Bacon Ranch Sliders - Creation Stage Recipe

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to say I was selected as one of Canada's top online influencers to participate in this years Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Ranchify Recipe Challenge.  This is the second year running for me.  Last year's entry for the Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Recipe Challenge was Grilled Zucchini Boats.  Although it was not a winning entry, it is still a very good recipe perfect for summer time grilling.  This year only one recipe can be submitted so I've been busy working on a few to narrow down my choice.  The deadline is July 1^st at 12 AM.  The recipes will be judged by Chef Ned Bell.

Note:  This is a recipe in the creation stages with the goal of a possible entry into a contest.  No creation stage recipe will be posted here however, the final recipe may appear here after the entry deadline closes so please check back. 

Mini burgers aka sliders have become rather popular so I decided to create slider recipe, more specifically a bacon ranch slider recipe.  I started with hormone free, grass fed lean ground beef to ensure a high quality burger pattie.  While I won't disclose all the ingredients that went into the patties, I will tell you that I used no fillers (eg. bread crumbs) so they are all beef patties and I used Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Spicy Creamy Dressing & Dip as an ingredient.  Additional ingredients and a spin on the patties remain a secret for now but don't worry as I will tell you what I did in the final version after the contest closes.

I shaped the prepared meat mixture into large meatballs then flattened to fit into the mini burger grilling rack.  This helped me keep the burger patties uniform shaped while making it easier to grill.  The grill rack is made by Cuisinart but other brands are available.  These can be found in the grilling section wherever outdoor grills are sold.

Sensations is a Sobey's brand.  We no longer have a Sobey's close by but during one of my recent travels I found one.  Sobey's tends to have a few extras that No Frills doesn't.  Anyway, I spotted these cute mini burger buns with sesame seed tops. I thought they would be perfect for my contest creation stage recipe. 

Buns plan an important role in any burger.  I chose this bun because it was cute and perfectly shaped so each slider would look the same for presentation.  Each bun measures about 2½ - inches in diameter and about 1½ - inches combined thickness.  A package of 12 cost $2.79 so they are a bit pricer than regular burger buns.  I was after a particular look for this contest creation stage recipe with the full intentions of substituting a homemade bun for the final recipe.

Homemade burger patties should not look like those used in fast food restaurants.  There are burger presses on the market that will allow you to make your own burger patties, uniformly shaped and perfect for freezing but honestly, hand shaped gives a nicer homemade touch.  A grilling rack simply keeps the smaller burgers in one piece while grilling, making them easier to turn.

I sprayed the inside of the rings with cooking oil in a health mister help prevent the patties from sticking.  I grilled the patties on medium high direct heat turning once.  I liked the hash marks the grill rack gave the patties!

I tested the patties on lightly toasted and toasted buns.  I topped each slider with Asiago cheese and a dollop of ketchup - simple and easy.  The end result was quite delicious!  The patties were nicely flavoured, tender and juicy.  I immediately knew I was heading in the right direction with this recipe!

Regardless of the initial success that my husband declared a winner, I knew I would have to get a bit more creative if I wanted a winning recipe.  So it was back to the drawing board, armed with a few tweaks to test.  Ketchup was ok but common.  I had something else in mind!  The buns were good and while I liked the texture from toasting, I had plans to kick them up a notch.  I was off on a culinary adventure.  Stay tuned...

My First Recipe Contest

As you know we recently returned from our spring vacation spent at our vacation home in Florida with a side trip to Aruba.  I have so many wonderful foodie things to share with you from that vacation alone.  However, on the home front things are in full gear in the kitchen.  I've been busy taking advantage of a pork loin sale at $1/lb, as well as canning mainly in season fruits and jams.  A couple of days ago, I received an email asking me to participate in the Hidden Valley Ranch™ Recipe Challenge.  I accepted and am pleased to say this is my first official recipe contest!  My acceptance letter read that "you've been selected as one of Canada's top online influencers"!  I am beyond flattered!  What an amazing honour to bestow on this humble blog!  Can you tell from all the exclamation points how extremely excited I am?

I am up against 15 of Canada's top food bloggers!  The recipe will be judged by Chef Ned Bell*.  Three runner ups will receive a $100 gift certificate for Williams Sonoma.  The grand prize is a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and we all know how much I love mine!  Plus Chef Bell will do a live demonstration of the recipe at this year's Calgary Stampede and the winner gets full bragging rights!  I was sent five full sized bottles of Hidden Valley Ranch™ and $100 gift card to help buy the food needed to create a recipe for the contest.  Recipe submission deadline is July 1, 2012.

That means between now and the end of the month I will be working on a recipe hopefully good enough to be in the top four of the contest so I will be posting some of my recipes using Hidden Valley Ranch.  At the same time I will be sprinkling in posts about foods enjoyed during our recent vacation as well as canning since for many, it is the start of canning season.   Watch for exciting things from the kitchen over the next couple of weeks plus my ultimate culinary experience at being invited into the kitchen at Matthew's Beachside Restaurant in Aruba.  Now that was an absolutely amazing experience!

*From my acceptance letter:


Arguably one of Canada’s foremost culinary talents, Ned’s new and imaginative dishes are inspired by fresh and local ingredients. He started his career in Vancouver where we worked as a sous chef at Robert Feenie’s Lumiere. He has since enjoyed successful stints as executive chef at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery, Toronto’s Accolade and Senses Restaurant, Murrieta Grill and Hotel Rosewood Georgia in Vancouver. He is host of The Food Network’s “Cook Like a Chef” as well as Co-Host of CTV’s “Its Just Food”. Ned Bell is currently the executive chef of the Four Seasons in Vancouver and will join the Hidden Valley Ranch team at this year’s Calgary Stampede to ring in the Stampede’s Centennial Anniversary.

The Best of Chef at Home Cookbook by Chef Michael Smith

My Newest Cookbook

It is no secret that Michael Smith is my favourite Canadian chef! I watch his shows almost daily, taping those I can't watch to catch up when I can.  I follow him on Twitter.  I just love his cooking syle - cooking without a recipe!  I have yet to try one of his recipes that I can't add my own touch to.  That is what a recipe is all about.  A recipe is a spring board, a starting point to take it from that point and make it your own.   Chef Michael continues to be a wonderful inspiration in my cooking!

A couple of months ago, Chef Michael was in Toronto and gosh did I ever debate going to that dinner.  It was $125 a plate but with travel costs and more than likely staying overnight the true cost would have been closer to $500.  At any rate I did do a lot of debating about it.  I now have a very good reason to attend the next time I get an opportunity.  You see, I now need his autograph!

I like to thank our kids gifted me with a copy of The Best of Chef at Home by Chef Michael Smith.  What a wonderful and very thoughtful gift!  I am seriously in Seventh Heaven here!  This will be one of those cookbooks that I read from cover to cover.  I can't wait to try out several of the recipes so will post as I do.  Stay tuned because you will be hearing a lot more about this cookbook.

Canadian Chef - Michael Smith

A good part of my cooking style has been influenced by family and friends as well as our lifestyle. For the most part it means my cooking style is rather laid back and very much homestyle cooking from scratch. Several years ago I discovered the Food Network and it only took a couple of shows before I was hooked. Like anyone who enjoys food I really wanted to learn how to do some of the fancy things without moving to far from where my cooking heart was.

I discovered a wonderful Canadian chef hailing from Prince Edward Island by the name Michael Smith. Michael Smith is one of the most respected and talented Canadian chefs who has the wonderful knack of being able to talk in layman's terms. In short he has an impeccable education but he talks in terms anyone can understand. It was uncanny how many things I found in common with his cooking style. He loves cooking without a recipe by simply putting things that go together together and he does it quite nicely. This really echos my cooking style. He often refers to his kitchen journal something I've used since a newlywed. A kitchen journal really is a must if you want to tweak or repeat a recipe. Then he has a massive collection of all kinds of goodies in mason jars so he really is a man after my own heart. Here is an excellent video of him making peppercorn encrusted tuna.


As you can see the entire meal could be easily duplicated at home. I love his demeanor and style. He is just a very likable person! This is one chef I could seriously watch cook all day and I would not hesitate to make a special trip just to have the pleasure of eating at his restaurant although at the moment he is a globe trotting, roving chef who cooks mainly for his family and friends when home. What I really like about his style is the emphasis is on the food and good times exactly where it should be not the recipe. What doesn't come out in this video is Michael Smith's commitment to humanitarian and environmental conservation efforts, both very commendable indeed. In my books Michael Smith earns 5 Stars as a Canadian chef!