Swedish Sliders or Good Old Number 87

If you watch much football, as we do in our home, you know certain players by name and number. I developed this recipe for last week's game and to honor Green Bay Packer Jordy Nelson (a.k.a. 87). I don't know whether Jordy is a Swedish American but his name is certainly Swedish, and he hails from Kansas, so I'm thinking the odds are pretty good. Either way, these sliders are as rich and wonderful as the tradition of Packer Football.

The patties mimic the flavors of typical Swedish meatballs. I used the grassfed beef our butcher sells in bulk. That beef is rather salty, so I added nothing more than a small shot of celery salt. Vary salt according to your ground meat of choice. This recipe would be great with poultry or pork, as well.

Swedish Sliders
Makes 6
3/4 pounds ground beef
1/2 white onion, grated
1 egg yolk
1/2 white bun or a small piece of bread, crumbed
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup potato, riced or mashed well
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix well all ingredients. Mixture will be quite moist. Form into 6 small patties and chill for 30 minutes.

Melt a few tablespoons of butter and a bit of olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet. Pan fry patties in two batches, about 5 minutes each side or until done.

To serve, butter and oven toast 6 small bakery buns. Melt a slice of Jarlsberg cheese over each pattie, if desired. Serve with pickled cucumbers, dill mustard, and lingonberry ketchup.

Dill Mustard
Combine 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill with 2 tablespoons prepared mustard. Set aside 15 - 30 minutes.

Lingonberry Ketchup
Combine 3 tablespoons lingonberry preserves with 1 tablespoon ketchup. Can be served immediately, or chilled for several days.