Patty-cake, patty-cake! We're not talking about sweet cakes here, but rather the juicy patties that come fresh off the grill onto a waiting bun. With barbecue season well underway and a holiday weekend at hand that's ripe with opportunities for grilling up some patties, we turned to some of our favorite kiddie chefs for their takes on the ever-popular burger. With input from Weelicious [1], Jessica Seinfeld [2], Annabel Karmel [3], and Cooking With My Kid [4], here are 20 recipes to celebrate with your little ones.
Jessica Seinfeld's Brainy Salmon Burger
Ground beef does not a burger make! Jessica Seinfeld shares a recipe for Salmon Burgers [5] that are more than a fish on a bun. They're omega-3 fatty acid-filled brain boosters!
Source: Jessica Seinfeld [6]
Annabel Karmel's Healthy Hamburger
To get tots to eat healthy, Annabel recommends making "Healthy Junk Food" – taking their favorite meals and making them over using high-quality, low-fat ingredients. Using organic ground beef, this traditional hamburger [7] can be healthy part of a lil one's dinner routine.
Source: Annabel Karmel [8]
Annabel Karmel's Tofu Vegetable Burgers
Tofu is one of the world's super foods. High in protein and low in fat, its flavor adjusts based on how it is cooked. In this Tofu Vegetable Burger recipe [9], the tofu is combined with cashews and veggies for a truly vegetarian meal that will leave lil ones satisfied.
Source: Annabel Karmel [10]
Annabel Karmel's Funny Face Beef Burgers
To remove some extra calories from the meal, remove the patty from the bun and add some life to it! These Funny Face Beef Burgers [11] won't leave tots wondering what's missing with their addition of spaghetti and vegetables to the plate!
Source: Annabel Karmel [12]
Annabel Karmel's Vegetable Burgers
Making veggie burgers is a great way to increase lil one's vegetable intake. Annabel's video demonstration for making vegetable burgers [13] shows just how easy they can be. The mushrooms, carrots, leeks, and onion all disappear when mixed with Gruyere cheese, cashews, and brown rice.
Source: Annabel Karmel [14]
Mexican-Style Chicken Sliders
Head South of the border with a lighter patty recipe using ground chicken and a variety of spices. Our Mexican-style chicken sliders [15] will have lil ones shouting ole!
Source: Rebecca Gruber
Mural Meal Slider Girls
What do you get when you take the patty off the bun? In our case it's a sophisticated slider girl [16], complete with a pasta face, burger eyes, a string cheese nose, a carrot mouth, spinach hair and a blueberry necklace.
Source: Rebecca Gruber
Veggie-Packed Sliders
LilSugar Community member senorita [17] shared her tips for sneaking some veggies into her lil one's favorite meal. These veggie-packed sliders [18] are big on taste and the wee ones never need to know just how healthy they really are.
Source: Lauren Hendrickson
Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
Who says the cheese must be placed on top of the patty to be enjoyed? This recipe for cheese-stuffed burgers [19] will give tots, and adults, a gooey surprise when they bite into the all-American classic.
Pizza Burger Sliders
Pizza is a lil one favorite, often ending up on their list of top five favorite foods. Building a pizza burger [20] combines the best of both worlds and is tasty too!
Source: Rebecca Gruber
Catherine McCord's Weelicious Salmon Burgers
High in omega-3s (which are brain food for tots) salmon burgers [21] are a great way to get fish into a child's diet while giving them something they can eat with their hands. Put the burger on a bun, offer up some tartar sauce or mayo, and watch them dig right in!
Source: Weelicious [22]
Catherine McCord's Weelicious Garbanzo Burgers
For vegetarian families, or just those looking to introduce some beans into their lil one's diets, these garbanzo burgers [23] are packed with protein, low in fat and high in dietary fiber. With plenty of beans, garlic, and carrots, they'll never miss the meat!
Source: Weelicious [24]
Catherine McCord's Weelicious Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Mini Burgers
Put the barbecued chicken breast on the back burner and go for some ground chicken for your next burger. These chicken sun-dried tomato burgers [25] add some punch to the typical ground chicken patty with the rich flavor of sun-dried tomato.
Source: Weelicious [26]
Catherine McCord's Weelicious Veggie Burgers
Say goodbye to frozen veggie burger patties. These homemade veggie burgers [27] have less sodium, additives, and fillers than the typical grocery store version, and best of all, they can be frozen for a quick dinner in the future.
Source: Weelicious [28]
Catherine McCord's Weelicious Eggplant Burger
For a whole new spin on the burger, try removing the meat and adding in eggplant. Eggplant burgers [29] are a healthy alternative to meat while maintaining much of the texture of a traditional patty.
Source: Weelicious [30]
Cooking With My Kid's Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
These Black Bean Quinoa Burgers [31] may not have traditional ground beef in them, but they are made with beans and today's superfood quinoa for a protein-packed patty that the whole family can enjoy.
Source: Cooking With My Kid [32]
Cooking With My Kid's Hide and Seek Burgers
These are the sliders that started it all in Rebecca Coleman's household. A traditional patty with a hidden surprise (a square of cheese) for tots that make their way into the center of the burger. Called Hide and Seek burgers [33], you'll want to make extras for lil ones who can't get enough of the game!
Source: Cooking With My Kid [34]
Cooking With My Kid's Mini Mediterranean Burgers
A little spice and some different cheeses transform the burger completely. These Mini Mediterranean Burgers [35] are yummy as is, and would probably be tasty if made with ground lamb too!
Source: Cooking With My Kid [36]
Shake Shack's ShackBurger
It might seem crazy, but burger fans of all ages regularly wait in hour-plus lines for a taste of Shake Shack's [37] ShackBurger. Why? Because the burger is classic, unfussy, and pretty much gosh darn perfect. Trust us here, you're kids will love it. Don't live near a Shake Shack? Watch the video for the next best thing: a homemade version of this epic burger icon.
Ingredients
- For the shack sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4 slices kosher dill pickles
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
- For the burgers:
8 ounces ground beef sirloin
4 ounces ground beef chuck
4 ounces ground beef brisket
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 potato burger buns, such as Martin's Sandwich Rolls
4 tablespoons shack sauce
4 leaves of green-leaf lettuce
8 slices ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
4 slices yellow American cheese
Directions
- Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickles, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle. (It makes about 3/4 cup sauce.)
- Gently mix together the sirloin, chuck, and brisket in a mixing bowl until just combined. Form into 4 patties, each about 2 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Split open buns and spread with a thin coating of butter, then toast in a skillet until brown, about 1 minute. Using a squirt bottle, drizzle about 1 tablespoon shake sauce on the top half of each bun. Place 1 lettuce leaf and 2 slices of tomato on top half of each bun.
- Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, then heat over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Generously season beef patties on top side with salt and pepper, then transfer, seasoned side down, to the hot skillet. Use a heavy, flat spatula to press down and lightly flatten the beef patties. Season top-facing side with salt and pepper. Cook until a crisp brown crust has formed, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully loosen any crusty parts of the burger patties from the skillet, and flip over. Top each patty with 1 slice of American cheese and cook until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute longer. Transfer patties to burger bun bottoms, top with the the top bun (including tomatoes and lettuce), and serve hot.
Mac 'n' Cheese Burger
Move over, Ramen Burger [39]; there's a new kid on the block, and it packs the delicious decadence of warm melted cheese into every bite. Just leave the truffles out of this mac 'n' cheese bun burger and watch your little one's go wild, because macaroni and cheese in a bun? Why yes, it can (and should) be done!
Ingredients
- For the macaroni and cheese burger buns:
1/2 pound elbow pasta
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
3 cups cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cups whole milk
4 sheets of gelatin
2 tablespoons truffle butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup gruyère, grated
1/2 pound brie, rind removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
- For the burgers:
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Sriracha
3 romaine lettuce leaves
3 beef burger patties
3 thick slices of tomato
3 tablespoons scallion, thinly sliced on the bias
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- For the macaroni and cheese burger buns: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; spray the paper and sides of the pan with cooking spray.
- In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil. Generously salt the water, then add the pasta and cook until it's al dente, about 5-7 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set pasta aside. Wipe stockpot clean.
- In the same stock pot, set over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Once butter begins to look foamy, add the mushrooms, and cook for 6 minutes, flipping mushrooms once, until mushrooms appear wilted and lightly browned. Transfer mushrooms to a small bowl, and set aside. Wipe stockpot clean.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk over low heat until small bubbles begin to form, about 7-10 minutes. Turn off the flame immediately, but keep the pan on the stove for later use.
- Meanwhile, hydrate the gelatin sheets by covering them with cold water until bloomed.
- In the stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons truffle butter and 2 tablespoons salted butter over low heat. Add flour, and whisk constantly for 2 minutes, until a smooth paste forms. Slowly stir in milk in 1/4 cup increments. Be careful as it will bubble. Stir with each addition of milk, so no clumps form in the sauce. Continue to stir and cook 1-2 minutes more, until it thickens and is smooth.
- Drain the water from the bloomed gelatin, wringing excess water off. Add the gelatin to the sauce, and whisk until completely incorporated and smooth. Add the brie and gruyère, and whisk until the cheese melts completely into the sauce. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, mushroom juices, and pasta. Continue cooking until mixture is heated through and simmering. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the prepared truffle macaroni and cheese onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly; cover with another piece of parchment paper. Place a second baking sheet on top, and place a few soup cans on top to press and weigh it down. Place the tray in the fridge until fully chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
- Once ready to fry the burger buns, whisk the egg in a wide, shallow bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the bread crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a third bowl.
- Remove the truffle macaroni and cheese from the fridge. Using a 3-1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 6 macaroni and cheese buns. Dredge each bun in the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the discs in batches, turning gently, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep the buns warm in a 200°F oven.
- For the burgers: Whisk together the Sriracha and ketchup in a small bowl. Season the hamburger patties with salt, and cook them over medium-high heat until medium rare or to your preferred degree of doneness.
- For each burger, layer in this order: a macaroni and cheese bun, a romaine lettuce leaf, a burger patty, 1 tablespoon ketchup, a slice of tomato, 1 tablespoon scallions, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, and the second macaroni and cheese bun. Serve immediately.
