Mini Burger Sliders

When on vacation, you may be tired of eating out three times a day every day. I mean, lets be real, that's too expensive! And, your condo that you're renting out has a full size kitchen with every pot or pan or dish you could ever need! And not to mention that awesome gas grill that is just sitting there on the patio, it probably hasn't been used in over a year! Well, it's time to fire it up and create a dinner that will be perfect for the kiddos that are tired from the beach or pool or shopping all day!

Mini burger sliders are really simple. Start with prime ground chuck, a pound is usually a good amount for a family of four, but hey, you may have some eaters! Put the meat in a large mixing bowl and prepare to season the meat to add amazing flavor! Now, McCormick has some awesome "Grill Mates" season mixes that work great! However, if you don't want to buy a season that you feel is only meant for one purpose and you don't do that purpose very often, just get some salt and pepper, paprika, and garlic. Those are pretty basic seasoning to put in your meat.

Go ahead and turn on that grill before you start seasoning your meat so that it can start heating up. I always have the grill heat up on high and then I turn the heat down to medium right before I use it. If you are using a coal grill then good luck! Those things have never cooperated for me!

With the meat in the bowl, sprinkle even amounts of the paprika and garlic over the meat, about a half a tablespoon of each for a pound of meat. Then add the salt and pepper to taste, depends on how salty/peppery you like things. I always say, "It is O.K. to add more salt or pepper at the table, but all other seasoning must be cooked in!" Once the seasoning is sprinkled in, portion the meat out into small, slider sized, patties on a plate.

After you have formed all the patties, preheat the oven to 425 degrees to prepare for your side to go in. I have chosen to make some "Tater-Tots" for my side today, but choose whatever happens to be your families favorite! Ore-Ida makes the best "Tater-Tots" in my opinion, so that is the ones I will be using! The instructions as how to make those are on the side of the bag and that is the best option. When seasoning them after cooking, do a light coating of salt and allow each person to add salt as the please.

Once your grill is preheated to a high temperature, turn the heat down to medium and place the slider patties on the grill. Close the lid and let them sit over the heat for no more than five minutes. Once five minutes has passed, head back out there and flip the burgers. [NoProTip: Flipping the patties more than once will unnecessarily drain the meat of essential juices and you will end up with dry meat! Allow most of the cooking to be done on the first side!] After the burgers have been flipped for two to three minutes, remove them from the grill.

Let the burgers rest for about five minutes to allow the juices inside the meat to settle and for all the flavors to truly flower! While the meat is settling, turn off the grill and throw on your mini burger buns to allow them to lightly toast. Don't leave them on too long or they may burn, the five minute resting time should be perfect!

The best cheese for theses is a hearty cheese like Swiss or Havarti, however; you can use whichever cheese is your favorite!

Plate this with two slider on each plate with a serving of the "Tater-Tots", or whichever side you chose to go with. Don't forget to offer lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayonnaise, or mustard as toppings for your diners. I like to enjoy this meal with a nice cold beer or a glass of iced sweet tea!

What you need

Prime ground chuck

Mini burger buns

Side of your choice [Tater-Tots]

Paprika

Garlic

Salt and Pepper

Cheese [Swiss or Havarti]

Burger condiments [optional]

McCormick "Grill Mates" [optional]