SMOKY BEEF AND VEGETABLE SLIDERS

Smoky Beef and Vegetable Sliders image

Sliders are a great way to stretch out a small amount of ground meat. I made this dish, which is reminiscent of a sloppy Joe (though a lot tidier), to use up the half-pound of left-over ground beef, and added vegetables to bulk it out and lighten it up.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories dinner, lunch, burgers, sandwiches, appetizer, main course

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced (1/2 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, to taste
Slider or other buns, for serving

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon the pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate.
Add the onion, pepper, and carrot to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and garlic. Season mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and paprika. Pour in the tomatoes and Worcestershire. Return the beef to the skillet. Simmer mixture until thick, about 10 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and vinegar, adding more as needed. Spoon mixture onto buns and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 256, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 11 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 12 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 622 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 1 gram