Kids say they’re bored? Make tasty pizza sliders with them
Mini burgers make a fun, kid-friendly meal. Italian herbs, marinara and melty mozzarella give them the appeal of pizza.
PIZZA SLIDERS EatingWell
Makes: 8 sliders; 4 servings
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup low-sodium marinara sauce
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 8 small leaves Boston lettuce
8 whole-wheat dinner rolls, toasted
1. Heat grill to medium-high.
2. Mix beef, parsley, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions and shape each into a 1-inch-thick patty. Try to make all the patties the same thickness for even cooking, and shape them a little larger than the buns — they’ll shrink as they cook.
3. Grill the patties, turning once halfway, until an instant-read thermometer inserted
in the thickest part registers 130 degrees,
2 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Spoon marinara onto each patty and top with mozzarella. Grill until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. Serve the patties with lettuce on rolls.
Notes: To ensure your burgers are done just right, insert the tip of an instant-read thermometer in the center of the burger. Doneness temps are 135 degrees for medium-rare (about 3 minutes per side), 140 degrees for medium, 150 degrees for medium-well and 160 degrees for well-done (the USDA recommendation).
Here, the sliders cook with sauce and cheese for a couple more minutes, which will raise their temps about 5 degrees after you check in Step 3.
Recipe nutrition per serving: 451 calories, total fat: 16 g, saturated fat: 7 g, cholesterol: 78 mg, carbohydrates: 39 g, fiber: 6 g, protein: 38 g, sodium: 618 mg, potassium: 518 mg, iron: 5 mg, folate: 53 mcg, calcium: 258 mg, vitamin A: 834 IU, vitamin C: 3 mg