Sliders Were The Hit Of The BBQ

Yes, summers in Las Vegas are hot, but they're nice and dry. Which means the evenings are fantastic!

Last weekend we had about 20 people over for a backyard BBQ (yes, we were grilling but I think barbecue just sounds better).  Anyway we provided the main dishes and everyone else brought a side. On the menu were three types of sliders, grilled chicken wings, watermelon, pasta salad, zesty three bean salad, chicken sonoma salad, and plenty of desserts.

Everything was great, but people really loved the sliders. Originally we were going to do burgers and dogs, but thought sliders would be a nice touch. It turns out people liked the portion size. They could have one or two sliders and still try all the other side dishes. And they were great for the kids.

We used a recipe from Food Network's Alton Brown called Mini Man Burgers.

You basically roll out the ground beef in a baking sheet, season it, fold it up and then cut it into squares. I had a hard time rolling it in a baking sheet because my rolling pin was too long and I didn't have any baking sheets without edges. So I just put the parchment paper right on the countertop. At first it was little awkward, but after the third batch of patties I had it down. By the time I finished making all 64 patties I was a pro.

The burgers cook fast, like lightning. We had to turn off a part of the grill and move the burgers so the cheese would have time to melt.

We did three different toppings:
- American cheese
- Blue cheese and bacon
- Swiss with Pineapple and a drizzle of teriyaki

Everyone loved the choices and loved the sliders. I'll definitely make them again, although I'll probably limit them to two toppings unless I have lots of help. And sadly I didn't get to try any until later, so I don't know how they tasted right off the grill.

If you decide to try these sliders at your next party, here's my only advice:
- Make the patties in advance.
- Keep the meet cold until you're ready to roll it out. It was much easier working with cold beef.
- Don't underestimate how long it will take the burgers to cook. They're super fast.
- Depending on how many you make, forget toasting the buns. It's a nice touch, but no one will notice.
- And get creative with the toppings. People at our get together had a lot of fun trying the different burgers. I'd love to hear what you come up with!