I ‘m not what you would call a rabid sports fan.
But my husband, being a sportscaster when we got married, is one and we’ve raised three sons who are committed. I also have brothers and friends who are pretty hard core, so I’ve seen my share of football, baseball and basketball games.
And while I don’t love the games themselves, I do love a good tailgate.
Because I’m a caterer, you won’t be surprised to learn that people kind of expect me to bring a pretty good offering to any tailgate when I’m invited. Over the years, I’ve made meatballs, deliciously gooey dips, the current trendy favorite charcuterie boards and chocolate raspberry brownies that people seem to love more than just about anything else.
But truthfully, none of these are the things I go for at a tailgate. I want a slider.
We offer many sandwich combinations, but my favorite is beef with caramelized onions, enough cheese to hold everything together and a perfectly zingy horseradish sauce. They’re delicious hot, and even pretty wonderful cold, and if you decide to make them, double the amount you think you need. They’ll all be gone in the end. Just remember to put a few sliders aside for you!
Roast Beef Sliders with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 12 small rolls (I prefer the Hawaiian sweet rolls)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 Dijon mustard
- 2-3 tbsp tablespoons grated horseradish (depending on how hot you like it)
- 1 lb sliced deli roast beef, sliced thin (I like to get the one that looks most rare or use leftover beef from a roast or tenderloin)
- 6 slices cheese of your choice (I love cheddar or provolone; I’ve also used shredded gruyere)
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 2 tbsp Everything Bagel seasoning (found in a bottle in the spice aisle)
For Caramelized Onions
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced (I love to use a sweet onion on these)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Caramelized onions
- Put fats in a large skillet and melt together.
- Add onion slices and sprinkle with salt. Cook slowly over medium heat, stirring regularly. This will allow them to cook and get soft and brown. It will take about 20 mins. You can go longer depending on how brown and soft you want them to go.
Roast beef sliders
- Slice rolls in half and place bottoms on a baking sheet.
- Mix together mayonnaise, ¼ cup Dijon and horseradish. Spread evenly over the cut side of the buns.
- Top with the beef, cheese and caramelized onions. Put top back on buns.
- Melt butter, the tablespoon of remaining Dijon, sugar and Worcestershire in a small saucepan or microwave. Spoon over the sandwiches, then sprinkle Everything Bagel seasoning on top.
- Cover loosely with foil and put in oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until brown and cheese has melted.
