Product Review: Big City Slider Station

Kat loves the little slider burgers that are sometimes on the appetizer list or kids' menu when we go out to eat. I wasn't surprised that the first time Kat saw the late Billy Mays pitching the Big City Slider Station, she started begging me to get one. She told me I needed it.

Although I admit to thinking that it might be a fun little gadget to try out with her, I didn't agree that I needed it, so didn't really consider buying it. However, last week I found myself with a gift card to a store that sells several TV-pitched items, so I decided to get the Slider Station after all.

Kat took one look at the box when she came home from school and shouted, "You got it! You got it!" (I'm so proud of my little foodie!)

I have to say, I'm impressed. The burgers cook all the way through without turning them and the pan is non-stick and easy-to-clean. The directions stated I'd get 14 sliders from one pound of ground beef and guess what? I got exactly 14 sliders from a pound of meat. Everything about it is exactly as advertised! It provides a fun and easy way for kids to help in the kitchen, and is more versatile than you might think at first.

My only complaint is that the pan is small (in order to fit a standard stove burner) and makes only five sliders at a time. Anyone who knows Shane knows that it takes more than five little burgers to fill him up. That wasn't really a problem, though, because the burgers only take 3-1/2 minutes to cook over medium heat. If you were planning to make sliders for a party, you'd either have to make them ahead of time or have three or four of these pans going at once, but for family use, it's easy enough to keep the little burgers warm while you finish a batch.

The Big City Slider Station comes with a booklet of recipes, including instructions for making egg sliders for breakfast biscuit sandwiches. I've tried the basic slider recipe and plan to try the egg sliders soon.

Today I'm going to share are recipe using some of the Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce I reviewed yesterday (click here for a chance to win some of this great sauce). As far as I know, the two products aren't related in any way, but I thought it would be fun to combine the two for this post. Store-bought dinner rolls are just the right size to use for buns, but you could use hot dog buns cut in half, or make your own small buns.




Bacon-Cheddar Sliders with Tangy Horseradish Sauce

1 pound ground beef (I used 90% lean beef for these to reduce shrinkage)
2 Tablespoons Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
4 slices of cheddar cheese, each cut into 4 squares
4-6 slices of bacon, crisply fried, broken into large pieces
Tangy Horseradish Sauce (see below)
Dinner rolls or small buns

Combine beef, Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce and onion salt.

Form into balls using the scoop that comes with the Slider Station...


and place into the pan.


Press top onto burgers...


and cook in the Big City Slider Station per product directions (about 3-1/2 minutes over medium heat).


Drain burgers on paper towels if necessary, but these really weren't as fatty as they might appear in the picture. A lot of that was watery liquid that cooked out of both the meat and the sauce I added to it.

As soon as burgers are taken from the Slider Station, top each with a square of cheese and a small piece of bacon.

Spread bottom half of dinner rolls or buns with Tangy Horseradish Sauce. Top with prepared burger and a little more Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce if you'd like. Add top of bun and enjoy.

Makes 14 slider burgers.


Tangy Horseradish Sauce (for sandwiches or dipping)

1/4 cup mayonnaise (can use salad dressing if preferred)
1/4 cup Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce
2 teaspoons or more of hot prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)

Combine all ingredients. Use as a spread for sandwiches or a dipping sauce for fries.