Ahhhh……the Bacon Cheeseburger, what can one say about a juicy burger, covered in cheddar cheese, and topped with crispy bacon……….it’s the best burger you can have!!!! So, why not have it in a salad??? A Cobb salad…….ohhh good idea!
So, basically this is a bacon cheeseburger on a plate……you know “fork”…..time.
This really came out of Tim and I’s desire for a burger, and guess what……. no buns. So, you either, run to the store……….or, you make do with what you do have. Number two wins………….Ok, I had everything but the bun. I did have a ciabatta roll, so I cut it up for the croutons…..aka bread of the dish. The rest was pretty easy and straight forward.
Fry up the bacon, and drain it on paper toweling. Here a little tip about frying bacon…….cut it up first, then fry it……it makes it so much easier…….. if the recipe says crumble the bacon….cut then fry! I know , I know, but thats what I’m here for……
The start of summer is also the start of family reunions, potlucks, cookouts, and picnics. What in the world do you take???? How about Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs!! These little gems are everything that a Bacon Cheeseburger is without the bun.
My brother has a get together every year for family and friends………..he won’t call it a family reunion because he is afraid no one will show up. Probably not true but………just to be safe we just call it The Bocker Bash.
I was under pressure this year to produce something for two reasons, one, last year I purchased my contribution…….thats right, I bought a fruit tray and a veggie tray at the local Wal Mart………I know “not good”. Two, now that everyone knows that I am writing a food blog, it goes without saying that I needed something food blog worthy!
Now, sometimes I over do things……..just a smig. I decided I would make a meat dish, a salad, and a dessert. The meat turned out……..the other two, not so much. I took them all and brought home empty dishes, but the other two recipes need work.
The Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs were a hit. I didn’t even get any at the bash as they were all gone by the time I got through the line.
So, what is in these little buggers you ask. All the the things you put on a bacon cheeseburger………bacon, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and French Fried Onions. I used bread and butter pickles, as they are a favorite but, you can use what ever pickle is the favorite at your house. Then stuff the whole thing with cheddar cheese cubes that melt inside……….yum!
BBQ sauce added the final touch. Feel free to make them without, but if you do you may be missing out! We love Sweet Baby Rays in all flavors, but use whatever kind your family likes best.
The other nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it and take it. I threw the meatballs into a crockpot and off I went. If you will not have electricity at your get-together, place the meatballs in a insulated carrier, or the really old fashioned way…………place your hot food in what ever serving container you want, line a box with newspaper or bath towels, and this will keep your food warm for several hours……….just long enough to show off your culinary skills.
So, next time you need a ‘take along’ dish, try our Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs.
Combine ground beef, cooked bacon, eggs, fried onions, pickles, pickle juice, ketchup, and mustard in a large bowl until mixed throughly.
Shape into meatballs using an ice cream scoop. You should be able to get 24 meatballs. Push one cube of cheese into each meatball, making sure to enclose the cheese inside the meatball. Place meatballs on a parchment cover baking sheet and bake at 375* Bake for 20 -25 minutes. If serving immediately transfer meatball to serving dish. Heat BBQ sauce until heated through and drizzle over meatballs. Alternately you can place the cooked meatballs into a slow cooker, pour BBQ sauce over meatballs and hold until serving time.
I just couldn’t wait to post this!!!! I must say in all my years of cooking this is by far the best burger I have ever made!!!
The new craze is the pretzel bun, you see it on commercials and in restaurants………so, after the success of my post for Auntie Anne’s Pretzels:Copycat Recipe I wanted to find a way to use the recipe again. So, instead of pretzels………..pretzel buns. They were easy to make and turned out awesome.
I remembered hearing something about beer cheese from one of my cousins who used to live in ……….where else……..Wisconsin. If memory serves……which it doesn’t always at my age………..he said it was served with a burger.
Ok……so I had the bun, the burger, and the cheese, but what for the topping? I love grilled onions on a burger , and since I was only using part of a beer for the cheese, I figured I would use the rest for the onions. Yum!!!! The whole thing came together in total harmony. Now the only thing that may have made this just a bit more awesome would be if the burgers were grilled. Since neither Tim nor I are the “grill no matter the weather type” we did them on a flat griddle. Of course there is something to be said about a burger on a flat grill. “Flat-Top” burgers remind me of the old ‘Pro Shop” in Sterling, Illinois. They served up the best burger, until the unfortunate fire that destroyed the business. But, the memory can never be destroyed.
However you chose to prepare your Beer Cheese Pretzel Burger it will be a burger that you will not forget, and will make again and again……….I know we will!
Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat
When it bubbles and foams, add the flour and whisk together to form a paste.
Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns from white to light tan.
Gradually whisk in the beer and slowly add the cheese, continuing to whisk until you have a thick cheese sauce. Stir in hot sauce if using. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use (you may have to reheat it to top the burger).
Beer caramelized-onions:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onions, sugar , and beer. Cook onions over low to medium low heat until caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.
To Assemble:
Place a patty on the bottom half of the bun.
Dollop generously with warm beer cheese and top with half the caramelized onions.
Top with the other half of the bun and serve with fries.
Notes
We used some of the beer cheese to dip our fries………
Prep and cooking time does not include making the pretzel buns.
