This April 2019 image shows a recipe for chipotle sliders with a colorful lettuce slaw and blue cheese dressing in New York. (Cheyenne Cohen via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Game day is a favorite time to entertain.

The food is pretty much bar food — things you would order with a group of friends with a round of cold beers. Foods that might not be categorized as health food, but which are meant for sharing, are comforting and delicious, and have a nostalgic vibe. And often involve cheese.

To ramp up a March Madness viewing party, sliders are a great candidate. Sliders are simply small burgers, though some people use the term to describe any small sandwich on a mini bun.

White Castle is usually credited with creating the slider in the 1920s, and they are certainly well known for their mini burgers (distinctive still for their square shape).

TIPS FOR

PERFECT SLIDERS

First, make sure you’ve got small, slider-size buns. A mini burger on a full-size bun is going to be a disappointment. Also, toast the buns for added texture and flavor.

Form the patties a touch wider than the buns, as they will shrink when cooking. Make a small indentation in the middle of the patty. The burgers will swell a bit as they cook and the indentation will fill, so you’ll end up with flat sliders rather than bulging ones.

Refrigerate the patties for about 30 minutes before cooking. It makes them easier to handle when cooking, and helps keep the inside nice and pink while the outside gets browned.

RECIPE FOR CHIPOTLE BEEF SLIDERS

MAKING A SAUCE OF PUREED CHIPOTLES

IN ADOBO

Chipotles are jalapenos that have been dried and smoked. The canned ones you’ll find in the market have been cooked and packaged with adobo, a sauce made with vinegar, chilies and herbs.

Buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, dump the whole thing into a food processor and puree. The sauce will keep in a tightly covered container in the fridge for about 2 months at least. Stir it into soups and stews, and add a bit to chicken salad or the dressing for pasta salad.

CHIPOTLE SLIDERS

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef (80/20%)

2 teaspoons pureed chipotles in adobo (see Note above)

1 tablespoon minced shallots or onions

Kosher salt to taste

SLAW INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons orange juice

½ teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably grainy)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

¼ head radicchio, very thinly sliced

¼ head baby escarole, very thinly sliced

½ small head frisee lettuce, very thinly sliced

¼ red onion, very thinly sliced

½ cup blue cheese dip (store-bought or homemade)

8 to 10 slider rolls, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Make the Sliders:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, pureed chipotles in adobo, salt and onion. Hands are best for this.

Then, ¼ cup at a time, form the mixture into small patties. Refrigerate the patties for 30 minutes.

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Meanwhile, make the slaw:

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Add the radicchio, escarole, frisee and onion. Toss to combine.

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Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Pan-grill the burgers for about 3 minutes on each side until they are done to your liking. Serve the sliders on the toasted buns with the slaw and some blue cheese dip on top.