Cheesy Stuffed BBQ Bacon Burger (a.k.a Juicy Lucy)


Summer is here...time for grilling outside! I love summer because the weather is fine and we can cook outside on the grill. During this time of year, I pretty much cook every meal outside. One of my favorite things to cook on the grill are burgers. Nothing compares to flame broiled meat. 

About nine years ago I was in the Twin Cities and went to a restaurant called The Nook, a St. Paul sports bar. The restaurant was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. After watching the show, I just had to have one of these burgers. Can I say...the burger was 
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! As you bite into the pattie, there is a rush of melted cheesy yumminess. Really messy, but oh so good!

I decided that I would try to recreate this burger in my own kitchen and add a few flavors of my own. Though the original recipe calls for American cheese, I decided to use a spreadable pub cheese that had jalapenos in it. I figured it would melt just like American cheese as it is processed cheese. Yes, I said it...I am using processed cheese. All haters can exit the building now! As you can see from the pictures, some of the cheese sauce escaped after I cut the burger in half. 

The gooey cheese,the perfectly seasoned burger, salty bacon, crisp lettuce, firm tomato, and my toasted bun that I brushed with butter and a tad of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (Costco sells it is shakable containers now). All I can say is yum and that you need this burger in your life. Go and get the ingredients...go, go now. You will not be sorry!


For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients:

2 pounds of 80/20 ground chuck
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes, dried
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp brown sugar*
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
8 American cheese slices
1 cup Iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
1 large firm tomato, cut into 1/4" slices
8 pieces of crispy bacon
Bbq sauce**
Hamburger buns***
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2-1 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning , adjust to taste
Condiments of your choice

To make this recipe Keto, Low Carb, or Gluten Free substitute the following ingredients from recipe:
***Franz Keto Hamburger Buns or Gluten Free Buns

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and using your hands, mix well. 


2. Prep a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, add softened butter and Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. Set aside for later when you toast buns. 

3. Make 8 balls out of the hamburger mixture. Set on baking sheet as you make them.

4. On a separate piece of foil flatten out each ball of meat making sure all the patties are of equal thickness and size. As you finish each one, set back on prepared baking sheet.


5. Make a small ledge around the edge of four of the patties. Place two slices of the cheese in the center of four of the patties. You will have to break it into pieces to make it fit.

  (I used the jalapeno pub cheese in mine)

6. Using the second pattie, cover each pattie with the cheese. Make sure to seal the edges well so the cheese does not escape when grilling. 


7. Heat your grill and cook until the patties reach an internal temperature of approximately 160 degrees F. Try not to flip your burgers more than once as they can come apart if you mess with them too much. Brush the tops with bbq sauce for the final 5 minutes of cooking with the lid down. 


8. Remove from the grill and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast your burger buns. Brush them with the butter and ranch mixture. 

9. Serve with lettuce, tomato, bbq sauce, bacon, and your favorite condiments.