Flag Day Special

Appetizer Mini Hamburger with Waffle Fries 

Cooks's Notes: Think of this recipe as a mini hamburger with fries and no bun. A fun twist turning it into an appetizer as a Flag Day Special. Food Network's newest issue does not disappoint with a wealth of fun summer food ideas.  

Cook's Notes: This appetizer/slider caught my attention for its creativity. There wasn't  exactly a recipe to follow just a photo and some wording underneath. But I found it easy to figure out. The only thing I did not anticipate was in one bag of frozen waffle fries there were many pieces not a lot of whole ones to use for top and bottom of the appetizer. My recommendation would be use two bags pick out the whole pieces and then combine small pieces in a zip loc bag and refreeze for another meal. I found 1/2 lb. hamburger made 7 appetizers using my muffin tin appetizer size.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 bags of frozen waffle fries (each 22 oz.) 
• Ground beef
• Cubes of cheese-one per hamburger 
• Chopped sweet onions
• Bread and Butter Pickles, drained on a paper towel
• Lettuce
• Grape tomatoes
• Paper flags from Michaels 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
• Figure out how many top and bottom waffle fries you need to make these appetizers and place on a baking sheet. 
• Bake 10 minutes and then turn over using spatula and cook 10 minutes more. Set aside.  
• In a bowl add hamburger and onions. Mix well. Shape each hamburger molding it to fit a cube of cheese. 
• Place hamburger in muffin tins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake hamburgers uncovered 25 minutes. Remove each one and drain on a paper towel. 
• To assemble-one waffle fry, hamburger, pickle and top with another waffle fry. 

Top with a flag.

Another alternative, add lettuce and a tomato. Serve with condiments.

Do check out the magazine for other cool, creative food ideas to make summer just a little more fun.