What party of any kind would be complete without sliders? OMG, I literally have made thousands of these over the course of my career. I had a client many years ago that requested sliders and told me they were all the rage and I said, okay, sure…the rest is history and an ongoing saga of flipping burgers, ha, ha… I sometimes would mumble to myself that with all the food and delicious menus I create, why the hell am I making cheeseburgers? I give people what they want and they are really good, my gourmet spin on these is my savory and sweet rosemary onion jam, its complex but simple flavors really add to these mini burgers and it satisfies the gourmet palette that I love to provide. So many of the events I do are appetizer and small bites parties and these do really fit right in.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
¼ cup of mayo (yes, mix it in the beef, it makes the burgers moist)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1 teaspoon of Herbes of Provence seasoning
12 mini burger buns or dinner rolls, I have found that Hawaiian rolls are the best, but if you have a local bakery that can make mini brioche rolls for you, that would be sublime
3 slices of cheddar cheese cut into 4 squares each
Handful of arugula
3 to 4 roma tomatoes, sliced
Mini pickles on picks for garnish
Optional condiments of ketchup, mustard and mayo
Instructions
In a medium bowl mix the ground beef, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, Provence seasoning together until well mixed and put in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes or up to an hour.; Chilling them makes them easier to form since there is the extra moisture from the mayo…its my secret to these moist mini burgers.
Ingredients
Rosemary Onion Jam
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large white onions, sliced (don’t cry, I use my food processor)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped Rosemary
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Course black pepper
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium/low heat and cook onions, rosemary, pepper flakes, salt and pepper stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add sugar and turn down to simmer and cook down until thick, add vinegar and simmer for another 5 minutes until thickened. Let cool completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days until ready to use, best served after it has rested for a few hours in the fridge so the flavors can meld.
Assembly: makes 12 mini cheeseburgers
Make 12 equal mini burgers, about 2 inches across and cook them to your liking either on the stovetop or the grill. Prepare your buns with a piece of cheese, a spoonful rosemary onion jam, arugula and other condiments of your choice, put burger patty on top, secure with a pickled pick and enjoy!
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