Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

It's football season once again! Sure, I guess that means football…but more importantly, it means tailgating and that means delicious food! And sure, there will always be that guy hogging the grill, spending way too much time flipping burgers and turning brats.

Well forget him! This is a perfect place and time to focus on crock pots. Crock pots will keep your food nice and toasty for however long you are tailgating. Sloppy Joes? Not my thing but sure. Pulled pork? Perfect. Shrimp and corn chowder? Excellent idea. One of my favorites is mozzarella stuffed meatball sliders. These meat balls have the wonderful surprise of oooey gooey cheese in the middle and more important for our purpose, they hold up beautifully in a crock pot.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Sliders

All you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1/4 cup Romano cheese

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

16 cubes mozzarella cheese

1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)

8 slices provolone cheese, thinly sliced

16 cocktail buns

All you do:

1. Combine ground beef, ground pork, Romano cheese, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Mix to thoroughly combine all ingredients.

2. Shape meatball mixture into 16 balls, making an indent in the middle of each ball and pushing a piece of mozzarella cheese into the middle. Seal the meat around the cheese completely.

3. Place half the meatballs into the hot skillet and saute until golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the meatballs and brown on the other side. Meatballs do not need to cook all the way through. Remove to a plate. Re-heat the pan with the remaining oil and cook the second half of the meatballs. Return all the meatballs to the skillet.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and pour the marinara sauce (and red wine if using) into the skillet. Place a lid on top and simmer for 15 minutes, spooning the marinara sauce over the meatballs every so often to keep them moist.

5. Cut each slice of provolone cheese in half. Place a cooked meatball onto a bun and top with the provolone cheese.

6. Enjoy!

Whomever you cheer for, eat some sliders and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Whether we like it or not, summer is coming to an end. I know there are many diehards out there that will continue to grill until the first snow falls. I also know an equal amount of you that are burned out on grilling and are ready to retire until the spring.

For which ever camp you fall into, I would like you to put down the burgers and brats and think outside the box. The Japanese, Koreans, Israelis, Turks, Moroccans and many others are all masters of the grill. But today we focus on Greece. In this case, I want you think of a Greek dish known as souvlaki. Beautifully marbled pork shoulder is bathed in red wine, lemon juice and Greek spices and then grilled. Served with a simple but equally tasty yogurt sauce called tzatziki and you will be transported to the Islands of Greece.

Souvlaki with Tzatziki

All you need for the tzatziki:
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated on large holes of grater
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice

All you need for the souvlaki:

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced finely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

All you do for tzatziki:
1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix until combined.

All you do for souvlaki:
1. In a large bowl, add the meat and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over meat.
2. Toss to combine and marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Drain the pork and thread onto skewers. Cook the kebabs until nicely browned and cooked through.
4. Serve with pita and tzatziki.
5. Enjoy!

Eat some Greek tonight and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex