Fourth of July Series part 4 ~ Carolina Burger Sliders

Hello and welcome to the last installment of the Fourth of July recipe series.  I started a few days back with a great Lynchburg Lemonade cocktail made with homemade sour mix for your celebration.  I then threw in a mayo-free Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette.  Yesterday we talked about Oven Fried Chicken Sliders and today we round out the Fourth of July menu with Carolina Burger Sliders.

This recipe is inspired by a burger from a restaurant I used to wait tables at in North Carolina.  I went to University in Wilmington (UNCW – go Seahawks!).  While I was in school I bartended and waited tables to help pay my way.  One restaurant I worked at was over on Wrightsville Beach.  A great little local joint run by locals.  No chain restaurants for this girl!  The Carolina Burger was on the lunch menu.  I think it still is but is a different recipe now.  Anywhooooo…… THIS is how I remember it.  And for our event I made them into sliders so that people could have both the chicken and the beef without sinking into a two day long food coma.

There isn’t too much rocket science here.  Just some fresh ingredients combined together to pack a really big flavor punch.  They are sooo good.  I really can’t wait to have another one!

Start with a fresh slider bun (PS ~ no harm in sourcing these from a bakery.  I did and it saves a ton of time!), some BBQ sauce (again a favorite bottled version), mayo, and top with an all beef patty, melted cheddar cheese, cole slaw and raw red onion.  I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Slider Tips

• No shame in sourcing some of the ingredients.  While the effort of homemade buns is really nice, there are some amazing bakery versions out there.  For me, its the bakehouse around the corner.  They are awesome and I’m happy to give the local shop the business.  Additionally, you can purchase some really good sauces and shouldn’t be ashamed to do so.
• Create an assembly line when putting your sliders together.  It will go much more quickly than if you make one at a time.
• This particular slider has a bit of cole slaw on it.  Go ahead and make the full batch as the recipe calls for and serve the extra as an additional side to round out your party.
• Not a beef eater?  No problem.  Make these with ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Not a meat eater?  No problem.  Use a small grilled portobello mushroom as your patty.  I’m thinking meat eaters would like this version too!

Print

Carolina Burger Sliders

Ingredients

Sliders

• 12 4 oz 115g grilled beef patties, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 12 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 slider buns
• Mayo
• BBQ sauce
• Sliced red onion
• Cole Slaw

Cole Slaw

• 1/4 large head cabbage thinly shredded
• 2 carrots shredded
• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup + 2Tbsp mayo

Instructions

Sliders

1. Slice and layout 12 slider buns.
2. Spread mayo on all bun bottoms.
3. Spread BBQ sauce on all bun tops.
4. Place a heaping spoonful of slaw on the top.
5. Top the slaw with sliced onion.
6. Just before burgers have finished cooking melt the cheese on top of the burgers.
7. Place 1 burger on each bun bottom.
8. Place the top on the bottom. Stack and serve.

Cole Slaw

1. Mix cabbage, carrot and red onion in a large bowl.
2. With a whisk combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Pour vinaigrette over the cabbage. Toss and set aside to let flavors come together.
4. Add mayo just before serving. Add 1/4 cup first. Combine and see if more is needed.

Recipe Notes

**I prepared my burger patties on a cookie sheet measured to four ounces each. Seasoned with salt and pepper on each side. Broiled on high for 3 minutes each side on the top rack of the oven. In the last 30 seconds the burgers were topped with cheese and melted.