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When you want a lot of sandwiches without a lot of assembly time sliders are a go-to shortcut that can really satisfy a crowd. This makes sliders ideal for parties and game day celebrations. These Beef Sliders with Bacon Jam go all out on the meat fillings with ground beef and a lightly sweet bacon jam.
The jam is a seriously tasty concoction that you can use on other dishes as well. You’ll need cooked bacon, chopped red onion, and a little bit of sugar. This isn’t a super sweet mixture so don’t worry. Plus, the slight sweetness is tempered by the rich bacon, some apple cider vinegar, and a bit of thyme.
The layers of flavor on these sliders is off the charts because in addition to the tasty bacon jam we’re also adding cheese, pickles, and tomatoes. It’s like a deluxe bacon cheeseburger in each bite. There’s even a bit of mustard mixed in with the beef for that burger flavor.
As usual for sliders you want to cut the tops of the buns in one sheet, leaving only 2 pieces instead of 24. During the cutting process I had a few fall away from the rest, but if that happens to you it’s no big deal since they be cut into individual sliders in the end.
The final addition is a bit of melted butter brushed on the tops of the rolls to enhance the flavor and to keep them from browning too quickly.
The layers together are rich, smokey, sweet, with just a little of acidity from the vinegar and the pickles.
There is a surprising amount of beef on each slider, making these a lot heartier than they might seem at first glance.
These Beef Sliders with Bacon Jam are truly some of the most decadent, filling little sandwiches you can serve.
Beef Sliders with Bacon Jam
For the bacon jam:
- 1 lb bacon, roughly chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
For the sliders:
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 (12oz) package butter rolls (such as King's Hawaiian)
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
- 2-3 small round tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
- dill hamburger chips to taste
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
For the bacon jam:
- Add bacon to pan heated to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until lightly crisp. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. When cool finely chop bacon pieces.
- Add onion to a saucepan along with reserved bacon grease. Cook for 5 minutes. Add bacon, sugar, pepper, and vinegar to pan. Increase to high and bring to low boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and remove from heat.
For the sliders:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. In clean skillet cook beef over medium heat for 10 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in mustard and vinegar.
- Split rolls horizontally without breaking them into individual rolls. Place bottom sheet of rolls into greased baking pan. Spread beef over rolls, then bacon jam. Follow with cheese and pickles and finally add tomato slices on top. Cover with tops of rolls and brush with melted butter.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until tops are golden and cheese is melted. Slice into sliders and serve piping hot.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.