You just might be missing a piece in your life if you aren't familiar with sliders. A slider is a miniature burger or sandwich that gained popularity after the burger chain, White Castle, featured and sold them 4 for $1. Yes, they are adorably tasty! Bottom line, they're not as good as what you can Traeger yourself.
We switched things up things a little from the traditional beef sliders, using ground chicken with a salty, rich smattering of grated parmesan cheese inside to keep the patties moist. (Of course you could easily substitute ground beef, turkey, lamb, pork, etc.) And we did it all for an affordable price to feed you and your family/friends. We'll prove that you can still eat like a king with a pauper's pocketbook.
And don't forget that because they're smaller, you can cram more into your mouth without the accusing glare from anyone else.
Find these tasty morsels, along with other penny-pinching recipes, in our Traeger on a Budget cookbook.
CHICKEN & PARMESAN SLIDERS W/ PESTO MAYO
PELLETS: Apple or Oak
PREP TIME: 15 min.
COOK TIME: About 30 min.
SERVES: 4
THINGS YOU’LL NEED
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Traeger Chicken Rub, or salt and pepper
• Canola oil
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto sauce
• 12 slider buns, split
• 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh spinach or arugula leaves, washed and dried
• Sliced cheese, if desired
PREPARATION
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, the Parmesan, the Worcestershire, and a few grinds of black pepper.
Wet your hands with cold water, and use them to mix the ingredients. Divide the meat mixture in half, then form six 2-inch patties out of each half. Dust each side of the patties lightly with the Traeger Chicken Rub. Place the patties on the baking sheet, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Combine the mayonnaise and pesto in a small bowl and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 300 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take the chicken patties out of the fridge and lightly brush both sides with canola oil to help get a good sear on the outside and hold in those juices.
Arrange the chicken patties on the grill grate and grill, turning once, until the patties are cooked through (165 degrees F), about 30 minutes.
If you like cheese on your patties, top the patties with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
To serve, put a chicken patty on the bottom of a slider bun and top with a dollop of the pesto mayonnaise.
Add tomato, onion, and spinach as desired. Replace the top of the bun and skewer with a frilled toothpick, if desired. Enjoy the fruits of your labors!
PRINTABLE RECIPE: