The little burger that could: Meatloaf sliders ease up on calories

Now that the new healthcare bill signed by President Obama requires fast-food franchises to put calorie counts on their menus, we'll get a little guilt with our hamburgers. We don't know about you, but because we can't hide from the facts, we'll probably eat burgers a lot less often. Thank heavens for sliders!

In case you haven't seen them, sliders are miniature hamburgers, and they've been all the rage at trendy restaurants. They're usually offered as an appetizer, but we usually share an order as a main course.

Bakeries have taken notice, too, and now we can buy cute little slider buns at the supermarket, including whole-wheat versions. We were thrilled to find this new product because these mini-burgers are the perfect size for kids and for adults who want to indulge without going over the top.

Today's Meatloaf Sliders are packed with flavor, but owing to extra-lean ground beef, each mini-burger has only 227 calories and 7 grams of fat. The sliders are terrific served with plain baked potatoes. But for something a little more special, check out our recipe for Three-Cheese Mashed Potatoes at our Web site, KitchenScoop.com. We're also posting a recipe for Herb Chicken Sliders with Raspberry Mustard, one of the top 100 recipes at the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off.

Suggested menu: Meatloaf Sliders with Three-Cheese Mashed Potatoes and lettuce leaves and tomato slices.

• Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at kitchenscoop.com.