I think it’s safe to say I’m obsessed with burgers. I love making new creations and trying different things with burgers. This recipe is no different. I took my homemade mac & cheese and piled it on to a beef and pork burger! It’s definitely a messy eat but the flavors are stellar! Check out my latest burger creation – Mac & Cheese Burger!
I almost always toast my burger buns – whether it’s brioche, potato, ciabatta or whatever. It gives the bread a chance to survive the whole burger and it is a great way to add a little more flavor too. You can essentially turn it into garlic bread and get that yummy goodness. For this burger I just did a light toasting. Since it’s 6 buns, I put them on a baking sheet and do them all at once in the oven. You can also do them one by one in a regular toaster.
The lettuce, tomato and onion are also key to the flavors of this burger. Without them, it sorta loses the burger vibe all together. And truthfully – the red onion is SOOOOOOO good with the mac & cheese!
I have a few different burger recipes in my cookbook – as well as on this website. I seriously make burgers basically every week for my family. I use different types of meat – beef, pork, chicken, turkey – and lots of different flavors and toppings.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Mac & Cheese Burger
Ingredients
- ½ lb Bacon cut in half
- 8 Brioche Buns
- 8 pieces Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Tomato cut in slices
- ½ Red Onion cut in thin rings
For the Burgers
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
For the Mac & Cheese
- 1 lb Short Pasta shells or elbows
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 450. Start water boiling for Pasta. Preheat Grill or Grill Pan to Medium-High.
- In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add bacon strips and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towel covered plate and set aside until ready to build burger.
- In a bowl combine the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4-in patties. Once grill or grill pan is heated, cook patties for 7-8 minutes on each side.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process. Return to pot (away from heat).
- Lay open buns on a baking sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes to toast.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and cook for 3 minutes. Add in cheese, a handful at a time, until fully melted. Let cook another 2 minutes then pour over cooked pasta and stir to coat well.
- Build the Burger: Start with a toasted bottom bun and place a piece of lettuce, one tomato and some red onions. Then top with a burger, followed by a helping of mac & cheese and then 3 pieces of bacon and top with toasted top bun.
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!
Oh my that looks so decadent! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a wonderful weekend and hope to see you this Sunday at the party.