sliders

Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

 

How are you creative?

For the longest time I was feeling really blah.

I didn’t know what was off but something was off. And it wasn’t because life was insanely busy and I was tired with the kids and life, but because I wasn’t creative because of all of those things.

Years ago, I started the blog as a creative outlet when I was insanely busy while at work and in college. Basically my life was architecture 24/7 and I needed an outlet where I could brain dump something other than architecture.

Since then, blogging has really changed and it was feeling somewhat soul crushingly overwhelming. What host? Was Pinterest changing things again and effect traffic? Did I need to take the time to redo recipes to photograph them again? Was the recipe title the right so it hit all the correct SEO things to get traffic? BLAH BLAH BLAH

I felt overwhelmed and so behind with everything. Behind with the blogging I wanted to do, blogging I was behind on, blogging I wanted to redo. So behind with everything in life, besides the laundry.

And the story telling in blogging was missing.

I used to just write and share things and now it’s about having the post that is the right length so that people will not blow it off, but keep scrolling down to the recipe. While also having balance so that the people who do read this feel connected and know me.  (hello out there!)

So I could whine on and on, but that is not the point of this post.

I am here to tell you that I am feeling like my mojo is back!

 

For the past year I have been working on growing my own Instagram (@iamahoneybee), but my big focus has been growing the Instagram for my 2 Boston Terriers. Yeah, that sounds silly, right?!?

Well, as silly as it sounds, their Instagram account (@thebostonterrierparty) has grown to have almost 60,000 followers. Woohoo!

It started off just as a fun way to document their silly lives, but it has developed into something that I have a lot of fun with. I’ve met some really great Instagrammers that I have made some great friendships with. We have skype calls every now and then to discuss strategy for growth, boosting engagement, and how to turn this fun thing into a money maker.

I reached out to an illustrator to have cartoony pups drawn in their likeness so that I can work on some fun things like hoodies, leggings, phone cases, beach towels, and totes with adorable Boston Terriers on them. SO FUN!

I’m also working on some simple books that are targeted at young kids (2-5 year age range). It’s been fun to generate different stories and create the books. I’m hoping to have 3 wrapped up after the new year for a launch to go with the Valentine’s Day book that is just so sweet.

Fingers crossed for me that this all goes well. I’ll keep ya posted!

And, oh, yeah… I made sliders!!!

I love snack like food while we watch football on the weekend. Or while we run around after the kids and dogs. Or when the sun is shining. I just like snacks.

The sliders are insanely easy to make, which is great for when you are hosting a few friends over or for a big party. They can stay melty in a warm (150F) oven while the game plays on or your party goes on and on.

Everyone will love the flavors in the burger and the awesome everything bagel topping that makes the sliders extra awesome. But don’t worry, if you can’t find that blend you can whip up your own or just use poppy seeds. Don’t make it complicated, just enjoy them!

Enjoy these at your next party, watching football, or while you relax and create something that leaves you feeling fulfilled.

Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

Makes 12 sliders

Ingredients

  • 12 dinner rolls
  • 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
  • 4 slices of bacon (approx 1/4 pound)
  • 1 cup diced onion (2 small onions)
  • 1 pound ground beef, 93/7
  • 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 Cup yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Everything Bagel Mustard Sauce

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Everything Bagel topping
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Process

  1. Half the rolls to separate the top from the bottom. Place the bottoms in a 9×13 baking pan. Spread mayo on the tops and bottoms of the buns. Set the tops aside for later.
  2. Cut the bacon into very small pieces. Scissors makes this a quick task. Cook in a skillet over medium low until crisp. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
  3. Preheat over to 350F degrees.
  4. While the oven is preheating, saute the onion in 1 Tablespoon of bacon drippings, over medium heat, for a few minutes, until soft and translucent.
  5. Add the ground beef. Break up the meat while it is browning.
  6. When the meat is cooked through, add the ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  7. Evenly place the meat over the bottom half off the buns in the pan. Then, evenly top with the cheese and bacon. Place the bun tops back on the sliders.
  8. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Evenly pour the sauce all over the sandwiches.
  9. Let the sauce sit on the sandwiches for 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly.
  10. Cover with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover & cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve warm.

 

Cheesy BBQ Sliders

Monday, why you gotta do us like that!?!?!?

First, our car Frank has died. Poor Frank.

We almost crossed over the 150,000 mile mark with that 12 year old bad boy. But, my husband had just left work last night when it started lurching and then it was done. It wouldn’t go back into a gear no matter how hard he tried. The transmission died.

He had it towed to a shop near is but it’s very likely we will be saying good bye to Frank so that we can get a new to us used car to add to our family.

While all of that drama was happening, I was taking Hunter back to the dotor to get his cough checked out again. Poor thing is still coughing after going to the Dr a week ago and being out of school 2 days last week. It’s been a long week for him and for me. I can’t wait for both of us to feel better.

I’ve been losing my voice for periods of time since Saturday night. I haven’t seen a doctor, but since my kid’s Dr has seen my 2x in a week she said that it sounds like the virus that they have that settled in their chest, has settled in my throat. It’s not sore but I definitely don’t sound like myself. It’s kinda sad and hilarious.

At least I made it through Price’s birthday party on Saturday afternoon with my voice intact.

We had some leftovers from his party so I whipped up these BBQ sliders. I decided that I could use the BBQ pork we had left to make some sliders, like the Ham and Cheese Sliders I make for parties. I changed things up but kept the essence of the sliders in tact with the meat and cheese slider that gets topped off with a buttery seasoning topping is the perfect finishing touch.

These sliders are going to be an instant favorite in your house. They are perfect for enjoying while watching football, tailgating, or at birthday parties. It will be amazing how quickly they disappear too.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Makes 12 sliders

Ingredients

  • 12 white dinner rolls
  • 1/3 Cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Cups pulled pork
  • 1/3 Cup bbq sauce
  • 6 slices of cheddar cheese, broken into pieces

Poppy Seed Sauce

  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1/2 Tablespoon minced onion (dried spice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Arrange the bottom half of each roll in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
  3. Add a bit of mayo to each of the rolls.
  4. Evenly coat the rolls with the pulled pork.
  5. Spread the BBQ sauce over the pork, then add the cheese to the sliders
  6. Place the top of the rolls on the cheese to close the sandwich.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Evenly pour the sauce all over the sandwiches.
  8. Let the sauce sit on the sandwiches for 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly.
  9. Cover with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover & cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Meatball Sliders

Meatball Sliders

We made these irresistible Ham and Cheese Sliders yet again when we watched the Super Bowl. These are one of our favorite things to eat. Super simple and super good. What’s better than a warm mini sandwich with some ooey gooey cheese topping off some meat? I think it’s just the perfect kind of snack for for watching sports or serving at a party or even for dinner. So what did I decide to do?

Make more sliders for dinner recently that involved yummy flavorful meat covered in ooey gooey cheese.

Meatball Sliders-1

Yep! This time I made Meatball Sliders. Meatball Subs are great but there is just something cute about having the meatballs served in sliders. Well, I don’t know if cute is the right word, but definitely fun to eat this way.

My dad was up in December for a visit to meet Autumn and help us out by stocking up our freezer with some of our favorite dinners. Of course Mr. I-talian made amazing meatballs and marinara sauce. That big batch is long gone now but I have been thinking about making more recently but haven’t found time. Instead of making a big batch of meatballs and sauce I decided to change it up and make some meatballs for these sliders.

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I love meatballs any time but these ended up being such a good dinner as they are a great warm up food. I just love an excuse to turn on the oven after being on a cold bus. Totally helps takes the chill away in me and the house. 🙂

These meatball sliders are perfect for any occasion as they are quick to whip up and a crowd pleaser.

Meatball Sliders-2

Meatball Sliders

Makes 12 Sliders

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2- 2 lbs of ground beef, 85%/15% is suggested
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup Italian Style breadcrumbs
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 heaping tablespoons minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 24 oz jar of tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 12 dinner rolls

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Combine the ground beef, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, diced onion, parsley, and seasonings together in a large bowl.
  3. Form 12 equal sized meatballs.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the meatballs, in batches. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, place in an oven safe baking dish.
  5. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
  6. Bake the meatballs for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and add the shredded cheese to the top of the meatballs and place under the broiler until the cheese is completely melted.
  7. Split the rolls and place 1 cheese covered meatball in each roll to serve.

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

It’s getting warmer up here in Boston. So we’ve been doing some garden work and busting out the grill. I just love the summer and spending our time outdoors drinking icy cold beers, snacking on chips and homemade guac, and dining on burgers. So lately I’ve been dreaming up all the fun burgers we can make this year (all of these sound awesome) and one such burger on my mind was a Pimento Cheese Burger.

We first had Pimento Cheese Burgers years ago while in Charlotte. Ahhhh-mazing. I’ve only made them a few times since then since they are so rich and indulgent. But the flavor combos are so dang good. I love mayo on my burgers and obviously cheese burgers are better than plain burgers so it all just adds up perfectly.

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So when it came to thinking up something for my Sprint Cup Snacks recipe for this weekend’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 in Darlington, SC I pulled out my Pimento Cheese Burgers. So perfectly Southern! I whipped up some Mini Burgers since everything mini is just so dang cute. Plus I’m always trying to think of fun recipes for a crowd or ones to quickly nosh on while watching that week’s NASCAR race.

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Pimento Cheese is yummy with just crackers but slather it on some burgers and it will become your favorite way of enjoying it. But, of course, putting it on sliders makes the whole situation that much better. Plus the best thing is that it is super easy to whip up. As much as I love our grill, I used my cast iron skillet since I didn’t want to run the risk of flipping the mini burgers through the grates. In all it took about 15 minutes of prep for this dinner. awesome!

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I swear these will be a hit with you crowd!

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

Makes 6 sliders

Ingredients

Pimento Cheese

  • 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 4 ounce jar of diced pimentos, drained
  • 1/3- 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
  • cayenne and black pepper to taste

Burgers

  • 1 pound of 85/15 ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 6 whole wheat dinner rolls

Process

  1. To make the Pimento Cheese, combine the cheese, pimentos, and mayo. Mix thoroughly. Add the cayenne and pepper to taste. Set aside to chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef and the Seasoned Salt and black pepper. Evenly divide the burgers into 6 rounds. Shape and flatten each burger so they are slightly thicker than 1/4″.
  3. Cook the burgers until desired doneness.
  4. Slice the dinner rolls in half. Place each burger on the bottom portion of the buns, then scoop about 2 tablespoons of the pimento cheese on each burger, and top off with the rest of the bun.

Pimento Cheese adapted from Epicurious 

Wii love Christmas!!!

 

Christmas was fantastic this year. It is great every year but I got some great gifts from a pressure canner and canning kit, mermaid stuff, necklaces, a big scrapbooking kit, tickets to see Stomp (5th time!), books, movies, etc. This summer better be last summer because I need some good tomatoes so I can break out the canning kit!!! In general it is hard to be home because I am out of my routine and I have to pack up the rabbits to bring them down and they are quite pissed to be in a different place. Plus the froze every time Cobi barked and Piper laid outside the room crying at the door to get in.

On the plus side I get to see my family and get to sleep in since I have nothing to really commit to. I slept like 11 hours on Saturday… pure joy.

This year was great because we had a great Christmas Eve… including a present with a $58 wrapping job. Hilarious story about my mom going to get a gift wrapped, thinking it would be like $15 max. Well the woman comes back with this crazy wrapping and bow, the woman tells her it is $48, including her $10 store credit. So the box was carefully removed, presents removed from there, and box carefully put back into wrapping. This is going to live under my mom’s friend’s tree every year now just to earn its value.

On Saturday my dad, his girlfriend, my brother, and I drove to New Jersey to try these sliders that my dad saw on CBS Sunday morning. They were supposed to be the best sliders in NJ. So we drove though crazy traffic, in the rain, to get to Hackensack to try them. First we went to White Castle to get their burgers to be able to compare them with the famous ones from White Manna. So after waiting in the rain for a bit, then like 40 minutes in the place for sliders we figured that White Castle’s were better, plus no wait. At  least we tried them. Always an adventure.

 

Emily and I went to Cracker Barrel on our way back to Boston since we have been talking about it for the past 2 years. It’s always been like ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to go to Crackle Barrel!?!?!?’ Well it was but also horrifying. I had some Country Fried Steak- the gravy was more like wallpaper paste- and Emily had Chicken and Dumplins. She said if she started to should “dumplins!” it ment she had to throw up in the car. Luckily that did not happen, but we both will be paying for that dinner for a while.  

So now I’m home preparing myself for another 3 days work week 🙂 Price is playing with the Wii my mom and step dad got him. I sense some very long nights of tournaments in our future!!!!  So glad we don’t have any plans for New Years!!!