Yum Ideas: Sliders

Ever since they saw an infomercial for a slider press, my sons have been obsessed with making — and eating! – mini-burgers. And, turns out, sliders are fun, perfect for all-ages and great for parties.

Since I’ve invested in an assortment of tools to make the little burgers, here’s a round-up of my favorite kitchen aids and recipes that make creating and serving sliders a snap.

Essential Tools

Slider Press: Sure, you can make little individual patties and grill them up, but I’ve found that a press-and-grill combo makes the job much easier and cleaner.

Gloss Picks:

Sur La Table’s Mini Burger Grilling Basket – $25 at SurLaTable.com
Sur La Table’s Mini Burger Press – $25 at SurLaTable.com
Big City Slider Station – $19.99 at BedBathandBeyond.com

Recipes

In addition to classic cheeseburgers and turkey burgers, I found a few variations that are tasty and simple to whip up for family dinners or when entertaining.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise, divided
6 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon hot chili powder or Hungarian hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 small dinner rolls, cut horizontally in half, lightly toasted

Prepare:

Mix 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and next 3 ingredients in small bowl for sauce. Let stand at room temperature while preparing sliders.

Place turkey, next 6 ingredients, remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 4 teaspoons curry powder in large bowl. Mix with fork or hands just until blended (do not overmix). Divide mixture into 12 equal portions. Using wet hands, form each portion into patty about 1/2 inch thick.

Preheat broiler or heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. If broiling patties, brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange patties on sheet. Broil (or cover patties in skillet and cook in batches) until cooked through, pressing patties down lightly with spatula before turning over, about 3 minutes per side (or 4 minutes per side if cooking in skillet).

Place patties on bottom halves of rolls. Top each patty with sauce. Cover with roll tops. Place 3 sliders on each of 4 plates and serve.

For sauce

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 California bay leaf

For meatballs

• 3 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups grated romano or parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 20 small (2-inch) soft buns or rolls, split

Prepare:

Make the sauce:
Purée tomatoes with their juice, 1 can at a time, in a blender and transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onion until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomato purée, sugar, bay leaf, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 40 to 50 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Make meatballs while sauce cooks:
Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes. Add meat, garlic, cheese, eggs, parsley, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and blend with your hands until just combined well. Use a 1/4-cup to portion and create meatballs.

Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry meatballs, about 6 at a time, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon.

Simmer meatballs in sauce and assemble sliders:
Add drained meatballs to tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are heated through.

Assemble sliders with a meatball and 1 tablespoon sauce per bun.

Gloss Tip: For buns, I use dinner rolls…we prefer Sara Lee’s Dinner Rolls or Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.