BBQ Burgers & Red, White and Blue (Cheese) Sliders Bar

Welcome to Day 14 of our 4th of July recipe countdown! Did you notice above that we’ve finally made the full American flag? Look back at our previous recipes to watch it form on the top right of every page! It’s been two stellar weeks of party ideas and you know what that means? We celebrate tomorrow! I’ve promised you one more dish to wrap up our list, and what’s more appropriate than a good ole’ hamburger? I actually have to thank my hubby for allowing me to share his famous recipe for these moist and juicy sliders filled with barbecue sauce and chopped onion. Phenomenal.

I tried to get him to give me exact measurements, but he insisted we just “eyeball it”. You want enough BBQ sauce to hold it together, but not too much that it will be soggy. Then, just a sprinkling of onions for flavor. Too much will make it fall apart. Season and shape as you go, topping off with an extra touch of Cajun spice right before it hits the grill.

To add a fun focal point for entertaining, set up a sliders bar (perfect next to your lemonade stand!) so your guests can create their own flavor combinations. Mix and match mini sesame seed, sourdough, pretzel or potato buns and offer a selection of various cheeses, sauces, relishes, sautéed peppers and onions, fresh slices of tomato and homemade pickles. You can prepare some for easy grabbing (Try lamb sliders with a mint tzatziki sauce, red onion and feta cheese or an Italian ‘meatball’ slider with fresh mozzarella, basil and marinara sauce), and leave the rest for your guests to help themselves.

Keep already made burgers warm on a chafing dish and make more to order when needed. If you’re feeling especially creative and have room on your table, line up your toppings buffet in rows to look like the American flag. Alternate small red and white bowls for stripes and place a larger blue bowl in the top left corner for your buns to represent the stars.

These burgers are fantastic on their own, but to carry on the Independence Day spirit, I’ve done a little tongue-in-cheek red (tomato), white (onion) and blue (cheese) offering. Top them off with a festive toothpick and you’ve got yourself the perfect holiday bite.

Ingredients:

1 package 80/20 ground beef

Dinosaur BBQ sauce

Chopped onions

Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste

Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning to taste

Liquid smoke (just a touch)

Instructions:

Mash ground beef in a bowl and start forming with your hands.