There is a great place in Esparto, California called Manas Ranch. They have a meat counter, deli sandwiches, and down the road at the farm this time of year they have fresh peaches and produce. On Fridays, the meat counter sells whole BBQ’d tri-tip. They are excellent. I picked one up yesterday and decided to make sliders for dinner to go along with the organic watermelon I picked up at Mana’s produce.

So, what’s the secret?
The secret is cream cheese.

Really??
Yes, really. The spread really isn’t a secret. It’s cream cheese, butter and spices. I had never really considered cream cheese to be a sandwich spread until my husband came home from work one day talking about a place called the Beach Hut Deli which adds cream cheese to their sandwiches. He assured me that it was great, but I was still extremely skeptical. It’s actually surprisingly good! I had to, of course, alter the cream cheese with other awesome items.

Secret Spread:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Mix together with a whisk or spoon.

Tri-Tip Sliders with Secret Spread
Preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet, lay out small rolls, sliced down the center.
Spread with Secret Spread (recipe above).
Top with thinly sliced, previously cooked tri-tip.
Top with grilled onions, if desired.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for about 8 minutes, or just until the cheese melts.

Enjoy!

~Amelia