Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

I love everything mini. It allows me to try a variety of flavors in one meal without feeling overstuffed. And my kids think these minis are "so cute" helping serve this dish with much "lick-the-plate-clean" success.

Several years ago I wrote a cookbook called Burgers, and this recipe was one of the most popular—it is reminiscent of a classic burger, smallish, but bursting forth with big personality. The burger patty is made with beef, chicken, turkey, buffalo, salmon, and shrimp and the bun is toasted in a waffled iron to make the bread waffled. Great condiments further enhance this dish such as homemade ketchups, mayo spreads, bread and butter pickles to name a few (at some point, I'll be posted about those, so for now, just use what you've got in the pantry.)

Mini Burgers with Waffled White Bread
Makes 4 Servings

3 pieces sliced white bread, crusts removed
9 ounces ground beef, or ground meat or seafood of your choice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus 12 sprigs, for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 thin slices Cheddar cheese, about 2 inches square

Preheat an electric nonstick waffle iron to medium. Place a slice of trimmed bread in the center of the hot iron and press down hard to toast and perforate the bread for 1 minute, or until the waffle design has browned itself onto the bread. When toasted, cut each slice into square pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch. You should have enough bread for 12 mini-burgers.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, salt, and chopped parsley, and mix well with your hands. Remove a heaping tablespoon of the mixture—a little less than 1 ounce—and roll it into a ball. Flatten it slightly into a patty no thicker than 1 inch. Repeat until you have made 12 mini-burgers.

Warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Slick the skillet with the olive oil. (Alternatively, if you’re using a grill, cook the mini-burgers on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil perforated several times with a fork to allow the juices to drip away.) Cook the beef burgers (see below for other meats and doneness), no longer than 1 minute per side for medium-rare, topping with the optional cheese as soon as you flip. Serve each burger between 2 slices of waffled bread, with a sprig of parsley on top.

Cooking Times:
Beef: 1 minute per side for medium-rare
Chicken and Turkey: 2 minutes per side, or until opaque inside
Buffalo: 1 minute per side for medium-rare
Salmon and Shrimp: 1½ minutes per side, or until just opaque inside

Labels: american classics, mini burgers, waffled bread