These mini burgers are a modified version of my Super Porktastic meatloaf. I substituted grass fed ground beef for the pork and I formed the meat and veggie mixture into mini burgers.
My kids love ‘em ’cause they can eat them with their hands and they taste terrific dipped in marinara sauce. (Rao’s is my favorite jarred brand.) Even if you can’t finish them all, they make perfect on-the-go veggie+meat snacks.
Time to make these mini sliders!
Serves 6 (5 patties each)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion (from ½ medium onion)
- ½ pound Cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- ¼ cup coconut cream or coconut milk
- ½ cup small-dice celery (from about 2 medium stalks)
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- coconut oil
- Tomato sauce, warmed, for serving (optional)
- Fleur de sel
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
First, I dumped a packet of frozen spinach into a Corningware container…
…covered it with a lid, and nuked it on high for ~4 minutes to defrost it. (You can also let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator.) Then, I dumped the spinach into a colander and pressed out all the liquid.
I heated the butter (or coconut oil) over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet and tossed in the chopped onions and mushrooms along with some salt and pepper to taste.
The veggies were sautéed until the liquid had evaporated and the onions were softened.
Next, the coconut milk, parsley, and celery said hello to my hand blender.
Once a puree was formed, I poured it over the ground beef in a large bowl, and then added the chopped spinach, coconut flour, garlic, measured salt and pepper, and nutmeg.
Afterwards, I added the beaten eggs and cooked ‘shrooms.
I used my hands to gently combine all the ingredients…
…and formed the meat mixture into small patties (about 2 inches in diameter).
I heated 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and fried the sliders in three batches.
I cooked the sliders for 3 minutes on each side, so each batch took about 6-7 minutes to finish.
I reheated a bowl of marinara sauce in the microwave and I sprinkled some fleur de sel on the mini burgers before we dug in.
Yummy and easy!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Green Sliders (Spinach, Mushroom, and Beef Mini Burgers)
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup celery small-dice
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves loosely packed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 medium garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1.5 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil for frying
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
- Dump the package of spinach into a microwavable bowl and microwave it on high for ~4 minutes to defrost it. (You can also let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator.)
- Put the defrosted spinach into a colander and press out all the liquid.
- Heat the butter or coconut oil over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet and toss in the chopped onions and mushrooms along with some salt and pepper.
- Sauté the veggies until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are softened.
- Put the ground beef into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Throw the coconut milk, parsley, and celery into a container and blend with a hand blender.
- Once a puree is formed, pour it over the ground beef and then add the chopped spinach, coconut flour, garlic, measured salt and pepper, fresh nutmeg, beaten eggs, and cooked mushroom mixture.
- Gently combine all the ingredients and form the meat mixture into small patties (about 2 inches in diameter). You should have about 30 patties.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry the sliders in three batches.
- Cook the sliders for 3 minutes on each side.
- Once they're done cooking, place the patties on a plate and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Dig in with some heated marinara sauce!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am in Ecuador trying to adapt recipes! Can You suggest how to use fresh spinach? At home in the US I use your recipes and cookbooks a lot!
The rule of thumb is 1 pound of fresh spinach is about 10 ounces of frozen so in this case, I would use about 1.5 pounds of fresh spinach.