appetizer ideas – Live Laugh Love Do http://livelaughlovedo.com A Super Fun Site Thu, 03 Jul 2025 19:24:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 burrata with crushed cherries and pistachios – smitten kitchen http://livelaughlovedo.com/food-and-drink/burrata-with-crushed-cherries-and-pistachios-smitten-kitchen/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/food-and-drink/burrata-with-crushed-cherries-and-pistachios-smitten-kitchen/#respond Thu, 03 Jul 2025 19:24:48 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/07/04/burrata-with-crushed-cherries-and-pistachios-smitten-kitchen/ [ad_1]

Psst: You really don’t need a recipe for this but I’m sharing the proportions I used, loosely. I photographed a small plate of it with just half of everything. You’ll be happier if you make the full amount, listed below!

Some additional burrata advice: Burrata is at its most nuanced and creamy when it’s been allowed to come to room temperature, or just below. If you can find them, mini balls of burrata (Liuzzi and BelGioso brands sell them) always feel like they stretch further in dishes like this. Can’t find fresh burrata? The next best thing is stracciatella, which is basically the creamy, scrappy inside of a ball of burrata, but it is sometimes even harder to find. My favorite easier swap is a high-quality fresh ricotta, storebought or homemade.

  • 1 pound (455 grams) burrata
  • 1 pound (455 grams) fresh cherries
  • Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) salted, shelled pistachios
  • A sprig of two of fresh mint
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Crostini for serving
Drain burrata on a paper towel and ideally let it come to room temperature or a little below before using for the maximum creaminess and flavor. Tear burrata into chunks and scatter on a serving platter.

Although I have a cherry pitter, I prefer the cherries here crushed or sliced open. To crush them, use the side of a knife or even the bottom of a heavy glass to press the cherry into a cutting board or plate until you can easily remove the pit. Tear the cherry in half and scatter over the burrata. Repeat with remaining cherries. Yes, this makes a mess but a delicious one: pour any accumulated cherry juices over the cherries on the burrata. To slice cherries open, run a paring knife around the cherry, cutting to the center, twist the sides apart, and fish out the pit.

Drizzle cherries and burrata with olive oil.

Either coarsely chop the pistachios or you can use the back of a heavy pan to crush them into irregular pieces. Sprinkle the pistachios over the cherries and burrata, followed by flaky sea salt, grinds of black pepper, and fresh mint. Serve with crostini and watch it vanish.

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Cheeseburger Slider Skewers. – Half Baked Harvest http://livelaughlovedo.com/food-and-drink/cheeseburger-slider-skewers-half-baked-harvest/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/food-and-drink/cheeseburger-slider-skewers-half-baked-harvest/#respond Wed, 25 Jun 2025 15:26:57 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/06/25/cheeseburger-slider-skewers-half-baked-harvest/ [ad_1]

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Cheeseburger Slider Skewers – the ultimate fun party bite! These mini cheeseburgers are layered on skewers with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, then served with a drizzle (or dip!) of my favorite special sauce. They’re easy to make, fun to eat, and perfect for laid-back summer entertaining—from the 4th of July through football season. Guests will be obsessed with these adorable sliders!

Cheeseburger Slider Skewers | halfbakedharvest.com

How cute are these?! I’m so excited to start sharing some fun 4th of July recipes with you all, and these cheeseburger skewers are kicking things off! I made them for our 4th of July party spread, and they were such a hit—simple, tasty, and just really fun.

When I was thinking about what to serve this year, I knew burgers had to be on the menu. But instead of going the traditional route, I wanted something easy to eat, easy to prep, and totally crowd-friendly. For me, a good burger is all about quality meat, melty cheese, and a great sauce—nothing too fussy.

That’s how these skewers came to be. Mini cheeseburgers, stacked up with slider buns, cheese, and classic toppings, all threaded onto skewers for the cutest, most delicious little bite.

The best part? This recipe is more of an idea—a starting point you can build on. Use the base and make it your own! Add bacon, caramelized onions, jalapeños, or keep it simple like I do. Either way, your guests are guaranteed to love them.

Just don’t skimp on the cheese or the sauce—those are always everyone’s favorite part!

Cheeseburger Slider Skewers | halfbakedharvest.com

These are the details

Ingredients – for the sliders

  • ground beef, chicken, or turkey – I usually use ground beef
  • worcestershire sauce
  • onion powder/garlic powder/smoked paprika
  • slider bunes
  • sharp cheddar cheese slices
  • dill pickles
  • plum tomatoes
  • luttuce

Ingredients – for the house sauce

  • mayo
  • ketchup
  • dill pickles
  • worcestershire sauce
  • hot sauce
  • garlic

Special Tools

For these sliders, you’ll need a grill or grill pan and wooden or metal skewers.

Steps

Step 1: Make the Patties

Start with good-quality ground meat—beef, chicken, or turkey all work great, so use what you love. Season the meat with Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

Form into mini burger patties, about the size of a cookie. You’ll want them small enough to stack on a skewer but thick enough to stay juicy when grilled.

Step 2: Grill the Burgers

Grill the patties over medium heat. Once you flip them, immediately add a small slice of cheddar cheese to each one and let it melt as they finish cooking. Because they’re mini, they only need about 3–4 minutes per side.

Step 3: Make the House Sauce

For my go-to “house sauce,” mix together mayo, ketchup, chopped dill pickles, Worcestershire sauce, a splash of hot sauce, and a little grated garlic.

It’s creamy, tangy, and just the right amount of spicy—perfect for drizzling over the skewers or serving on the side for dipping.

Step 4: Build the Skewers

There’s no strict order here, but here’s how I like to layer them: start with the bottom bun, then a cheeseburger, followed by lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes. Then repeat the stack—cheeseburger, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes—and finish with a top bun.

If you’re making a full batch of 24 skewers, stick to this layering pattern for consistency and a great presentation.

Finish each skewer with a drizzle of the house sauce (or serve it on the side), and don’t forget the ketchup too!

How to Serve and Keep Warm

You can easily prep the patties 1–2 days in advance. Just shape them, then store them raw in the fridge. When you’re ready to grill, take them out about an hour ahead of time so they come to room temperature before cooking—this helps them cook evenly and stay juicy.

Once the skewers are assembled, keep them warm by serving from a hot tray or warming plate. For casual backyard BBQs, a disposable buffet set works great. If you have access to an outlet, I highly recommend investing in an electric warming tray. I have one myself and pull it out every Thanksgiving and Christmas—it’s compact, easy to store, and so useful for keeping things hot without drying them out.

I’m excited to share the rest of our 4th of July menu tomorrow—so stay tuned! It’s festive, simple, and such a fun spread to pull together!

Cheeseburger Slider Skewers | halfbakedharvest.comCheeseburger Slider Skewers | halfbakedharvest.com

Photos by Kelsey Cherry

Looking for other summer recipes? Here are a few.

Chopped Buffalo Chicken Skewer Salad

Smashed Cucumber and Watermelon Feta Salad

Chipotle Pineapple Bang Bang Chicken Skewers

Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers

Jalapeño Pepper Jack Cheeseburger Sliders

Lastly, if you make these easy Cheeseburger Slider Skewers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Mini Cheeseburger Slider Bites.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings: 12 skewers

Calories Per Serving: 497 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

  • 1. In a bowl, mix together the meat, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Form into 24 (golf ball size) meatballs. Flatten into a small patty. 2. Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat and grill for 3 minutes on each side, or until your desired doneness. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add cheese to each slider.3. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. 4. To assemble skewers: layer with bottom bun, burgers, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, repeat, burgers, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes. End with the top bun. Serve with ketchup and special sauce for dipping.
How To Serve and Keep Warm – serve the skewers off of a hot plate/serving dish or arrange the assembled skewers over the warm grill gates (heat on LOW or OFF), and serve directly from the grill.
To Make 24 Skewerslayer with bottom bun, burgers, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and end with the top bun. 

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