I love sliders. Forget that grimace on my face – that’s a perfect slider: half the size of a normal cheeseburger, it allows three great bites and then done! As I show you all the ways you can celebrate this national holiday, let’s cut right to the chase:
This Is My All-Time Favorite Slider!
It’s a “I made it myself at home” version: this mini-burger has a beef patty topped with Mozzarella cheese, bacon and french fries! Top that with tartar sauce and it’s my favorite food ever!
With that said, it’s a day of celebrating sliders everywhere and that means one thing:
White Castle!
For those who know, YOU KNOW.
White Castle is known for its small, steamed beef patties on buns, also called “sliders”. They are characterized by their unique cooking method, which involves steaming the patties on top of a bed of dehydrated onions. The patties are not flipped during cooking, and the buns are placed on top before steaming to create a moist and flavorful slider.
I don’t live near one, but they can be purchased frozen in grocery store, and I amp them up in various way for a great pop of flavor! The cooking method reminds me of this:
At the iconic White Manna Restaurant in Hackensack New Jsersey, they use a large flat grill to slowly cook sliders smothered in raw onion:
The juices caramelize the onion and make for an incredible flavor:
I have eaten here and can’t wait to go back!
See more about this “slider temple” by clicking here!
I have shown you how raw onions are used to make something special.
And if you want to try something even more different, why not an “Oopsie Slider?”
This traditional burger has a unique “oopsie” bun – click here to find out what an “oopsie bun” is and how to make one!
A “Slider” Giveaway!
National Slider Day is celebrated annually on May 15th. This year, White Castle will be giving away a free Original Slider to customers in celebration of the occasion. The offer is available no purchase necessary and can be redeemed using a digital coupon on their website or social media channels, or by entering the code SLIDERDAY on the White Castle app – get your free slider today!
A Worldwide Slider Celebration!
We shouldn’t claim ownership of the “slider” – every single burger around the world can be made this way! The key to an international slider is how local ingredients are incorporated into the recipe…here are some of my favorites!
Spanish Sliders – Hamburguesa!
Let’s get started with Spain, since I had a blast visiting Barcelona…this is a great example of taking a regular burger and giving it an international feel…using some of the special spanish flavors to give the burger a catalonian flavor!
Begin by cooking the burger first with Manchego cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from the La Mancha region in Spain) and Jamón Iberico, (Iberico ham – prosciutto-like ham that comes from Spanish black pigs). Then, top the burger with olive tapenade…you can find recipes for making it, or you can buy it in a jar, but it includes black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Take a bite and you will wake up in Barcelona…
Korean Kimchi Barbecue Sliders
When I was in Seoul, we ate every night at a korean BBQ, where you grill your own meat and seafood on the round grill embedded in your table, then wrap the grilled food around lettuce or thinly sliced pickled vegetables. Taking that as an inspiration, Korean sliders are best when you add pickled cucumbers, a splash of rice vinegar and kimchi.
Let’s’ continue our trip around the world this way:
Japanese Wasabi-Avocado Sliders!
I read about this once and had to make it…it was delicious! It is very simple: a slider patty topped with sliced avocado, and a heavy dose of wasabi mayonaise. Trader Joe’s sells it, or buy some great mayo and wasabi and mix it together to the strength you can handle…this is delicious with a Sapporo! One last look….trust me, MAKE THIS ONE!
Now, here is a unique burger from “down under” you must try as well!
Aussie Sliders!
I uncovered these a few years ago in Melbourne. They add a slice of beetroot underneath the burger. It adds a great, slightly nutty flavor to the slider. Look at how beautiful that big chunk looks on the burger above…Everything else is the same – add cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce if you like – and if you want to go totally Aussie, add a fried egg on top….the best!
I made these at home and they turned out really well! And who says a slider can’t be breakfast too?
The “White Castle” Breakfast Slider!
You can begin your slider-fest first thing in the morning – just click here for an easy and delicious breakfast slider!
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Enjoy – and if you like this story, please feel free to share on social media!
Happy National Slider Day!
Categories: Bacon, Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Burgers, Cheeseburgers, Eat This!, Fast Food, Food, Food Pictures, Food Travel, Food Writing, Recipes, Restaurants, Sliders, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
Happy slider day!
That’s a day that is just perfect for you, John!
Best wishes, Pete.
A lovely tribute to sliders, John. My dad asked me what they are the other day so they have found their way over here.
I love that! Thanks for sharing!