I really have been in fun food mode, especially with Halloween coming up and fall here. See, in the summer, most of us Minnesotans are out doing whatever we can to take advantage of the weather, but when fall comes, we like to tuck in and party at home. Or at least I do! And especially if I have Juicy Lucyfer Sliders.

Juicy Lucyfer Sliders

See, once I got the idea of a Juicy Lucyfer Slider, which is a play on our local Minnesota tradition of the Juicy Lucy, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. And in my mind, the Lucyfer slider has just got to be a devilish little version of my full-size Juicy Lucy – the Ultimate Cheese Stuffed Burger, only with a touch of heat and sweet.

About Juicy Lucyfer Sliders:

First of all, a Juicy Lucy has to have cheese, and my Juicy Lucyfer Sliders deliver on that count, with a good dose of melty, ooey-gooey pepper jack or habanero pepper jack. I’m either getting old and jaded or pepper jack cheese doesn’t pack the punch that it used to. If you’re after more heat, add diced up Pickled Jalapeno Peppers to your cheesy layer.

Then we have to top the Juicy Lucyfer Sliders with something, right? What could be better than bacon, but not just any ordinary bacon. This is bacon infused with Jalapeno Pepper Jelly.

Bake your bacon on a sheet tray, like this Buffet Style Oven Baked Bacon, preferably on a rack, and when it’s just done but not too, too crispy, slather it with the Hot Pepper Jelly. Turn on the broiler and watch it closely – we want a little heat but no fire!

Juicy Lucyfer Sliders, with the hot pepper bacon, onion straws, salad and Honey Chipotle Glaze

Glazing and Topping the Sliders:

Then I anguished a bit (do I take food too seriously? Don’t answer that! Uff-da) about what else to put on my devilish little sliders. I decided on the Honey Chipotle Glaze, usually made for my Grilled Flank Steak with Honey Chipotle Glaze. (And several other items on my site!)

It added a depth and earthiness that grounded the brasher jalapeno. I literally quadrupled it so it could be a glaze on the burgers before they’re baked, then drizzled on them hot out of the oven, and then passed for anyone who wants more. That is a seriously delish little condiment. It’s so good you’re gonna want to lick the jar when it’s gone, good!

Juicy Lucyfer Sliders

What to Serve with Juicy Lucyfer Sliders:

For a refreshing take, I went with a Kale, Red Cabbage & Broccoli Salad drizzled with my Sherry Vinaigrette. That Salad can double as a side and as a topping. The same can be said of my minutes to make and oh-so-simple Copycat French’s Onion Rings!

I snuck in some of my favorite refrigerator pickles, my Sweet Tart Bread & Butter Pickles. That’s mostly because there is always a jar in my fridge. I’m addicted to them. Or maybe I’m just showing off now. Buy your pickles if ya wanna!

And of course, these baby sliders will be fabulous with my Stupid Simple French Fries, Stupid Simple Sweet Potato Fries, or my Bomb Baked Potato Wedges. And yes, I have recipes for all of those, too! Either I’m insane or have been blogging for too long. (Or both. I’m not qualified to answer that question!) But one thing is for sure, whatever you serve these sliders with, they’re insanely good.

Stupid Simple French Fries

Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Cook’s Country Jojo Spice on Bomb Baked Potato Wedges

Making Juicy Lucyfer Sliders:

There is nothing so delish as a Juicy Lucy. Biting into that burger with the center of molten (be sure to rest them for a few minutes) cheese is not just an amazing taste but an experience. And there’s nothing worse than when expectations don’t meet reality. It’s a bummer when the cheese has out.

Juicy Lucys aren’t hard to make, but over the years I’ve made many, and here’s my foolproof method that will ensure any Juicy Lucy, including your baby Juicy Lucyfer Sliders, will work every time. If it doesn’t, it’s user error – I had one “leaker” below, my fault. It’s a bit fussy and precise and takes a little time, but it’s worth a few extra minutes. Even Alexia Weibel, now an editor of the New York Times, has copied my method, way back when there were only a handful of recipes on the internet.

If you think all you have to do is take a ball of ground beef and stuff a piece of cheese in it, you or someone else you’re serving will be sorely disappointed; some will inevitably leak. Follow my method, and you’ll have results like mine – see this same method on my full-sized burgers: The Juicy Lucy – the Ultimate Cheese Stuffed Burger, too, with a little more explanation.

Saving Money on Groceries:

What you pay for groceries depends not only on WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.

• The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Use these sales not just for your holiday, but to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
• Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality; be selective.

The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.

Ground Beef:

• The quality of the ground beef is up to you, but buy 80/20 or 75/25, and preferably one that has never been frozen and isn’t compressed in a tube. This burger is manipulated quite a bit and pressed together, and leaner beef will really taste like sawdust with all that handling.
• The extra bit of fat also helps make the cheese ooey and gooey.

Bacon:

• Know your regular, good sale, and rock bottom pricing. Stock up at rock bottom, usually about half price, and usually before a holiday. Not being brand loyal gives more opportunities to save. Bacon freezes well and takes up little room.
• Discount stores like Aldi or Lidl have great pricing, but beware of the cheapest bacon. As a rule, buyers’ clubs have better quality at a low, not necessarily the cheapest price.

Grocery Cheese:

• Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock bottom and keep on hand. The best pricing is a discount store’s sales, but if not an option, know the lows at your grocery. Compare pricing by pound or ounce.
• In some stores, sliced cheese is pricier than block cheese; at Lidl, it’s typically the same, and at Aldi, it’s less.
• Brand-name American cheese is typically more expensive than other basic cheese slices, and store brands are often noted for not melting as well.
• Cheese keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and cooking.

Juicy Lucyfer Sliders

Juicy Lucyfer Sliders

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 5 sliders 1x
• Category: Sandwiches
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, 80/20 is best
• 5 ounces pepper jack cheese from an 8-ounce block, sliced into 1-ounce slices, then each sliced in half the long way (they will be broken into bits as they are placed in burgers)
• salt and pepper
• 6 slider or bakery dinner rolls
• 6 good slices of bacon (if your bacon is “scrappy” make an extra slice or two) don’t use thick cut
• hot pepper jelly
• Honey Chipotle Glaze, doubled, from this recipe

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Instructions

Refer to photos for preparation below this recipe card, but note I failed to mention to season the ground beef with salt and pepper before adding the cheese to what will be the inside of the burgers and also the top after assembly. It’s best to mix a small amount of salt and pepper and place it in a small bowl.

To cook the burgers:

Preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes before baking sliders. When ready to bake, place sliders on a sprayed rack and place over a foil-lined sheet tray, then place that on the oven rack. The rack should be set exactly in the middle of the oven six to 8 inches from the broiler.

Brush the tops of each slider with some of the Honey Chipotle Glaze. Broil on high for 7 minutes. The timing is important. The burger has to be in the oven long enough to melt the cheese but no so long that it causes the cheese to expand and ooze out, so customizing your burger to cook to other temperatures such as rare, medium, well done, etc. is at your own risk. Turn the tray once if not cooking evenly.

Remove immediately (or they could stick) and rest for about 3 minutes before serving, which is just long enough to assemble. Place on buns, brush with the Honey Chipotle Glaze, top with bacon and top any other toppings you wish and then with bun. Serve with additional Honey Chipotle Glaze.

To make the Jalapeno Jelly Bacon:

Follow this recipe for Buffet Style Bacon, preferably cooking on a rack over the foil-lined pan, but just before the bacon is “crisp” but after most of the fat has rendered, remove from oven, drain grease and brush bacon generously with hot pepper jelly. It’s best to place two tablespoons of the jelly into a small bowl so as not to contaminate the whole jar. You may need to spoon a small bit onto each piece of bacon and then spread it as it melts on the hot bacon.

Place bacon back in oven and turn on the broiler, watching closely, until the jelly bubbles, about 2 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined surface for just a minute to absorb the excess grease, then remove quickly or the bacon may harden on the paper towel.

Note: Do not serve Juicy Lucyfer Sliders too soon or the molten cheese may cause burns, do not wait too long or the burger may cool and the cheese will no longer be melty.

May be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook. Inspect each before placing on the rack to make sure they are still tightly sealed, dab dry if any juices have accumulated. Add 1 minute to the broiling time.

How to make Juicy Lucyfer Sliders:

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I’m posting Juicy Lucyfer Sliders at Fiesta Friday #246.