Thanksgiving Leftover Burger Sliders

Q: What is a Smash burger?

A Smash Burger is a diner-style burger, where the burger patty is made by quite literally “smashing” it, as the name suggests. The Smash Burger gained popularity from the Smashburger hamburger chain, which was founded in 2007 in Denver, Colorado, United States. When you press down on the burger patty, you get a super juicy crust that is out of this world! Smash burgers are awesome because they cook very quickly since the patties are so thin. Despite their size, they’re jam-packed with juiciness and incredible flavours! You can make smash burgers if you have some ground beef in your fridge that needs to be used up, and they’ll be ready in a flash for a quick and hearty meal! As the name of this recipe in particular suggests, this smash burger recipe is also incredible to use for when you’ve got leftover dinner rolls from the holidays! I give more details in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, how using what you already have at home can inspire you to make innovative creations! If you’ve followed my Dinner Roll recipe for the holidays but you don’t know what to do with the extra, then they will make the perfect homemade buns that will make these sliders even more special!

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About this recipe

Turn leftover Thanksgiving dinner rolls into crispy, juicy smash burger sliders! A genius way to use holiday leftovers for a quick, crowd-pleasing lunch or dinner the whole family will love.

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Thanksgiving just passed in the United States, but the holiday season has just begun! Even though I’m in Canada, the Thanksgiving feeling really makes its way up here, and I’m officially in holiday mode!

Did you make Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls to accompany a special meal, but you didn’t finish them all? No worries, if you’ve followed that recipe in particular, I understand that a lot of rolls come out of it! I do not recommend you freeze baked bread, as the process of freezing and thawing tends to dry the bread out. As a result, using them for this Smash Burgers recipe can check off two new recipes off of your bucket list, so be sure to make both as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started now by signing up to my email newsletter to get your free resources, plus you’ll receive all of my latest recipes right in your inbox!

Be sure to watch the video to see how to make the dinner rolls if you haven’t already, and how to make the perfect smash burger sliders with your leftover rolls! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!

Two smash burger sliders on a white plate with melted cheese, caramelized onions, and what appears to be ham, served on soft dinner rolls.

What is a Smash burger?▼

A Smash Burger is a diner-style burger, where the burger patty is made by quite literally “smashing” it, as the name suggests. The Smash Burger gained popularity from the Smashburger hamburger chain, which was founded in 2007 in Denver, Colorado, United States. When you press down on the burger patty, you get a super juicy crust that is out of this world! Smash burgers are awesome because they cook very quickly since the patties are so thin. Despite their size, they’re jam-packed with juiciness and incredible flavours!

You can make smash burgers if you have some ground beef in your fridge that needs to be used up, and they’ll be ready in a flash for a quick and hearty meal! As the name of this recipe in particular suggests, this smash burger recipe is also incredible to use for when you’ve got leftover dinner rolls from the holidays! I give more details in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, how using what you already have at home can inspire you to make innovative creations! If you’ve followed my Dinner Roll recipe for the holidays but you don’t know what to do with the extra, then they will make the perfect homemade buns that will make these sliders even more special!

Three smash burger sliders on golden dinner rolls with melted cheese, served with crispy fries on a wooden board.

Why You Need to Make These Dinner Roll Smash Burger Sliders

Quick and easy: As mentioned earlier, the smash burger patties cook extremely quickly! Not only do they cook quickly, but it’s also fairly easy and fast to prep the patties, then assemble the burgers afterward.
Juicy and crispy: You get the best of both worlds with an incredible little patty that is loaded with juiciness and has a flavorful crust!
Cheesy: Who doesn’t love a good cheesy burger? I know I love it! American cheese is the ideal choice, but any type of cheese will have you craving more!
Soft buns: If you’re using homemade dinner rolls as the buns for these sliders, then those will really take your burgers to the next level! We’ll toast our buns so they are still soft but also golden brown.
Toppings galore: You can top your Smash Burger with your favorite toppings, and load as much as you want! I’ll have some topping ideas later on in this post, so you can truly make this Smash Burger recipe your own!

Smash burger sliders on toasted dinner rolls with melted cheese and pickled onions, served with roasted potatoes on a wooden board.

What Meat SHould I use to Make Smash Burgers?▼

I’m using lean ground beef. In Canada (as far as I know), you don’t see the actual fat percentage on the package, but here “lean” ground beef must not contain more than 10 percent fat. On the other hand, “extra lean” ground beef must not contain more than 5 percent fat. I would recommend you do not go for extra lean ground beef so that you have the juiciest burger. If you really want to go all out, then go for medium ground beef, which has a 15 to 20 percent fat content.

How Do I Know when to Flip The Smash Burger Patty?▼

These burgers cook very quick and you need to keep a close eye on the signs of doneness. The top side of the patties will help to indicate how far the burgers have cooked. When the top side has spots of pink and brown, the burgers are ready to flip. Use a scraper for the best results.

How Do I Know the Patties are Fully Cooked?▼

The patties are smashed so thin, that this should really not be a concern for you - just ensure that burger has no pink. Although there are a few signs to look for to ensure the patties don’t become overcooked. As the first side of the patties sear on the hot pan, the other side will indicate how far the burgers have cooked. When the top side has spots of pink and brown, use a scraper to flip the patties and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Hand holding a cooked burger slider on a dinner roll with melted cheese and red onion, with more sliders on a plate behind it.

What if I don’t have a Burger Press?▼

You can use a nice, study spatula! Technically, you don’t even need a burger press, but it is a nice-to-have. The video at the bottom of this post will show how to use both a spatula or a burger press.

Two slider burgers with caramelized onions on toasted buns beside a pile of crispy french fries on a wooden board.

What if I want full-sized Burgers?▼

Instead of making 1 1/2 ounce portion patties, instead make them 2 ounces, or even larger if using extra large buns. You want the width of the patty to be slightly wider than the bun after it has been smashed as a guideline. Additionally, add more cheese to the sliders to cover the diameter as necessary.

Remember, each burger will have 2 of these patties layered with a cheese in the middle.

Three smash burger sliders with golden buns and melted cheese on a wooden board with crispy french fries.

Tools Needed to Make Leftover Thanksgiving Smash Burgers

Ingredients for Dinner Roll Smash Burgers

Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredients and their quantities along with the instructions can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post, or press the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many Smash Burgers you want to make, so that you know exactly how many buns and how much ground beef you’ll need to make for the desired portion!

Ground beef: I’m using lean ground beef here. The higher the fat content, the juicier your smash burgers will be.
Buns: In this case, the burger buns will actually be the dinner rolls. Otherwise, use mini burger buns to make sliders.
Cheese: Ideally, you would use American cheese, but as far as I know here in Canada, it’s not available! If you don’t have American cheese, yellow cheddar slices will work just fine. You can even try other cheeses like Monterey Jack or Havarti.
Sauce: Whatever sauce of your choice. Check out some suggestions later on in this post! Personally, I’m following my Spicy Mayo recipe - it’s really quick and simple to get together!
Other toppings: I’m only using onions and jalapeños, but I’ve got other variations listed later on in this post!
Salt and pepper: Essential seasoning that you’ll add while the smash burger patties are cooking.
Butter: To butter the buns and to cook the smash burger patties on the cast iron pan.

How to Make Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Roll Smash Burgers

Lightly oil your hands and lightly roll each 1 1/2-ounce portion and place on a parchment paper square. Repeat the same with the remaining 11 portions. If you are prepping ahead of time, this is a good time to place another parchment square at the top, lightly press and wrap in plastic wrap for later.

Twelve portioned ground beef balls on parchment paper squares with raw ground beef on a plate, prepared for smash burger sliders.

Hands rolling ground beef portions into balls for smash burger sliders, with raw ground meat on a white plate below.

Hands placing a portion of ground beef onto a parchment paper square next to a kitchen scale.

Hand placing seasoned ground beef patty on parchment paper next to another formed burger patty.

Heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan on medium heat. You can use the same pan to first toast the buns with butter and then set them aside.

Hands holding freshly baked dinner rolls arranged on parchment paper, ready for slider preparation.

Hand rolling a 1.5-ounce portion of dough into a ball on a wooden surface for dinner roll sliders.

Hand buttering a red cast iron pan on a stovetop for toasting burger buns.

Hand placing toasted dinner roll sliders onto a red pan with melted butter, showing the cooking process.

Apply spicy mayo (or sauce of choice) on both the top and bottom halves of the buns. Dress the bottom bun with your toppings such as jalapeños and onions.

Toasted bread slices with butter and cinnamon arranged on a wooden cutting board, hand applying sauce.

Buttered and toasted bread slices arranged on a wooden board with melted cheese being drizzled over them.

Hand placing sliced jalapeños on toasted roll slider buns with spicy mayo on a wooden serving board.

Once the pan is hot, remove the top piece of parchment and with the help of the bottom parchment piece, place the portions of meat around the pan. Leave at least 1 1/2-inch gap between each portion. Press using the hamburger press or spatula until flattened. Remove the parchment and season with salt and pepper.

Hands transferring a ground beef patty from parchment paper into a red pan on a stovetop.

Hand holding raw ground meat patty on parchment paper above a hot skillet.

Hand using scraper to smash burger patties in hot red pan during cooking process.

Hand placing cooked ground meat patties onto a red pan with parchment paper during slider preparation.

Once the meat is mostly brown on the top, use a scraper to scrape the patties and flip them - this will ensure the crispy crust is not lost in the pan. Place the cheese slices on each patty and stack one patty over another to make a pair.

Hand flipping cooked ground meat patties in a red pan on a stovetop using a spatula.

Three browned ground turkey patties sizzling in a red skillet on a stovetop during cooking.

Hand using scraper to flip smash burger patties in red cast iron pan on stovetop.

Remove each pair of patties and place on the bottom bun. Put the top bun on.

Two smash burger sliders with melted cheddar cheese and pickled onions on dinner rolls, secured with bamboo skewers, served with crispy roasted potatoes.

Three mini burger sliders with melted cheese on toasted buns being assembled on a wooden board.

Secure the burger with some bamboo skewers.

Three smash burger sliders with melted cheese on wooden skewers, served on a wooden board.

Serve hot with fries and enjoy!

Tips for Mouthwatering Smash Burgers

Be organized and work clean - smash burgers come together really quickly and having your buns prepared, toppings ready and thinking ahead will help to enjoy the burgers at their best.
Make use of parchment paper squares, either store-bought or cut them out yourself. You can use them to prep the patties ahead of time and they are useful while smashing the burgers on the pan.
A scraper is the best way to get all the good crispiness needed to make a great smash burger.
Layer 2 burger patties with at least 1 slice of cheese in the middle to get the crispiness from the burger and the juiciness from the fats in the cheese and the burger layer in the middle.
Place the toppings on the bottom bun to create a stable burger and secure with bamboo skewers.

Three mini smash burger sliders with caramelized onions and melted cheese on brioche buns, served with golden French fries on a wooden board.

Topping Variations for Smash Burgers

For this recipe, I chose just jalapenos and onions as the toppings, and I also made some sliders with just cheese. However, feel free to add the toppings of your choice: Here’s just a couple of ideas:

Mayonnaise
Mustard
Ketchup
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Pickles

Serving Suggestions for Thanksgiving Leftover Smash Burgers

Three mini smash burger sliders with cheese on brioche buns with gold picks, served with crispy french fries on a wooden board.

Can I Make Smash Burgers Ahead of Time?▼

You can prepare the raw patties ahead of time, and stack them over square pieces of parchment paper. You can refrigerate them until ready to use. When ready to cook, the patties are formed and all you need to do is cook them in a hot skillet or pan.

However, I would not recommend that you freeze these patties. This is because this may affect the moisture level of the final burger since freezing and thawing does result in some moisture being lost. Since we’re smashing the burgers, we want the optimal juiciness for best results!

If anything, simply freeze any extra ground beef that is not prepared and allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge the day before you want to form your patties.

Other Yummy Burger Recipes!

Classic American Cheeseburger
Crispy Panko Chicken Burger - Baked or Fried!
California Grilled Chicken Burger
Supreme Grilled Vegetable Burger

Crispy Paneer Burger

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Roll Smash Burger Sliders

Turn leftover Thanksgiving dinner rolls into crispy, juicy smash burger sliders! A genius way to use holiday leftovers for a quick, crowd-pleasing lunch or dinner the whole family will love.

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10 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

sliders

medium

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the beef patties (each)

soft dinner rolls(buttered and toasted)
Condiments and toppings like spicy mayo , mustard, ketchup, pickles, jalapeño, tomatoes, lettuce, onions · make your ownShop →
(510 g) ground beef chuck(divided into 1½-ounce balls, makes 12 balls; freshly ground preferred)
salt(to taste)Shop →
freshly ground black pepper(to taste)Shop →
cheddar cheese
olive oil(as needed)Shop →

Instructions

1
Lightly oil your hands and lightly roll each 1 1/2-ounce portion and place on a parchment paper square. Repeat the same with the remaining 11 portions. If you are prepping ahead of time, this is a good time to place another parchment square at the top, lightly press and wrap in plastic wrap for later.
Lightly oil your hands and lightly roll each 1 1/2-ounce portion and place on a parchment paper square. Repeat the same with the remaining 11 portions. If you are prepping ahead of time, this is a good time to place another parchment square at the top, lightly press and wrap in plastic wrap for later.
2
Heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan on medium heat. You can use the same pan to first toast the buns with butter and then set them aside. Apply spicy mayo (or sauce of choice) on both the top and bottom halves of the buns. Dress the bottom bun with your toppings such as jalapeños and onions.
Heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan on medium heat. You can use the same pan to first toast the buns with butter and then set them aside. Apply spicy mayo (or sauce of choice) on both the top and bottom halves of the buns. Dress the bottom bun with your toppings such as jalapeños and onions.
3
Once the pan is hot, remove the top piece of parchment and with the help of the bottom parchment piece, place the portions of meat around the pan. Leave at least 1 1/2-inch gap between each portion. Press using the hamburger press or spatula until flattened. Remove the parchment and season with salt and pepper.
Once the pan is hot, remove the top piece of parchment and with the help of the bottom parchment piece, place the portions of meat around the pan. Leave at least 1 1/2-inch gap between each portion. Press using the hamburger press or spatula until flattened. Remove the parchment and season with salt and pepper.
4
Once the meat is mostly brown on the top, use a scraper to scrape the patties and flip them - this will ensure the crispy crust is not lost in the pan. Place the cheese slices on each patty and stack one patty over another to make a pair. Remove each pair of patties and place on the bottom bun.
Once the meat is mostly brown on the top, use a scraper to scrape the patties and flip them - this will ensure the crispy crust is not lost in the pan. Place the cheese slices on each patty and stack one patty over another to make a pair. Remove each pair of patties and place on the bottom bun.
5
Put the top bun on. Secure the burger with some bamboo skewers. Serve hot with fries and enjoy!
Put the top bun on. Secure the burger with some bamboo skewers. Serve hot with fries and enjoy!

Notes

•In case you don't have a scraper, you can use a thin spatula such as a fish spatula. Although it may not give the same results.
•If you want full-sized burgers, make the beef patties 2 ounces or greater, depending on the size of your burger buns.

Nutrition per serving

471

Calories

24g

Protein

18g

Carbs

34g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

843mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen