Smashed Steakburger Sliders

Over the weekend, we had friends come over for a relaxing and lazy Sunday at the pool. It was a great time for everyone – especially the kids! With both kids and adults in mind, I wanted to prepare a lunch that all ages could enjoy. Sliders seemed like a great choice since kids can appreciate the small portion size, while us parents could play with the buffet of toppings I provided. For me, I personally liked how easy it was to prepare in advance and with little effort! These Smashed Steakburger Sliders are bursting with beefy steak flavor, shallots, garlic and a hint of Dijon mustard and are baked in the oven to save time…

When I entertain family and friends and home, I like to focus on menus that can be made in advance. For these sliders, it helps to make them in a day early so that the beef can truly absorb all the flavor from the seasoning as well as the additional ingredients. That’s really the secret to this recipe so the beef comes out really flavorful and juicy. This recipe makes 24 sliders but you can easily half the recipe. I would also suggest to make the full 24 slider recipe, using half for sliders and the other half as meatballs to serve with your favorite pasta dish. You can make the meatballs and freeze as well. If you wanted to involve the kids in the kitchen, they can help smash the burgers onto the baking sheet – Joel enjoyed this immensely lol. And I found that whenever he helps me make a dish, he’s more likely to eat it when its on the table!

cooking spray
24 King’s Hawaiian rolls [I used GF Udi’s French Rolls]

slider garnishes:
cheddar cheese
roma tomatoes, sliced
green leaf lettuce, torn
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
your preferred condiments [ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo]

In a large bowl, combine the shallots, mustard, ground sirloin and steak seasoning making sure not to over mix. Divide the beef mixture into 24 portions and roll each portion [about 2 ounces] into a large meatball. Place all the meatballs in a baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and chill to allow beef to absorb seasoning flavors. [I chilled overnight.]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet, spacing them out 2 inches apart. Carefully smash or press down on each meatball to form a patty. Spray the tops of each patty with cooking spray and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

Remove sliders from oven and place on roll bottoms. Add your preferred garnishes and top with other half of roll.