Delectable and delicious— these sliders go well with March Madness entertaining
Game day is one of my favorite times to entertain. I don’t know why foods associated with watching sports on TV are happy-making. But they are.
The food is pretty much what I would categorize as bar food — things you would order with a group of friends with a round of cold beers. Foods that might not be categorized as health food, but which are meant for sharing, are comforting and delicious, and have a nostalgic vibe. And often involve cheese.
To ramp up a March Madness viewing party, sliders are a great candidate. Sliders are simply small burgers, though some people use the term to describe any small sandwich on a mini bun.
White Castle is usually credited with creating the slider in the 1920s, and they are certainly well-known for their mini burgers (distinctive still for their square shape). But now sliders appear at fast-food chains and high-end restaurants alike.
Their appeal is fairly clear. Most sliders are made with about 2 ounces of meat. Easier to eat, less of a commitment than a full-size burger, adorable and inhalable. Some say sliders are so named because they slide down your throat in a couple of bites.
Robbie Gillin, owner of The Supply House on the Upper East Side of New York City, is an expert in bar food. He offers two types of sliders: cheeseburger sliders and Nana’s Meatball Sliders, which are topped with mozzarella and “Sunday” marinara.
Sliders are most popular as a happy hour food, Gillin says, and the biggest draw is their shareability — “perfect for passing and grabbing.” For special events, The Supply House also whips up Buffalo chicken sliders, chicken Parmesan sliders and veggie burger sliders.
If you’re making sliders at home, look for the same qualities as your would fullsize burgers — crusty exterior, juicy meat inside. So you’ll need to cook these mini burgers fairly quickly at high heat.
Some people feel it’s not a slider unless there are onions mixed into the meat, and this recipe for chipotle mini burgers (below) fulfills that criteria.
These sliders also have a bit of kick from pureed chipotles in adobo, and a couple of show-offy toppings for a sophisticated twist.
There’s also a recipe on this page for
salad-like slaw as a topper; if you make a bigger batch, you could serve it as side.
Tips for perfect sliders
First, make sure you’ve got small, slidersize buns. A mini burger on a full-size bun is going to be a disappointment. Also, toast the buns for added texture and flavor.
Form the patties a touch wider than the buns, as they will shrink when cooking. Make a small indentation in the middle of the patty. The burgers will swell a bit as they cook and the indentation will fill, so you’ll end up with flat sliders rather than bulging ones.
Refrigerate the patties for about 30 minutes before cooking. It makes them easier to handle when cooking, and helps keep the inside nice and pink while the outside gets browned.
Additional game-watching recipes to consider: deviled eggs and game-day ground-beef chili.
Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.”