First week of Events!!

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit it... I am no Betty Crocker quite yet.  =)  Well, last Monday went really well.  My mom and I made Cheese & Onion-Stuffed Sliders and "Cheese Fries" for dinner.  If you are familiar with our family you will understand why I put the cheese fries in quotations.. real cheese fries that are gooey and yummy all over wouldn't make the cut in this household.  For us, our cheese fries consisted of fresh cut butternut squash baked in the oven with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.  And they turned out delicious I might add!  Maybe a little mushy, but hey, it was our first try at it! 

Cheese & Onion-Stuffed Sliders
Serves 4.

1 lb. ground extra-lean beef, crumbled
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1 onion, finely chopped

Mix the firs 4 ingredients in a medium bowl and form into 16 patties. Put 1 tbsp. of the cheese in the center of 8 patties, then add some of the onion on top.  Top with the remaining patties.  Seal the edges; then press the burgers to an even thickness. 
Set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the burgers and cook 2 minutes.  Turn the burgers, add the onion, and cook 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat; cover and cook until the burgers are cooked through, 2 minutes, turning the burgers and onion after 1 minute.  Top each burger with about 1 tbsp. of the onion and add a lil' cheese if you're feeling crazy on top!  (Like me! ...There's no such thing as too much cheese in my books.)

These were delicious!  Next, we're on to Lauren Deen's "Cheese Fries!"  This is from her cookbook, Cook Yourself Thin Faster; Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

"Cheese Fries"
Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded (might i add... this was a CHORE!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Cut squash into 1/4-inch "french fries"
Toss the squash with the olive oil and spread on the pan.  Season with the salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan until the squash "fries" are roasted and golden, tossing and turning the fries midway through baking.
Sprinkle with the parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Okay, so I know these aren't the cheese fries you would find at Snuffer's, but they are a much healthier treat and taste a lot like sweet potato fries!  I definitely recommend trying them!