You won’t have to stand over the grill. Make these mini burgers ahead and pop them in the oven before serving them to guests at your next party.
I have always been a wannabe biker chick. Over the past decade, I have worn out a few pairs of black Harley Davidson boots and I swoon over old, small two-wheelers like old 1970’s Hondas. I imagine myself on long trips, hair dirty and tangled from the wind, winding along unknown roads discovering the path less-traveled. In this mirage, I am wearing things made of leather and there are studs, tassels and chains involved.
Jump to my reality. My risk-averse nature has kept me from riding anything with two wheels that has too much oomph. I have, however, enjoyed my little Yamaha Zuma scooter for the past 7 years. Though I love wind in my hair, I love my brain in my skull even better so I don’t ride too fast and I never go without a helmet.
My biker dreams often pull me towards fashion choices and accessories that “feel the part.” For that reason, I was drawn to the Stella & Dot leather wrist cuffs and the awesome chain necklaces woven together with leather.
When I designed the menu for my Stella and Dot jewelry party, I immediately thought about pairing sliders with these tougher designs and then topping the burgers with slightly more upscale accoutrements – biker bar with a bit of refinement.
I didn’t want to be hovering over a grill since I also wanted to greet my guests and serve them up some tasty drinks. So, I found and honed this recipe for sliders that could be made ahead. Because the meat is cooked in a pan and then “sealed” together with cheese and mayo, these burgers are a little messy. But, I love the idea of a tray of mini burgers ready to slide into the oven to warm when needed.
Since the jewelry party, I have made these make ahead sliders for a number of parties. You can even make the meat mixture the evening before. Then, before your party, fill the buns in a 9 x 13 or lasagna pan, cover with foil, and keep them in the fridge for a few hours if needed before warming them in the oven. These little burgers disappear – they are true crowd pleasers!
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Easy Sliders: Make Ahead Mini Burgers
Description
Entertaining can be easy! Prepare these mini burgers ahead and then please the crowd with warm, delicious sliders when you are ready.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) envelope of onion soup mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
24 small slices of cheese (or 12 store bought slices cut in half)
24 mini pretzel rolls, brioche rolls or dinner rolls
Dill pickle relish & specialty ketchup (or your favorite toppings)
Instructions
You can prepare these burgers ahead and then preheat oven and warm them when you are ready to serve.
To prepare:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and onion soup.
2. Stir and cook until beef is cooked through. Drain and discard any excess grease.
3. Remove from heat. Stir the mayonnaise and shredded cheese. Set aside. At this point, you can store the meat mixture in the refrigerator overnight and proceed with the below steps the day of your party.
4. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Split buns and put the bottom of the buns on the sheet.
5. Put a slice of cheese on the bottom of the bun. (This keeps the bun from getting soggy from the meat before baking.)
6. Top the buns with meat and then the top half of the bun. Cover with another sheet of foil. You can now put them in the refrigerator until you want to serve them.
When ready to serve:
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Bake the mini burgers covered in foil in the preheated oven until the sliders are heated through and cheese melts, about 30 minutes.
9. Top with your favorite toppings and serve.