Tasty Tuesday -- Juicy Burgers with a Secret Ingedient

America's birthday (and my mom's, too) is in two days! What better way to celebrate the holiday than with a big juicy cheeseburger! Yum. This recipe was passed down to me by my mom, not sure where she got it, but I've never met anyone else that prepares them this way! Measurements aren't exact, I just pour the stuff in, mix it up and decide if I need to add more.

Juicy Burgers

Ingredients
1.5 lb hamburger
1/3 c. Catalina Dressing (secret ingredient)
2 Tbls. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbls. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoning Salt
2 Tbls. Dried Chopped Onion (or 1/2 finely chopped raw onion)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, careful not to over mix. Form into 4 patties. Put thumb print into center of patty (this helps keep the burger from "puffing up", preventing you from flattening with your spatula while grilling!). Sprinkle with additional Montreal Steak Seasoning if desired. Grill to desired temperature. Top with cheese (we love sliced co-jack cheese) and your favorite toppings. Mouth-watering goodness.

For a printable version of this recipe, click HERE.

What are your favorite burger toppings?

Tasty Tuesday -- Pasta Salad

Remember a few weeks ago I participated in a Recipe Swap with Candy Girl? Candy Girl swapped and shared this on my blog. Today I'm sharing what I swapped over on her blog. This is a fresh and light pasta salad. It's a perfect side dish any summertime gatherings you might be attending! This salad is perfect for Spring and Summer, when asparagus is at its prime (and when you need to worry about the salad sitting out for a long time)! I made this for our Mother's Day cookout and it was a hit! Hope you enjoy it!

 

Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Basil Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cook’s Country

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 box pasta (any type is fine)

1 lb fresh asparagus

¼ c. pine nuts, toasted

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 c – ½ c shredded Parmesan cheese

Dressing

6 Tbls. Olive Oil

½ c chopped fresh basil

3 Tbls. Lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp salt and pepper (each)

 

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl (large enough for the pasta salad).

Steam asparagus until tender. I used the Steam Bags, but use your preferred method. When tender, run under cold water. Pat dry. Cut into chunks. Place in bowl with dressing.

Prepare pasta as directed on box. Drain. Toss in bowl with dressing and asparagus.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until chilled. Just before serving, add in pine nuts, tomatoes and Parmesan. Stir to combine. If you make the salad a day in advance, freshen up with a spoonful of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

This would go perfectly next to hamburgers, grilled chicken or pork chops! So fresh and tasty!

 

Tasty Tuesday--Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

It's TUESDAY!!! Which means it times for a tasty treat. These are finger-lickin' good ribs! And they couldn't be any easier than putting them into the slow cooker before work and then slapping them on the grill for 5 minutes when you get home! We served them along side with the Crispy Smashed Potatoes I shared with you last week.

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

2-3 lbs Country Style Pork Ribs
1 can beer
3 Tbls Liquid Smoke
Italian Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Dried Chopped Onion (to taste)


Directions

Place ribs in the slow cooker. Pour beer over ribs. Add Liquid Smoke. Sprinkle seasonings over ribs. Make sure to lift the top ribs up so that all ribs get covered. Set temperature on low. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you are able, add BBQ sauce on the ribs after about 5 hours. Otherwise, add the sauce to the ribs at the end.
Preheat grill. Add ribs to grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side, basting with BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.

Our family absolutely loves these ribs. They are perfect for busy families to have a delicious, finger-lickin' meal at the end of a hectic day with very little effort.

Enjoy!