Oh my GOSH these are delicious. They are so, so, so flavorful and have so many different textures going on. It is the perfect bite. You have the soft potato roll, the crunch from the bottom of the toasted bun, the crisp bite from the arugula and onion, creamy deliciousness from the pimento cheese, and then a juicy flavor explosion from the slider.
Chew that amazing mouthful and repeat. A million times.
There are several reasons why these sliders are particularly amazing. And by amazing I mean the best things ever.
Number 1: A whole cup of pimento cheese goes into the ground turkey before making the patties and cooking them. These aren’t like regular pimento cheese burgers where they slap a dollop on top and call it a day, these also have the pimento cheese inside the burger. This gives you so much more of the pimento cheese flavor. Which is good. We like that.
Number 2: It has the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Like I talked about earlier, the combination of textures between the toasted bun, crisp onions and arugula, creamy pimento cheese, and juicy slider patty makes this the most amazing bite. But not only are the combination of the textures amazing, the combination of flavors are perfect as well. The potato bun adds a delicious sweetness to the slider, the arugula adds a fresh peppery note, the onion adds a sharp bite, the pimento cheese adds amazing cheesy/pimento-y/garlicy/delicious flavor, and then the patty just puts everything over the top. Overall…mouthwatering combo of textures and flavors.
Number 3: Two things specifically about this slider lighten it up a bit. First of all, the patty is made of turkey rather than beef. You can’t even tell it is healthier. It tastes just as good as any fatty cheddar, bacon, beef burger you will ever eat. Second of all, instead of using traditional mayonnaise in the pimento cheese, we use Vegenaise. Is Vegenaise lighter than regular mayo? Yes. Is it healthy? No. It is nowhere near using something like Greek yogurt as a subsitute, but it is better than using straight up mayonnaise. And it tastes the exact same to me…literally I could not tell the difference if you blind taste tested me, and it is an easy way to lighten up your dish a bit!
These sliders are seriously amazing. You can easily make them into full size burgers if that is what your heart desires, but I find the sliders are perfect for appetizers, and also perfect for portion control. If you put one of these on your plate and eat it with a salad, it should really be enough. It is definitely a better option than having a massive burger sitting in front of you and being more likely to stuff your face since it’s right there, begging you to finish it.
You will love these sliders.
Here is the recipe:
- For the pimento cheese:
- 3 cups fresh grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Vegenaise
- 1 4oz jar pimentos
- ¼ cup reduced fat cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- For the sliders:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup pimento cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ onion
- 8 potato slider buns
- For the pimento cheese, start by grating 3 cups of cheddar and adding it to a large bowl
- To the cheese, add the rest of the ingredients (vegenaise, pimentos, cream cheese, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
- Mix together until everything is evenly combined
- For the sliders, add the ground turkey to a medium bowl
- To the ground turkey, add 1 cup of the pimento cheese and ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix together until everything is evenly combined
- Form the mixture into 8 even patties
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat with a little olive oil
- Place the patties in the hot pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the turkey is completely cooked through
- Toast the potato slider buns (you can use a toaster, broiler, or any other method you want)
- To assemble, place a turkey patty onto the bottom of a potato bun, top with a spoonful of pimento cheese, arugula, and little bit of onion
Gluten Free? Try eliminating the bun and using a lettuce wrap instead!
If you make this or any of my recipes, make sure to Instagram them and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
February 18, 2015 at 4:06 pmI definitely am craving a couple of these turkey sliders right now – they look so incredibly moorish and delicious!
Thalia @ butter and brioche recently posted…Orange Blossom, Rosemary and Ricotta Hotcakes
Annie Chesson says
February 21, 2015 at 11:43 amThanks Thalia! They are so flavorful – you should definitely try them!!
Keri @ Fashionable Foods says
February 18, 2015 at 10:01 amI love turkey burgers, sliders, arugula and sliced onions..but I’ve never tried pimento cheese! My mouth is watering just looking at it, so I know I’ll love it. I will definitely be trying these in lettuce wraps as you suggested.
Keri @ Fashionable Foods recently posted…Homemade Meatballs and Marinara Sauce
Annie Chesson says
February 21, 2015 at 11:46 amOh my goodness, you HAVE to try pimento cheese! It is one of the most delicious things on the planet. Especially in these sliders :).