Sliders - Great Burgers!

Sliders. They are so good. I'd rather not think about how they got their nickname. I should be more formal and call them by their true name - mini burgers. Yes, mini burgers.

I stumbled across this recipe for "White Castle Like Sliders". I was really intrigued because I have found many copy cat recipes but this one actually BAKED their meat patties.

I have reduced the meat to one pound of ground chuck because two people really can't eat more than one pound of "mini burgers".

I have tested these several times and they have come out perfectly each time. Also, I have tested plastic wrapping the burgers, even with their condiments, and refrigerating. The next day or even two does not effect the taste. I always seem to need leftover tips.

1. Using an 11x7" glass dish, I spray with non-stick spray and sprinkle in dried minced onions.
2. Top with 1 pound of ground chuck. Yes, you need ground chuck for this because you want the fat to "cook" the onions.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, blot off grease and top with cheese.
6. Return to oven. Add buns to oven to warm/slightly toast.
7. Remove buns and the burger dish from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes.
8. Cut into 6 burgers.
9. Top with your favorite condiments and serve.

The Visual Version:
Start here: 11x7 glass dish, sprayed with non-stick spray and sprinkled with dried minced onions.

Top with 1 pound ground chuck. Spread evenly. This 11x7" dish just fits one pound of ground beef.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 375F oven for about 20 minutes. The meat will shrink away from the sides of the dish significantly.

Remove from oven and blot the grease away with a paper towel. Top with cheese of your choice. Shredded, sliced, etc. On Saturday, I used mexican style shredded cheese. I have used cheese slices and cheddar cheese too. All have worked out well.

Return to the oven. Add the hamburger buns of choice. I have used Pepperridge Farm Dinner Rolls which work out very well. On Saturday I used Pepperridge Farm Mini Burger Rolls. They worked out well too.

Pretend this is a clean oven that I'm cooking in. Thank you.

Remove from the oven and let cool just a few minutes to make the slicing of the burgers and cheese easier.

Ahh...perfect burgers.

Place the perfect burgers onto your toasted buns, top with condiments and serve.

These turn out very well. I've made them about 4 or 5 times now. They are very easy and tasty and do not leave a large mess to clean up. I'd also consider making them in an electric skillet. That could also be handy for a party.

Fantastic Pan Rolls

I saw a similar pan of rolls on Pioneer Woman's website. They looked just perfect! The only problem was that her recipe called for frozen bread dough. I kept thinking that of all the ingredients I had, I must be able to just make a simple dough and do the same thing. Sure, I can hand knead, but what about the bread machine? This recipe was supposed to be simple.

I thought about the bread recipes I have and then it hit me! We love a "hamburger bun" recipe that I received on one of my favorite food groups. I gave it a read-over (translation, "where is that recipe, that one that uses an egg....oh durrr...I know have it printed in this stack of papers...somewhere...oh right...here it is, half glance...yep that's it).

It is titled Moomies Hamburger Buns from Renita.

Moomies Hamburger Rolls
Makes 8 rolls

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Place all ingredients in your bread machine. Use the dough cycle.

Remove finished dough and divide into 8 pieces on a lightly floured work surface. Shape into buns. Place on a greased baking pan, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes.

Bake in a 375F oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool.

This hamburger bun recipe has come through with good reviews. I've made them several times as well. I do not know where the name comes from...sure wish I did. I don't even know how to pronounce it. What are Moomies? Is it Mommies with a typo??

Now here are my changes for this pan roll recipe:
I use regular active dry yeast and I beat my egg.
Make the dough in your bread machine, shape into fat rolls and place into your oiled 8" cast iron skillet. Let rise for the 30-40 minutes. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle coarse kosher salt and an herby seasoning (I used Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle), pop into the oven and bake. Bake till very golden brown to ensure the bottom is full done, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter again, let rest about 10 minutes and serve. Rolls will be very hot!

These present a great opportunity for variation! Feel free to sprinkle with parmesan cheese or change the dry herbs. Even a sesame or poppy seasoning would be great.

Side note: Since we cannot eat all these rolls at one sitting. I cut the rolls apart, wrapped each in two layers of plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer. I did defrost two since freezing and warm in the oven. Just as perfect as the first day!

Best Griddler Potatoes!

Last weekend we watched an episode of Rachel Ray. I know - eyeroll. But she was the "middle show". One of those shows you watch just because there is nothing else on and you want to watch the next show.

Rachel made these Roasted Thick Potato Chips. I thought it seemed a bit brutal to sprinkle sliced potatoes with fresh herbs and then roast at 500F. I knew I wanted to try some version of those, just wasn't sure what to do.

Today I decided we should make some potatoes to go with our veal chops for dinner. It popped into my mind that the Cuisinart Griddler might really work well with these sliced potatoes. I decided that before ruining a dinner with funky, odd cooked potatoes that I would give a test run this afternoon.

I had remembered seeing a recipe for an herb olive oil and knew this would be the perfect addition to these potatoes. It's not a requirement but it definitely is tasty.

Herb Oil - Adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, pg 163

Herb Oil
2 cups olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1/3 cup dried herbs

Warm olive oil and steep the herbs.

I used dried herbs and I used quite a variety. The book suggests "may include basil, parsley, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, savory and sage, in any combination". It also suggests coarse salt, coarsely ground black pepper, granulated or fresh garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, onion powder or dried minced onions.

You can keep the oil in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe has an enormous amount of flex to it. I love it!
I used:
Garlic Powder
*Coarse Kosher Salt (amount depends on how much you will be salting your finished item)
Cracked Black Pepper
Thyme
Crushed Red Pepper
Onion Powder
Pasta Sprinkle - Penzey's blend of "sweet basila, Turkish oregano, thyme and garlic"
Fennel Seeds

I heated 1 cup of olive oil, added about 1/4 cup of the herb blend and let it steep for 10 minutes. I'm glad I made this, not only was it good on the potatoes, but the herb oil will be great for so many dishes!

Best Griddler Potatoes

• Preheat griddler to 350F, set on high and select grill/panini
• Wash potatoes.
• Slice potatoes lengthwise, about 1/4" slices
• Brush griddler with the herb oil
• Lay potato slices on the griddler
• Brush the slices with the herb oil
• Close the lid down on the sliced potatoes and grill about 20 minutes or until they are done to your idea of brown and crispy.
• Rotate during cooking if desired.
• Remove from the grill, sprinkle with salt*.
• Serve with your favorite toppings, i.e., sour cream and chives, ketchup, horseradish, etc.
  

I only cooked one potato and will need more slices for dinner. I will grill and then leave in a 300F oven to stay warm while I finish the additional slices. Be sure to salt when removed from the Griddler.

Remember how I was just doing a test run? Well there are no leftovers. They were gobbled instantly. Barely had enough time to get a photo!

Cuisinart Griddler purchased from Costco with their coupon, making it $69.99. Definitely worth it.

Don't have a griddler? Perhaps follow Rachel's recipe or even sandwich the potatoes between two cookie sheets. They won't have grill marks, but they will still be flavorful and crispy.