Recipe: Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburger

stuffed bacon burger

by Fred Decker for kroger.com

Pub fare is unapologetically over-the-top, which is part of its charm. You might never eat that kind of food at home, but it’s undeniably alluring when you’re enjoying a few drinks in the company of friends. That same standard applies when you’re tailgating, so don’t be shy about including one or two extravagant choices on your menu. A bacon cheeseburger stuffed with more bacon and cheese, for example. What could be better?

Ingredients

½ Tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 lb. bacon, cooked until crisp
½ lb. sharp cheddar, shredded
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 ½ lbs. (40 oz.) ground chuck, 18-20% fat
8 slices processed cheese
8 giant hamburger buns
Condiments and toppings, to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s aromatic and lightly golden. Divide the cooked onion in half and set it aside. Count out 16 strips of the crisply cooked bacon and set those aside as well. Crumble the 4-6 remaining strips.

Form the shredded cheese into eight small mounds. Divide the crumbled bacon and half of the onions among the mounds of cheese. Mix the cheese, onions and bacon together, then press each mound into a thin disc about 2½-3” in diameter. The center of each disc should be slightly thinner than its edges.

Add the remaining onions, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the ground chuck. Mix gently until they’re incorporated, handling the beef as little as possible. Divide the beef into eight equal portions.

Separate the first portion of beef into two halves. Press each half into a thin patty, ¾-1” wider than your buns and flatter in the middle than at the edges. Place a disc of cheese on one of the patties, top it with a second patty and seal the edges. Repeat for each remaining patty.

Grill the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and well-marked by the grill. Top each patty with a cheese slice, then transfer them to your grill’s warming rack or an unheated portion of the grill while you toast the buns. The patties should rest for 3-5 minutes before you serve them.

Place a patty on the bottom half of each bun. Break 2 slices of bacon in half and lay the four half-slices side by side on top of the patty, to give maximum coverage. Add your choice of toppings and condiments and serve immediately.

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