Cheddar Smash Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup, Green Salad, and a Dill Pickle
(from castro15’s recipe box)
Categories: Meals
Ingredients
- 2 Dill Pickle
- 2 Roma Tomato
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Red Onion
- 20 ounce Ground Beef
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
- 4 Hamburger Bun
- 4 ounce Spring Mix
- 4 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
Directions
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Wash and dry all produce. Preheat toaster oven or oven to 400 degrees. Cut 6 thin slices from pickle; cut the remainder in half. Slice half the tomato into thin rounds; dice other half. Halve lemon. Peel onion, then slice two ¼-inch-thick rounds from the equator (the fattest part; use the rest as you like).
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Divide beef in half and shape into two balls. Flatten each ball with your palm until you have a wide circle that’s about ⅓-inch-thick. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over high heat. Add burgers to pan and immediately press down with a spatula to flatten them as much as possible. Cook until deeply browned and crisp on bottom, about 3 minutes. TIP: Press down with your spatula while the burgers cook to increase surface contact, which will help them get nice and crispy.
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Flip burgers over and cook on other side for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar onto tops of burgers, cover pan, and continue cooking until cheddar melts, about 1 minute more.
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While burgers cook, split buns in half and toast in toaster oven or oven until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. (TIP: Place buns on a baking sheet first if using the oven.) Place lettuce, diced tomato, a squeeze of lemon, and a large drizzle of olive oil in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon (to taste).
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Mix ketchup and a pinch of chipotle powder in a small bowl. (TIP: Add more or less chipotle powder to taste—it’s spicy.) Spread ketchup mixture onto buns, then fill with burgers, sliced pickle, tomato rounds, and onion slices. Serve with salad and pickle halves on the side.