Easy Cheeseburger Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Crusty browned beef, cheddar, pickles, and a tangy burger sauce baked into a pan of Hawaiian rolls with a garlic butter and sesame top. The bottoms stay sturdy, even as leftovers.
Servings 12 sliders
Calories 316kcal
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- parchment paper
- large skillet cast iron if you have one
- Long serrated knife
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Burger Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Beef
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 or 85/15
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sliders
- 12 Hawaiian rolls still attached
- 8 ounces cheddar shredded
- 12 dill pickle chips patted dry
Garlic Butter Topping
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment.
- Stir the burger sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Without pulling the rolls apart, slice the slab in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Set the bottom slab in the dish, cut side up, and toast 5 minutes, until the cut side feels dry.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, press it into one flat layer, and cook without stirring 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom is deep brown.
- Flip the beef in large pieces, break it into small crumbles, and add the onion. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, stirring only now and then, until no pink remains and the onion is soft. Drain off the fat.
- Off the heat, stir in the Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and about a third of the burger sauce.
- Sprinkle half the cheddar over the toasted bottom buns. Spread the beef evenly to the edges and press it down firmly. Top with the remaining cheddar and a pickle chip for each slider.
- Spread the remaining burger sauce on the cut side of the top slab and set it over the pickles, sauce side down.
- Stir the garlic powder into the melted butter. Brush it over the tops and into the cracks, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and dried onion.
- Center the dish on the middle rack and bake uncovered 6 to 8 minutes, until the tops are golden. Cover loosely with foil and bake 4 to 6 minutes more, until the cheese melts.
- Rest 5 minutes. Lift out by the parchment, cut along the roll lines, and serve hot.
Notes
- Rolls: Any soft slider roll works. Pre-split slider buns work too: set the bottoms in the dish touching, toast, and build the same way.
- Browning: Sweet rolls brown quickly. Check at 6 minutes and add the foil as soon as the tops are golden.
- Cheese: Sliced cheddar or American works in place of shredded. Use half under the beef and half over it.
- For 24 sliders: Double everything, use a half sheet pan or two 9x13 dishes, and brown the beef in two batches.
- Bacon cheeseburger sliders: Add crumbled crisp bacon over the beef before the top layer of cheese.
- Lactose free: Use aged cheddar or lactose-free cheese, lactose-free butter or olive oil in the topping, and a dairy-free roll if needed.
- Make ahead: Cook and season the beef up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Build and bake just before serving, adding a few minutes under the foil.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Cover loosely with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or microwave about 30 seconds per slider.
Nutrition
Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 1mg
