I must confess I love burgers. I love gourmet mini burgers the most with their different flavors. When someone gave me about 30 different kinds of Pepperidge Farms breads to try this past weekend, I decided to put those slider buns to use! (Did I mention Pepperidge Farms make caramel apple bread now??)  Everyone here wants their burger different so I decided to give them just that. I made three different burgers, winging it every step of the way just to see which one would be declared the tasty winner. I must say I had a hard time, as did the others in my family. The funny thing is we all picked a different winner. So whichever one you venture out to try, at least you are picking a winner!

You will need: This will make one dozen sliders

• slider buns (12)
• 1.5 pounds of hamburger meat (divided into thirds)
• 1 onion (1/2 chopped and the other have sliced thin)
• 1/8 cup of Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup green chilies (canned is fine)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp steak seasoning
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
• Basil leaves, a handful
• salt and pepper
• 1 or 2 slices of cheddar cheese or I used shredded Cheddar per slider
• 1 or 2 slices of mozzarella cheese per slider
• 1 or 2 sliced of muenster or white American cheese per slider
• 1 or 2 slices of bacon ( I used turkey)
• 1 slice of prosciutto per burger *optional
• 2 tbsp of spaghetti sauce
• a few lettuce leaves
• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 slices of tomato (optional)

My favorite burger is actually mushroom and cheddar with a slice of avocado but I have to learn to think outside of the box sometimes right? So I decided to make three lil burgers with simple ingredients I had in the fridge or cupboard and they came out spectacular. The first thing I did was split my hamburger meat evenly into three parts each in their own bowl. You know me by now. I prepped everything ahead of time.

My toppings and everything I need to add into the burgers right there so all I have to do is mix , patty and layer.

The first burger is the Italian Burger Slider:

Into this bowl went 1/8 cup of Italian bread crumbs, one egg, 1/8 cup chopped onion, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp of pepper.

Give the meat a mix with your hands or a fork but do not mix for too long as this will make your burger dry.  Once that mixture is done, set side.

Next onto the Mexican slider.  Add 1/8 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped green chili’s, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt (kosher if you have it) 2 tbsp salsa and 2 tbsp of mild cheddar. Mix lightly but incorporate everything into the meat.

Set aside. The last burger is a twist on the classic American. I had to add some of my favorites on this one. For this last one you simply add your favorite steak seasoning salt, you know the one you pull out for all your steaks or burgers.

Add 1 tbsp of the seasoning blended along with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of pepper then mix. On a large plate, I made my patties. I did each one so that I could keep track of which was which was on the grill, as we surely don’t want the little one to get the one she doesn’t want.  I am sure we have been there …” I want that one Mommy, the one with the little dip in the side that look round but not completely oh and don’t forget the ketchup.” Was I this picky?  Ok I admit it, I was the kid that didn’t want anything to touch. Yes, that was me.

Don’t they look pretty already? I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of the cheese being in my burger too! Ready for the grill!

While these are cooking I suggest putting those sliced onions in a pan and getting them nice and crisp. These will go on the American slider.

When these are nice and golden you can set these aside with the rest of your toppings.

Time for cheese! I hope you remember which burger is which. The American will get the white cheddar or muenster cheese, the Italian gets the mozzarella cheese and lastly the Mexican I topped with shredded cheddar. Close the lid until the cheese melts and remove from grill. We are ready to assemble.

Yum!

Lay each of your little slider buns out.  For the Mexican slider bun, I added 1 tbsp of salsa and sliced avocado. On the Italian slider, 1 tbsp of tomato sauce and the American gets lettuce, a tomato slice, 1 strip of turkey bacon, 1 slice of prosciutto, 2 pickles and those crisp onions. Now time to slide those burgers on.

These little burgers made quite the impression on us all. While the Mexican was the clear winner in this house, I kept going back to the Italian as it was the perfect meatball with cheese and sauce. How could I go wrong? The American was also a favorite here as my husband will eat anything with the word bacon in it. Which ever one you choose, I hope you enjoy!