Smokey Mesquite BBQ Mearball Sliders

I love good food. Who doesn't really?  My opinion is if it not worth the calories, I don’t eat it.  To my kid's chagrin, I do not give them the same luxury.

I prefer to make food from scratch.  It tastes better and it's healthier.  Unfortunately I do not always have the time to cook from scratch.  In fact when my fourth child was born I had to give myself permission to use a box or previously prepared food.   The food snob had a taste of humble pie.

As I search for quick-fix meals, I don't find many worth the calories; such a food snob.  When I do find a good recipe, it is worth its weight in gold.  I believe I'm not alone in this pursuit and want to share with you my discoveries…

I found this recipe and these pictures from Food Family Finds.

Smokey Mesquite BBQ Meatball Sliders 

Her recipe is…

1 pound ground beef

1 Kraft Fresh Take Smokey Mesquite BBQ variety package

1 egg

1/3 pound bacon, chopped

¼ c Kraft Hickory BBQ sauce

3 slices Kraft Big Slice cheddar cheese

12 Hawaiian Rolls

I made a tweak or two that makes this recipe an even QUICKER fix. 

The original recipe requires that you make the meatballs yourself; which is delicious but using store bought prepared meatballs really simplifies and makes this a quick-fix dinner.  On soccer/ scouts/ballet or whatever night this is what I'd do. 

Here's how to make dinner in a flash…

Ingredients

• 24 pre-made meatballs
• Favorite Hickory BBQ sauce
• 1/3 pound bacon, chopped or bacon bits (actually I'd do the whole package*)
• ½ medium onion, sliced 
• Sliced medium cheddar cheese
• 12 dinner rolls/Hamburger buns

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to meatball directions or 375 degrees.  Line a lipped cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and use non-stick spray.
2. Cook according to directions.  My meatballs cook only for 14-16 minutes.
3. While meatballs bake,if not using bacon bits cook bacon. For a quick method I use my Indoor barbecue, like a George Foreman.  I like mine crispy, cook each side 5 minutes. Crumble bacon. 
4. Use a little drippings from the bacon to saute the onions in.  If using bacon bits saute onions in 1 TBSP olive oil.  Saute on medium until translucent. 
5. Slice rolls like a hamburger bun in half horizontally. Add 2 meatballs and drizzle BBQ sauce over top to completely cover meatballs.
6. Over BBQ sauce add sliced cheese, crumbled bacon, and sauteed onions.  Switch oven to Broil and return meatball sliders, without top bun, to the oven about 6-8 inches under broiler. Broil until cheese melts about 2-3 minutes.  (This is a nice touch but if time is OUT you can skip it entirely).
7. Top sliders with the remaining roll tops and ENJOY!

These tips will cut the start to finish time by half, from 40 minutes down to 20.

A few extra thoughts and tips...

• Amounts in this recipe are arbitrary.   When using prepared items you can use 12 meatballs as easily as 24.  Prepare according to family's needs.
• To make this more of a dinner than appetizer, I use hamburger buns.  About 3 to 4 meatballs fit onto a bun. 
• *I would cook a whole package of bacon.  Why make such a mess for only 1/3 cup of bacon. Leftovers can be eaten in sandwiches, on salads, for breakfast or however you fancy. 
• Another super easy way to cook bacon is to bake it.  If you choose to bake bacon, I would put it in the oven first, even before the meatballs. Bake at 400 degrees (here is a dilemma, either you have to bake the bacon at a lower temperature or the meatballs higher or go somewhere in between) for 15 to 20 minutes.  Line the lipped cookie sheet with generous amounts of aluminum foil.  
• If you want a quick side, try tater tots, french fries or similar products cook along with meatballs (this is why I cook the bacon on an indoor BBQ).
• On evenings when dinner is almost ready and you did not get the fries into the oven early enough, You can broil them.  Set oven to broil, place under broiler 6-8 inches and stir every 3-4 minutes.  It cooks them FAST!  I use this tip often.
• If you like the taste of the BBQ sauce a bit caramelized, you can broil the meatballs after you drizzle BBQ sauce onto them but before you add the cheese, bacon and onions.  You won't need to broil them a second time.  The cheese will melt great if you add it right away after broiling the meatballs and BBQ sauce.
• There may be spots on the rolls that do not have meat, cutting the meatballs can help cover more circumference. That can be timely and tedious if you use a knife.  Use scissors and don't worry about them being perfectly cut in half.  No one will see if your meatballss are actually 1/3 and 2/3s, get those scissors out and cut like mad!
• If you're REALLY pressed for time try broiling the meat balls instead of baking.  Check and stir the meatballs every 3-4 minutes and 1-2 minutes as they get closer to being done.

The real magic with this recipe is that everyone in my family likes it, an almost unheard of accomplishment.