Club Burger Sliders with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

Olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey or ground turkey breast
1 small onion
1 tablespoon hot sauce (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (a couple of generous palmfuls)
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
A small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
A small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
16 slices good-quality white or whole wheat bread OR english muffins
Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, for serving
2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat an outdoor grill or griddle pan to medium high. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels to cool, then chop.

While the bacon cooks, place the turkey in a large bowl. Grate the onion on top of the turkey to get 3 to 4 tablespoons onion juice. Add the hot sauce, poultry seasoning, salt and lots of pepper. Add the cooked bacon, mix and form 8 slider patties, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide. Drizzle with oil to coat lightly. Cook on the grill or griddle, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the sliders cook, preheat the broiler. Place the avocado in a food processor. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, chives, dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Process into a smooth, thick sauce.

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of bread (or trim 1 inch of crust all the way around the bread slices to form small squares); discard the crusts. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler. Serve the bacon-turkey sliders with the lettuce, tomatoes and avocado-ranch sauce between the toasts.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

Ingredients:
* 1 quart buttermilk
* 1/2 cup chopped shallots
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon pepper
* 6 chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb. total)
* 6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 3/4 lb. total)

Preparation
In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, shallots, garlic, salt, sugar, cumin, and pepper.

Rinse chicken thighs and drumsticks and pat dry. Trim off excess fat. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk brine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day (see notes).

Lift chicken from brine; discard brine. Wipe excess from chicken with paper towels.

Lay chicken pieces on a barbecue grill over medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Note: Brine the chicken up to 1 day before grilling; grill up to 1 day before serving (chill airtight). Transport in brine when grilling on-site. Keep the meat well chilled in an ice chest until ready to serve or grill.

Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwich

Start by making your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Don't be afraid to get creative. Gibson's version changes regularly; the American makes use of leftover cheese pieces and bacon scraps.

Once you've made the macaroni and cheese, spread it in an even layer on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool.

Once the macaroni and cheese is cold, slice it into squares that are roughly 1/2-inch smaller than the bread you plan on using for the grilled cheese.

Preheat the oven to 500°F and place a cast-iron skillet (or other oven-proof pan) inside.

To assemble the sandwich, butter one side of two slices of bread with salted butter. Gibson likes salted butter because it makes the sandwich have a nice salty crust.

Place the bread, buttered side down on a work surface and top one piece with a slice of cheese, the macaroni and cheese square, and another slice of cheese. The cheese slices act as glue for the sandwich, ensuring that the macaroni and cheese doesn't fall out. Cover the second piece of cheese with the remaining slice of bread, butter side out.

Remove the skillet (or pan) from the oven and place the sandwich inside.

Bake in the oven for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted, the bread is toasted, and the macaroni and cheese is hot. Slice into triangles and enjoy immediately.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
1 cup shredded chicken
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pesto sauce
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup of your favorite chunky marinara sauce, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter over medium-high heat.

Add flour and stir until mixed. Let cook for a minute.

Stream in the milk, whisking until completely smooth. Add salt and pepper, and then cook until thickened. Place 1/4 cup of white sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 pan.

In a bowl, stir together the chicken, ricotta, pesto, salt, and pepper. Spread ~1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over each lasagna noodle and roll up. Place the roll in the prepared pan.

Repeat for the remaining noodles.

Spoon the remaining white sauce over the lasagna rolls.

Spoon the red sauce over the lasagna rolls and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for ~30 minutes, until hot, bubble, and the cheese begins to brown.

Margarita Popsicles

Ingredients

1 batch Classic Lime Margaritas
12 3 oz disposable paper cups
12 wooden popsicle sticks or spoons

Directions:

Pour 2 1/2 ounces (5 Tbsp) of margarita into each cup.

Place cups into a baking dish and put the dish in the freezer.

After about 2 hours, start checking the popsicles. Once they're frozen enough to support the wooden stick, insert a stick into each popsicle, pushing 3/4 of the way into the popsicle.

Let freeze several more hours or until completely frozen (I let them freeze overnight)

To serve, peel the paper cup away from the popsicle, starting at the seam of the cup, and carefully remove the bottom.

Classic Lime Margarita Mix

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (10-12 limes)
1/2 cup silver tequila
1/2 cup orange liqueur
lime wedges/slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool.

Pour into a pitcher with lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur.

Pour over ice and garnish with lime slices.

To make frozen margaritas, freeze the limeade into ice cubes. Blend the ice cubes with chilled tequila and orange liqueur until uniformly slushy.

Banana Split Bites

Ingredients:

Bananas
Chocolate (melted) -- or substitute with Nutella.
Candy sprinkles or chopped nuts
Ice cream
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherries

Directions:

Use firm bananas (put them in refrigerator of 20 minutes to help firm up) and cut into 1 inch sections. Leave the peel on for easy handling, and with a melon baller, dig a well in the middle of each banana section. Remove peel.

Melt chocolate in the microwave and dip the bottom portion of the banana in chocolate and then dip it once again in either candy sprinkles or chopped peanuts.

To quickly harden the chocolate, place dipped bananas in the freezer for five minutes.

Fill each well with ice cream and top with whip cream and a maraschino cherry.

Grilled Pound Cake

Ingredients:

6 (1-inch-thick) slices store-bought or homemade pound cake
6 scoops raspberry sorbet, either purchased or homemade
6 Tbsp sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled

Preparation:

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium (about 350°F). Place pound cake slices on the grill and close the lid. Grill until pound cake is lightly toasted and has grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip slices, close the lid and grill on the other side until toasted, about another 3 minutes. Place grilled cake slices on 6 serving plates and top each with a scoop of sorbet. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp toasted coconut over each plate and serve.

Southern Potato Salad

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon

1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled

1 green onion, sliced

1 boiled egg, chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon until crispy. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the grease, and crumble. Set aside.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add a tablespoon of the bacon grease and some salt and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes cool and then cut into bite-size pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing.

Toss potatoes, onion, and egg in dressing. Add bacon. Serve chilled.