Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Sliders

I was in the mood for meatloaf last night. I wanted to try something a little different, though, and started looking for a recipe that might go beyond my regular standby. A recipe made with bacon and cheese caught my eye, and I thought that it would be just right with a few tweaks. Earlier in the day, my husband had mentioned sliders....and, just like that, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Sliders were born. And made. And eaten.

These sliders are some of the best things I've had lately. Remember when you used to fix yourself a sandwich with leftover meatloaf (on Wonder bread)? These are even better, because you get the baked-on sauce in every bite, not just on the top. Plus, they bake faster than a regular-size meatloaf does, so there's not as much waiting. There's a great balance of meatloaf and cheese burger flavors.

Besides, meatloaf sliders are just fun. :)

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Sliders

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground chuck (I used 96% lean)
* 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I substituted Hormel's Real Bacon Bits, 1/3 cup)
* 1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated (I used 4 oz. of lowfat 2% Mexican Blend     shredded cheese)
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted (I think 1/4 cup would work if you used commercial bread   crumbs- they are very fine. I used day-old french bread, toasted, then crumbled, 1/2 cup)
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used 1 tablespoon)
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions (divided use- I put 1/2 in the burger mixture and half on top)
* 1/3 cup ketchup (I used 1/2 cup)
* 2 tablespoons prepared mustard (I used 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard- we don't tend to use much mustard)

* Slider buns or small rolls

* Optional: I also added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the ketchup mixture before dividing it- I like a sweeter meatloaf topping. If you like a more savory topping, just leave this out.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a half-sheet size cookie pan with sides in heavy duty foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the bacon bits, and the next 7 ingredients through the black pepper, mixing well. Stir in a little less than half of the french fried onions (I broke up the larger pieces). Crumble the ground beef into this mixture and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 2 tablespoons ketchup mixture into meat mixture. Reserve remaining ketchup mixture for topping.

Combine the meat mixture thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into small patties, just slightly larger in diameter than the buns you will be using. The 96% lean beef doesn't shrink much. I made indentations in the center of each burger so that they would bake evenly and not puff up in the middle. I ended up with 9 sliders.

Ready for the topping

Place the burgers on the prepared pan, and brush them liberally with the reserved ketchup mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until done (at least 160 degrees, or until no longer pink inside), about 35 to 40 minutes. About 5 minutes before the burgers are done, sprinkle them with the remaining french fried onions (I broke up some of the larger pieces). Bake an additional 5 minutes or until onions are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let burgers sit in the pan for 2 or 3 minutes before serving.

Lightened up and adapted from Paula Deen's Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf