Posted By Vicky on October 19, 2009

Whilst shopping at Wegmans… which is a topic worthy of its own post… I came across some bacon cheddar slider burgers made with 80% lean ground beef and ready to cook.  Before this, I had never thought to make my own sliders before.  This is probably because I had never seen the new Pepperidge Farm slider buns.  They’re available in white and wheat, and they’re so cute!  At least, I think they’re new.  My package has “NEW!” splashed across the front.  However, the ones shown on the Pepperidge Farm website do not.

Tiny buns.

Because it is rare that I eat white carbs like bread, I don’t often make burgers.  My husband adores burgers.  When I make them, I typically help myself to 1/2 or so of a regular-sized burger with no bun, while I make a regular bunny burger for my sweet prince.  Well, it dawned on me today that I could make my own sliders out of even leaner ground beef or ground turkey or ground pork.  I can experiment with bacon, different kinds of shredded cheese… whatever my imagination can conjure up.  I can serve several, bun and all, to my husband for probably less calories than the one or two burgers he would normally have… and I can make my own small slider and feel like I’m allowed to have a whole serving of something for once.  I will still forego the bun, but I can have an actual whole cute little round burger on my plate.  How exciting!  Ok, well, it ain’t that exciting… but the possibilities for experimentation certainly are.

Football fare!

Yesterday, being out of counter space and in a hurry to get them done before game time, I threw the Wegmans burgers into a skillet with a little canola oil and cooked em up the lazy way.   Normally I use my Cuisinart Griddler which requires no oil, drains off a lot of fat, and has removable dishwasher-safe grilling plates.   (I love this thing!)   I topped them each with 1/4 slice of sharp cheddar and served them with ketchup. Since I eat mine with a fork instead of a bun, I sacrificed mine to the “see if they’re done” cutting.

Four sliders and 2/3 a banana for my man.

My 2 sliders and 1/3 banana.

As you can see, I used a salad plate while my husband received a dinner plate.  I always use small plates and small utensils at home.  Doing so helps me to control my portions, and it psyches me into thinking I have more food than I do.  I’ve been doing this for several years now.  Trust me… it works!  In fact, I picked up a good book on this very topic a few months ago: The 9-Inch ‘Diet’: Exposing the Big Conspiracy in America The book talks very specifically about how plate sizes have grown over the years and how this increase has affected our average calorie intake. Very interesting stuff and worth a browse next time you’re parked at the Barnes & Noble cafe.

In spite of watching our home team lose another heartbreaker of a game, we had a lovely lunch and a good day. I can’t wait to make more sliders. One more thing to note… as I was putting the slider buns away, I noticed they were exactly the same size as some dinner rolls I picked up from the Safeway bakery last week. I must remember to see if they’re cheaper than the specially made Pepperidge Farm rolls. Bet they are!

Categories: General
Tags: Beef, Low Carb, Low Sugar, Protein, Sugar Free, Under 10 Carbs, Under 15 Carbs