Yummy Homemade Cheeseburgers

Fridays nights are Cheeseburger nights at our home. With a grill in our backyard all we need is a good weather to make these mouth watering treats. Serve them with fries and pickles and your favorite condiments.

The best part about these homemade cheeseburgers is how easy they are. We won't be making the patties from scratch which will save quite some time. I think sometimes it is good to go for the recipes which save time. You will find ready to grill patties, buns and condiments at any grocery store but just throwing a couple of items together is not enough. Let’s see how small things make a big difference when it comes to a homemade cheeseburger.

Bun – This is one of the most important ingredients. Do not pick just any bun, it should be a freshly baked, pillowy bun for the maximum flavor. Go for a Sesame Seed, Brioche or Potato Bun. Whichever bun you choose, don’t forget to lightly brush them with a little mayo and then toast them.  Believe me, toasted hot buns make all the difference.

Hamburger Patty – The best flavors come from a well seasoned patty. We like to brush the patties with some Olive Oil, Salt, Black Pepper and a Steak Seasoning (like McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning). Brush these on both the sides of the patties (at least an hour prior to grilling) to release the juices.

Tip: Make your own Steak Seasoning like Debarshi does. Combine ½ teaspoon each of Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Kosher Salt, freshly ground Black Pepper and Cumin Powder.

Cheese – Add your favorite cheese like Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Mozzarella or Blue Cheese. It can be in the form of a slice, shredded or crumbled. 

Condiments – Use your favorite sauces like Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, or Barbecue sauce. Debarshi also loves adding a few drops of Tobasco or any other Hot sauce. 

Crunch Factors/ Toppings – Lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine) and thin Tomato slices are our favorite along with thin slices of Red Onion. If we have time we go for caramelized onions. My three more favorite toppings are Bacon and grilled Pineapples with Jalapeños and that’s it! This makes a huge cheeseburger and I don’t think we can add anything more!

Sides – Pickles and crisp Fries are my favorite.

Well, that’s it! This is the way we like our homemade cheeseburgers! Hot juicy patties with a yummy bun, crunchy bacon and lettuce and sweet pineapple with tomato makes this a mouthwatering treat indeed. If there is one thing I didn’t miss during this whole social distancing period, it was mouth watering burgers whenever we wanted. Try the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Bun – 4, Sesame Seed or Brioche
• Hamburger Patty – 4
• Steak Seasoning – about 4 tablespoons
• Olive Oil – about 4 tablespoons
• Kosher Salt – about 8 pinches
• Black Pepper – about 8 pinches, freshly ground
• Cheese – 4 slices, Cheddar or Pepper Jack
• Ketchup – as required
• Mustard – as required
• Mayonnaise – as required
• Tobasco – optional 
• Barbecue sauce – optional 
• Lettuce – 4 leaves, washed and patted dry, Iceberg or Romaine
• Tomato – 1, washed and sliced
• Red Onion – 1, sliced or caramelized
• Bacon – 8-10 strips, optional but recommended 
• Pineapple – 4-6 slices, optional but recommended 
• Jalapeno – 1, optional

Directions:

• Brush the Steak Seasoning, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper on the Burger Patties at least an hour before grilling them.
• Preheat the grill to full heat. 
• When it’s piping hot, put the burger patties on the grill and then cook for 3-4 minutes (once it gets a nice char and crust forms), turn it. 
• Cook for 2 minutes then do indirect cooking. We have a three burner grill, so we put the burgers on the left most side of the grill. After the searing process we turn off the heat directly beneath the patties. The one in the middle is on low heat and the one on the right most side is on high heat. At this point, Debarshi puts Cheese on top of the patties and then covers and lets it cook for another 10 minutes. He also cooks the other stuff on the right most side of the grill (with the high heat) at this time (like the buns, corn/ any other sides). So lightly brush your Buns with a little Mayo and toast them. You can also grill the Bacon, Jalapeno and Pineapple at this time.
• If you like the patties well done, cook for a few more minutes. This procedure will cook medium well.

Tip: It’s not advisable to eat rare burgers because it is ground meat so make sure to cook the patties well.

To arrange:

• Place the toasted Bun, slather a little Mayo/ Ketchup/ Mustard/ Tobasco/ Barbecue Sauce on it. 
• Put a couple Lettuces on top. Followed by the Tomato, Onion and the Patty with the Cheese on top. 
• Top with Pineapple, Jalapeno (cut into slices), Bacon and the other side of the Bun (slathered with your favorite condiment).
• Serve with Pickles and crisp Fries, eat and enjoy!

Love quick meals? Try these as well:

• Egg Rolls Indian Style
• Mamma’s Alu Sandwiches (Indian style Potato and Cheese Sandwiches)
• Debarshi’s Patty Melt
• Grilled Cheese
• Quick Egg Chow Mein
• Mix Chow Mein recipe
• Buttery Lemony Garlicky Shrimp Scampi Pasta
• Hamburger Pasta with homemade Sauce
• Firecracker Meatballs with Roasted Green Beans and Rice