Upscale Meatball Sliders

Diane Rossen Worthington

Upscale Meatball Sliders

Stonewall Kitchen makes many great condiments that you can find at grocery or specialty stores. In their new book, "Stonewall Kitchen: Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes for Cooking Outdoors All Year Long," authors Jonathan King, Jim Stott and Kathy Gunst offer up these meatballs that are grilled and served on crunchy toasted slices of French bread spread with a spicy tomato ketchup, relish or chutney. Instead of a plain burger, they use a meatball mixture for added flavor.

The term "slider" comes from the famous White Castle burger chain, the first of which opened in Kansas in 1921. Originally called "Slyders," the miniature burgers were cooked on top of a bed of onions and then slid into soft rolls.

The simple meatballs of this recipe combine ground meat, grated Parmesan, fresh sage, egg, and panko breadcrumbs. The 2-inch sliders are then grilled over high heat. Try these throughout grilling season instead of the usual burger. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to suit a barbecue of any size. Grill the sliders up and present them on a large platter, and serve with a large green salad, coleslaw or potato salad. What a perfect way to usher in the summer. Enjoy.

Meatball Sliders Recipe

Makes 12 sliders

1 pound ground round or sirloin

2/3 cup panko or regular dried breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried and crumbled

1 large egg

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 slices French bread, 3/4 inch thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

About 1/2 cup spicy ketchup or tomato chutney (You can also simply spike a store-bought ketchup with hot pepper sauce until it is spicy).

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ground meat, panko, Parmesan, sage, egg, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Work the meat to thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients and form into 12 two-inch sliders.

2. Place the bread slices on a plate and drizzle both sides with the oil.

3. Preheat a grill for high direct heat, about 425 degrees F. Place a clean grill rack on the grill and let it get hot for about 3 minutes.

4. Cook the sliders for about 4 minutes on each side, covered, for medium-rare, and up to 5 or 6 minutes for well done. During the last minute, place the oiled bread on the grill for about 30 seconds on each side, or until golden brown and lightly toasted.

5. Place the toast on a large serving plate. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the tomato ketchup or chutney on each piece of bread and spread. Top with a slider and serve hot.

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

Available at Amazon.com:

Stonewall Kitchen: Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes for Cooking Outdoors All Year Long

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Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients

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Upscale Meatball Sliders - Recipe

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