There is something so cozy and fun about sliders! Maybe its because you can eat more than one. Or maybe because of their small stature they make you feel like your not being too glutenous. Who knows… but I do know that these Swiss Elk Sliders are divine! Talk about perfect cold weather food! These lil babies will warm you up and comfort you all at the same time!

Swiss Elk Sliders

By Chef Bri Van Scotter – Wilderness to Table

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

·      1 pound Elk, ground

·      1 TBS Garlic, chopped

·      3 TBS Shallots, diced

·      1 Egg

·      ½ tsp Salt

·      ½ tsp Black Pepper, ground

·      3 TBS Panko Bread Crumbs

·      1 tsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped

·      Grapeseed Oil

For the Sauce:

·      3 TBS Butter

·      3 TBS All-Purpose Flour

·      2 Cups Homemade Elk Stock or Beef Stock

·      ½ Cup Milk

·      ½ Cup Cream

·      3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

·      1 ½ tsp Salt

·      1 tsp Black Pepper, ground

·      1 sprig Fresh Thyme

Rolls, for serving

Directions:

 For the Meatballs:

1.    Mix all the ingredients together except the oil in a large bowl.

2.    Using a 3-oz. scoop. Scoop and form the meat into balls and place in a Dutch oven with about 3 TBS Grapeseed Oil. Over medium high heat, sauté the meat balls till they are nicely browned on all sides and pretty much cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

Using the same skillet, remove some of the oil if there is an abundance. Then add the butter, melt over medium high heat. Once the butter is fully melted whisk in the flour, whisk until it is golden brown. Then slowly whisk in the elk stock a little bit at a time to ensure there aren’t any lumps. Then add the milk, cream, Worcestershire Sauce, Salt, Pepper and Thyme. Add the meatballs back into the pan and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.

Assemble:

Once the sauce and meatballs are fully cooked. Take your slider rolls and place one meatball inside, top with extra sauce, then serve.