Garlic Mushroom Sliders with Sharp Cheddar wrapped in Puff Pastry

I’m not sure I could come up with a more perfect Superbowl food if I tried. Garlic Mushroom Sliders stuffed with Sharp Cheddar and wrapped in Puff Pastry. I mean, come on. COME ON!

My grandma and I used to pal around quite a bit. We had such a great relationship and almost eight years later, I still miss her like mad. I used to go pick her up a few times a month and we’d have a girls day. Sometimes it included shopping, others a movie but it always involved lunch. We seemed to frequent the same few places. Her personality was larger than life and I think she liked going places where the staff would greet her, make a fuss over her and she could be the star- my gram was a bit of a show off, you see. Always the center of attention and ALWAYS the life of the party.

She LOVED to go to this dive bar, The Cotton Bottom for a cold beer and garlic burger. Not a likely place for a women in her late seventies but she didn’t care. I was a struggling college student. Who was I to turn down a free lunch and a cold beer on a Tuesday afternoon? At the time, you could still smoke in bars so we’d overlook the dingy, smoky atmosphere and instead focus on the greasy, uber garlic laden burger and icy cold beer that would fill our bellies and put the biggest smile on our faces.

She’d always, always, always only ate half. She was funny that way. For as long as I could remember, she always was so good at practicing self restraint. Half was enough so that’s where she stopped. Never one to waste anything, she’d wrap the other half in a bunch of napkins and tuck it away in her purse to have for dinner that night or lunch the next day. Can you just imagine what her purse must of smelled like? I mean really. A garlic burger stuffed in an old ladies purse? I tell you it was Seinfeld material. I, on the other hand, ate my entire burger and went home each time with a too full belly and proceeded to take a nap.

These sliders are sort of an ode to my grandma and the garlic burger at the Cotton Bottom. Only mine are a little more refined and because they’re slider size, one is the perfect size. Unless you’re my husband and then I think 4 is his magic number. Preferably on a paper plate with two big blobs of ketchup and mustard respectively so he can drag them through and make a mess.

These are dec-a-dent thanks to a cube of sharp cheddar nestled amongst the grass fed beef and oodles of garlic sautéed mushrooms. Instead of the bun, I opted for puff pastry. It’s buttery, flakey and the perfect blanket for these sliders. These are a splurge, there’s no doubt about it. But I like the make-ahead factor and like I talked about on Tuesday, I’m all about bite sized food and mini versions of food. P-p-p-perfect for the big game this weekend.

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember the turkey burger sliders wrapped in puff pastry I made a few years ago. The turkey burgers are a take on Oprah’s favorite recipe and I served them with an avocado aioli. They were so good the first time, I wanted to make a new version this year. Go wild this weekend and make both- they’re equally amazing!

Have a great weekend, everyone and enjoy the big game. It finally snowed here so I’m off to the mountain for some fresh turns and face shots. Taking my workout outside today!!

Garlic Mushroom Sliders with Sharp Cheddar wrapped in Puff Pastry

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and diced small
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lb organic 80% lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 oz white cheddar cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 package puff pastry

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
2. In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, only stirring a few times until soft and starting to brown. Turn heat back down to medium and add garlic + a pinch of kosher salt. Cook 1-2 minutes more and remove mushrooms from heat.
3. In a bowl, combine ground beef, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Stir just to combine, taking care not to over mix.
4. Divide beef mixture into 10 even sliders. Make a dent in the middle and place a piece of cheddar cheese. Wrap the burger around the cheese so it’s covered.
5. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear burgers on each side for 1-2 minutes just until brown. Remove from pan and place on a plate to completely cool before you wrap them in puff pastry.
6. You’ll use one 1 1/2 sheets of the puff pastry. Cut each sheet into 6 squares and wrap each burger, pulling the puff pastry to that the burger is totally covered.
7. Place seem side down on a lined baking sheet and if desired, use an egg wash to brush the top and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
8. Cook for 20 minutes until puff pastry is brown. Let cool 5 minutes before digging in!