Once in awhile, I just want a good  homemade cheeseburger………and I really like sliders. Sliders are nice compact little sandwiches like a White Castle or a Krystal’s (the Southern version of the White Castle), but with a little bit more meat.

I was inspired by Chef Wesley Genovart’s full sized Bacon-Kimchi Burgers. He  makes these over-the-top, Shake Shack–inspired burgers with two thin stacked patties, thick-cut bacon, kimchi and a spicy homemade sauce.

Adapted from Chef Wesley Genovart
Food & Wine Magazine, June 2015.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sambal oelek (Indonesian chile sauce)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup creme fraiche
4 slices of thick-cut bacon
1/4 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices of American cheese
4 slices of Mozzarella cheese
4 Martin Whole wheat slider buns, toasted
1 cup chopped drained cabbage kimchi
Baby spinach leaves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the bacon on top. Bake the bacon for about 8 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sambal with the mayonnaise and ketchup and mix well.

Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Form the beef into eight 1/4-inch-thick burgers and season with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron grill skillet over high heat. Cook the burgers, turning, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Make 4 stacks of 2 burgers each in the skillet  and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sambal mayo over each stack. Top with the cheese, cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook over high heat just until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Spread the remaining sambal mayo on the bottom buns. Top the sliders with spinach, bacon and kimchi, close with the top bun and serve with French fries.