I think it’s important not to deprive ourselves too much and get too fanatical about nutrition. Nothing beats a good burger on occasion. That being said, making them with high quality natural ingredients and adding in extra vegetables is the best way to go. I made these with really lean turkey but then added in some bacon for extra flavor, and a range of dairy products, vegetables, whole grains and a special superfood (hemp seeds) for boosts in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. They can be served on any kind of lettuce, I used a combination of iceberg and kale because I was feeling fancy but purple radicchio would look really fancy and romaine or butter lettuce would work well too. They can be served as appetizers for a bunch of people or as an entree for four to six people, depending on appetite levels and how many side dishes there are. They store well in the fridge for a few days.
These take a bit of time to put together because there is a cooking portion in the prep phase for the bacon and millet or quinoa, but that can be done earlier in the day or the night before and set aside until it’s time to put the sliders together. There is a pretty small amount of millet needed to go to the trouble of cooking it just for this, I quadrupled the amount and put the extras in the fridge to use throughout the week. I like to throw it into salads and omelets or use it as a base for serving meat and seafood.
- Sliders
- 1½ lbs extra lean ground turkey
- ½ lb package of bacon (around 250 grams or 11 slices)
- ½ cup millet or quinoa
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup hemp hearts
- ½ cup feta
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced thinly
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped finely (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Creamy avocado dressing
- 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Base: 16 lettuce leaves
- Optional topping: sliced green onion and fresh cilantro
- Sliders
- The first step is to cook the millet and bacon, which can be done simultaneously. Place the millet in a medium sized pot on the stove with one cup of water or broth (liquid should be around double the amount of the grains) and a dash of sea salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked and all the water is absorbed. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes before combining with everything else. Place the bacon on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil, insert into a cold oven and turn the oven to 400°. Leave to cook for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness), until browned and crispy and then remove from oven and blot with paper towels. Once cooled, break into small pieces and combine in a large bowl with the millet and all the other slider ingredients. Mix until evenly combined then form into small patties, using around ¼ cup for each patty. Bake (still at 400°) for 25 minutes, flipping them all over after the first 15.
- Creamy avocado dressing
- Combine all the ingredients together and mash until combined. Place a dollop on each slider and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and green onion.