White Castle Sliders!

One of my kids favorite things to eat are hamburgers and especially if they're the small tiny ones which seem to be so popular right now, it's either the Mini Sirloin Burgers or the Burger Shots etc.

But for me the best will always be White Castle Sliders, so when I first came across this recipe last year, I thought "well this is just what I've been looking for".

As always though, it got stashed away and forgotten about until tonight, I had extra dinner rolls on hand and thought I would surprise the kids with a special treat.

So here you go, the recipe makes 24 sliders, but I made half of the recipe for just us 4, I figure between the kids and my hubby taking some for lunch, it's more than enough.

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls- I use Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie.

Sprinkle with seasoned salt. At this point you can use a drinking straw and poke holes throughout the meat. That is what they do with the original white castle sliders.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie.

Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes.

Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter.

Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders.

Best rolls to use are the Potato Dinner Rolls.

PORTUGUESE MEATBALLS!!!

I remember my greatgrandmother and grandmother making these quite often, I loved them and they're so versatile that you can use them for hamburgers too.

What makes it so tasty is the ingredients that go into seasoning your ground meat. It can be beef or pork, and turkey would be tasty too.

PORTUGUESE MEATBALLS

1 lb ground beef or pork
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried parsley or fresh one if you have it available
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine

COATING:
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together just until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight or for a few hours.

Shape into balls, dip in egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry on medium heat for a few minutes on each side until brown.

Remove to a plate covered with paper towels to drain the grease.

Serve with homemade fries and a salad.

For Hamburgers:

Shape into hamburger patties and grill until done. Serve on warm hamburger buns, with lettuce, tomato and onion slices.