1. Inside-Out Bacon Cheeseburgers with Grilled Green Onion Mayo
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, chopped
- 4 scallions, cleaned and trimmed
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
- 1/2 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 4 crusty Kaiser rolls, split
- 4 leaves crisp romaine lettuce
Directions
Preheat grill pan over high heat.
In a medium pan brown bacon over medium high heat and drain on paper towel lined plate.
Brush scallions with a little oil and grill on hot grill pan 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat to cool.
Combine ground beef with Worcestershire and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide meat into 4 equal parts. Combine cheesecrumbles and cooked bacon. Take 1/4 of the meat in your hand and make a well in the center of it. Pile in cheese and bacon, then carefully form the burger around the cheese and bacon filling. Make sure the fillings are completely covered with meat. When all 4 patties are formed, drizzle burgers with oil and place on hot grill pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side over high heat, reduce heat to medium low and cook burgers 7 or 8 minutes longer, turning occasionally. Do not press down on burgers as they cook. Transfer burgers to a plate and let them rest 5 minutes before serving.
Chop cooled, grilled green onions and add to a food processor. Add mayonnaise and cumin to the food processor and pulse the onions and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.
Pile burgers on crusty buns and top with crisp lettuce leaves and a slather of green onion mayonnaise. As you bite into the burgers, you will find a smoky, cheesy surprise at the center.
2. Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons each of roasted red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise
Ingredients
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1/2 lime, juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sliders:
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cheese slices, your choice
- Mini burger buns
Burger Bar (if desired):
- Chipotle Mayonnaise
- Pickles
- Red onion slices
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Sliders:
Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.
Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.
4. Big Mike Burger
Ingredients
Patty #1:
Pecan Burger:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
Patty #2:
Butter Burger:
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground chuck
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
- 4 ounces American cheese, cut into 6 portions
Special Sauce for the "Big Mike":
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- Hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapenos
To serve:
Directions
Patty #1:
Pecan Burger:
Preheat broiler or grill. Divide ground beef into 12 flat patties. Partially saute bacon - the fat should start rendering, but it shouldn't be crispy. Drain bacon. Mix pecans, parsley, onion, and butter together. Spread mixture on 6 of the patties. Top with remaining 6 patties and seal the edges with the partially sauteed bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Broil or grill 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness, turning once.
Patty #2:
Butter Burger:
Salt and pepper the beef, to taste. Mix beef and cubed buttertogether with your hands and form 6 balls. Push a piece of American cheese into the center of each ball. Mold ground beef around the cheese in the shape of a patty. Cook on hot grill or in skillet to desired doneness.
Special Sauce for the "Big Mike":
Stir all ingredients together until well blended.
To Serve:
Place 1 pecan burger on a bottom piece of 6 buns. Top with another bottom piece of bun and the butter burger. Top with sauce, lettuce,tomato, onion and a top piece of the bun. Discard or save for another use the remaining 6 top bun pieces.
5. Big Bacon Burger
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon oil, plus more for grill grate
- 4 slices Jack cheese
- 4 kaiser rolls, halved and toasted
- Chili Mayo, recipe follows
- 8 slices crisped bacon
- Quick-Pickled Onions, recipe follows
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, Worcestershire, egg, and salt and pepper, to taste. With a whisk, mix the ingredients until egg is broken up and incorporated. Add the meat and with your hands, mix until thoroughly combined. Shape the meat mixture into 4 even patties, to fit the size of the kaiser roll, and put a 1/4-inch slight dimple in the middle of each patty to allow it to cook evenly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Alternately, heat a grill to medium (350 degrees F) and rub the grate with a towel dipped in oil.
Heat the broiler on low heat.
Add the patties to the skillet, and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes.Flip the burgers and cook another 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare burgers. Alternately, grill the patties uncovered for 4 to 6 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4 to 6 minutes. Top each patty with a piece of cheese and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Alternately, close the grill top, and cook until the cheese is melted.
For the each burger, spread the bottom of the roll with 1/4 of the mayonnaise. Put the burger on the mayonnaise and top with 2 slices of the bacon and some of the onions. Cover with the top of the roll and serve.
Quick-Pickled Onions:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium red onions, halved and sliced paper thin
- 1 bay leaf
Combine all the ingredients, except the onions and bay leaf, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and then bring to a boil. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in the onion. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bay leaf. Let sit at room temperature until cool, at least 1 hour.
Chili Mayo:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
