I am happy to say that these burgers taste extremely gourmet, but they aren't really that much trouble. Sure, they're not exactly as easy as mac 'n cheese or ramen, but who really wants to eat that stuff anyways? The combination of sweet onions, spicy horseradish, and salty cheddar all mixed in the middle of a perfectly cooked burger is definitely going to make your mouth water. You have to cook the onions first until they're nice and caramelized. This takes a little bit of time, but that's probably the most complicated step. Which is great, because who doesn't want gourmet-tasting food without all the fuss?
Horseradish, Cheddar & Onion Stuffed Burgers
2 tbsp butter or ghee, divided in half
½ small onion, sliced into thin strips
1-3 tsp white horseradish, liquid drained*
1-2 tbsp cheddar cheese
2-¼ or ⅓ lb hamburger patties**
Heat ghee in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally. Keep the onions cooking until they caramelize. This may take a while, but it's worth it. While the onions are cooking, prepare the hamburger patties. Flatten the patties out. Don't go too thin or the meat will crack while cooking and the stuffing will fall out. Place a thin layer of cheddar on each patty, being sure to leave a border around the edges to seal up the patty. When the onions are finished caramelizing, allow to cool just enough to handle. Heap 1-3 tbsp on one patty. Top with horseradish. Press the two patties together carefully, trying to not lose any of the filling. Pinch the two patty sides together all the way around and gently reshape the edges of the patty. Salt and pepper your burger. Heat remaining ghee in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add burger and cook both sides 3-5 minutes each for medium and longer for more doneness. This burger could also easily be cooked on the grill with great success. I served mine on a bed of lightly sautéed spinach with the leftover onions and topped with Roma tomatoes.
2-¼ or ⅓ lb hamburger patties**
Heat ghee in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally. Keep the onions cooking until they caramelize. This may take a while, but it's worth it. While the onions are cooking, prepare the hamburger patties. Flatten the patties out. Don't go too thin or the meat will crack while cooking and the stuffing will fall out. Place a thin layer of cheddar on each patty, being sure to leave a border around the edges to seal up the patty. When the onions are finished caramelizing, allow to cool just enough to handle. Heap 1-3 tbsp on one patty. Top with horseradish. Press the two patties together carefully, trying to not lose any of the filling. Pinch the two patty sides together all the way around and gently reshape the edges of the patty. Salt and pepper your burger. Heat remaining ghee in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add burger and cook both sides 3-5 minutes each for medium and longer for more doneness. This burger could also easily be cooked on the grill with great success. I served mine on a bed of lightly sautéed spinach with the leftover onions and topped with Roma tomatoes.
Notes:
*The amount of horseradish for each burger is going to be a taste preference. Between the onions, cheese and burger meat, the bite of the horseradish disappears fast. If you enjoy this bite as much as I do, I would definitely lean towards 3 tsp. If you really just want more of a hint of horseradish, stick to 1 tsp.
**The size of the hamburger patties will determine the size of your final burger. If you want a big burger to enjoy, then go all out. Just keep in mind that you're stuffing the burger, so you want to create thinner initial patties. Keep the stuffed burger flatter and wider, rather than thicker and taller, to make sure that the stuffing still gets warm enough to melt the cheese.
