Stuffed Cheeseburger with Smoked Gouda

• 2/3 lb. 80/20 ground beef
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 jalapeño chopped fine
• 5 tablespoons of smoked Gouda shredded
• 1 small onion sliced into thin strips
• 2 tomato slices
• 2 leafs of lettuce
• barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons of butter softened
• 2 hamburger rolls
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

I started off with cooking the bacon slices. I set them aside for later. Using the grease from the bacon I sautéed the onions until nice and tender. Don’t let that good bacon grease go to waste!

I preheated a grill pan on medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. While the grill pan was heating I buttered the hamburger rolls.

I placed the buttered hamburger rolls onto the grill pan until nicely toasted with golden brown grill marks. I set them aside.

In a bowl I mixed together 2/3 lb ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 pinches of salt, and 1/2 a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

I took a 1/3 lb. lump of the meat and molded out two burger patties from it. I made sure to work the meat thinner in the center and thicker on the edges, creating a dimple for the cheesy goodness to sit in. I put a tablespoon of shredded smoked Gouda and chopped jalapeño mixture into one of the dimples, and then capped the meat patty with the other half. I then pressed both halves together forming the 1/3 lb. stuffed patty. Make sure that the edges are sealed well, otherwise you will get separation.

I repeated the above process for the second patty. Then I threw the first one on the grill pan. I cooked each side for four minutes. It is important to let the burgers be while they are cooking.

In the last 2 minutes on the final side, I added some shredded Gouda on top, and covered with a plate.

After the burgers were done, I let them sit for another 5 minutes. Getting the juices to settle.

For assembly, I started with the bottom bun, and spread some of my favorite BBQ sauce.

Using the BBQ sauce as a little holder, I added the hamburger patty.

I placed 2 slices of bacon on top.

Added some sautéed onions and a bit of jalapeño.

Finally, I added a leaf of lettuce and a slice of tomato.

This was a delicious and welcomed addition to our burger nights. The smoked Gouda and jalapeño center is a spicy and gooey volcano of flavor that erupts from the first few bites. The bacon, lettuce, and tomato toppings give a crisp contrast of texture. This is a sure winner at any cookout!