Bacon Cheeseburger Slider Bake (ok to freeze)

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• GLAZE:
• 2 packages (18 ounces each) Hawaiian sweet rolls
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 24 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Details

Servings 24
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Without separating rolls, cut each package of rolls horizontally in half; arrange bottom halves in two greased 13x9-in. baking pans. Sprinkle each pan of rolls with 1 cup cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until combined.

Spoon beef mixture evenly over rolls; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with bacon. Replace tops. For glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl combine butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Microwave, covered, on high until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Pour over rolls; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked sandwiches; prepare and freeze glaze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour glaze over buns and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake sandwiches as directed, increasing time by 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
Yield: 2 dozen.

Test Kitchen Tips

Here in our Test Kitchen, we adore this sweet and savory combination! If you want a more classic burger flavor, just use a package of dinner rolls in place of the Hawaiian rolls.

Lighten up! Use ground turkey in place of ground beef and halve the glaze.

These make fantastic party fare. Dishes of ingredients can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just glaze and bake the day of your event. You may need 5 to 10 minutes more baking time to take the chill off.

Originally published as Bacon Cheeseburger Slider Bake in Make & Take Cookbook Bookazine
2016, p9