Oven Baked Sliders
Happy New Year! I cannot believe the holidays have already come and gone. It seriously goes by in a flash. If you’re like me, then you’ve already started to buckle down and “get back on track” to make good use out of these winter months before it gets hot again and we need to come out of hibernation. However, if you’re also like me and have more mouths to feed (i.e. a spouse and children) then I often look for meals that that are quick and easy to prepare so they can enjoy the fruits of my minimal labor while I sulk in the corner and eat a salad.
These Oven Baked Sliders fall directly into that category. They’re very easy to prepare and everyone loved them (minus the child who only eats chicken… because it wasn’t chicken)! They’re baked in the oven so in about 20 minutes you have every single burger cooked all at once. Then everyone can pick their own toppings – which is always fun – and build their mini burger. You can even customize what’s inside the sliders to your liking. I used 90% ground sirloin, but you could also use ground turkey. I added some finely diced Vidalia (sweet white) onions to the mix to give it a flavor boost and I thought they tasted delicious. My four year old, on the other hand, was quick to inform me that even though he enjoyed dinner, he still preferred Burger King because my “burgers taste a little bit like salad.” Next time, I’ll consider leaving the onions out, or further disguising them.
Try these Oven Baked Sliders the next time you’re stuck on what to make for dinner – you’ll be glad you did. And, if you’re like me, you won’t be able to resist and, really, how bad can one mini burger be??
Oven Baked Sliders
Ingredients:
Sliders
- 2 lbs 90% ground beef
- 1/2 cup Vidalia (sweet white) onion, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs, plain or seasoned
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- Sliced American or Cheddar cheese - approximately 9-10 slices
Toppings, etc.
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Pickles
- 16-20 slider buns (Pepperidge Farm makes these and so does Kings Hawaiian)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, lightly mix together the ground beef, diced onion, bread crumbs, onion powder and salt until everything is well combined.
- Drop mounds of the meat mixture evenly around 9"x13" baking dish or 10"X15" rimmed baking sheet. Using your fingertips, press the meat into an even layer.
- Using the tines of a fork, poke holes all over the layer of meat. Using a knife, score the meat into 16 squares (4 x 4) or 20 squares (4x5) and then cut totally through with a spatula.
- Brush the meat with vegetable oil, top with freshly ground pepper and bake for 20 minutes or until the meat is totally browned and no longer pink in the middle.
- Take the meat out of the oven and evenly top with the cheese - place the pan back in the oven for another minute to melt the cheese.
- Separate your sliders and build your mini burger!