Fire up the grill for a hand-held, soup-inspired, fantastic grilled supper:

Stuffed French Onion Soup Sliders!

Think savory French Onion Soup – beefy broth, sweet caramelized onions, melted cheese, and toasted bread – in slider form. I want to pinch their baby burger cheeks!

I don’t know how or why I came to crave these stuffed burgers (gosh I’m interesting) but I do know that we’re on day 2 of “sticky floor”, aka hot & humid, weather around here, and nothing sounds better than a quick dinner made primarily on the grill. These are soooooo good, and really easy too!

Start the sliders by caramelizing a couple of jumbo sweet onions, which are arguably the star of both French Onion Soup AND these sliders. Just peel the onions, cut them in half, then thinly slice each half.

Next, melt 1 Tablespoon each butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Like a 5 out of 10. You want these babies to cook looow and slooow.

Add the onions, toss to coat in the butter and oil, then let them cook, stirring every so often, for 20-30 minutes.

 

Slowly the onions start to transform and sweeten up.

 

The natural sugars in the onion will caramelize, and soon you’ll have a skillet full of what I fondly refer to as, onion candy.

 

What? It’s true! You won’t believe how sweet these suckers get!

Mmkay. While the onions are caramelizing, get to work on the slider portion of the program. You’ll need 1lb lean ground beef (I used 90/10) and 2 Tablespoons Onion Soup & Dip Mix (that’s half of 1 packet.)

 

The flavor from the beef mimics the savory broth of French Onion Soup, while the onion soup & dip mix contains a perfect blend of yummy, soup spices.

Add in 1/4 cup water, then mix it all up with your hands.

 

Form the mixture into 8, equal sized balls. I usually divide the beef into quarters in the bowl, then divide each quarter in half to make sure everyone comes out the same size.

Next, turn your attention to da cheese. Fontina! My favorite cheese, due to its mild taste, creamy texture, and tremendous melting abilities.

Fontina is typically sliced then broiled over bowls of French Onion Soup, but today we’re gonna use it to stuff inside the sliders!

Cut the cheese into 8 cubes, then press your thumb into the middle of each beef ball and stuff a cube inside. Seal the beef tightly around the cheese so it doesn’t leak out while the sliders are grilling. Press the balls into patties, then head out to the grill.

 

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grill the sliders for 5-6 minutes a side. Do not grill over high heat, as the cheese will burst out of the sliders and onto the grates. Wasted melted cheese is a terrible thing.

During the last minute or so, pop the slider rolls onto the grill to toast up. It’s my nod to French Onion Soup’s toasted bread hunk floating under the cheese and amongst the beefy broth. I used tea rolls, but any small bun will do.

When the sliders are cooked through, remove them to a plate, cover with foil, and let them rest for at least 5 minutes.

Place the rested sliders onto the toasted buns, top with caramelized onions, and dig in!

Stuffed French Onion Soup Sliders

Print this recipe!

Makes 8 sliders

Ingredients:

2 jumbo sweet onions, cut in half, then sliced thin

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2oz fontina cheese

1lb lean ground beef

2 Tablespoons (1/2 packet) Onion Soup & Dip Mix

1/4 cup water

8 tea or cocktail rolls, or any small bun

Directions:

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (5 out of 10.) Add onions and toss to coat. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden brown. Turn heat down during the cooking process if onions begin to burn.

2. Meanwhile, cut fontina cheese into 8 cubes. In a large bowl, combine ground beef with onion soup & dip mix and water, then form into 8 balls. Push your thumb into the balls to create an indentation, then stuff with a cheese cube. Seal tightly, then flatten slightly into a patty. Repeat with remaining cheese and ground beef.

3. Heat grill to medium-high, then grill sliders for 5-6 minutes a side. Remove to a plate, cover with foil, then let rest for 5 minutes. Toast buns briefly on the grill, then top sliders with caramelized onions and serve.

Tips: To prevent cheese from leaking out of the sliders while grilling, seal the beef tightly around the cheese, and cook them low and slow. Resist the urge to grill the sliders over a super hot flame, which will cause the cheese to bubble and burst out.

You could literally put caramelized onions on anything, and I would gobble it up. They are sticky-sweet, and insanely delish.

The molten flow of fontina stuffed in the center comes in a close second though, and I just love how the onion soup & dip mix makes these sliders taste just like their soupy sister.

Plus, MINI THINGS!

Have a good one!