Nacho Cheese Pretzel Burger

One of my favorite kind of recipes to write is one that utilizes the flavor profile of a familiar dish but delivers it in a unique fashion.  That was the goal of this recipe, and the results were fantastic.  The inspiration for this burger was a soft pretzel with nacho cheese sauce that you would get at a pretzel shop or convenience store.   

This recipe utilizes our Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil in both the burger patty and in the cream cheese.  The oil gave a great flavor or jalapeno with the right amount of heat for this dish.  My friends that ate this burger did not believe that no actual jalapenos were used.  This burger was so good that it is getting added to my normal rotation.

The pretzel buns should be fairly easy to find.  They can be found at some grocery stores that sell specialty breads, some bakeries, or even at some warehouse superstores (where I found mine).  If you like soft pretzels at all then this will be a burger that you will love!

Ingredients:

4 – pretzel bun/roll

4 – slices cheddar cheese

1 lb – 85/15 ground beef (lean meat is preferred because oil is being added)

1 Tbsp + 1.5 tsp – Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil

3 oz – reduced fat cream cheese (sometimes labeled as Neufchatel)

½ tsp – salt

¼ tsp – black pepper

Directions:

1.  Combine the ground beef, 1 Tbsp of Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Mix well.

2.  Turn the grill to medium-high temperature.

3.  In a small bowl combine 1.5 tsp of Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil and the cream cheese.  Use a fork to thoroughly mix.

4.  Create 8 even sized patties from the ground beef.  The patties should be the same width as a regular patty, but they should be half as thick.  Set four patties onto a plate.  Use a spoon to evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture on the top of the four patties.  The cheese should be kept as close to the center as possible.

5.  Place the four remaining patties over the four on the plate.  Press the patties together, primarily on the edges.  A good seal must be made between the two patties to ensure that they do not come apart when cooking.  Also be sure they are packed together tight enough that there is not air in the center.

6.  Place the burgers onto the grill.  Cook until the desired temperature has been reached.  Burgers should be turned once during the cooking process.  The cheddar cheese should be added to the top of the burgers when they have 1-2 minutes left on the grill.

7.  Slice the pretzel rolls/buns in half.  Place the burger onto the bun, and serve with quality potato chips.