...Whiskey BBQ Sliders.

It was about 9 o'clock last night.  Hunger struck, and it struck hard.  First Dinner (or Healthy Dinner, as I sometimes call it) had come and gone earlier than usual.  I promise I don't have two dinners every night, but when the mood strikes, sometimes you just have to go for it.  And this time, I put in a little extra effort.  Earlier in the day I came across a recipe for Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders, and these tiny burgers had me drooling.  And daydreaming.  And craving.

I had planned on trying out this recipe over the weekend; burgers usually end up somewhere on the What to Stuff My Face with This Weekend top ten list.  Okay, there isn't actually a physical list, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't waiting eagerly all week to chow down on something tasty as soon as Sunday afternoon arrived.

So I threw out that silly idea that burgers were only for weekends, and I made those sliders like there was no tomorrow!  And when tomorrow (today) actually came, I made them again!  They were that good.  I'll admit, I did not read the whole thing until after I made the burgers the first time.  I based them mostly on the pictures and the ingredients I actually had.  And here is what resulted:

[Not So] Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders - Take 1

Take 1 did not involve many pictures.  This was spur of the moment.  So I threw some olive oil in a big pan, formed some ground beef into tiny patties.  Generously topped with salt and pepper.  Burgers in pan.  Cook til appropriate burger consistency is achieved.  You get the idea.  I'm not really the "measured and timed" type.  It's all pretty much guesswork when it comes to cooking.

But here's where it gets good.  Onion.  Whiskey.  Barbeque sauce. A few green chiles (because I didn't have jalepenos, they weren't quite the Spicy Sliders they should have been).  I threw it all into the pan at once, leftover burger grease included.  It looked like this:

The most heavenly smell the world has ever known.

I added a little cheese on top of the burgers and used regular sized potato buns (because I like big buns, and I cannot lie) cut into quarters and toasted.  And don't forget the avocado!

Isn't she cute?

[Not So] Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders - Take 2

Take 2 - The Picture Take!  This time I was prepared to wow you all with fancy pictures.

As you can see, I'm no snob when it comes to ingredients.  Below you will find half of a day-old avocado, beginning to brown.  Johnny Trigg BBQ Sauce, which came as a free gift with purchase from Uline, a shipping materials supplier.  A huge thing of ground chuck.  A bottle of Jack that's been sitting around for about a year, only a couple inches of liquid left in it (not enough to enjoy it, am I right?).  And lets not forget the onion.  I love onion.  It has easily become my favorite add-on to every single meal I make.

The stuff.  Most of it, anyway.

This time I opted for oil and butter.  I'm looking back at the recipe and do not see this on there.  Why did I do this?  I don't remember, but it worked.  Gave the burgers a nice crispy outside. 

Butter.  Oil.  Pan.  Heat it up, baby.

Next step, make tiny patties!  They really are adorable.  Like tasty little meat cookies.  Again, salt and pepper these bad boys.  A lot.  Toss 'em in that buttery goodness.

There's that crispy outside.    Cook til they look done enough to eat.  But don't eat them yet!  Put them on a plate while you cook up the sauce.  It won't take long.

Leave all that tasty grease in the pan and throw in about half an onion, chopped to a desired size.  This is where I went wrong the first time.  I didn't let that onion cook before throwing in the other ingredients.  Let it sizzle awhile!  Cooked onions taste better than raw onions.  Once the onions are nice and brown, it's time to add the whiskey.  I used Jack Daniels.  A tablespoon or two will do.

I think you're supposed to let it cook awhile in just the whiskey.  I didn't add enough to let it cook off, so I poured in the barbecue sauce immediately after.  Maybe half a cup, depending on how saucy you like your burgers.

Add the burgers back to the pan to soak a little, slap 'em on a bun, and enjoy!

Your meal is not complete without a side of bunny-shaped macaroni.  

Ta-da!

This is a meal you'll keep coming back to.  I couldn't even stay away 24 hours!  Enjoy!