Sliders are a favorite no one can resist and Chef Ryan Scott joined "Good Morning America" to kick off the next great American mealtime ritual -- Slider Sunday -- with "GMA" sponsor King's Hawaiian.
The company launched the King’s Hawaiian Slider Sunday Million Dollar Showdown in September. Contestants can sign up on the company's website for a chance to win $1 million, and can earn more grand prize entries by voting between two slider recipes each week during Slider Sunday Showdowns and by playing games like Flick Football and Wordler, according to a King's Hawaiian press release.
Scott shared two of his own recipes using pretzel slider buns and original slider buns from King's Hawaiian that you can make at home.
This Oktoberfest-inspired recipe uses a lager-basted roast pork loin that's sliced and stacked with tangy grain mustard, beer cheese, and caramelized apple and onion compote.
Serving Size: 9 sliders
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Technique Tip: When roasting or grilling meats to temperature, always let it rest for at least half the time it cooked for. So for this recipe, since the meat cooks for 25-30 minutes, rest it for at least 15 minutes to let those juices redistribute and the proteins relax, making for a more tender cut.
Ingredients
1 package King's Hawaiian Pretzel Sliders
1 pork tenderloin, 1-1.2 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 cup lager or light beer
For the compote
1 large yellow onion, peeled and small diced (about 2 cups)
2 medium apples, skin-on, small diced (about 2 cups) (sweet crisp apples like Fuji work best)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 clove garlic, microplaned or minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
For the beer cheese
8 ounces American cheese, cubed (or 12 pre-wrapped slices)
1/4 cup lager or light beer
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450 F.
Heat an oven safe or cast iron pan over high heat. When the pan is super hot, add the vegetable oil and carefully place the pork tenderloin in the pan, curling it around to fit in the pan if necessary. Let the meat sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until a dark brown crust forms. Flip the tenderloin carefully with tongs and turn the flame off. Spread the grain mustard all over the top and sides of the loin, then slowly pour the lager into the hot pan.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, stopping once in the middle to baste the pork with the pan juices. I like my pork loin cooked medium, so it takes about 20-25 minutes to get the internal temperature to 135 degrees. If you prefer it closer to well-done, cook to 145 degrees, about 30-35 minutes. When the pork loin is cooked, remove it from the pan onto a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Save the pan juices for the compote!
While the pork roasts, heat a medium saute pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onions, apples, and salt, and saute over high heat until the onion starts to cook and turn translucent, 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the ginger, pepper, thyme, minced garlic, bay leaf, and sugar. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the compote softens and all the juices evaporate. The sugars may start to caramelize in the pan. At this time, the pork should be coming out of the oven (if not, turn the heat off and finish the compote when it does). Pour all of the cooking juices from the pork pan into the compote along with the apple cider vinegar, and continue cooking over medium heat until the liquid has all absorbed and evaporated, leaving a soft, thick, chunky compote. Set aside while you prepare the cheese sauce.
In a small pan, heat the beer and American cheese over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Add the cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder, and stir well to combine. Turn the heat off but keep the cheese sauce covered on the stove so it doesn’t start to harden too much as it cools.
Once the pork has rested, use a sharp knife to slice the loin into thin rounds. Pile 2-3 slices per slider bun, then top with a generous spoonful of compote. Smear a heaping tablespoon of beer cheese onto the underside of the top bun, and immediately place it on the slider, letting the cheese drip down the slider filling. These are best served warm, before the cheese sauce completely cools. If they need to sit on a buffet, leave the cheese sauce off the sliders and serve on the side in a warmer for dipping.
Serving Size: 9 sliders
Cooking Time: 15 minutes, plus a 10 minute rest
Technique Tip: Keep your ground beef cold in the fridge until you’re ready for it. It will be so much easier to handle when it is super cold and will hold together better in the pan. Also, let that meat rest when you take it out of the oven! A substantial amount of juice and fat will have cooked out and we want to give it a chance to soak some of that goodness back up, so let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Swap Option: Try ground turkey or chicken for a lighter burger. Beyond Meat would even work! **If using poultry, cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to make sure it's well done.
You can stuff these sliders with whatever filling you want. Pickle slices, swiss cheese, chicken nuggets, whatever you feel like!
Ingredients
1 package King's Hawaiian Original Sliders
2 pounds ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15
1 cup sauteed mushrooms
8-10 slices cooked thick cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 slices American cheese
1/2 large Hass avocado, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
All your favorite burger fixins': mayo, mustard, sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce, etc.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450 F.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan, letting the edges hang over the side. Press 1 pound of ground beef evenly into the bottom of the pan, making a flat, square patty. Lift the patty out with the plastic wrap and transfer to a plate and set it in the fridge.
Press the remaining pound of ground beef into the 8-by-8-inch pan (no plastic wrap), pressing the outer edges up the sides of the pan just 1/2 inch. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and place the American cheese on the meat in a single layer, leaving the outer 1/4 inch of meat bare (we need space for the top layer of beef to adhere to the bottom layer). Sprinkle the chopped bacon and cooked mushrooms in an even layer over the cheese slices.
Arrange the avocado slices on top of the mushrooms, then top with the shredded cheese.
Lastly, take the plastic-wrapped square patty from the fridge and carefully flip it onto the filled patty in the pan.
Press it down with your hands, taking care to push the edges down onto the edges below, sealing the top and bottom patties together. Press the stuffed cheeseburger flat with your hands, compressing it a little. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the top, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Change the oven setting to broil, turn the broiler on high and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the top is well browned (keep an eye on it, all broilers are different!).
Remove the pan from the oven and let the stuffed cheeseburger rest for 10 minutes. After resting, carefully pour off most of the fat and remaining juices, taking care not to dump the whole patty. (Use a large spatula to hold it in place with one hand while you tip the pan with the other.)
Using a sharp knife, cut the patty into 9 squares. Prep your slider buns with mayo, mustard, or your favorite special sauce, and scoop a square of stuffed cheeseburger on each bun. Top with tomato, red onion, and lettuce, and then the top bun. This is a mile-high slider, so you may want to use toothpicks to hold them closed. Serve warm!
