Sweet potato beef sliders are a simple snack, appetizer or a lovely summer meal loaded with goodies. They are made with a sweet potato base and beef patty, covered with arugula pesto and tomato-mayo and garnished with bacon crunch.
Sliders are, explained, small, around 5 cm large, sandwiches or burgers. They are a popular appetizer for a party or game day, especially in the USA. The main ingredient, along with a mini bun, is a hamburger patty. They are a small appetiser you can eat in one or two bites.
I am sure you know that some other slider foods are chips, popcorn, chocolate, pretzels or crackers. I would just call them movie or party snacks. However, they are also great for an afternoon snack, lunch or dinner.
Even though a classic slider calls for a bun, I decided to go without it. Instead, I replaced it with a sweet potato and added my favourite toppings and some crunch, such as crispy bacon and green onion.
I know for burgers, it’s all about the toppings. But keep it simple. Check in your fridge and, I am sure, you will create a lovely mayo, guacamole, red pesto, green pesto or any other topping. Also, make sure you add a crunchy topping, too. Adding different textures makes your food more interesting.
However, the burger has to taste good as well. My tip is to use fresh or dried herbs, spices and the right seasoning. I never skip adding onion or garlic, because, you can believe me, it makes a big difference in the flavour. Also, adding the egg is only an option. You can also add some grated zucchini to add moister to the meat.
Little bites are always a big hit. They are tiny and tasty and you can enjoy more per serving. Furthermore, they are very easy to customize. For instance, swap the potato with lettuce. You could skip the pesto and use a tomato. Instead of a meat patty, make a bean-quinoa patty. You have plenty of choices.
In addition, you might like these small bites recipes: meatballs guacamole lettuce wraps, simple corn ribs, delicious chickpea spinach stuffed mushrooms or these gorgeous marbled deviled eggs.
Ingredients for 9-12 sweet potato beef sliders:
- 400 g ground beef
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp of olive oil
- 2 pinches of salt
- black pepper
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 2 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 large and long sweet potato
- 3-4 bacon slices
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp of tomato tapenade
- 3 Tbsp of arugula pesto (or any other green pesto)
- 1 green onion
To begin, prepare the beef patties. Combine ground beef, finely chopped onion, a generous pinch of salt, oregano and smoked paprika powder in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon or your hand to mix and combine.
Then, form 4-5 cm large balls and flatten them slightly into 1,5 cm thick patties. Place the patties on a plate, cover with foil and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Wash the potato and slice it into 1-1,5 cm rounds, put them in a bowl, cover with cold water and let them sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bacon. Lay the bacon slices into a cold non-sticking pan and cook them until curled and crust forms. Halfway through, flip them around. Transfer the bacon onto paper towels to absorb the fat and make them even crispier. Cut into bite-size chinks.
In a smaller bowl, mix mayonnaise and tomato tapenade. Place in the fridge until use.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Tap dry the potato rounds and toss them with some starch, salt and pepper. Then, lay them onto a baking tray, lined with parchment paper, in a single layer and bake them for 10 minutes or until slightly tender.
At the same time, heat the olive oil in a larger non-sticking pan. Carefully add the patties in it and brown them for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Finally, assemble the sweet potato beef sliders. Place one beef patty on each sweet potato round, top it with either pesto or tomato-mayo and finish with a bacon chip and green onion. Dig in and get messy.
Enjoy.
