Sliders with Goat Cheese and Tomato Bacon Jam

These sliders are made in partnership with the Washington Beef Commission. Thank you for supporting those who support For the Love of Gourmet. 

We are back with another recipe made in partnership with the Washington Beef Commission! If you missed the first recipe, you can find my recipe for steak salads with creamy balsamic vinaigrette here.  We are talking about grilled girl dinners, and in addition to a steak salad, another meal I love to enjoy with my friends are some sliders. But these are no ordinary traditional sliders; we are serving these cute little burgers with whipped goat cheese, tomato bacon jam, and microgreen. Sound complicated? It’s not at all! And the best part is that each component of the recipe is really forgiving, so you can even make this recipe with your friends and everyone can take part of it on.

Ingredients for Sliders with Goat Cheese and Tomato Bacon Jam

• Ground beef: the star of the dish! Using local beef is ideal. A higher fat content will give you a juicier burger.
• Bread crumbs: help act as a binder for the burgers. I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for flavor.
• Egg: also helps as a binder for the sliders.
• Goat cheese: we are whipping the goat cheese until smooth in a food processor and spreading on the slider buns.
• Lemon juice: just a little bit for the goat cheese.
• Bacon: bacon is the perfect addition for this recipe. Cooked down and crispy and mixed with tomatoes for tomato-bacon jam, it makes a delicious condiment for the burgers.
• Tomatoes: for the tomato bacon jam!
• Microgreens: I love the texture and flavor of these, and they are nutritious and look cute on the sliders to boot! I got my microgreens from Trader Joe’s, but you can find them at other grocery stores, local farmers markets, or grow them yourself!
• Slider buns: I just bought them from the grocery store! You can always bake your own.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika make up your burger rub. You’ll also add a little brown sugar to the tomato bacon jam.

How to Make Your Sliders

• Mix together your ground beef, breadcrumbs, and egg in a bowl. Form little slider-sized patties and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Mix together the salt, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and pepper. Season the burgers and fire up your grill!
• For the tomato bacon jam, add the chopped bacon to a skillet and cook until browned and crispy. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until very soft before adding the brown sugar. Stir to combine and give it a taste. I thought it was delicious as is but feel free to add salt and/or pepper if desired!
• For the whipped goat cheese, place the goat cheese and lemon juice in a food processor and whip until very smooth. You’ll need to scrape down the sides to make sure it blends evenly.
• Cook the patties until done, flipping frequently. Since they are thinner and smaller, they need to be turned frequently to make sure the edges don’t get too crispy.
• Spread the whipped goat cheese onto the top slider bun and the tomato bacon jam on the bottom bun. Add the slider patty on top and top with microgreens before adding the top bun.
• Serve with your favorite BBQ sides and cold beer or sparkling water. Enjoy girls night!

The full recipe for these fancy sliders is below, but to share a few tips I recommend using a spatula to flatten your burgers as they cook because they will puff up in the middle. You can also use a Blackstone or put a skillet onto your grill instead of cooking the burgers directly on the grates.