Smoky Mozzarella Sliders

I originally planned on making these slider burgers for Monday Night Football. Yes I know it's not Monday. Change of plans - my new job got me home later than dinner time on Monday so we ate these Tuesday evening. I felt sad. I like football. I like making football food. I like watching the game with my son and husband. I like yelling at the tv and giving high fives when our team is doing well. Football food can be eaten on non football nights, too.  Then because of the time restraints of Tuesday nights, orchestra practice, I didn't get to make homemade fries  either so it was a super simple meal. Burgers & veggies. Nevertheless my husband was raving.... these are the best burgers you have ever made!  That right there made my entire day! I love cooking for my family. 

These burgers will delight your taste buds and surprise your friends and family because unlike regular burgers the cheese is hidden inside instead of on the top.  Try them out. The combo of the spices and the pork and beef really give the burgers AMAZING flavor. This recipe was adapted from Budget Gourmet Mom. She has an amazing blog - you should check her out :)

For 3 small slider burgers you need:

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/8 cup dried parsley flakes

1 Tbsp smoked paprika 

shredded mozzarella cheese approx 1/3 cup divided 
3 slider buns or bakery rolls

How to make 3 sliders:

1.Mix the pork, seasonings, and beef thoroughly (I left the parsley out and sprinkled it on top so the green would make the pictures prettier)

2.Divide the meat into 6 approx 2.5 oz flattened circles 

3.On 3 of the burgers put 1/8 cup of shredded mozzarella directly in the middle
(see picture)

4.Take the other 3 burgers and put them on top of the ones with cheese. Press down on the sides of each burger to enclose the cheese

5. Cook burgers on stove until the meat is done. The cheese started to ooze out of one 4 minutes before they were done. Don't let this throw you off if it happens to you. I would recommend cooking the sliders until they are at least medium since there is pork involved.  Mine took about 7-8 minutes on each side. 

6. Serve hot with the rolls/buns with toppings of your choice. Chips, veggies, or fries make excellent sides to this yummy football friendly, hands only type of meal. 

enjoy your food & entertainment this week either together or like in my case seperate 

From my kitchen to yours