Mini Cheeseburgers

Football and burgers seem to go well together, so whether you love all the football that is around at the moment or hate it, you might still be able to have a bit of fun with these little burgers. They definitely have a bit of wow appeal, they are pretty easy to make and unlike some of their close cousins, these little canapés really are just one mouthful. Why not give them a go - they are guaranteed to make you and your guests smile, even if the football doesn’t.

Ingredients - makes approximately 40

400g beef mince

Small onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 egg, lightly beaten

0.5 tsp ground cumin

Seasoning

5 Brioche buns

Sesame seeds

Olive oil

80g strong cheddar, cut into squares to fit on top of the cooked burgers

8 cornichons

Small round plain sided biscuit cutter (KitchenCraft - mine are from Amazon)

Method

Heat oven to 180°c

Cut the brioche rolls horizontally in half and then cut 4 circles from each half using a small round cutter. Cut each circle across to make a top and base. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds.

Place on a baking sheet and cook the mini brioche rolls for 2 or 3 minutes until they have just dried out a little. The brioche burns easily.

Mix the beef mince with the finely chopped onion, chopped parsley, mustard, egg, cumin and seasoning. Make small balls of about 12g each and flatten them into a burger shape, similar in size to the brioche circles.

Place the burgers on a baking sheet and cook for about 8 minutes. Put a piece of cheese on top of each burger for one more minute, or until the cheese has just started to soften.

Slice each cornichon into 4 or 5 slices.

When the burgers are cooked, arrange them on sticks, first a cornichon slice, then a brioche sesame top, then the burger and then a brioche bottom. Serve with tomato ketchup or a spicy sauce.

If freezing the burgers, cool and open freeze.

The brioche buns can be cooked and stored in an airtight tin for a few days.

Cook from frozen for 8 - 10 minutes at 200°c and check they are hot through. Place a square of cheese on each and cook for one more minute.