Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” 

Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

These were some of the best burgers, we've ever cooked. I have never considered myself a master burger-maker, especially not on the grill. They always end up turning into a ground beef mess, where more meat ends up in the bottom of the grill instead of our buns. Not cool. So, as of this summer, we have been really practicing to bump up our cookin' out skills. And these burgers hit the spot! Pimento cheese burgers are my absolute favorite, so I have about 6 million different recipes at my disposal. This is definitely top-knotch. You have to make your own pimento cheese, that is key. I started with my favorite recipe, but went all willy-nilly on it, and added some cold, hard whiskey to the game. If I've said it was I've said it a million times, booze belongs in anything + everything. The other components to this awesome burger include: crispy thick bacon, red onion marmalade, homemade roasted garlic aioli, & perfectly toasted buns. But far and away, the item that brings it over the top has to be the "condiment-inspired" romaine slaw. I got this idea from the sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw from my fried chicken banh mi's. Why not make a good 'ole American classic for burgers instead? With lettuce subbed in for cabbage. Done & done. The romaine lettuce is thinly shredded and tossed together with pickles, tomatoes, shaved shallots, a mustard dressing, and a few other tasty treats! It's important to know that you shouldn't toss the slaw together until just before serving that way the texture remains crisp and crunchy. The burgers come together with such a souther, summer harmony. It's like a good country song playin' while you're sippin' on the porch kinda night... but in food form, obviously. I'm sorry that I've been so preoccupied with engagement stuff + wedding planning (ahhh already), but that's kind of what has been taking up my time. But, I'll keep making sure to give y'all new recipes every few days!! Enjoy :)

cooked medium-rare, just like my mountain man likes it.

"condiment-inspired" romaine slaw

summer... between two buns.

For the Homemade Whiskey Spiked Pimento Cheese:

4oz Cream Cheese, Extremely Soft

½C Homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli

¼t Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, & Paprika

2t Hot Sauce

2T Sweet Onion, Grated

2T Finely Minced Chives

8oz Pepper Jack or Habanero Jack Cheese, Shredded

16oz Vintage Aged Cheddar Cheese (I like to use 8oz white and 8oz yellow)

2 Roasted Red Peppers, Diced (preferably done at home, instead of store-bought)

½C Candied Jalapenos, Diced

1-2T Whiskey or Bourbon, Very Cold   

For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Large Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1 Large Head of Garlic Cloves, Roasted & Pureed (let it cool before mashing or pureeing)

½t Sea Salt (or to taste)

¾C Canola Oil   

For the Mustard Dressing:

1T Yellow Mustard, 1T Dijon Mustard, + 1T Grainy Mustard

1T Honey + 1T Mayo

¼C Bread n’ Butter Pickle Pickling Liquid

2T Taco Pickles Pickling Liquid

2T Candied Jalapeno Liquid

For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw:

4C Romaine Hearts, Thinly Shaved/Sliced (roughly 2-3 large hearts)

2 Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced (optional)

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

½C Homemade Bread n’ Butter Pickles + ¼C of the Pickling Liquid

1C Homemade “Taco Pickles” + 2T of the Pickling Liquid

½C Homemade Candied Jalapenos + 2T of the Candied Liquid

2 Shallots, Thinly Shaved

8oz Cherry Tomatoes, Finely Diced (seeds & juices removed)

Prepared Mustard Dressing

For the Burgers:

80/20 Ground Beef Formed into Patties, Seasoned, & Cooked to Your Liking

Gourmet Brioche Buns, Toasted & Warmed

Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon Slices, Cooked until Crispy

Prepared Whiskey Pimento Cheese

Homemade Red Onion Marmalade

Extra Roasted Garlic Aioli, For Spreading

Prepared “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, Just Tossed

Heirloom Tomato Slices (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Whiskey Pimento Cheese:In a big mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, whiskey, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Separately, shred the three blocks of cheese and put in the bowl with the seasoned creamy mixture. (I use the normal shredding side because I like it more that way for this dip). Toss the mixture together until the mayo is covering all of the cheese. Add in the roasted red peppers and candied jalapeno, and toss until it’s completely incorporated. Season the dip with any additional seasonings if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use on top of the burgers.

2. For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, roasted garlic cloves, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with salt, pepper, & sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Mustard Dressing:In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined/incorporated and very smooth. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to add to the romaine slaw.

4. For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw: Shred the hearts of romaine very thinly, so that it resembles the same look as coleslaw. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the jalapenos, green onions, Sriracha pickles, taco pickles, candied jalapenos, shaved shallots, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Pour the dressing over the condiment components and let it marinate for an hour or two while you are cooking the burgers. Just before serving, add the shredded romaine coleslaw mixture and season with salt & pepper. Toss to cover and combine, and use immediately before it becomes wilted & soggy.

5. Assembling the Burgers:Top one slice of a buttered & toasted bun with a thick layer of homemade roasted aioli. On the bottom slice of each bun, place a cooked burger patty, a few slices of bacon, a scoop of whiskey pimento cheese, homemade red onion marmalade, a slice of heirloom tomato, and a pile of the romaine slaw. Top it with the other slice of the burger bun.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Frisco Patty Melts with Double Patties, Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Spicy Thousand Island Sauce, & Texas Toast Fried in Bacon Fat

Frisco Patty Melts with Double Patties, Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Spicy Thousand
Island Sauce, & Texas Toast Fried in Bacon Fat

I feel so bad that my posts have been less than stellar mediocre while I've been sick. I'm just not in the mood. But have no fear, I'll keep sharing my recipes. Today is a perfect recipe to make inside on a cold fall day. And hey, the men of the house can make it for ya. That's a perk right? Yep. It's my take off of the Friso Patty Melt from Steak n' Shake. I love patty melts... they are so much better than burgers in my opinion. I mean, there's no fluff. Just meat, cheese, bacon, sauce, caramelized onions, and buttery bread. I would pick it over any burger any day. It just melts in your mouth people. I mean the bread fried in bacon fat... send me to heaven because there's nothing left in this world that I need to try. So, next time you are about to make a burger, remember this recipe and try something new. You won't regret it!! Enjoy :)

Look at the sauce spilling over the side... that's the best bite.

For the Spicy Thousand Island Sauce:

2T + 2t Mayo

1T Ketchup

1T Candied Jalapeno Relish

½t Sugar & White Vinegar

¼t Paprika & Garlic Powder 

Hot Sauce, Optional (to your liking)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Patties:

1lb Ground Chuck, 80/20

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Small Tabs of Butter

Vegetable Oil, For Grilling

For the Frisco Patty Melts:

4 Pieces of Thick Texas Toast, Fried until Golden Brown & Toasted in Reserved Bacon Fat

4 Burger Patties, Cooked & Warmed (make sure they are very flat)

8 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cooked until Crispy (reserve bacon fat)

4 Slices of Swiss Cheese

4 Slices of American Cheese

Prepared Spicy Thousand Island Sauce

Caramelized Onions (I used a homemade caramelized onion jam that was delicious)

Directions:

1. For the Spicy Thousand Island Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to your taste.

2. For the Patties: Roll ground beef into four golf ball sized balls. Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add ground beef balls, about 2-4 to a pan, 2 if you have a medium sized pan, or 4 if you have a large pan. Season each side with salt & pepper very well. Flatten the ball with a spatula. The meat should sizzle when you add it, if not, your pan is not hot enough. Let cook for one minute, then flip over and using the back of your spatula, smash the burger flat more into a thin patty. After a short time and the ground beef is mostly cooked through, flip once more. Place on a paper towel to drain fat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

3. In a deep sauté pan, cook your thick bacon until crispy, and there is a significant amount of bacon fat in the pan. Remove the bacon and set aside. Keep the pan at medium heat and add the pieces of Texas toast and fry the bread until it is golden brown and buttery (you can either do just one side or both sides).

4. Assembling the Frisco Patty Melts: Top each slice of fried Texas toast with a thick layer of the Spicy Thousand Sauce. On the bottom slice, place a warm, cooked patty and cover with caramelized onions. Top the onions with a slice of American cheese, followed by another patty, caramelized onions, and a slice of Swiss cheese. Finish the patty melt with another fried Texas toast with the special sauce. Repeat with the same ingredients to make the other burger. This will make two large patty melts.

5. Serve immediately with some homemade Sour Cream & Onion Fries.

Mac n' Cheese Stuffed Burgers with Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions & Weaved Bacon Patties

Mac n' Cheese Stuffed Burgers with Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions & Weaved Bacon Patties

I've been lazy about blogging this week, sorry charlie. But no worries, I finally have a recipe to post today!! And its a doozy, lemme tell you. A couple months ago, we made these All-American Bacon-Crusted Burger with Thousand Island Mayo, and they were delish. I couldn't stop thinking about them and how I wanted to make them even crazier and more over-the-top than it already was. Well, I was thinking maybe I should stuff the burgers with some cheese, so it would get nice & ooey-gooey when you bite into it. But no, that wasn't crazy enough for us. Then bam, I was hit by a bus. No I'm just kidding... no bus incident here, but bam, a great idea had just popped into my head. Why not stuff a burger with a mac n' cheese patty. Holy Paula Deen... I couldn't wait to try it. So, we made some mac n' cheese and pressed inside of two burger patties and grilled them up. When you bite into these burgers (I mean that's if you can because they are so large, you practically have to un-hinge your jaw in order to do so), the mac n' cheese just oozes out and the cheesy-pasta-goodness just comforts your fatty Southern soul. The burgers are also loaded with Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions (um, what the what) that are sweet, soft, and perfectly caramelized. It's practically like a jam when you spread it on the burger buns. But one of our favorite components was the Weaved Bacon Patty. This patty ensures bacon in every bite, which is so genius. And you know what, next time I make a BLT, I making these patties for sure. They would be so perfect. We finished the burgers with my favorite thousand island mayo, tomato, and lettuce. But feel free to add anything else you would like... I mean it's your burger now isn't it? Yes. I also included a bunch of step-by-step pictures to show you how to make these stuffed burgers because it's hard to visualize the process. I hope it helps!! Enjoy :)

Press a portion of the ground beef into a large, round cookie cutter...

Then place a piece of American cheese inside...

Add in the mac n' cheese... 

And top with another slice of cheese and slide it out of the cookie cutter...

Press another portion of ground beef into the same cookie cutter, slide it out of the mold,
and place it on top of the mac n' cheese stuffed burger. Seal the edges to make sure
it's all covered and the mac n' cheese won't spill out.

Here are the cooked & crispy weaved bacon patties... yum 

Place a cooked burger patty on a bun...

Top the burger with a weaved bacon patty...

Load her up with all those delicious toppings & coca-cola caramelized onions... 

See the mac n' cheese stuffing? Heaven. on. earth. yep.  

Just let go & devour it..

For the Mac n’ Cheese Stuffed Burgers:

1lb Ground Chuck (80/20)

4 Slices of American cheese

Your Favorite Mac n’ Cheese Recipe

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions:

4 Vidalia Onions, Sliced

Butter & Olive Oil, For Cooking

Salt, To Taste

12oz Coca Cola

For the Thousand Island Sauce:

2T + 2t Mayo

1T Ketchup

2t Sweet Pickle Relish

½t Sugar & White Vinegar

¼t Paprika & Garlic Powder 

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Mac n’ Cheese Stuffed Burgers:

Prepared Mac n’ Cheese Stuffed Burger Patties, Cooked

Prepared Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions

Crispy Weaved Bacon Patties

2 Gourmet Hamburger Buns, Buttered & Toasted

Prepared Thousand Island Sauce

Homemade Pickle Chips

Heirloom Tomatoes, Sliced & Sprinkled Lightly with Salt and Pepper

Fresh Iceberg Lettuce, Ribs Removed & Torn into Bun-Sized Pieces

Directions:

1. For the Mac n’ Cheese Stuffed Burgers: Prepare your favorite mac n’ cheese recipe, pour it into a baking dish, and then refrigerate until cold and set. Split the ground chuck into 4 equal portions. Spray a large 4inch round cookie cutter with Pam and place it on top of a piece of parchment paper, press 1 of the portions of ground beef into the cutter, pressing it in to compact it and slightly pushing it up the sides, so there’s a deep indentation. Place 1 slices of American cheese on top of the pressed meat. Next, using a 3inch round rookie cutter, cut the chilled mac n’ cheese into small rounds. Place the mac n’ cheese round into the indentation of the beef, on top of the American cheese slice. Gently push the compacted mac n’ cheese-ground meat out of the cookie cutter, making sure it stays together. Repeat the process with another portion of the ground beef, compacting it in and pushing it up the sides (this patty portion will not be filled, but will be used to seal the burger completely). Place this formed patty on top of the other mac n’ cheese filled patty and seal the meat on the sides, so it’s completely formed. Repeat with the other two portions of ground beef. You should have two huge stuffed burger patties. Season all sides with salt & pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt some butter in it until very hot. Fry the each burger and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the outsides are brown and crispy. Place them onto a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated 400-degree oven for 5-10 minutes until your preferred doneness. Let them rest slightly before you assemble the burgers.

2. For the Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions: In a large pan on medium heat sauté the onions in half the butter for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally but not too much. Over stirring will not allow the onions to brown. When the onions have absorbed all the butter, add the remaining butter and sauté another 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. When the onions absorb the second round of butter or oil and they are brown and translucent, start deglazing with the Coke, using enough to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Keep stirring occasionally and repeat the deglazing process until the onions are completely brown and soft, and all of the coke has be absorbed. Keep warm until you are ready to use.

3. For the Thousand Island Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to your taste.

4. For the Weaved Bacon Patties: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat. Cut strips of bacon in half and weave the bacon slices into a square patty. I did this similarly to how you would weave a lattice-topped piecrust. Just alternately overlap the slices of bacon with each other to form a square patty. Bake the weaved patties in the oven for 20 minutes, and then boost the heat up to 400 degrees and cook until the bacon slices are all crisp (this will depend on how thick your bacon is, mine took an extra 10-15 minutes). Set these aside until you are ready to use them.

5. Assembling the Burgers: Top each slice of buttered & toasted bun with a thick layer of Thousand Island Sauce. On the bottom slice of each bun, top the sauce with 1 slice of seasoned heirloom tomato and lettuce. Place one stuffed burger on top of the lettuce, spread with Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions, and then top with the other weaved bacon patty and finish with the top slice of the bun. Repeat the make the other burger.

6. Serve immediately with some French fries.