Whether you have kids at home or you're just a kid at heart, there's a pretty big chance that cheeseburger sliders are going to please the palates of everyone in your household. Cheeseburgers are great all on their own, but when they're made cute, snackable, and tiny, they're even better. This kid-friendly Cheeseburger Sliders recipe from America's Test Kitchen is the perfect meal to make with your kids... you can help them learn how to cook while enjoying a treat they'll undoubtably want to recreate every weekend. You can find even more kid- and teen-approved recipes in The Complete Book for Teen Chefs. Keep reading for the recipe!
Photo via America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
Burger Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Sliders:
- 12 (2½- inch) slider buns or soft dinner rolls, halved horizontally
- 6 slices deli American cheese
- 1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, measured separately
- ¼ cup plus ¼ cup finely chopped onion, measured separately
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons water, measured separately
Photo via America's Test Kitchen
Directions:
- In medium bowl, whisk together all burger sauce ingredients.
- Separate bun bottoms from bun tops. Place bun bottoms on serving platter. Use 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to spread 1 heaping teaspoon burger sauce onto each bun bottom. Set aside bun bottoms.
- Stack slices of cheese on cutting board. Use chef’s knife to cut into quarters (you will have 24 pieces). Separate cheese into 12 stacks with 2 pieces in each stack. Set aside with bun tops.
- Use scissors to cut open seams along sides of quart-size zipper-lock plastic bag, but leave bottom seam intact.
- Divide beef into 12 equal portions (2 ounces each) and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to roll each portion into ball. Wash your hands.
- Place 1 ball in zipper‑lock bag and fold top of bag over ball. Use clear pie plate on top of plastic to press ball into even 4-inch circle, about ¼ inch thick. Remove patty from zipper-lock bag and return it to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls. Sprinkle patties evenly with salt and pepper. Wash your hands.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes. (You should start to see wisps of smoke coming up from oil; you may need to get eye level with skillet to see this. Turn on your stove’s vent hood, if you have one.)
- Use spatula to transfer 6 patties to skillet. Sprinkle patties evenly with ¼ cup chopped onion. Use back of spatula to press onion firmly into patties. Cook patties, without moving them, for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Use clean spatula to carefully flip patties. Top each patty with 2 slices of cheese and 1 bun top.
- Carefully pour 2 tablespoons water into empty spot in skillet (do not wet buns) and cover skillet with lid. Cook, covered, until burgers are cooked through and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Use oven mitts to remove lid. Transfer burgers to bun bottoms. Cover burgers with large piece of aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Use spatula to carefully scrape browned bits out of skillet and discard (skillet will be hot!). Repeat steps 7 through 11 to cook second batch of sliders with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 6 patties, ¼ cup onion, American cheese, bun tops, and 2 tablespoons water. Serve immediately.
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