Originally published on April 11, 2015
Sometimes I post things on the site, not because they’re such creative recipes, but because sometimes we just need a reminder of all the many good things that are out there to make for dinner. I know that too often I’ve stared down chicken breasts or ground meat wondering what to do with them before I end up making the same old thing. Then after I’ve eaten it, I remember “Oh yeah, I should have done this with it,”or “I should have done that!” It’s the same thing with this hamburger recipe. No, I’m certainly not the first to pile on a heaping mound of sauteed mushrooms, melted cheese and crispy bacon. And maybe when you’re staring down some ground meat, hamburgers will come to mind – perhaps even with all of your favourite toppings. But just in case they don’t, and you are also tempted to make the same old thing, this is your friendly reminder that you don’t have to.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
4 slices bacon
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 hamburger buns
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Place the ground beef in a large bowl with the Worcestershire sauce, egg, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix all the ingredients well but do not over-mix. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and then form each part into a hamburger patty.
2.) When all of the hamburgers have been formed, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hamburger patties and cook for about 7 minutes, until the patty is nicely seared on one side. Flip, cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook for another 7 minutes.
3.) Remove lid and move all patties as far to the side as you can. Evenly distribute the cheese among the hamburgers and let melt while cooking the other toppings.
4.) In another corner of the pan, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil and add sliced mushrooms. Turn in the oil and saute until mushrooms are evenly browned.
5.) While the hamburgers and mushrooms are cooking, cut each bacon slice in half and add to the other portion of the pan. You can use a different pan if your skillet isn’t big enough to fit everything, but I still like to cut the bacon slices in half so that they fit better on the patty. Cook bacon for 10 minutes or so, turning occasionally, until bacon is crisp.
6.) Divide the hamburgers among the bottom of four hamburger buns and top with the sliced mushrooms and bacon. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, and other toppings of your choice and close with the top of the bun.
7.) Serve and enjoy!