Cheddar Burgers

Was one of those days, late start for dinner. Couldn't think of anything good. Decided on grilling burgers. Easy enough, the Griller does most of the work :) But I didn't want just a plain old cheeseburger so I started looking online for ideas. Epicurious. Typed BURGERS in the search box. Lot of hits. Found exactly what I was looking for by the third page. Cheddar Burgers with Balsamic Onions and Chipotle Ketchup. Sounded great and it had great reviews. I agree with them.

Chipotle ketchup, is my new favorite condiment. Ok, so chipotle mayo is still my number one, but this is really good stuff! Make it as hot and smoky as you like. I can see using this on a lot of things!

Balsamic Grilled Onions. You can use a grill or a grill pan. I used a panini griller. The Griddler. Came out great. Didn't take long at all, cooked on both sides in minutes. My Griller has issues with vegetables falling through the grates, so this was perfect! He was in charge of the burgers while I took care of the condiments and the sides. Good team. Great dinner!

My burger had Farmhouse Cheddar, balsamic onions, fresh baby spinach, tomatoes, avocado and chipotle ketchup. We used pre-made patties because we were running late. So what else is new? Next time we won't. A little chipotle ketchup mixed in with the ground beef would be even better. Bacon would be good, too! Lots of possibilities! The original recipe called for an English muffin, we had burger buns, but I think a toasted English muffin would be perfect with this burger. A nice change from the buns!

Fresh corn on the cob and cole slaw round out the meal. The cole slaw recipe can be found here.

Cheddar Burgers with Balsamic Onions and Chipotle Ketchup
Source: Bon Appétit - July 2008, recipe by Tony Rosenfeld
Printable Recipe

Onions:
2 red onions, cut crosswise into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rounds
olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Chipotle ketchup:
1 1/4 cup ketchup
2 chipotle chiles, chopped, from canned chipotles in adobo plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Burgers:
2 1/4 pounds ground beef, made into six 1/2-inch thick patties
Coarse kosher salt (for mixing into the burgers, for pre-made patties sprinkle a little on each side)
6 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese (or any cheese you like)
6 large English muffins or hamburger buns, split, cut sides grilled
6 tomato slices
2 cups fresh spinach leaves (romaine leaves, or any greens you like)

For onions:
Prepare grill (medium-high heat): Arrange the onion rounds on a baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt and pepper. Transfer onion rounds (still intact) to grill rack; close cover. Cook until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat or move onions to cooler part of grill. Close cover; cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Toss with vinegar. Refrigerate. Can be made a few days ahead.

For chipotle ketchup:
Mix ketchup, chiles, adobo sauce, and 2 teaspoons vinegar in a small bowl. Or whiz it up in a food processor. Season with salt and more vinegar, to taste. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Place burgers on grill. Close cover; cook burgers until bottoms start to darken and juices rise to surface, about 3 minutes. Turn burgers; cook to desired doneness. Top with onions and cheese. Close cover; cook until cheese melts. Place muffin bottoms on plates; spread with ketchup. Top with burgers, tomatoes, spinach, avocado and muffin tops. Serve, passing the remaining ketchup.

*You can also mix a little of the chipotle ketchup into the burger meat mix!

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