Sliders Up! Meatloaf meets Brioche with a Whoopie Pie Pan

*Disclaimer - I am part of the Good Cook Blogger Program and received these products for review. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

I think I have football on the brain, because all the recipes going through my head right now are in miniature. Perfect game day foods are finger-friendly and I have been dreaming up new slider recipes to enjoy.

First off, I have to admit that I don't usually eat meatloaf sandwiches. In fact, meatloaf is pretty much inhaled in our house and it never goes past the second day.

So when I opened up my box of Good Cook goodies this week I was excited to find a Sweet Creations Whoopie Pie Pan. I was also sent a lovely round cake pan and cute cupcake papers. I plan to use the cake pan for my husband's birthday coming up and we go through cupcake papers like water around here for quick desserts.

What? I don't own a Whoopie Pie Pan?

I know, the kitchen gadget queen doesn't have one. Well, until now. I have never been sure if I would make whoopie pies often enough to justify it. But, then I started thinking about all the other great uses for this type of pan.  Don't worry, there are no whoopie pies in this post, but I hope you will see how versatile this great pan really is.

First, I grabbed a few ingredients and made a batch of my favorite brioche bun dough. I added in some Vermont cheese powder and topped it with everything bagel topping. Mmm... 

I flattened a golf ball sized portion of dough into each well and they were the perfect party-size sliders!

Then I turned right around and used the same Whoopie Pie Pan to create little meatloaf patties - the perfect size for my buns.

My recipe contains apples and sharp cheddar cheese. What more could you want in a burger patty? 

This is the recipe I grew up with and has remained pretty much unchanged over the years. I didn't grow up with family living nearby and this recipe comes from a woman who adopted us as family in town. When we came over for dinner, this was one of the recipes she used.

Traditionally we squeeze a little ketchup on top and let it caramelize on top of our meatloaf for the final 10 minutes. I also did it for our little sliders.

So do you see how versatile this pan really is? I sprayed the pan with nonstick spray for both the bread dough and the meatloaf (I am overly cautious!) and had no problem getting either out of the pan. Even after the greasy cheese and hamburger the pan washed up beautifully.

Now I might just have to make whoopie pies with it.

Brioche Slider Buns

You Will Need:

• 3 Tbsp. milk, room temperature 
• 1 c. water, room temperature
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 c. bread flour
• 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. Vermont Cheese Powder *optional
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. butter, unsalted and cold
• egg wash (1 egg, 1 Tbsp. water)
• bun toppings (sesame seeds, everything topping, etc.)

Proof the yeast with the milk and sugar for about 5 minutes. The mixture will become foamy.

Beat the egg and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives. The mixture should resemble coarse sand. Stir in the egg and yeast. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is nice and elastic. Try not to add too much extra flour.

Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise till it has doubled in size.

Pull off golf ball sized pieces of dough.  Place them inside the wells of the greased pan and press them down to fill the well. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise again for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees half way through the final rise. Place a pan of water in the oven during heating to create higher humidity on the oven. Brush the top of each bun with egg wash and sprinkle with bun toppings if desired. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the buns have turned golden on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Ve's Meatloaf

You Will Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 8-oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. yellow onion, diced
• 1 small apple, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. sharp cheddar, cubed
• salt and pepper 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except the ground beef. Mix well. Add the beef and fill each of 12 wells with the meatloaf mixture. Bake for 20 minutes and then squeeze ketchup on top of each patty. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Serve warm or chilled on brioche slider buns

Enjoy!