Want to learn How To Make Your Own Sliders Bar? Look no further. This customized sliders bar will make even your pickiest guests happy!
It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining. The pool is open. The kids will be out of school soon. Oh, and my kids will expect us to host an End Of School Pool Party. Eeeek!
I don’t mind hosting. I actually enjoy the role of hostess. What I don’t love, is how picky 7 year olds are. You know what is worse than that? How picky 4 year olds are! Just so happens my yard will be full of 7 and 4 year olds, looking to eat and swim.
As with all my parties, I always run through my menu ahead of time. I actually make a full Thanksgiving dinner two weeks prior to the big day, just to be sure I’ve got it right. I know; I’m nuts. I can’t help it.
Last year I went a bit lazy and ordered pizza for the kids and made a fancy salad for the adults. Over the course of this year, my son has decided he no longer likes pizza. Don’t even get me started with that. Anyway, in my experience, most kids, even the ones as picky as mine, will eat sliders. Who doesn’t love a cute little burger, right? In an effort to keep both the adults and the picky little buggers children happy, I thought it would be fun to create a “Make Your Own Sliders Bar”. This way, everyone can customize their burgers to suit their taste, or lack thereof.
To keep things cute and party like, I grabbed some small disposable plastic cups to serve the toppings in. I also grabbed these cute little flags and wrote the toppings out in a marker, just in case the kids weren’t familiar with the look of some of the deliciousness. I thought this was a good reason to pull out these little chalk board signs I picked up a while back too. They’re cute, right?
Okay, on to the actual burgers. Did I mention we aren’t even grilling these bad boys? That’s right, in order for you to actually enjoy yourself and socialize at your party, I am going to give you a little trick to get your burgers ready in minutes, without standing at the grill all day.
The big secret here is……. a muffin tin!
Yep, a muffin tin.
So simple, right? I know!
Here’s how the muffin tin is going to help you.
Preheat the muffin tin, in the oven. You want it hot.
While the tin is heating up, I simply seasoned my ground beef with salt and pepper. I then scooped about 1/4 cup of beef, rolled it in a ball (think meatball) and flattened it. Repeat until you have all the patties made. When the tin has preheated, CAREFULLY, place the patties in the tin and bake them for just a few minutes. Done!
I find it best to create a platter with the burgers and the buns together and then have the toppings on a separate platter or cutting board.
Be sure to include a variety of cheeses too. Kids tend to go towards plain old cheddar or American, but the grown ups might appreciate a fresh mozzarella or Gouda.
The kids and I actually put together a run through Make Your Own Sliders Bar tonight for dinner. I can’t even believe how well it went over with them!
My son loved how it looked so much, he was even inspired to try some new things! I can’t even begin to say how happy this makes me. He never tries new stuff! He tried lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella, and loved them! He also tried sharp cheddar and ranch dressing and didn’t love them, but that’s okay. I’m just happy he tried. My daughter is not so adventurous, but she went with a pineapple and cheddar slider and ate three bites, which is three bites more than I usually get out of dinner so that’s a win too!
The toppings possibilities are endless. Obviously, I was putting out the usual suspects like ketchup and mustard. I am not a fan of either of those condiments and I prefer a burger/slider with some zest. Here are some topping ideas you might want to keep in mind.
- guacamole
- salsa
- caramelized onions (my favorite)
- buffalo sauce
- ranch dressing
- bacon
- tomato
- lettuce
- pickles
- pineapple
- steak sauce
- savory jams
- BBQ sauces
- Mexican shredded cheese
- fresh mozzarella
- sharp cheddar
- American cheese
- bleu cheese crumbles
- Gouda
- fresh basil
- sun dried tomatoes
My favorite combinations are bacon, guacamole, pineapple, Mexican cheese, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, and basil!
So now that you know HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SLIDERS BAR, which will be your go to toppings?
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 12 slider rolls
- Place muffin tin (12 well) in oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- In a large bowl, season ground beef with salt and pepper. Scoop out ¼ C of beef at a time and roll into a meatball shape. Press ball to flatten. Repeat to create 12 patties total.
- When muffin tin has preheated, remove tin from oven. CAREFULLY place shaped patties in muffin tin. Place in oven and bake 6 minutes.
- Remove cooked patties from muffin tin, carefully, using tongs. If there is a lot of grease on the burgers, place first on a paper towel lined plate before transferring them to serving platter.
- Serve with slider rolls and desired toppings.
We hope you find this recipe and party tips for creating the perfect DIY Sliders Bar helpful when you’re planning your beginning of summer or end of school year bash! If you love these party tips, be sure to stop by Foody Schmoody to find more great ideas from SoFabFood Contributor, Christine. If you enjoyed these tips and tricks, stop by our Entertainment section before planning your next party!
Comments