Burger Sliders (or Mini Man Burgers)

By Foodiewife

These burger sliders are a fun party dish, or just a quick and easy meal for Super Bowls or "at home" Happy Hours. Beer is optional!

Ingredients

• SAUCE:
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound ground chuck or turkey
• 1 small tomato, thinly sliced (optional)
• 8 (3-inch) buns or rolls, potato rolls are my favorites, split in half
• 2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons ketchup or chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

For indoor grilling, preheat a griddle to 350°F.

For outdoor grilling, preheat a gas grill. A Weber is okay, but a lot of waiting for some mini burgers.

Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Make the mayonnaise mixture, and season or flavor as desired. If you don't like pickle relish, leave it out!

Line a jellyroll or sheet pan (or any large work area) with parchment paper, and place the ground chuck in the middle of the pan. Cover the meat with a large sheet of plastic wrap.

Roll meat with a rolling pin until it covers the surface of the pan; it should be very thin.

Remove the plastic wrap, and sprinkle the meat with the seasoning mixture.

You could add thinly sliced or grated cheese, at this point, which would be delicious!

Fold the meat in half, from side to side, using the parchment paper*. Use a pizza wheel, bench scraper or long knife, to cut the meat into 8 even squares.

If you don't have/use parchment paper, no worries. Just be sure to wash your hands really well, after handling raw meat.

Wrap the buns in foil and place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the burgers on the griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the buns from the oven. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on each bun and top with the burger and any other condiments, as desired.

Serve immediately.

Notes: I loved the idea of rolling the ground beef thin. My future idea is to layer thin cooked mushrooms and Swiss cheese. These are easy and fun to make.

You can kick up the sauce by adding some diced chipotle, but go easy...these are smoked jalapenos, which is very hot!