Cheddar Barbecue Burger with Special Sauce

I am counting the days until the end of Christmas vacation.  I LOVE having my kids home but both have been sick since Christmas Eve and it is starting to wear them and me out.  It is nothing horrible but this horrible sore throat, cough and lingering cold symptoms.  They have been eating lots of Popsicles and only about one meal a day.

They are both searching for food that is fairly strong in flavor because it is hard for them to taste subtle flavors right now.    I found this recipe for The Best Burger Recipe Ever with Secret Sauce from Little Miss Momma.com on Pinterest.  It sounded like a great place for me to jump in.  I read the reviews and update on the recipe and it mentioned the burger falling apart as it cooked so I thought I could fix that and still not lose the flavors.

Verdict:

Delicious!  The burger was still moist and held together well.  I added Panko bread crumbs and an egg to the meat mixture.  It still had tons of flavor by ramping up the spices just a bit and adding caramelized onions with the special sauce.  Yes, the special sauce is like Thousand Island dressing but this one is more savory than sweet.

NOTE :  I changed the cheese from the original recipe as we had no Monterey Jack in the house.  I used a sharp cheddar block that I shredded and it added a nice tangy bite.  Shred your own cheese from a block rather than buying pre-shredded in a bag.  Those tend to not have as much flavor and add extra fillers that you do not need in your food.

The hamburger would also be delicious with a bit of fresh crumbled bacon added in too.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs ground beef (85/15 or 80/20)
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (see note above)
• 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue Sauce or your favorite sauce
• 2 tsp Morton’s Season Salt
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4-8 hamburger rolls

Special Sauce:

• 3/4 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 3 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 TBSP Morton’s Seasoned Salt

Directions:

1. Make the Special Sauce first by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.  Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  This will allow all the flavors to meld together.
2. Mix ground beef,  cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, season salt, egg, bread crumbs, black pepper and onion powder in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
4. In a skillet melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and lower heat to medium-low.  Allow onion to cook slowly stirring occasionally until they turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, then remove from heat.
5. When onions are about halfway through their cooking time remove ground beef from refrigerator.  Form into 4-8 patties (depends on how big you like your hamburgers) that are slightly thinner in the center than the edges.
6. Cook on a George Foreman Grill or other grill pan until cooked completely through.
7. Remember to remove your onions from heat once they turn golden brown.
8. Remove hamburgers from pan and place one on a roll with caramelized onions and special sauce.