Bunker Sliders

My husband makes the best burgers. They are always so flavorful and juicy, nicely balanced, and especially fun because he loves making them. So I call his burgers "Bunker Burgers" as they are so special and unique! He spent many tailgating years at Notre Dame perfecting his technique and recipe, and since then, he has tried out all kinds of new combinations, often to meet the tastes of his wife, a self proclaimed picky eater.

Happy 4th of July!

These sliders were born from our nostalgia for the Little Leaguers from "Ball's Hamburgers," a mainstay in the lives of anyone who grew up in Dallas, Texas. The one in our neighborhood (in Snider Plaza) closed a few years ago, and was replaced by, of all things, a Dunkin' Doughnuts Shop. I was unhappy for quite a few reasons, and very pleased when Dunkin' Doughnuts left that location after about a year. Ball's Hamburgers is still open on Northwest Highway and Midway, the burgers are still yummy, but the atmosphere is just not the same. Anyways, Bunker and I grew up eating these sliders after soccer games, during birthday parties, and for off-campus high school lunches. It is a sweet memory and an easy one to recreate at home!

These have a sweet twist by featuring Hawaiian Sweet Rolls!

My husband did ALL of the cooking on this one!

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Ingredients:
-We purchased .6 pounds of ground meat which equals .1 pounds of ground meat per burger (we used rather lean meat...98% lean...but you can use whatever you like).
-1 Tablespoon BBQ Sauces of your choice
-1 Tablespoon Ranch Dressing
-1/2 Tablespoon Horseradish
-Jack's Burger House Seasoned Salt to taste, at least 1 to 2 teaspoons (or your seasoning of choice...Jack's Burger House is another local burger joint that is just delicious! I think it is just called Burger House now, but people that have lived in Dallas for a long time remember it as Jack's...it is one of those places you could carve your name into the tables and write on the walls...those walls actually can tell a lot of stories!)
-Sliced cheeses of your choice, cut into four pieces each. Bunker used Muenster on his and he used Cheddar on mine.
-6 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls cut in half

Steps:
1. Mix together the ground meat, Tablespoon of BBQ sauce, Tablespoon of Ranch Dressing, 1/2 Tablespoon of Horseradish, and seasoned salt.
2. Form the mixture into 1/4 cup sized patties.

3. On your outside or inside grill, cook the burgers for about 2 minutes per side.

4. Add the sliced cheese to the burgers and cook for another 2 minutes. We covered the burgers to let them steam.

5. Stack on top of your sliced Hawaiian rolls and enjoy!

 Cort was on the move!

Puppies cooperated far better than we expected!!

 

Blue Cheeseburgers

As I mentioned in my last post, to me Memorial Day and the beginning of summer should always be commemorated with the grilling of burgers. Robert and I did just that this past Monday as we celebrated with 2 other couples and enjoyed the back patio on one of our last days of housesitting.

While we could have easily made your normal burger patties and topped them with an array of cheeses and condiments, I decided to get a little fancy instead. One of my favorite burger joints in Dallas, Twisted Root Burger Co., has a burger on their menu that is topped with a big dollop of blue cheese. It always looks so delicious, but the thought of the mess that would inevitably ensue the moment that blue cheese was squeezed out by the bun always dissuaded me from ordering it.

To avoid the mess I decided to incorporate crumbled blue cheese into the patties themselves rather than topping them with a softer blue cheese variety. The melted cheese and the minced onions provided a nice juiciness that can sometimes be missing when using the leaner ground beef. I think these burgers would be excellent served on Suzie's homemade hamburger buns along with your favorite combination of condiments and veggies. Next time your planning a cookout with burgers, consider adding this recipe to your menu, you'll be glad you did!

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Blue Cheeseburgers
Ingredients
2 pounds ground sirloin
1/2 medium sweet yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions
Place the 2 pounds of ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl.

Add the minced onion,

Minced garlic,

Blue cheese,

And salt and pepper.

Mix with your hands until everything is evenly incorporated throughout.

Divide the mixture into 6 equally sized patties roughly the size of your palm and relatively thin, about 1/2-1/4 inch thick.

Heat the grill to medium high heat and place the patties on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes then flip.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes for medium, it will take longer for medium-well and well done.

Remove from the grill and enjoy!

Neighborhood Services

Let me preface this post, I have had two glasses of wine tonight, I think that will make for a more honest post. If you know me...even slightly...you would know that two glasses of wine into an evening, will indeed do the trick.........oh dear.........I think I have actually had three!

Anyways....I love Neighborhood Services in Dallas on Lovers Lane. You approach the restaurant, and it is surrounded by antique stores, bakeries, and other various services stores. It is rather unassuming from the outside. There is just a faint glow from within the frosted glass door and tiny lettering on the exterior wall, just a small hint of the deliciousness inside.  It is like a modern day speakeasy, like a private club which you stumble upon, and want to return to as often as possible. What a wonderful evening.

My husband, Bunker, travels about 4 nights a week, however, he has basically been gone for a full 2 weeks, and finally came home, therefore, we had a bit to catch up upon, and I am super selfish with his time when he finally comes home. What better place to have a yummy dinner and quiet evening conversation than Neighborhood Services? One of two tips: (1) You will wait about an hour for your table...just fine for us as we wanted to have a cocktail at the bar and chat before we sat down for dinner. (2) If you are from Dallas, you will see someone you know, something of which I consider a delightful treat to catch up with someone during an unexpected encounter.

We had a very kind and incredibly knowledgeable waitress, who even thanked us for being her table at the end of the evening....I suppose we are rather intriguing diners. I love engaging waiters and waitresses, as I worked at Lobster Ranch during my summers in college. Yes indeed, it was called Lobster Ranch, it was a Romano concept, one which did not succeed. I know, so glamorous sounding, Lobster Ranch. It was in Preston Center, where Snuffer's is now located. Anyways, being a server in a restaurant is one of the most difficult jobs, something I think everyone should experience, a job in which you really must be charming and upbeat for hours on end, regardless of your personal life, regardless of how clients or fellow workers act.

All that being said, we had a fantastic evening at Neighborhood Services, from the bartenders who were incredibly responsive and friendly to the rather large and demanding crowd, to the warm and intimate atmosphere, our fabulous waitress, and our tasty dinner. I ordered my once a year hamburger, and honestly, I am going to up my hamburger intake to a minimum of 20 a year from Neighborhood Services based upon how delectably delicious this hamburger was. The only things I omitted were the Mayonnaise and the pickles, and I had it cooked to medium. Oh my goodness, it was juicy, flavorful, rich but not greasy, topped off with sharp melted cheddar cheese, atop a soft and fresh bun and accompanied by crisp and perfectly seasoned and clearly fresh cut potato fries.

What a fantastic evening! Thank you to Neighborhood Services for being the perfect venue to let us chat about life and exceed the expectations of our taste buds! Go tomorrow night, and build in an expectation of an hour of cocktails before you can sit down for dinner, at least one of you must order the burger, and engage your waiter or waitress in conversation (honestly, you should do this at any restaurant, it will make your evening more interesting and more enjoyable...and will make life a bit more interesting). Enjoy!

Shafer says hi!!

PS.....Here are some pictures of our front yard....this took like 6 hours! But well worth the effort!