This week, we had stuffed bacon gorgonzola burgers. I was inspired to create this burger because the weather is still cold, and more snow was on the way – we wanted something warm and satisfying, yet sumptuously decadent for dinner. These burgers are not hard to make, so give them a try.

It All Begins With Quality Ingredients

I used super lean, high quality ground beef for this particular cheeseburger, because I added fat to it in other forms. If you use meat that is too fatty, you are likely to end up with a crumbled mess on your hands, and no cheeseburgers!

Pick your favorite Gorgonzola, and your favorite bacon. Peppered bacon would be nice, but I used a simple hickory smoked version – thick cut, of course! Choose toppings that appeal to you: I had avocado mashed with a little garlic and Worcestershire sauce, lovely gourmet lettuce from Tanimura and Antle, and a dab of bleu cheese dressing.

The Recipe – Stuffed Bacon Gorgonzola Burgers

Makes Four ¼ Pound Burgers or Two ½ Pound Burgers

Be sure your one pound of lean hamburger meat is completely thawed before you begin. Place it in a bowl, and, in a separate bowl, beat one egg with a fork. Add the egg to the meat, and mix it together. I use my own clean hands to do this – it is a messy job but everything blends together better. Take off any rings you’re wearing before you start.

Wash your hands, and add the following to the top of your meat:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Next, in a separate bowl, mix together ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola, and ¼ cup chopped bacon. You can use bacon bits if you want – just be sure they’re the real thing and not those fake crumbled soy bits.

Now, you’re ready to make your stuffed burgers! Use a patty maker if you have one, or form your patties by hand. I always divide my meat before I start to make the patties, that way the portions are just right. Since these are stuffed burgers, divide your meat into eight equal portions if you are making four burgers, or four portions if you are making two burgers. Start by making the bottom sections, and lay them out on a plate. Make a slight indentation in the middle of each, and divide the gorgonzola bacon mixture evenly between the patties.

Next, make the top sections. Lay them on top of the filled lower sections, and press the edges securely together to form a seal. Your burgers are now ready to be grilled! Since you’re using lean beef, be sure to oil the grill before you start, so they don’t stick. If you want, you can do them under a broiler on low, but if you can, make them outside on the barbeque.

I grilled these beauties outside over a low hickory chip fire, enjoyed a glass of wine and looked up at the stars…Do the same and you’ll enjoy them even more! Let them go until they look done to you. Don’t poke and prod them, and turn them only once. Be patient with these burgers, they’re worth the wait.

When they’re finished, top each with a slice of muenster cheese and some grilled bacon. Toast your buns, add your toppings, and eat! I recommend a glass of your favorite red wine with these, or maybe a solid stout beer. They’re super rich, and absolutely delightful. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed our Stuffed Bacon Gorgonzola Burgers then try more Stuffed Burgers and Homemade Burgers.

Check out tvfoodanddrink.com for more great recipes.

The bison is flavored-up with chopped jalapeño, browned or almost burnt onions and your favorite BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

• a pound of ground bison meat
• 1 bell pepper, chopped roughly
• 1/2 small to medium white onion, chopped roughly (separate a quarter for later use)
• 1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped roughly (separate a quarter for later use)
• 1 egg
• 1 jalapeño pepper with seeds
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red paper flakes
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Sliced cheese
• BBQ Sauce
• Kaiser rolls or other soft rolls

Instructions:

Mix the bison meat, onions, bell peppers, red paper flakes, jalapeño, bread crumbs, egg, salt and paper in a bowl. Make sure to thoroughly combine everything for an even flavor. Form the mixture into patties (about three to four pieces, your choice!).

Cook the patties in olive oil on a hot skillet for about three minutes each side. Repeat this two to three times. Be careful when flipping the patties as they break apart easily. Top the patties with cheese and allow to melt a little before taking them out of the skillet. Do not turn off the heat.

Toss the separated onions on the skillet and stir until they start to turn a little brown.

When they do, place the Kaiser rolls on the skillet face down and press them down with a spatula for about a minute.

Remove from the skillet and immediately place the burger patty on the bun, including the onions. Dress the burger with BBQ sauce and serve.

Check out tvfoodanddrink.com for more recipes with photos.

These sliders are topped with melted cheese, bacon and a special chipotle mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb to 1 1/2 lbs. of ground lamb
• 1 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked
• 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp of chipotle pepper
• salt and pepper
• 8 small rolls, about 2? round

Instructions:

Season the lamb, or whatever meat you want to use, with salt and pepper. Form the meat into patties. The meat should be enough for around 8 to 10 slider patties.

Cook the patties on a grill pan or skillet for 4-5 minutes. Then flip them over and add the shredded cheese and bacon on top of each patty and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes.

To make the chipotle mayonnaise just mix the chipotle powder into the mayonnaise thoroughly.

Toast the rolls slightly, spread the chipotle sauce on, add the patty and another roll on top and you’re ready to go.

Check out tvfoodanddrink.com for more recipe ideas & inspiration.

If what you’re after is the taste alone and not how simple it’s done, this one is for you. A bit complicated to do because of the long list of ingredients, but you will definitely be rewarded once you taste your first bite.

Ingredients for the burgers:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground lamb
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled
• A handful of bread crumbs, plain
• 1 small red chili pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of allspice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly (garnish)
• 1/2 small red cabbage, shredded (garnish)
• 4 large soft pitas

Ingredients for the yogurt dressing:

• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1 large clove of garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup of mint leaves, minced

Make the lamb burgers:

Put your ground lamb in a bowl and grate the yellow onion directly on it. Also add your spices (cinnamon, cumin, allspice), chili pepper, salt and pepper, plus the egg and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly in order to completely combine the flavors.

Once mixed, form them lamb meat into patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the patties on the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the patties only once. Set aside when cooked.

Make the yogurt dressing and serve:

Put the yogurt in a small bowl. Grate the garlic with a zester and add to the yogurt. Now sprinkle in the mint and stir.

Cook the pitas until they are soft brown and put the patties in. Dress your burger with your mint and garlic yogurt on top. Add the shredded cabbage and sliced red onion.

You can also serve the yogurt on the side and allow your guest to determine how much dressing to put in.

A big thanks to Gary Green of tvfoodanddrink.com for trying out this recipe and letting us use his photos.

This isn’t just a recipe. It’s a burger – with flair. It might take a little longer than usual to make, but you will find in the end that it’s well worth the work and wait.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of ground black peppercorns
• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of beef stock
• 1/4 cup of minced shallots
• 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of Madeira or Port

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the beef stock, cornstarch and mustard together and stir. Then, set it aside.

Take the ground beef and form them into 2 patties that are about an inch thick.

Put the ground peppercorns on a plate and add the soy sauce and olive oil. We are going to coat the patties with this mixture.

Dip both sides of the patty in the peppercorn mixture. Make sure all sides are evenly coated and all the peppercorns are used. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over high heat.

Once the oil is hot, sear the burger patties, cooking each side for about a minute or two. Remove from the pan, set aside and reduce the heat.

Using the same oil and pan, add the shallots and parsley and stir.

Then, add the cornstarch mixture, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Madeira (or Port). Stir for about a minute.

In another frying pan, pour the sauce and stir. Then add the burger patties and spoon some sauce on top. Let it simmer for about 7-9 minutes. If it’s necessary to turn the burgers over to keep from burning, do so.

Serve the patties on sesame seed buns and enjoy!

This is the 2nd of 9 burger recipes we will be publishing from tvfoodanddrink.com.
Incorrectly prepared and you might have problems keeping the patties together. But a little tender loving care will help the black bean patties turn out fine. The filling is great even for tacos and enchiladas so save some if you want to do a little experimenting later on.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of black beans (rinsed, drained and divided)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons of cilantro leaves, freshly chopped
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of parsley leaves, freshly chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup of bread crumbs
• salt and black ground pepper
• hamburger rolls

Instructions:

Mix onion and garlic together using a food processor and add a can of black beans. Also add the cilantro, parsley, eggs and red pepper flakes and mix them thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add another can of black beans, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix everything thoroughly to evenly combine the flavors.

Once combined, divide and shape mixture into patties. Make sure not to make the patty too thick so the inside can be cooked easily. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-low heat.

Once hot, cook the patties for around six minutes per side, or until you know the inside has been heated through.

Make sure to use a spatula to flip the patties over to avoid the patties from breaking apart. They will bind more strongly once they are cooked. Flatten the patties on the pan with the spatula every once in a while.

Toast the burger buns on the grill, too. When they’re hot enough, place the patty on the bun and dress with ketchup, tomato and lettuce. Place another bun on top and serve.

Black bean burgers might not be as juicy as your regular meat burgers, so get your condiments ready. Otherwise, these burgers are great and way healthier.

A big thanks goes to Gary Green for picking this recipe and taking the photos; check out his Food blog especially the homemade burger section.

Ingredients for the chutney:

• 2 red onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 1/4 cups of beer
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the burgers:

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1/4 cup of beer
• 2 tablespoons of grill seasoning
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• Romaine lettuce
• 4 hamburger  buns, toasted

Make the chutney:

Put all the chutney ingredients – water, beer, brown sugar, sliced onions and seasoning – into a pan and bring to a boil.

Once it does, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about an hour or until the liquid has been reduced to approximately two cups.  Stir regularly.

When the mixture turns a little sticky, turn off the heat and transfer the chutney into a bowl to cool.

Make the beer burgers stuffed with cheese:

Mix the ground beef, beer and seasoning using your hands. Separate the mixture into 4 patties. Flatten out your patties and put some cheese at the center of each patty.

Ball up the patties so the cheese is fully covered by the meat.

You can grill the burger patties from five to six minutes on each side, or cook them in a skillet making sure the beef gets fully cooked through.

Put the cooked burger patty on top of the Romaine lettuce and spread two to three spoonfuls of the cooled onion chutney.

Hopefully you’ve got some beer left to wash this juicy burger down with.

The garlic can be balanced out with many toppings, including cheese, tomatoes, mayo, onion and some ketchup.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
• Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Form burgers into 1/2 inch thick patties.
• Lightly oil grate and place burgers on grill.
• Cook for approximately 5 – 6 minutes on each side.

The best part about this burger recipe is that it will keep the vampires away! Just kidding. You might want to add some breath mints as your dessert.

The peppers can be mild or medium, depending on how you like your hotness.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons sweet red pepper relish or canned peppers
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow or Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated red onion

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients and mix lightly. Shape into 3 or 4 burgers.
• Grill, broil, or pan grill the burgers for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or to desired temperature.

The burgers go great when adding cheese, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes and even an onion. To offset the heat of this burger, you can serve with guacamole on top.

The burgers are delicious without any condiments on the top, because they are all on the inside.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup seasoned stuffing
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped mushrooms, drained
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt

 Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, stuffing, egg, mushrooms, broth, green onion and lemon juice; set aside.
• In a separate bowl combine ground beef with salt; form into 16 patties (about 1/4 cup each).
• Top 8 patties with a scant 1/4 cup of stuffing mixture then cover with remaining patties.
• Pinch edges to seal stuffing in.
• Place on a greased grill or grill container and grill over medium coals for about 10 to 12 minutes per side.

You can top this burger with cheese and lettuce, but it is delicious all on its own. This burger recipe provides the entree and even the side dish! What could be better than two birds with one stone.