Chipotle Bacon Cheeseburger

I got the idea for this recipe when I started craving the cheeseburger I had when I visited New York many months ago. One of the restaurants that I went to, Cosimo’s, only had one burger on their menu, and it was something very similar to this. It was really very good, and I’ve thought about it several times since then. Finally, I decided that there was no reason I couldn’t make it myself!
The burger that I had at Cosimo’s had a different sauce, which I can’t even remember, and had onions on it. Since I had some leftover chipotle crema, from when I made fish tacos, I decided to use that on my burger instead of trying to remember and concoct a mayonnaise similar to the one they used. And I forgot about the caramelized onions until after my burger was almost gone, so that didn’t make it on my sandwich this time. It didn’t matter, though, because this burger was so good, I didn’t even miss them! In fact, I think that if I had put the onions on, it might’ve been a little too much… The bacon was superb, as always, and the chipotle crema gave it just the right amount of kick and added flavor. As for seasonings, I’m really a purist when it comes to seasoning the actual burger - salt, pepper, and seasoning salt right before placing on the grill.
I had a delightful grilled vegetable medley with the cheeseburger at the restaurant, but I served my burgers tonight with some homemade French fries. My mom had a large crinkle cutter in her kitchen utensils drawer that she never used, so she said I could have it. Ever since then, I’ve been crinkle cutting everything! And, since homemade fries taste so much better than the cardboard junk you buy from the freezer section at the grocery store, I couldn’t resist. It turned out to be a wonderfully tasty dinner!

Printable Recipe

2 ciabatta rolls
16 oz. ground beef (85% lean)
1 (3 oz.) jar real bacon bits, divided in half (recommend Hormel)
4 slices Provolone cheese
2 green lettuce leaves
Chipotle Crema, recipe follows

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half, horizontally, to make a bun for the burger.
Prepare the ground beef into 8 ounce patties, being sure to make them fairly large in diameter so that they will cover the entire ciabatta roll; sprinkle the patties with a little bit of salt, pepper, and seasoning salt just before placing on the grill. Grill the hamburgers to desired doneness. When the burgers are almost done cooking, mound one half of the bacon bits on top and spread out to cover the entire burger. Just before removing the burgers from the grill, place two slices of Provolone cheese on top of each burger, covering the bacon bits. When the cheese is slightly melted, press the remaining bacon bits on top.
Arrange the lettuce on top of the bottom piece of the ciabatta roll and spread the chipotle crema on the top piece of the roll. Lay the bacon- and cheese-covered hamburger patty on top of the lettuce leaf and cover with the top of the roll. Yield: 2 large cheeseburgers


Chipotle Crema:
1 c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. buttermilk
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
¼ tsp. kosher salt

Put the heavy cream in a 16-ounce microwave-safe glass jar; add the buttermilk, stir the mixture, close the jar, and store in a warm place for 24 hours. The cream will have thickened to the consistency of thin yogurt.
Add the chipotle chile and salt and process with an immersion blender, in the jar, until smooth, approximately 20 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: Approximately 1 cup