White Castle Clones

This weekend, with The Husband working late on Saturday night, and the kids and I left to our own devices, I wanted to make something fun for them for dinner.  I happened to get an e-mail from Pillsbury last week, extolling the virtues of their pie recipes for Easter dessert, and I started poking around their site.  I happened upon a recipe for a clone of White Castle’s slider burgers.  For those that aren’t familiar with White Castle, it’s a fast food joint known for their mini size burgers that they sell for a pint-size price by the sack.

I think I’ve had White Castle burgers perhaps twice in my life.  Although the price is attractive (I think they were 39 cents a piece at the time), they tended to be a little too greasy for me.  This recipe, though, looked better because the meat is baked, thereby omitting the grease factor, or most of it anyway.

Although the burgers are supposed to be tiny, I don’t know how anyone could conceivably get the suggested 48 of them from this recipe; I think maybe I got 14 or so.  And the bread sticks SO did not work as the rolls, and I ended up using regular biscuits for the rolls instead.  That being said, the taste is spot-on (sans the grease) and I would definitely make these again.  In fact, after a few bites, my stepdaughter asked if they were White Castle burgers, without knowing they were a clone.  Just the cuteness factor alone makes them perfect for kids and a fun thing for a get-together. 

Castle Burger Bites
Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury

1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated bread sticks (use regular biscuits or mini rolls instead)
1 egg
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Progresso® plain bread crumbs
1 lb lean ground beef

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Separate dough into 12 bread sticks. Cut each into 4 pieces; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Bake at 375°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on wire racks. Cool 5 minutes or until slightly cooled. Split each in half, keeping tops and bottoms together to form miniature buns.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Beat egg in medium bowl. Add onion, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs. Add ground beef; mix well. Press ground beef mixture into thin layer in bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch pan.

4. Bake at 350°F. for 14 to 16 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Cut into 48 rectangles (8 strips crosswise and 6 strips lengthwise). Fill buns with miniature burgers. Place ketchup in small bowl for dipping sauce. Serve immediately.

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