Cold weather and comfort food go hand in hand, and nothing says comfort food like meat loaf and mac and cheese. But the cold weather also has me longing for summer days when burgers are in regular rotation. What to do about this dilemma? Make meat loaf burgers topped with mac and cheese, of course! This recipe is sure to satisfy your warm weather cravings and your comfort food needs during the dark days of winter.
Comfort Meatloaf Burgers Recipe
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb diced bacon
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup diced red, yellow or green bell pepper
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
2 slices white bread, torn into small chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1 package dried onion soup mix
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Your favorite mac and cheese for topping
Burger buns of your choice
Equipment
Cast iron skillet
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan on the stove and sauté diced bacon for about 3 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeño. Cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened slightly. Set aside to cool. It’s important to get the bacon precooked in this step since the burger patties have such a short cook time.
Step 2: Combine the bread and the buttermilk in a medium bowl and allow to soak while you prepare the meat mixture. The soaked bread pieces help bind the meat mixture together and keep the burgers moist while they cook.
Step 3: Place the ground beef, sausage, and onion soup mix in a large bowl and use your hands to mix thoroughly.
Step 4: Add the Worcestershire sauce, eggs, cooled onion, pepper and bacon combination, milk-soaked bread pieces, and BBQ sauce to the meat mixture and fold gently to combine.
Step 5: Form the meat mixture into patties of your desired size and place into fridge until well-chilled, about 30 minutes. Chilling the burgers before cooking helps them stay together during the frying process.
Step 6: Place your cast iron skillet back over high heat, and coat with a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray.
Step 7: Fry burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your burger patties; I usually aim for burgers that are about ¾” thick. Cook the patties until the internal temperature is 155 degrees—carry over cooking will take them to 160 degrees. Because the bacon was precooked, it will be perfectly done inside the burgers.
Step 8: Place burgers on the buns and top with a generous scoop of mac and cheese and a dab more of BBQ sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Make the Meatloaf Comfort Burger Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb diced bacon
- 1/2 Vidalia onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red, yellow, or green bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced (optional)
- 2 slices white bread torn into small chunks
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1.5 lbs 80/20 ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 packeet dried onion soup mix
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce choose your favorite
- Your favorite mac and cheese for topping
- Burger buns of your choice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan on the stove and sauté diced bacon for about 3 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeño. Cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened slightly. Set aside to cool.
- Combine the bread and the buttermilk in a medium bowl and allow to soak while you prepare the meat mixture.
- Place the ground beef, sausage, and onion soup mix in a large bowl and use your hands to mix thoroughly.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, eggs, cooled onion, pepper and bacon combination, milk-soaked bread pieces, and BBQ sauce to the meat mixture and fold gently to combine.
- Form the meat mixture into patties of your desired size and place into fridge until well-chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Place your cast iron skillet back over high heat, and coat with a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray.
- Fry burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once. Cook the patties until the internal temperature is 155 degrees—carry over cooking will take them to 160 degrees.
- Place burgers on the buns and top with a generous scoop of mac and cheese and a dab more of BBQ sauce. Serve and enjoy!