Summer grilling season is the time to pull out all the stops for burgers. These beefy burger ideas will have your mouth watering right to the grocery store to prepare!

Cherry Pepper Burgers

 

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon pickle juice
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper

For the Cherry Pepper Relish:

• 1 (16-ounce) jar sweet red cherry peppers, drained
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• For the Burgers:
• 6 frozen beef patties
• 6 hamburger buns
• 6 slices American cheese
• 6-10 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
2. Remove the stems from the cherry peppers and place in a blender or bowl of a food processor. Add the honey and olive and blend until smooth and only seeds remain. Set aside.
3. Cook the beef patties on a grill or griddle according to the package directions and season with salt and pepper. Add a slice of cheese to the top of each burger at the end of cooking and allow it to melt before removing from the heat.
4. Spread a 1-2 tablespoons each of the sauce and relish on the top burger bun. Add a beef patty to the bottom bun, top with a few slices of bacon, place the top bun with the sauce on the patty and enjoy.

Brunch Burger

 

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
• 8 slices of bacon
• 4 Fresh Harvest Hamburger Buns
• 6 Fresh Harvest Eggs
• 4 slices of Food Club Sliced Cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced onions
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the bacon on medium-high heat and be sure to drain them after they are done.
2. Combine the ground beef, salt, and pepper; form into four patties.
3. Cook the hamburger patties in the same pan as the bacon on medium-high heat until they are just slightly pink inside.
4. Right before they are finished cooking, add the cheese on top so that it melts.
5. Drain the pan.
6. Fry your eggs to your preference.
7. Finally, assemble your burger with the veggies to your liking!

* Serve with Food Club Chips to finish your Brunch out strong

Cheddar Bacon Burger Sliders

 

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce:

• 2 cups Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons hot chili powder
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 cups apple-cider vinegar
• One 12-ounce can tomato puree
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Burgers:

• 12 ounces ground beef chuck
• 12 ounces ground smoked bacon
• 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 slider buns, toasted

Relish:

• 1 tablespoon Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
• 8 raw jalapeño peppers
• 1 cup pickled jalapeño pepper slices
• 1 clove garlic, chopped coarse
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped coarse
• 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

Directions

BBQ Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan.
2. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to low. Cooke on low for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
5. Blend with an immersion blender to smooth.
6. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to 1 month.

Relish:

1. Char the raw jalapeños on all sides directly over an open gas burner. If you do not have a gas burner, this can be done in a very hot cast iron pan on the grill or on the stove. The entire outside should be charred black before removing them from the heat.
2. Place charred peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Once cool enough to handle, charred skins will slip off and can be removed. Discard stem and seeds at this time, as well.
4. Place the roasted peppers in the bowl of a food processor along with all other relish ingredients. Pulse for a few seconds to obtain a coarse salsa-like texture.
5. Remove and chill.

Burgers:

1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high.
2. Mix together ground beef, bacon and cheese.
3. Mix very gently to distribute and portion the mixture out into 8 equal balls.
4. Smash balls down to 1/2 inch thickness and season the outsides with salt and pepper.
5. Cook burgers over medium-high heat until the cheese in each patty begins to melt from the meat. (Approximately 2 minutes per side)
6. Just before removing from the grill, baste the burgers with the barbecue sauce. 
7. Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.
8. Serve burgers topped with a liberal spoonful of jalapeño relish on top and extra barbecue sauce on the side.

Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

 

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 lb ground beef (80% lean 20% fat)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices white bread, each cut into 4 pieces
• 16 small squares cheddar cheese
• 2 cups loosely packed green leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces
• 16 cherry or grape tomatoes
• Dipping sauce (optional):
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons ketchup

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
2. While bacon is cooking, prepare the ground beef. Portion into 16 equal pieces and shape into a small patty about 1 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once bacon is done, cook beef patties in the skillet until browned and cooked all the way through, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F, about 3-5 minutes per side.
4. While burger patties are cooking, toast bread cubes under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
5. To assemble the skewers, pierce a cherry tomato with a toothpick or mini skewer, followed by a small piece of lettuce. Stack a toast, burger patty, bacon and cheese together and then stick the prepared skewer through it.
6. Repeat with remaining skewers and serve immediately.
7. To serve with the dipping sauce, whisk mayonnaise and ketchup together until smooth.
8. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Notes

• To make ahead, keep burger patties and bacon warm in a 200°F oven and cover toasts with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out. Assemble skewers right before serving.
• You can also spread a little of the dipping sauce on the toasts before assembling, if desired.