Bistro Sliders a La Rachael
You'll find your bistro faves like Gruyère cheese, horseradish sauce and crazy crispy fries all on top of these slider burgers!
Ingredients
For the Double-Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries:
- 2 Idaho potatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
For the French onion topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- About 1/2 cup beef stock
For the horseradish sauce:
- 2 scant tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 rounded tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 scant tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
For the burgers:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
- Sliced Gruyère or Swiss cheese, for topping
- 12 3-inch brioche rolls or other slider-size soft buns, split
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a cooling rack or wire rack over a baking sheet.
Peel the potatoes lengthwise, leaving the skin attached on the ends of the potatoes. Cut each potato lengthwise into very thin fries no more than a quarter-inch thick – the thinner the fries, the crispier the end product will be.
In a bowl, dress the fries lightly with EVOO; season with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer on a baking sheet without crowding. Place the fries in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the fries and increase the temperature to 450°F. Bring the oven to the new temperature for about 10 minutes, then return the fries to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until very crisp and brown.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in skillet over medium heat, then add the onions and garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to brown the onions too fast – you want them to be very soft and caramel in color. Deglaze the onions with sherry, then stir in the stock to keep the onions wet. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
Combine the ingredients for the horseradish sauce in a bowl and reserve.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and form 12 slider-size burgers, making them thinner at the center than at the edges for even cooking.
Heat cast iron pan or griddle to medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, drizzle the burgers with a bit of EVOO and cook for 5-6 minutes total for medium rare doneness, or a few minutes longer for medium well, turning occasionally. Melt the cheese over the burgers during the last minute of cooking time.
Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with the onions, fries and horseradish sauce. Set the bun tops in place and serve with a spinach or green salad with Dijon vinaigrette alongside.
