Arby's Beef — The Sliders That Showed Up Like Every Other Good Thing Did

Week 359. Winter 2023. I am 40 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like soup and bread and this is my life. This is the life I built.

I went for a run this morning — the Saturday routine, the greenbelt, the river, the particular meditation of feet on a path and lungs filling and the body doing what it was told it couldn't do. The running group meets rain or shine.

Mason is 12 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 10 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made slow cooker pulled pork this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

The pulled pork was this week’s anchor — the slow, steady kind of cooking that mirrors the life I’ve built: unhurried, deliberate, worth the wait. But some nights, after the run and the homework and the horse smell still clinging to Lily’s jacket, I want something that comes together fast and still feels like I showed up for my people. These Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sliders are that recipe — humble, satisfying, the kind of thing that disappears from the pan before you’ve even sat down, and somehow that’s exactly right.

Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sliders

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients

• 12 Hawaiian slider rolls
• 1 lb thinly sliced deli roast beef
• 1/2 cup beef broth or au jus
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
• For the cheddar sauce:
• 8 oz Velveeta or processed cheddar, cubed
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Without separating the rolls, slice the entire slab of slider rolls in half horizontally and place the bottom halves in the prepared dish.
2. Warm the beef. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the roast beef and beef broth. Stir gently and warm for 3—4 minutes until the beef is heated through and has absorbed most of the broth. Remove from heat.
3. Make the cheddar sauce. In a separate small saucepan over low heat, combine the Velveeta, milk, hot sauce, and smoked paprika. Stir continuously until completely melted and smooth, about 4—5 minutes. Keep warm.
4. Build the sliders. Layer the warmed roast beef evenly over the bottom rolls. Spoon or pour the cheddar sauce generously over the beef. Place the top halves of the rolls over the filling.
5. Make the butter topping. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar. Brush the mixture evenly over the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
6. Bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5—7 minutes until the tops are golden and the cheese is bubbling at the edges.
7. Slice and serve. Use a sharp knife to cut between the rolls along the seams. Serve immediately with extra au jus on the side for dipping, if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 285 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 680mg