Slice of Life, Sliders

Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog, or web site.

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Ever hear of a guy named Walter Anderson? While not high on any of our who is he kosher radar he is the culinary genius who created White Castle and the world famous concept of the slider (they call it a slyder, just so we’re clear here). Thanks to good ole Walt, we can all chow down on lots of teeny tiny burgers and call ourselves gourmets. While my pre kosher keeping youth was spent gobbling down those 2 ½ in square mouthfuls of ground beef and onions my kosher adult years have seen me take my fascination with these burger babies to a whole new level.

This mini teeny tiny burgers craze has been sweeping low and high eating establishments for years now and I’ve taken it upon myself to create quite a few of the more outlandish ones. Sliders are smaller than the super sized fast food staples we’ve grown accustomed to but small in size doesn’t mean it has to be small in the flavor department. Your sliders don’t have to be limited to beef they can be a reinvented by using chicken, or fish or even veggies.

If sliders are guilty pleasures then lock me up and throw away the key. Better yet, put me in the kitchen with these following recipes and sentence me to a life time of eating these delicious treats.

Note: The best way to assemble and serve your sliders is to place all the sliced rolls (toasted if you prefer them that way) on a platter and top each bottom, in an assembly line fashion with the lettuce, tomatoes, dressing, ketchup, mayo or mustard you’re using.

Mushroom and Beef Sliders (meat)

Yields 12 sliders

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. ground beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon margarine
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. sliced mushrooms (your choice but I like to use at least 2 different kinds)
• 1 red onion diced
• 2 Tablespoons white wine
• Dijon mustard and mayonnaise to taste
• 12 dinner rolls

Instructions:

1. Melt margarine and olive oil in large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, onion and wine and sauté just until the mushrooms and onions are soft.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set the vegetables aside.
   In a bowl combine the ground beef, salt, and pepper in bowl, divide the meat into 4 ounces patties. You can cook them on a grill or in a grill pan.
3. Toast the buns slightly and spread the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on them.
4. Place beef patty on bottom bun and spoon the mushroom and onion mixture over the patty and top with the remaining bun.

Submitted by Art Rostburn Trenton NJ

Hot Lox Sliders (fish)

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lox (smoked salmon)
• 4 green onions, minced
• 2 Tablespoons fresh minced dill
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Pepper
• 1 egg
• 3 to 4 Tablespoon breadcrumbs
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 8 small dinner rolls, toasted
• 8 slices cucumber
• 8 slices of avocado

Instructions:

1. Place the lox in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to get smallish pieces. Be careful not to make it a puree.
2. Place the minced lox in a bowl and add the, egg, bread crumbs, green onions, dill, and lemon juice, mustard and olive oil. Season with pepper.
3. Form the mixture into 8 small patties.
4. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet
5. Lightly sear both sides of the patty and immediately place it on the bottom half of toasted roll.
6. Top with a cucumber and avocado slice and place the top on top.

Caramelized Onion Turkey Sliders (meat)

Yields 8 sliders

Ingredients:

Onions:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Burger:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper
• 8 rolls

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet.
2. Saute the celery and green onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set the mixture aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat 2 more teaspoons olive oil.
4. When oil is hot saute the onions with the sugar and season with salt and pepper and cook. Saute about 15 20 minutes until the onions are golden, stir occasionally.
5. In a bowl combine the ground turkey, Tabasco sauce, smoked paprika, mayonnaise and cooked onion and celery mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Gently combine the ingredients. Make 8 small patties.
7. Either spray a skillet with non stick spray or heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Cook until the bottoms are just turning brown, about 4 minutes.  Flip the burgers, baste with bbq sauce and cook 4 more minutes. Flip once again, baste it with the bbq sauce and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes.
8. Place patty in bun and top with caramelized onions.

Lamb Sliders with Mock Yogurt Sauce (meat)

Yields 8 to 10 sliders

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• ½ cup mock yogurt
• ½ Tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 Tablespoons grated cucumber
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

Burgers:

• 1½ lbs. lean ground lamb
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 to 10 small rolls, split (mini sandwich rolls or small dinner rolls work great)

Instructions:

1. To make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mock yogurt, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, pepper and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. To make the lamb burgers: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil. Form the mixture into 8 to 10 small, thin patties.
3. Heat a skillet (cast iron is good to use) over high heat and brush with oil. Add the lamb burgers and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side for medium.
4. Lightly toast the rolls, then place a lamb burger in each and top with the sauce.

Modified from epicurious.com

Chicken and Veggie Sliders (meat)

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• ¼ can (7 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 8 small buns
• ½ cup minced mushrooms (I like portabella)
• 8 tomatoes slices
• 2 cups bean sprouts

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic in the skillet until they start to get a little soft.
2. Add the chicken, barbecue sauce, chipotles and ¼ cup water; cover and simmer until chicken is done, about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. Remove chicken from sauce; place on a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Shred the chicken and return it to the sauce stirring to coat.
6. Place the bottom half of the buns on a cookie sheet.
7. Divide the chicken mixture evenly between them and then top with tomato slices and the sprouts.
8. Top with the top of the bun, secure with a tooth pick and serve.

Modified from Self magazine recipe (date unknown)

Salmon Sliders (fish)

Yields 12 sliders or 4 full-sized burgers

Ingredients:

• 1¼ lbs. salmon fillets chopped (not too small)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 green onions, chopped, green and white parts
• 1¼ cups crushed crackers (approx 24 crackers)
• 12 mini buns, split
• Toppings: tartar sauce, sliced red onions, cucumber slices (at least 24)

Instructions:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl combine the egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, Old Bay, salt, pepper, cilantro, green onions.
3. Fold in the chopped salmon and cracker crumbs, the mixture will be very thick.
4. Shape the mixture into 12 patties.
5. Place the patties on the cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least one hour (you can refrigerate overnight).
6. To Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place baking sheet with patties in the oven and bake for 10 12 minutes, or until firm.
   To Pan-Fry: Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.
7. Place the patties on bottom halves of buns, top with tartar sauce, red onions, and 2 cucumber slices each.

Adapted Southern Living Magazine (date unknown)

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Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Website. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Group, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit Free Press and Woman’s World Magazine. You can visit Eileen’s blog by clicking: Cuisine by Eileen

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.