GROUND BEEF SLIDERS WITH BACON JAM AND CAMBOZOLA CHEESE

If I were a person who didn’t really like to cook, first of all, I wouldn’t be a food blogger (yah think!) and I undoubtedly would sport a great deal thinner wallet. And why is that you ask? Because I love really good food. And if I couldn’t fix it for myself, well then, I would have to go out to eat more often at places like Skillet, one of Seattle’s fabulous mobile diners. And why would I eat there as often as possible? Because, they make “the burger” – featuring grass fed beef, arugula, Bacon Jam, and Cambozola cheese (cow’s milk cheese that is a combination of a French soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola). Need I say more?

But because I do love to cook, and am an inveterate copycat, I can munch on my take of this fabulous burger (I like to serve them slider sized) any time my heart desires, and time permits, of course. (FYI: if I am serving any type of burger at a function, I usually make them slider sized. Many of the people I entertain are getting older and simply don’t require as much food as when they were younger. So for most of my guests, a smaller burger is much appreciated. After all, they can always come back for seconds! Or even thirds! )

So next time you plan a picnic dinner for family and friends, try serving sliders in place of standard sized burgers. Or if you want to offer a choice, feature a couple of Seattle’s own creations. Serve both this slider (thank you “Skillet”) along with halved Seattle Cream Cheese Dogs (my next post). I mean really, we can’t just be known for our coffee snobbery, more Birkenstock shod women than any other city in America, and grunge music; we also need to take pride in our own gourmet twists on hamburgers and hot dogs. After all, hamburgers and hot dogs represent American cuisine at it’s finest! (I do believe I just talked myself into a trip to Italy. Arrivederci!)

  • 1 lb. not-so-lean ground beef
  • ½ tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 1 T. grated fresh onion
  • 1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning (made by McCormick)
  • Slider Buns (under Bread & Roll Recipes)
  • arugula
  • Cambozola cheese
  • Bacon Jam (under This & That Recipes)

Gently combine the ground beef, seasoned salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Don’t over-mix. Form into 2-inch patties and let rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile toast the buns in the frying pan you plan to use to cook your burgers. Set buns aside. Place pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the burgers and leave them alone. Do not try to flatten the burgers while they cook or all the lovely juices will escape. Don’t move the burgers except to flip them once the juices start to puddle on top. Do not flip again! How long you cook the second side depends on personal preference. For a rarer burger only cook for a couple of minutes. You can tell doneness by gently pressing your spatula in the center of the patty without breaking the crust. The squishier the burger, the rarer it is. Meanwhile, place some arugula on the bottom half of each bun. Add a very thin slice of cambozola cheese. When the patties are cooked, place on the cheese. Add a nice slathering of Bacon Jam to the top half of each bun and place on top of the cheese. Serve sliders immediately.