Make the sliders ahead of time if you’re serving a crowd and simply reheat them in a 300-degree oven until hot, 5 to 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground lamb cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1-1/2 cups panko or other dried breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• Small pita breads, mini hamburger buns, or pita crackers 
• Thick, chunky ketchup and/ or 1 cup Greek-style yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Directions
1 In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and a pale golden brown. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

2 In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the lamb with the onion mixture, the feta, ½ cup of the breadcrumbs, the remaining 1½ tablespoons rosemary, the egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Roll the mixture into twenty 2-inch or thirty-six 1-inch meatball sliders.

3 Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll each slider lightly in the breadcrumbs to coat on all sides. (The sliders can be made 1 day ahead to this point; cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.)

4 In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (test it with a touch of the breadcrumbs; it should sizzle right up), add the sliders, making sure not to crowd the skillet. (You may need 2 skillets or make them in 2 batches.) Cook the sliders for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. If the sliders start to burn or turn dark brown, reduce the heat slightly. Cut one open to make sure there is no sign of pinkness.

5 Serve hot on a mini pita with a dollop of ketchup or yogurt on top.

Makes 20 sliders or 36 meatballs; serves 10 to 18.