Memorial Day BBQ
I have a list – a very, very long list – of recipes that I’ve bookmarked to try someday. (Nearly all from food blogs, of course.) So any time I want to make something new – whether it be a baked good, or a side dish, or, as I did this past weekend, a menu for a barbecue, I turn to this list. (Actually, to be honest, I have two lists – one for sweets, one for savory foods – which makes searching for something to make a little easier.) Here’s what I came up with this time:
Umami Burger Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls, with Bacon Jam and New York Cheddar Cheese.
Ooooh, mommy indeed. Trust me. You want to make this.
I made Crunchy Coleslaw to go on top of the burgers… but it never made it there. Instead, it ended up a side. And that was perfectly fine. (I replaced the malt vinegar with rice vinegar to give it a more Asian flare. Next time I’d add in daikon – I couldn’t find any this time around.)
Of course, I had to make the Baked Sweet Onion Dip that I’ve had a couple of times before, at dinner parties thrown by Todd and Diane, served with toasted bread sices. (I refuse to make this for just myself and Son… it’s so addictive, I know I’d eat it all. Believe me… any leftovers were gone in a flash. This stuff is dangerously good.)
Another side I’ve had bookmarked for a while: this Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash from Smitten Kitchen. I had nearly everything in my fridge already (save the pancetta), so it was an obvious choice. Loved it.
And for dessert? I could have baked something, and would have, except… I had a huge hankering for root beer floats. It had been way too long since I had one. So I had my dad buy root beer and vanilla ice cream (since I bought most everything else)… the perfect ending to a fantastic meal.
Too much food? Well… you could say that. Personally, I’d say it’s exactly right… just enough to feed four people, with plenty of leftovers! (We love leftovers.)
Overall, it was a perfect meal. Or, in my case, the perfect fuel so I could get to work figuring out what (if anything) is mine in the disaster zone that my sister left in the room we shared growing up… (gah… send help, please!)
