Pimento cheese is a Southern classic that usually makes appearances in only in white bread sandwiches or as a cracker spread on an appetizer tray. The recipe below takes the whole idea of sliders — tiny burgers that are loaded with big flavors — and makes it distinctively Southern by adding a hearty dollop of homemade pimento cheese spread.
The pimento cheese spread can be made a day or two ahead of time and, in fact, gets better as it sits in the refrigerator since this gives the flavors a chance to meld. You can top your sliders with any other burger toppings you like: try tomato slices, pickle slices, or even small strips of crispy bacon.
Southern Sliders
12
15 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup chopped pimentos, drained
Cooking oil
1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ pound loose, Southern-style pork sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Crystal)
¼ onion, finely diced
12 slider rolls, split
Pickle slices and lettuce, for serving
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos.
Heat a grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat and coat it lightly with cooking oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and onion and mix well. Form into 12 patties.
Cook the patties for about four minutes on each side, until they are cooked through to the amount you desire.
Serve the patties on the buns, topped with the pimento cheese mixture, pickles, lettuce, and any other burger toppings you'd like.
