You know it’s hot outside when you don’t even want to grill out.
The kind of heat that zaps your energy. Even your dog doesn’t even want to go out in it. My pup gave me crazy eyes when I tried to prompt her to walk to the mailbox with me mid-afternoon. It was 102 degree here yesterday and there was no way I was going to hang out over a hot flame to make one of my summer favorites, the All-American beef burger, for dinner. Then a bright idea popped into my head and I decided to use my cast iron ridged grill pan to make Indoor Grilled Corn with White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders. Problem solved.
When it’s a scorcher outside but you still want that charred flavor, bring the fun inside and enjoy some air conditioning (and maybe a cold one if you’re so inclined) while grilling on your stovetop. You’ll need a cast iron grill pan, which can be purchased at any big box store.
Selecting fresh corn on the cob should be pretty easy, right? All the pros tell you to peel back the top of the husk and peek inside at the kernels. If the kernels are bright in color and huge, buy it. If you have a minute, remove the husks while standing in the produce section to guarantee that you’re buying healthy-looking corn.
After cleaning the corn, brush each cob with a light coating of olive oil. Bring the grill pan to medium high heat, turn on the vent hood on low, and grab those tongs. You’re about to make amazing caramelized corn indoors!
Top your finished corn with a quick mixture of garlic chive butter. I used 3 T. butter with 1 tsp chopped fresh chives and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Below is my recipe for White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders, which are incredibly juicy and easy to make after removing the corn from the grill pan. (You will need to reduce the heat to medium.) Prep this hamburger mixture recipe in advance of grilling the corn. Use a tip I learned from Ina Garten and mix the burger mixture with a fork and not your hands. Nobody likes a burger with the texture of a hockey puck and this tip leaves your burgers fat and juicy. Using 90-10 ground beef is less fattening so you won’t have as much smoke when grilling indoors.
Indoor Grilled Corn with White Cheddar Stuffed Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
- 2 T. French's Chardonnay dijon mustard
- 2 diced garlic cloves
- 1 T Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning
- 2 chopped slices of sharp white aged cheddar
- heavy pinch pepper
- 2 T. butter
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients, except the butter and the cheese, into a large bowl.
- Slowly incorporate the ingredients using a fork-not your hands!
- After thoroughly mixed remove the fork and form four small burger patties with your hands.
- Create a divot inside each patty with your thumb and place cheddar cheese inside.
- Fold up the edges of each patty around the burger to re-form it. Set all four patties on a plate.
- Brush butter on the outside of both sides of each patty.
- Heat a indoor cast iron grill pan to medium heat.
- Place all patties in the pan and grill 5-6 minutes on each side. Don't move them until you can do so easily when nudging a spatula underneath them. Don't smash the burger with the back of the spatula either!
Notes
The brushed on butter gives the sliders a bit of a crispier outside crust.
