I had been wanting to tackle mini cheeseburgers for a while and see if could come up with a way to incorporate everything I love in a burger on my own, in miniature format, indoors as I don’t own an outdoor grill.
The opportunity for time and company presented itself last Friday.
It should be noted that I got all of my ingredients at Trader Joe’s, as they sell mini cheeseburger/slider buns, which inspired this whole meal.
MINI CHEESEBURGERS
2 packages of lean grass-fed ground beef
Seasoning
dried oregano
sea salt
white pepper
fresh ground black pepper
dried thyme
herbs de Provence
garlic powder
onion powder
touch of hot sauce (alt: red pepper flakes)
fresh minced shallots
touch of Worcestershire
Mix all of these ingredients until well combined and begin to form small rounded balls of meat. Flatten ‘em out if you want them thin. Slap them on a well heated non-greased up skillet/pan and grill ‘em up.
The time you allow them to cook depends on how thin you make the patties vs. how well done you prefer yours. I’m a medium rare kinda girl, so I was averaging about 4 minutes on side one. Flip the patty, add a slice of cheese, cook until melted.
Baking Method
NOW for baking (which I unfortunately did not get to taste, but according my Mister J was not as great as the pan cooked burgers BUT WHAT DOES HE KNOW?) I made my patties thinner than the pan-fried, slapped them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (an invention that proves there is a god) and baked ‘em at 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes before I flipped them, added a slice of cheese and cooked them until the cheese was melted, about five minutes.
DRESS UP THAT SLIDER
With a little grace from gravity and record face stuffing time, I managed to fit all of the accompaniments I like on cheeseburger on my miniaturized version:
- thin slices of mushroom and shallot sauteed in white wine (sherry or vermouth would have been better!)
- butter lettuce
- smashed up avocado to spread on one side of the bun
- thin slices of a fresh pineapple spear
- garlic aioli made by adding a splash lemon juice and minced garlic to a touch of mayo.
Toast up the mini buns, dress up those burgers like a prom queen and go to town!
My experiment worked and these were absolutely addicting!
How can you resist mini cheeseburgers? Even Jack in the Box knows where its at:
These were absolutely delicious! If I ever have another slider I will be forever comparing it to these perfect ones! Thanks again, Rachael!