Mini Hot Shot Burgers

A popular item at some restaurants are burger shots, or mini burgers. They are a favorite for my 14-year-old son. We occasionally catch him humming the tune to a commercial for these kinds of burgers. For this recipe I used a variation of a delicious, spicy burger my brother, Ted, makes. My version isn't quite as hot as his, so if you try this out, you can adjust it according to what your taste buds can handle!

1 lb. sirloin hamburger (or regular)
3 tsp. jalapeno juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. creole seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2-4 jalapeno slices, chopped finely (about 1/2 tsp.)
cheese slices, optional
1 bag of rolls
toppings

Mix with your hands and, using a little more than a golf-ball size, shape into patties that are about 1/2 the size of a regular hamburger. I grill these and top them with mayo, ketchup, lettuce and tomatoes. Cheese could be added a minute before coming off the grill. Makes about 10 mini burgers.

Creamy Potato Salad

There are lots of variations available for the picnic classic, potato salad. One could use sweet or dill pickles, mayonnaise or salad dressing, regular or Dijon mustard, yellow or green onions.

But really, you use what you have on hand and add enough mayonnaise or salad dressing to suit your preference of texture.

I had a little help for this recipe from my mom and from the cookbook “Mama Dip’s Kitchen” by Mildred Council which I loaned from the Grant County Library. Council suggests using new potatoes, which have no sprouting and which are about the same size for even cooking - she also adds pimentos.

2 ½ lbs. potatoes, about 10 medium sized, washed and unpeeled
1 tsp. salt
1 C. sweet pickle relish
3/4-1 C. mayonnaise
2 Tsp. prepared mustard
½ C. celery, chopped
½ C. onion, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, grated

Place the washed, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and pour in just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil and simmer about 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain off hot water and pour in cold water. When cool enough to handle peel the potatoes, dice them and place in a large bowl.

Mix the other ingredients in a separate bowl and stir into the potatoes. Serves 10-12.

Angel’s tip: You can keep your potato salad cool at a picnic by filling a large bowl half full of ice and placing the potato-salad bowl on top of that.