Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients:4-6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (can be frozen)
1 (12 ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
2 packs of soft rolls like Kings Hawaiian brand rolls
Materials:
Slow Cooker
Forks (2)
Spoon to stir
Yields: 20 sliders or 7 full sized sandwiches (or more)
Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. (I stirred twice).
Once the chicken has cooked, (usually after 4 1/2 to 5 hours) drain liquid if any, and shred the chicken with two forks. Then add the butter and the rest of the buffalo sauce.
Serve with rolls and coleslaw with blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.
Gruyere Bacon Mac and Cheese
I used a little more gruyere cheese than what the recipe called for. I bought a block of gruyere cheese and shred it myself. For grated parmesan, I used Parmesan Romano Cheese. I highly recommend using a Fusilli pasta or a fun shaped pasta of your choosing. In terms of bacon, make sure to use a good quality bacon like Jones Dairy Farm Sliced Bacon. Cook the bacon before cooking the past or the cheese sauce.
1 lb of pasta
6 slices of bacon diced
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4 cups (or to taste) shredded gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Materials:
Large pot
Cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Large spoon
Wooden spoon
Cutting board
Knife
Aluminum foil
Medium saucepan
Cooling rack
Pasta strainer
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the bacon on a large cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil with a piece of parchment paper on top. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and let it cool. Transfer to paper towel and remove the excess grease. Dice the bacon on a cutting board, and set aside.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, garlic, and thyme over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cheeses, a handful at a time, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in pasta until well combined.
Garnish with bacon, and serve immediately.
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients:2 tablespoons olive oil
12 Asparagus spears
6 prosciutto slices/strips
Materials:
Large frying pan
Wash asparagus and cut 2 cm off the ends. Cut prosciutto strips into two halves, going lengthwise, you should end up with 12 strips.
Place each prosciutto strip on a chopping board at a 45 degree angle. Place one of the asparagus spears on top of the meat, perpendicular to it. The tip of the asparagus should be lined up with the bottom of the prosciutto strip. Wrap the bottom end of prosciutto over the asparagus and holding the meat tight start rolling the asparagus up. The prosciutto strip will wrap around the whole length of the spear because it's on an angle. You can try a different wrapping method, but I find this is a very quick way to do it. Don't worry if parts of the asparagus spears are not covered completely.
Sautee the asparagus in a large frying pan on medium heat cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until prosciutto is brown and crispy.
