It doesnt get more classic home cooking than a fully loaded cheeseburger. This one is served up smashburger style with a simple burger sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. If you are looking for your go to – “I need a Burger” – solution, you found it! This Classic Bacon Cheeseburger has got everything to make your family happy.
This is a bit of a less is more type recipe. You want to get good beef so you don’t have to add too much seasoning. A good bun so you just have to toast it up. Decent sliced cheddar so it gets melty and gooey. And nice fresh produce that you can just slice up and serve.
Substitutes and Variations:
Since each burger has to be built on its own, everyone can have it their way – add all the things or omit what you don’t want. You can do plain ketchup instead of the sauce. You could add in some pickles if that’s your favorite burger topping. You can also make this with ground pork or turkey. Just add a little oil to the pan if using turkey, so it will crisp up a little.
Suggestions for Sides:
As with any burger – a fried potato item is always a good idea for the side. You can do waffle cut, crinkle cut, Shoestring, steak, curly or regular fries. Heck you can even go tater tots if thats what you like. This burger also is great with some nice potato salad or pasta salad.
Tools that may make this recipe easier:
There are just three special type things I would say are needed to make these burgers. You are going to want a food scoop to portion your ground meat evenly into the 12 patties. You are going to need parchment paper (either precut in 4-5inch squares or by the roll and you cut it). And you are going to want a hand mandolin to cut your onions super thin for best flavor!
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Classic Bacon Cheeseburger
Ingredients
- 1½ Lb Bacon cut in half
- 2 lb Ground Beef
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 12 slices Cheddar Cheese
- 6 Hamburger Buns Store-bought or See recipe below
- 1 cup Fry Sauce Store-bought of See recipe below
- ½ White Onion thinly sliced
- 1 Large Beefsteak Tomato sliced
- 6 pieces Green Leaf Lettuce
Instructions
- In a bowl, thoroughly combine ground beef with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Use a 2 inch food scoop to form into 12 balls.
- Place each ball between two 6inch pieces of parchment and use a heavy pan or burger press to flatten out. Repeat with remaining ball.
- In a frying pan over medium high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and then remove to paper towel covered plate.
- In a wide flat pan or on a flat top griddle, over medium high heat, add 2 or 4 (depending on available space) flattened patties. Let cook for about 3 minutes then flip and smash down again. Cook another 3 minutes and then place a slice of cheese on each patty. Cover with lid and let melt for a minute then add 3 pieces of bacon on top of each patty. Stack two patties together and remove from pan. Repeat with remaining burgers.
- Build the burger – smear top bun with fry sauce. Place a piece of lettuce then two slices of tomato and some onion to the bottom bun. The place the double cheese burger on top, adding two or three pieces of bacon. Lastly add top bun and pressing down slightly.
Homemade Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonaisse
- ½ cup Ketchup
- ¼ cup Dill Pickle Relish
- 1 tbsp Pickle Juice
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients until smooth.
- Place in sealable jar and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Store for up to 7 days.
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cup Water room temp.
- 6 tbsp Sugar
- 2 pkg Dry Active Yeast 7 grams
- 2 Egg beaten
- 7 cups Flour bread or AP
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Butter softened, divided
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add water and sugar. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved. Then add yeast packets. Let sit to bloom for about 10 minutes. (should be foamy)
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and beaten egg. Pour in bloomed yeast. Mix together until a dough forms. Knead for about 5 minutes. Then add half of the softened butter and knead into dough for another 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or a bowl cover). Place in a warm place (countertop or proofing drawer), to rise for about and hour. It should double in size.
- Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and punch out most of the air. Then use bench scrapper (or knife) to portion into 16 equal pieces. Roll each between your palms into round balls. Line out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover again with plastic wrap (or a clean kitchen towel) and let proof again, until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350degF.
- Melt remaining butter. Once buns are done proofing, remove plastic wrap and brush each with melted butter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in oven to bake for 30 minutes (or until golden brown).
- Remove from oven and move immediately to a cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing in half to use to make burgers or sandwiches.
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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
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