Long before Himself and children, my roommate Sara and I would make the trek to White Castle's for some sliders or Gut Busters as we liked to call them. Piping hot and smelling so good we could down two or three before our brain knew what was happening and made us slow down. Kinda like Krispie Kreme Hot and Nows. Those days are far away and so is the nearest White Castle, therefore I have resorted to making my own. I have tried the frozen kind but I prefer fresh.
Let's start. First evenly cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with 1/2 cup dried onion flakes. 
Firmly pat 2 pounds of ground chuck over top of the onion flakes and sprinkle with your favorite seasoned salt. It must be chuck to render juices, a lean ground beef will be too dry. You need an 80/20 combo for good flavor and juices.
Bake for 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven. The beef will shrink and the onions will rehydrate from the meat juices, er, grease. Blot grease from the top of the giant patty, cover with 6 slices cheddar cheese and return to oven for 2 more minutes.
Cut the burger patty into 24 pieces. 
Slice open 24 party rolls and separate. Place bottoms of rolls on a platter. Using a small spatula, lift patties with onions and place on each bun bottom.
Top each slider with a dill slice.
Top off with bun lids and enjoy immediately.
Look at the juicy layer of onions, a signature of White Castle Sliders.
White Castle-like Sliders
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls- I use Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls
24 dill pickle slices
Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders.
Note- I store these upside-down in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the onion layer. To reheat, place a few on a microwave safe plate and heat in the mircowave for 20 seconds then 5 second increments after that until warm through.
Our last day of school is this Friday, a bittersweet day actually. I look forward to being off with my children this summer but it also hurts me that another year has passed all too quickly. I wish I could slow down time when it comes to my children growing up so fast.
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112 comments:
Those look so good. Even this early in the morning. This will be great this summer when I have a house full of kids. Thanks!
I'm with Sabrina - I could do this for breakfast right now! I think I know what Friday dinner is going to be!!
This is the best idea I've seen in a long time! I'm excited to find it--my hubby love, love, loves White Castle burgers (yes those frozen kind.)
Talk about bittersweet days--my son had a popcorn and lemonade blow-out in his driveway when his kids got home from their last day of school last week. It doesn't seem that long to me since he was the one coming home from school. :(
This is such a great idea. When we have the crowd for labor day weekend I am going to make them. You are so right about kids growing up too fast. My son is 30 and I love the man he has become, but I miss the little boy playing with Legos.
Just great, now I can make gut busters at home!! ;-) They're wonderful, I have a White Castle that isn't to close by, so it's a treat now & then when we're in the area.
I have never been to White Castle, only had the frozen version, but I am loving this homemade style!!
Even though I grew up on the East Coast, we never lived close enough to a White Castle for me to try the burgers. Well...maybe when I lived in New York - but those first 2 years I wasn't eating any fast food.
I love all those onions on the bottom!
I've never been to White Castle or had a slider, but I keep seeing them pop up here and there in blogland.
You are just brilliant, though, for making them in a lasagna dish and then cutting them apart. I thought you made a ton of little patties. I love the idea and my son would too.
We used to go to White Castle when I was a kid. I remember my brother would eat six! They bring back fun memories. Great idea for how to make them at home.
How cute! Those look and sound so good right now! :)
I love your how to, it's the best I've seen...easy-peasy.
These look absolutely delicious! The onion layer must be heaven :)
tragically, i've never been to white castle OR eaten a slider. golly, that makes me feel sad just typing it. i love this how-to, and the little burgers look tremendously tasty. :)
I just love the name of your blog...now I want a Big Red Kitchen!!
I look forward to more great recipes...
Next time my brother comes to town, I am definitely making these for him - he doesn't mind the onions!!
Great recipe as usual!
How easy and cool these are! My 11 yo will devour these things of beauty. He's a bottomless pit at this age.
DS just "graduated" from 5th grade and will start Middle School next year. I know what you're saying about time flying...
I've never been to White Castle, and don't think I've seen one anywhere near here...so I'll be over!
I'm bookmarking this!! A couple of decades ago, I tried to recreate Krystal's burger with a recipe from a Top Secret Recipe cookbook. It used beef baby food- (I almost gag to think about it). But....I made it anyway and my husband LOVED it! This recipe looks much more approachable and palateable- like something we'll like so well that it won't take 2 decades to repeat. Thanks for sharing this fun meal. :)
Even though I have lived near white castles my whole life, I have never had one!
My Mom would send my brother frozen sliders to college (we went to the same college for a year) and he would nuke them in the microwave and all his friends would be running because they loved the smell.
Your version looks great, maybe I will try the home made version instead!!
Would you believe that I've never had a white castle? They sure look good!
I grew up on Long Island and the White Castle "ratburger" was king. This was the typical order for a 16 year old guy: "I'll have a dozen rats with cheese. Tuck in the tails, walk 'em."
Translation: "I would like to order twelve cheeseburgers for take out, please." (The "tuck in the tails" referred to the unique packaging.)
Such a great idea!!! Absolutely love it, makes everything much easier to handle. Now I can handle a Summer party. Love the pictures!
So cute!!! I'd like to place my delivery order please! lol. Yummy Robin....I am so making those!
Holy Jeebus those look delicious.
I once read that the "secret" ingredient in sliders was beef liver. That is why someone mentioned using baby food to re-create Krystal's burgers. I think that I might try this, with some ground-up beef liver added.
I grew up in St. Louis, and we made regular slider runs from the dorms at SLU and at my first teaching job. In my younger days I could keep up with the guys and eat an entire dozen!
How I miss White Castle now that I live in hot, miserable Texas.
Marla
My husband's favorite was always 5 and a fry. I can hardly tolerate the smell of the real White Castles (sorry to say) but these at least look edible. I did an informal poll and determined that people who like meatloaf like White Castles. I might just try these to see how they turn out.
This looks delicious, but I just don't like the idea of cutting the meat after it's cooked...it loses its juices, and baked cheeseburgers? i think i'll just have to try!
they're to thick for sliders, and you don't want to cut them after cooking.
Oooh, thanks! What a yummy-sounding idea, and easier than I would have thought! I'm bookmarking this. ;)
Charles- Thanks for the translation!
Marla- Yup Texas is hot but you have other great things like great Tex-Mex food that we cannot get here! Stay Cool. PS I think I'll skip the baby food and liver!!
t.lehman and Anon- The cutting did not affect the juiciness of these as I also scooped up the juicey onion layer as well. I will still choose cutting them over making individual patties. I never cut a steak after cooking and let rest for about 5-10 minutes but these are just sliders-cut, eat, feel full;-)
I was thinking about making these the other day, but I didn't like the idea of forming all the patties and cooking them individually. This solves that problem handily. Thank you so much for sharing this one, I'm going to make these when I get back from my next trip.
Delicious! I was gonna do a post like this, you know you can wrap them individually and freeze them? Then you just pull one out and microwave it. These look so good, I might have to make some soon!
just made a half order of them.. soo freaking tasty.. juicy.. Hawaiian rolls worked delightfully..wouldve taken pics, but i ate them to fast!
My god, its no wonder americans are so fat, when you consider replicating processed fast food a recipe
I loved white castle burgers as a kid. I am definitly making these. found you twitter.
I wonder if you wouldn't want to use a skewer to poke holes in the layer of hamburger first before baking. This would allow more grease to render out (or wait, maybe that's not the point :} ) and give it the holes that White Castle patties have.
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/whitecastle
Those sound great and easy! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
You think they sound good? You should have my husbands and sons "Little Tavern" hamburgers. Little Tavern was big in the Washington, D.C. area. They are sooo good!!!
This looks more disgusting than McDonalds. Why anyone would make these in their own time is beyond me!
We just finished these for dinner - they tasted JUST LIKE White Castles (a guilty pleasure)! They were such a huge hit with the family. These were unbelievably good - thanks for another great recipe!
This is so disgusting. I don't have the words to describe how disgusting it is.
Just made your recipe for Sunday after church. My kids said they were their favorite burger they had ever had. How easy was that. This is going into the summer rotation!! Thanks!
Anon- What is ground chuck? Ground chuck usually has an 80% lean to 20% fat ratio and is best for making juicy hamburgers.
What fantastic recipe! And so fun for the Summer, and for parties! Thank you for sharing!
These are really fun! I love making little sliders but I haven't made them this way. Thanks for sharing.
I found you over at My Own Sweet Thyme. Nice blog you have here! :0)
Wow. It's amazing how many people comment anonymously just to insult people.
It's a hamburger. How gross can it be? Jeez. Calm down.
And to the person who said something about Americans and obesity: do you really think this is worse than anything you find in other countries?
they look so yummy! I'm going to have to make some of them! Dried onion flakes, eh? Great thinking!
wow that is so clever! I will have to try this out sometime! I love it!
Yum! I've never actually baked my burgers like that but I have made mini burgers (slider style) with different toppings. I will have to try this out! Looks delicious!
Robin Sue,
Made these for supper tonight and I thought my husband was going to start crying tears of joy. They really were good, as well as easy to make.
Denise in PA, Rindy, and Tammy- Thanks for coming back and letting me know you liked them!
Like anything in life, moderation is the key and no one's asking you or forcing you to eat anything, including a White Castle Slider(s). I enjoy burgers and I'd probably gulp a few in a sitting...so what?
I would need to energy to bitch-slap the spineless anonymous commenters. Come over to my site...I'm have plans for you. ;)
Making 2 pans of these - one for the refrigerator and one for the freezer.
Thanks for the great summer recipe. My kids thank you too.
Thank you - fabulous idea and just in time for summer get togethers! I think my husband might want to marry you when I serve these... ;)
Great recipe looks very delicious...
I used 92/8 with no real issues... there was plenty of juice to reconstitute the onion. Of course, I mixed in a good dose of worcestershire sauce, a few grinds of a garlic pepper blend and some smoked paprika to the meat before I smushed it on to the onion... that may have helped. (I like a lot of flavor added!)
Yummy though. I wasn't even hungry - just made them for the boyfriend - but I had to have one. Too good.
We had these for dinner last night. They turned out awesome!! I could only eat two but i wanted more. I remember those little white castles and missed them so much. I was a little girl that last time i had them. I made a few without the onions for the kids, they loved them. I wrapped the extras in plastic wrap for a quick zap in the microwave. I will blog about these really soon.
These are perfect little bites that alllow you room for the salads and desserts:D
Made these tonight. Would've been better with more skillful execution on my part, but they still tasted great, and my wife loved them too. Didn't have seasoned salt so I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and a bit of parsley.
I feel like I just learned the recipe for making straw into gold. White Castles are not to found on the West Coast. In college we would drive a couple hours for White Castle "study breaks" and when I moved to Alaska, a friend FedEx'd a frozen box of sliders to me as a Christmas present. um um good, merci bow coo
Just gotta make these, but need to leave one corner naked(no onions) for my 4 year old. I think these are perfect for big and little hands.
I made these and loved them!! I gave you a shout out over at my blog. A real keeper of a recipe for the family. Thank you.
I've tried a lot of White Castle clone recipes in years past and yours far and away is the best one. There's a real White Castle restaurant located about two blocks from me, so I went and purchased a couple of authentic sliders for a side by side comparison test. The homemade version wins hand down! The taste is much better, as a result of using better quality meat (I used 85/15 choice Angus ground chuck) rather than their mystery grade beef. It's more economical, too. Thank you for sharing this terrific recipe. Much obliged!
Gregg- That is so cool that you did a side by side test! Thanks for writing back and telling me about it! Yeah I think homemade is better too!
I lived in Upstate NY and White Castle was always such a treat when we went down to the city. White Castle actually steams their burgers over the onions.
A more accurate way to cook these would be to chop the onions, create a pile on a griddle, then place a very thin burger patty (with 5 holes cut through the patty to create more surface area) on top. The steam from the onions cooks the burger and infuses them with onion-y goodness.
These are fantastic, too good, really (considering their fairly low score on the nutrition scale). Once a month can't be all bad, right? The best part is, it's so simple it doesn't have to be exact. Here's what I did: I didn't have dried onion flakes, so I just chopped up a real onion, then sprinkled onion soup mix over the plain onions.. not exactly sure why I did it, but it sure was good. Anyway. Used 80/20, will use something leaner next time (I poured off about a cup and a half of pure grease from this thing, surely a leaner blend would still be juicy enough...) Sprinkled shredded cheddar for more even coverage (and because that was all I had). Finally, used King's Hawaiian rolls for the buns. TOO delicious.
For those bashing it, and especially the one bashing Americans: Go back to your soy patties and let the big kids handle the real food. It's called variety, you should try it some time.
Also, in case anyone's curious, each burger is 188 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 41 mg cholesterol, 231 mg sodium, 17 grams carbohydrate. I don't know if that's useful information or a buzzkill, but that's what I came up with for what it's worth... (what? I was curious...)
Hillery- Thanks so much for the feedback! Love the calorie breakdown too. I think everything in moderation is ok. When we have these we usually have raw veggies and dip and some fresh fruits on the side, so all in all not bad really!
Those are really good! I remember my mother used to make those for every occasion my brothers or I would feel bad. Instead of potato rolls, she uses hawaiian rolls (the mini ones). Yumm..
These were awesome little burgers! My husband loved them and insisted I email the recipe to ladies who work for him. SOOOOOOOOO very EASY and quick! Good job, Robin Sue!
So what about the calories, fat, re-inventing fast food, etc....I love to cook, I love to find something my men will enjoy, and I don't plan on eating these every single day!
Sad that there are those who just can't be happy unless they are complaining about something!
These were great!! My family loved them and I'll definitely be making them again!
Also, there's a little something for you over here...
http://sprytesplace.blogspot.com/2009/09/white-castle-style-sliders.html
poor poor cows.
These were quick, easy & great! I've had the recipe a couple of months and just now got around to making them. I'm off work today & thought hey I'll make some sliders for lunch. I used ground turkey meat & seasoned it with garlic powder, pepper & seasoned salt before smashing it onto the dried onions. I also used King's Hawaiian rolls. The burgers are a little thick, I might use a larger pan to thin them out next time - yes there will definitely be a next time!
Too bad my son is out of town! He'd love 'em!! I'll freeze some for him. Thanks again for the recipe!!
Didja know White Castle was actually the first burger joint?
I just thought I would let you know that this is an often requested item in our house, now!! When the boy comes home from college, when the Bears are on, when the mood strikes! Thanks so much for sharing!
Very cute.
Just made a half batch, they were delicious. However, next time, i'm thinking i may try adding a few fresh, fine-chopped onions, in addition to the dehydrated ones. Excellent Post!
We made these last night & enjoyed them. The process was very easy & we look forward to doing it again. We did find the onions to be overpowering though. I'm trying to think up ways to make them sweeter instead of so strong. Maybe I'll toss the dried onions in 1 T sugar & butter, then use a 90/10 meat. We served them on hawaiian rolls which was terrific!
Making these tonight, no onions for these kids. Can't wait. DELISH!
They were great! I now have a super easy meal that we all 4 will eat!!! Thank you. My husband even said to add them to the rotation. ;o) Thanks!
Very excited about this recipe. I found a package of 24 mini-buns at my grocery store and decided that I wanted to use your method but end up with thinner patties that would fit the buns better. So I am using a jelly roll pan, and I broke up the meat carefully and sort of sprinkled it to make a thin layer, then used plastic wrap to help me compress it into an even thickness. I will bake it for probably a shorter time. Will let you know how they turn out!
Kimberly
Salem, OR
to the folks on the west coast. I'll ship you some real white castle if you send me some carl jr..
I've never had White Castle, being that they don't have any Canadian locations... I'll have to give this a try.
These were great! I've followed your recipe several times and now I've finally got them on my blog too. I've got a link back to yours!
http://fromlaptoptostovetop.blogspot.com/2010/02/sliders-great-burgers.html
I used to eat WC once a week in HS, but now i go to college in buffalo (no white castles for hundred of miles)... the most I have eaten is 33 in one sitting, looking forward to my first attempt at making and eating these bad boys
I never tried white castle, but this looks close enough. Delicious looking babies, mhmmm..
Nice. I do a similar recipe but use chopped shallot instead of the dry onion flakes.
I thank you and my family thanks you! What a great recipe. Thanks for sharing. I found your web site via Stumble Upon today and I am hooked!
Fantastic recipe! So glad I Stumbled here.
Since I use mainly organic meats (yes, even for junk food) it can be tough to find ground beef with enough fat to make this work. What we did to solve this problem was add three slices of diced uncooked organic bacon to lean ground beef. Worked like a charm and got rave reviews from the group, even if it wasn't much like White Castle.
Want to recreate the true thinness? Use a cookie sheet and spread the onion - add just a smidgen of water to moisten.
Use a rolling pin to roll out your meat "slab" and when you transfer it to the cookie sheet, use the end of a dowel or a rounded end of a kitchen utensil to punch holes about an inch apart all across the slab up and down. This will let the onion steam rise through, cook the meat a bit faster and get that flavor in more fully. It also doesn't trap the onion beneath the meat and make it heavy onion tasting.
During the last 5-7 minutes of cooking, place a cake pan of water underneath the cookie sheet on a lower rack. Place the bun bottoms face down (inside to the meat) across and down the meat slab - leave about 1/4 inch between on all sides. Place the but tops rounded sides up on top of the bun bottoms. Allow the meat, onions, buns to continue cooking getting steam from the water in the cake pan.
That's the closest you'll get to actual cooking method for White Castle unless you have a flat griddle and do it the fast food way.
Very good... Just like a White Castle. Thanks.
My sister in law, Aggie from Aggie's Kitchen just posted about these...she got the recipe from you. I wanted to come over and check out your site. I can't wait to try these sliders. I'm thinking this 4th of July weekend would be the perfect time.
Also, there's a little something for you over here...
looks delicious, thank you for sharing, going to cook some up tonight for my guys while they watch the ball games
Thank you. I "stumbledupon" your WC's. I immediately forwarded it to a college student (friend) to add to his Survival kit. My family is thumbs up from my translation of the description So I've got all the ingredients and I just need to hear that my wife's on the way home and in they go.
I got the word and in they went. When I added the cheese I put in a rack with the buns and two minutes later sliders were up.
Full family approval and serious consideration for serving as a "quicky" for informal guests.
hey - i'm going to include this in my february 7/11 round-up for my copycat club if that's ok with you. thanks!!!
I made these tonight, and they were a huge hit! Thank you so much!
Shawna- Thanks for coming back and letting me know, it means so much to me!
I sent my husband to the store last week for ground beef and buns because I had a homemade burger craving... With the beef, he brought back a package of 24 slider buns. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of making so many tiny burgers by hand, not to mention- it was just the two of us for the weekend. So I began searching for a freezer slider recipe, and hit upon your recipe at chaosinthekitchen.com.
So brilliant! I have to admit I changed the recipe a tad (it wasn't important to me to repoduce a white castle replica, as I've never lived anywhere near a location) by mixing in the seasoning salt, some garlic powder, a pkg of onion soup mix & some worcestershire sauce to the ground beef before spreading it in the baking dish on top of the dehdrated onions.
After we had dinner & they cooled, I wrapped the leftovers individually in wax paper, then popped them all in a freezer bag and froze. They reheat wonderfully! When my kids came home from their weekend outing, I offered the burgers, but my picky 12-yr-old declined... Until she smelled the lingering scent of them in the microwave, lol! Now she is as big of a fan as the rest of us in the house. :)
And for this 8 month pregnant, homeschooling mama, finding a recipe that is super easy to make *and* freezes and reheats so well is a gold mine!
Thank you SO much! Wondering... Do you happen to have any other easy great freezer recipes up your sleeve?
Ruth I am so glad you liked them! There are more in the freezer type foods at the bottom of this post... http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2011/04/pizza-and-wings-part-1-pizza-meatballs.html
Or you can search my recipe archive and look under lunch box!
To the rude people making ugly comments: why waste your time looking at and commenting on a recipe you clearly would not consider making. You would be MUCH happier if you were not so mean spirited.
I just made this and it is an excellent recipe, a real treat. My kids LOVED them an loved helping m make them. We are Americans, we are not obese but we do enjoy a good burger once in a while.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Excellent recipe, everything came out great... Except the way I cut the burgers. My knife skills need serious work.
A couple things I did differently, though. Martin Potato rolls come in 12 or 24 size slider rolls, so I opted for the 12 pkg; perfectly sized.
I cooked the burger for 20 minutes instead of 25, slapped on some cheese and let sit in the oven for a another minute, then straight to the table.
Also, I rolled out the burger meat, topped it with the dehydrated onions, then flipped the large patty into the pan, for even onion coverage.
Very good stuff. A friend and I are trying to get a catering truck on the road, so to speak, and this quick and easy recipe may very well find its way onto the menu, with some tweaks of course...
White Castle's used in a wedding.Guests at the wedding, do not worry about hunger.
Ummm... this is *nothing* like White Castle. The only thing similar is perhaps size and that you cook it on top of onions. If this comment doesn't get removed, WC burgers are pre-formed, then frozen. They are cooked directly from frozen on a flat-top grill on top of finely diced yellow onions, not dehydrated, and a dash of cooking oil. At home, try to use a griddle. You can also put pan lid or baking pan over top of the burgers at they cook on the grill. The cooking surface should not be too hot. The onions at WC rarely get brown or carmelized. The cheese is never melted on top of the burger. The burger is assembled with unmelted cheese and then boxed.*Two* pickle chips per burger - between the burger and the bottom bun.
Really bugs me when someone posts a recipe *claiming* to be White Castle sliders and it's like they've never had a White Castle in their life. Just because it's small and wasn't fried in a pan doesn't make it a White Castle. I've had literally THOUSANDS of WC sliders and know a little bit about what I'm talking about.
These are fantastic. While they may not be EXACTLY White Castle sliders, they are actually better. I have a WC right down the road from my house and I have eaten there hundreds of times in my life. People need to not take things so literally. This is why they are called "White Castle like"
And to the noter above me, I've never had a WC burger that came with unmelted cheese.
thank you,so much for this my family love these burgers we don't have a white castle here in BR. the only place I have found them was in the frozen dept. in the super market now I can make my own we will enjoy thanks.
For the low cal/carb high protien Diet I am on (that so far helped me loose over 40lbs) my dinner everynight is 8oz of either turkey or chicken, I think I might try this with "Andy's" seasoned salt and ground turkey. I thank you for your recipe.
I'm going to try this one!!! The lazy lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, mini quesadillas, and cinnamon and sugar chips were a huge hit last weekend after a marathon cooking spree! I am not a cook, or a baker, and these recipes are amazing, simple and yummy! My daughter will even eat (which is incredible!) these! Thank you for all of your posts.
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