The holiday season. October. November. December. I don’t know about you but fall seemed rushed this year. Like what the hell?. August is the month for lemonade and children going back to school. Must we really rush to get back to the busy times of year and not enjoy summer? Sorry minor rant, I believe in enjoying each month for what they actually represent. I know August can be a nothing month but I mean come on. Why? Let us enjoy present, and stop the constant push of thinking about the future. A constant battle I’m having, while planning wedding, creating a career, and focusing on saving money for a house.
Anyways, let’s not rant too much. October is the month spookiness, and Halloween spirits among us. November, all chestnut and maple flavors, eatings of turkey and turkeyesque food, preparatory month for Christmas and finally, all the feels of warmth and gratitude. Finally December, the month of Christmas basically. holiday shopping, holiday eatings, holiday decorating, holidays come through all senses. After three months of feels, how could we not have January Blues? Well glad to say, this recipe comes through. We still can warm our souls and enjoy days in our pajama days.
On a random January Thursday, I decided that I was going to remake the famous Winter Carnival French Dip Sliders. This recipe was not followed exactly because I had to omit Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Cooking sherry apparently is very hard to find anywhere in Orlando. I even went to a liquor store to ask about substitute, *insert cricket chirping* that’s how successful that trip transpired to be. If anyone has suggestions for cooking sherry, please let me know. Apparently, Worcestershire sauce is very popular at Walmart both name brand and Walmart. It’s okay, it didn’t make or break the recipe. Or did it? I paired this recipe with barbecue pop chips and for dessert, we had Mallomars that were on sale. Flavor-filled lunch for us.
Update: The first time I made this recipe, I was not able to find cooking sherry or Worcestershire sauce. Now moving to Colorado, I was able to find cooking sherry and Worcestershire sauce no problem. Look at that. Does it add more flavor? Yes. Do those ingredients make or break the recipe? No.
The ingredients I used were:
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 3 cup peeled and sliced onions
• 2 teaspoons of minced thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar-
• 2 cups of beef broth-
• 1 beef bouillon cube-
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt-
• 12 slider buns, I used Hawaiian rolls.
• 1/2 pound of Swiss cheese
• 1 pound of roast beef.
Our Ratings
My rating: 10/10. The sliders were great. It took me 30 minutes to make, so awesome quick dinner option for the family. Flavors were definitely savory, and not as rich tasting as the restaurant French Dip sandwiches. Easy on the stomach. Pairs well with barbecue chips. I am definitely going to try this recipe again because I want to
know if the cooking sherry and Worcestershire sauce makes a difference in flavor.
Shayne’s rating: 10/10. Roast beef. Cheese. Hawaiian rolls. Caramelized onions. Easy combination to win over my man’s stomach. He loved this recipe so much, I need to make the recipe spread to 24 sandwiches, instead of just 12. No critiques for this recipe.
The sliders themselves were so great, that Shayne and I literally ate them all for lunch. We made 12 sliders, so we each ate six sliders each.
The Financials
With this recipe, you can do a lot of money-saving swaps. You could use off-brand products and still end up with the same result. As a millennial (or being someone that is into saving money), that is always the goal. This recipe would also be for those who need a quick meal yet don’t need to go broke for ordering takeout. I did my grocery shopping at Walmart only for this trip.
• Great Value Pure Cane Sugar- $1.83
• Chopped Onions- $1.12
• College Inn 99% Fat Free Broth- $2.08
• Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter- $3.43
• Sam’s Choice Hawaiian Slider Buns- $2.50
• Walmart Deli Roast Beef Fresh Cuts- $8.22
• Worcestershire sauce (if bought)- 1.00
• Holland Sherry (if bought) - $2.18
The total for this recipe was $22.36.
Cheaper than I would say going out to eat dinner or ordering takeout am I right? The most expensive was the roast beef. The cheapest items are the Worcestershire sauce and frozen chopped onions.
For fresh cuts of meat and produce, it is based on preference. Some don’t have a preference for fresh cut meat. I do because honestly I want more flavor from meat. When it comes to produce, I prefer frozen. Frozen doesn’t spoil as quickly and being in a humid climate, fresh produce does not last as long. It is also based on convenience.
Millennial Cash Back Earnings
For savings, I used Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, ShopKick, and Coinout, I need to expand to using all the applications out there. but in the meantime, here are my results:
Ibotta earned me 10 cents back for any item.
Fetch Rewards earned me 50 points for one receipt, I got a bonus for using Wylers Beef Bouillon cubes.
ShopKick earned me 10 kicks by walking in, no items that I needed were able to be scanned or bought.
Coinout gave me 3 cents back from my Walmart receipt. Finally, I earned $0.13 in cash back for my sandwich ingredients (I earned more from other products), 50 points for gift cards, and 10 kicks for more gift cards.
Outcomes and Recommendations
This was definitely a solution to beat the January blues and to have a recipe to make in a pinch. It warmed my soul, my stomach, my husband's stomach, saved me time, and added more money back in my accounts. The warm sandwiches helped me beat the January blues and made feel like I was enjoying winter carnival food.
I have made these French dip sliders on two occasions. I made one for my housewarming party and for my other friend's move in date as a snack. These French Dip Sliders are a welcomed favorite in my friend community. That is a fact.
Comments