Turkey Meatloaf Sliders on Cheddar Potato Biscuits

Let’s talk about small things with big impact.

Baby cats:  fluffy, hoppy, wide-eyed, clever, undeniably cute… we’ll call them kittens and let them rule the Internet.

Baby dogs:  dopey, big-pawed, gregarious, and sweet… we’ll call them puppies and occasionally let them interact with baby cats on the Internet because we like variety in our fluff.

Baby burgers:  bite-sized but ample, party-ready,  Summer-ready, totally snackable, someone please inflate the pool toys, did you bring beer, these are perfect … we’ll call them sliders and make them by the dozens and wave our neighbors over to get in on the goodness.

This recipe is from Jon’s new book The Slider Effect which is home to some fantastically imagined small sandwiches perfect for this seasons snacking enjoyment.

Cheddar Potato Biscuits are buttery, sharp and rich, salty and tender.  They’re all the good biscuit words.

Split in half and layered with saucey meatloaf, sweet tomatoes and crisp lettuce.  Are you already daydreaming these in your weekend.  Gosh I hope so!

We’re going to start with biscuits.

One of the best tricks Jon has shown me in the kitchen has to do with biscuits.  Pshaw… I thought I knew everything.

Jon uses a potato masher to quickly blend the dry ingredients and (more importantly) mash the butter into the flour mixture.

It’s cleaner on the hands and really just comes together in a flash!  Try it.  It’s a gem of a trick.

As with all good biscuits, cold butter is key.  I use unsalted butter to control the salt I add to the biscuits.

For more on that wizardry, see:  Why We Use Unsalted Butter.  Knowledge is power when it comes to butter and baking.

The cold butter will be just about the size of peas.  Still chilled and ready for more.

These sliders will use a big ol’ roasted potato in two ways:  grated into the biscuits and grated into the turkey sliders.

I roasted the potato the day before, cooled it to room temperature, peeled, and grated on the coarse side of a box grater.

The potato adds a starchy creaminess to the biscuits.  It’s a very good idea.

Where would a potato biscuit be without a hearty amount of grated sharp cheddar cheese?

We’re simulated baked potatoes with the butter, cheddar, and soured dairy.

Buttermilk is added to the buttery biscuit batter.  It’s cold too.  Mind on temperature to ensure that the butter stays cold so the biscuits lift hiiigh.

The dough is slightly sticky so try not to overmix it in the bowl.  I bring the biscuits to this shaggy mixture and then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead it for a few turns then press to about a 1-inch thickness.

2 1/4-inch biscuits rounds and the biscuit scraps are re-rolled to make more biscuits.  Not a scrap to waste just because they’re so delicious.

The biscuits are placed on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked to golden and melty.

It’s hard not to nibble on one but I promise it’s worth the meatloaf wait!

Meatloaf time!

I used a pound of dark ground turkey meat (I like the extra dose of fat for moisture), the remaining grated roasted potato (about 1 heaping cup), and sauteed onions and garlic.

Ketchup, mustard, milk-doused bread crumbs, eggs, plus plenty of salt and pepper.

Worcestershire sauce add a bright savory quality to the meatloaf so certainly don’t skip!

Portioned with a large cookie scoop, these patties are about 1/3 cup each and shaped (I totally used my hands) into 2-inch wide disks.

To top the biscuits:  ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Like special sauce for meatloaf keeping things moist and flavorful.

Assembly goes a little something like this.

Gather round and make your own!

So so so good.  Like childhood’s meatloaf dinner and potato wrapped up in one fine sandwich. The biscuits are tender and proportioned to not overwhelm the turkey meatloaf in the slider.  With fresh tomato and crisp lettuce, I promise you’ll get through these in about four bites.  Just when you wonder if the biscuit might give way, you’re done!  That’s the sign of a good slider.

Turkey Meatloaf Sliders with Cheddar Potato Biscuits

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 45
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Biscuits

• 1 heaping cup grated potato*
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup buttermilk

For the Meatloaf

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 heaping cup grated potato
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

For the Topping

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
• pinch of salt

For the Sandwich

• Iceburg lettuce leaves
• 3 tomatoes, sliced

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Instructions

1. *Wrap a large russett potato in foil and bake until tender through. Test by inserting a knife through the potato until it is soft throughout. This takes about 40 to 50 minutes depending on the size of your potato. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before peeling.
2. (I baked my potato the day before making these biscuits and meatloaf and the cooled potato was easy to grate on a box grater.)
3. To make the biscuits, first place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, toss together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Add the cold butter and cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or potato masher until the dough resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
5. Add the grated potato and cheese and toss to combine
6. Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It may be sticks, but don’t panic. Transfer to a well-floured work surface and knead a few times to smooth out. Fold the dough onto itself about 4 times, turning clockwise after each fold and patting the dough with your hands until it’s about 3/4-inch thick.
7. Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut rounds. Re-rolling any scraps to make more biscuits.
8. Place on a prepared baking sheet and brush generously with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Bake biscuits for 12 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to rest on the pan until cool enough to handle.
10. To make the meatloaf, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
11. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add onions and saute until they are transluscent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
12. In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Add the turkey, grated potato, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and onion and garlic mixture.
13. Mix by hand or with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
14. Use a large cookie scoop to portion balls into prepared baking sheet. Balls will be about 1/3 cup in size. Use your hands to pat into a roughly 2-inch disk, leaving about 2-inches in between each patty.
15. In a small bowl whisk together ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and salt. Brush the top of each patty with mixture.
16. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Allow to cool just slightly before assembling the sandwiches.
17. To assemble the sliders, split each biscuit in half. Brush half of the biscuits with mustard if you’d like. Top with a meatloaf patty, tomato slices, and a few lettuce leaves. Top with the top biscuit and skewer with a pick. Enjoy slightly warm.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4