WHITE CASTLE: SLYDERS

SAVE: 262 CALORIES, 38 G FAT, 11 G SAT. FAT

White Castle Hamburgers, also known as Slyders, are much smaller than most burgers, which is part of White Castle’s signature. But how many Slyders does the average person eat per sitting? And how many should the average person eat per sitting? I asked a clerk at one White Castle near Nashville, Tennessee, who voiced a strong opinion: “There’s no way I could answer that.”

Having never previously been to a White Castle, I decided to use the menu as a guide. If you order Slyders as part of a meal, 1 regular fries and 1 regular drink is served with 4 Slyders; 2 regular fries and drinks are served with 10; and 4 regular fries and drinks are served with 20. Thus, I’ve deduced that a typical serving is between 4 and 5 Slyders . . . though a couple of my friends who frequent White Castle have confessed that they’ve been known to eat upward of 10 in a sitting if they weren’t eating fries. I can see where one would want to do that based on the unique, wonderfully oniony taste of these baby burgers, but . . . wow!

5 ounces 96% lean ground beef (about ½ cup + 2 tablespoons)

Salt and ground black pepper

½ cup water + additional, if needed

1½ tablespoons dehydrated minced onion

5 square dinner rolls (about 2½")

5 rounds dill pickle

LINE a medium baking sheet (one that will fit in the freezer) with a sheet of waxed paper.

Divide the beef into 5 equal portions. On the baking sheet, shape each portion into a 3¼" square patty. With a drinking straw, cut 5 holes from each patty—one in the center, and one halfway between each corner and the center hole. Press the straw straight into the patty, then twist to cut each hole. Lightly season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Place, uncovered, in the freezer for 5 minutes.

In an extra-large nonstick skillet, combine ½ cup water and the onion. Cook over medium heat until the mixture slowly comes to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is soft. A thin layer of water should remain. If needed, add up to 2 tablespoons of water. Place the patties in a single layer over the onion. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the bottoms are browned and the edges are just starting to brown. Meanwhile, place 1 roll bottom, cut-side down, on top of each burger. Place 1 roll top, cut-side down, on top of each roll bottom. When the beef is no longer pink, remove the roll tops and set aside. Slide a spatula under 1 portion of onion, 1 burger, and 1 roll bottom. Flip the stack onto a plate. Place 1 round of pickle on the center of the burger. Cover with the roll top. Repeat with the remaining burgers, pickles, and roll tops.

MAKES 1 SERVING (5 BURGERS)

438 calories, 43 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 4 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber

Original White Castle Slyders (5 burgers): 700 calories, 30 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 49 g fat, 15 g sat. fat, fiber (not available)

DRIVE-THRU To make these miniature favorites even faster, you can shape a big batch of the patties to store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Layer them, between sheets of waxed paper, in a plastic container. They’ll always be ready to go because there’s no need to thaw them before cooking. They’ll take only an extra minute or two to steam. In fact, if you also have the rolls in the freezer and dried onion on hand, you can definitely make these in less time than it takes to find your keys and walk to your car, let alone stand in line at White Castle.

EVEN BETTER Think about eliminating one or two of the rolls and making a double burger or two. Or skip one of the burgers altogether. For each roll you don’t eat, you’ll cut 50 calories and 1 gram of fat. For each burger you don’t eat, you’ll save about 32 calories and 1 gram of fat.

BEFORE YOU START You’ll need an extra-large nonstick skillet to cook all five burgers at once. If you don’t have one, simply cook the onions and burgers in two batches, taking care that each batch is a single layer. Transfer the first batch to a plate. Cover to keep warm while the second batch cooks. You’ll also need a drinking straw to create the perfect holes.