Sliding By

Well, this is the easiest method ever for making slider-style burgers ever. Just be sure to check out my notes below the recipe, because I changed quite a few things from the original recipe.



Beef Sliders for a Crowd

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 1/2 pounds 90/10 ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices American cheese, quartered
24 thin plum tomato slices (from 2 to 3 tomatoes)
24 dill pickle slices
24 mini potato buns
4 large iceberg lettuce leaves, cut into 24 even pieces
Ketchup and yellow mustard, for serving

Directions:

Special equipment: a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the onion in half, and shred each half on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze the shredded onion dry between 2 towels, and scatter around a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet.

Put the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, and mix gently, just enough to incorporate evenly. Drop mounds of the mixture all around the baking sheet, and press them into an even layer without disturbing the onions too much (but expect some of the onions to move around and peek through the meat). Brush the top of the meat with the vegetable oil, then season it evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh pepper. Score the meat into 24 squares, cutting completely through with a spatula.

Bake until browned and no longer pink in th emiddle, 8 to 9 minutes. Put a small square of cheese on each patty, and return to the oven to melt, about 30 seconds. Let rest a few minutes, then recut along the scores to separate.

Top each patty with a slice of tomato and pickle. Slide a spatula into the pan and let guests serve themselves. Serve alongside a platter with the buns and lettuce. Don't forget the ketchup and mustard.

Yield: 8 servings (3 sliders per person).

Source: Food Network. You can find it here.

Notes: Because my boys are picky, I completely skipped the onions. Therefore, these were even easier to make!

I also used two pounds of ground beef (instead of 1 1/2 pounds). Since I increased the beef, I used two eggs instead of one and 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs instead of 1/4 cup.

I really don't love American cheese, so I used Cheddar cheese slices. I also used green leaf lettuce instead of iceberg simply because that's what I already had.

Perhaps because I increased the amount of meat used, my beef took longer than 9 minutes to cook in the oven. It was probably closer to 15 minutes. So, just watch it and bake until the meat is no longer pink.

Finally, I skip the cheese melting step and just put the cheese on each individual burger. If you want your cheese melted, simply put the burger on the bun in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

These are so easy to make. Plus, it is more than my family can eat in one sitting...but it makes for awesome leftovers! Just let the beef cool completely and then put the individual squares of beef into a zip top bag and keep in the refrigerator. When you want a slider, simply cut the roll, put a square of beef on it, top it with cheese, and heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The cheese will be melted and the beef will be reheated. Then you can put on your hamburger toppings and you are good to go!