Honestly though. A tailgate slider doesn’t need to be this fancy. You could very easily make the meat patties, melt some cheese on top, throw it on a little bun, and just add ketchup.
That’s how I ate the thing on Saturday and it was about the most fantastic slider I’ve ever tasted. I mean, heavenly. Like, I closed my eyes and lifted by face toward the heavens and smiled as tears of joyful food love ran down my face.
Okay. Maybe that was a tiny bit exaggerated. But I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best tailgate hamburger patty I’ve ever eaten. The secret? Applesauce! We are all suckers for the sweet + savory.
I thought it would be a disservice to you, my friends, if I didn’t come home straight away and share this recipe. We are only one weekend in to football, so I foresee months of making and eating and making and eating and sharing The Best Tailgate Sliders.
Note: The Best Tailgate Sliders are also really good at home. They don’t have to be confined to a parking lot.
Also, please note that I managed to write the shortest post of all time and to not include details of my personal life or to brag about how awesome Notre Dame tailgating is and how the team whooped up on Texas and how I want to go back to my college years sooooo badly.
The Best Tailgate Sliders
Ingredients
For the patties:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef I used 95% lean
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons applesauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon onion soup mix
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper may substitute chili powder
For assembly
- 18 1 x1-inch slices of brie
- 18 King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls or slider buns
- 2 apples sliced very thin
- 1 bag spinach I used red heirloom spinach
Instructions
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In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together all ingredients for the patties. Measure out 2 ounces of beef for each burger and shape into a patty, about 2-inches wide and about 1/2-inch thick.
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You may broil, grill, or pan-fry the burgers. I did mine on the stove-top. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and cook burgers over medium heat about two minutes per side, or until pink in the middle. When you flip the burgers, top the cooked side with sliced brie.
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To assemble the burgers, to the bottom of the buns with two thin slices of apple, 2-3 leaves of spinach, and cooked burger patty.
