Bacon Cheddar Burger with Jalapeno Aioli

Get grilling this summer with a juicy bacon cheddar burger topped with a homemade jalapeno aioli with just enough heat to keep it interesting.

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I hope you guys arn’t sick of me exclaiming how excited I am for grilled season, because it’s only just begun! And in case you didn’t notice from my first post of the month, May is also #BurgerMonth. So I’m keeping the party alive with another burger for you to put on the grill this weekend. Because if your Memorial Day weekend doesn’t include a grill, you’re doing it wrong.

When it comes to planning my meals, I’m one of those weird people that actually likes grocery shopping. I enjoy checking out what’s new and finding the best deals. On my last trip to Giant Eagle, I was able to pick up everything for my summer grilling needs and believe me I am needy when it comes to food. I buy all the things and am incapable of not going all out when it comes to hosting dinner for friends. Just think of the themed menus I’ve shared for past movie marathon parties. Now imagine if I had to go to multiple stores to accomplish all of that. No thanks.

Normally while passing through the meat department I go for the pre-packaged stuff and rarely visit the meat counter, but upon spying the bacon cheddar beef patties I strayed from my norm. I mean come on, how can you say no to bacon and cheddar? After getting buying just 4 patties for the head count of 4 that I was cooking dinner for that evening, I also grabbed some veggies to grill on the side, Hellmann’s olive oil mayo and jalapenos to make an aioli, Lemon Lemon Blackberry Sparkling Lemonade, Pepperidge Farms Farmhouse Cookies and Breyers vanilla caramel gelato – hello ice cream cookie sandwiches!

I made the aioli first because it’s quite literally as simple as throwing all the ingredients into a blender and then refrigerating until ready to use. That way I could keep an eye on the burgers and veggies as they got pretty grill marks on them. Then all that was left was assembly! I like to think that these burgers are like deconstructed jalapeno poppers. They have bacon, cheddar cheese and jalapenos, but instead of cream cheese I used mayo to make the jalapeno aioli. Step aside traditional condiments, there’s a new guy in town and he’s here to stay!

Since it was a weekday I resisted the urge to add vodka to my Lemon Lemon Blackberry Sparkling Lemonade, but honestly it doesn’t need it. As you can see, to jazz it up I skewered a slice of lemon and a blackberry instead. Who needs alcohol when your drink is this pretty and tasty?

And then there was dessert. Remember when I said ice cream cookie sandwiches earlier? Well there just so happened to be exactly 8 cookies in that bag meaning I could make 4 ice cream sandwiches, which perfect for a table of four. It should be no surprise however that after devouring these we dug in for more gelato. That stuff is delicious!

So who’s going to steal my idea and serve this exact thing this weekend for Memorial Day? What other grilling recipes or side dishes are a must for this summer? First thing that comes to my mind is pasta or potato salad which also would have been a great addition to this meal. Guess I’ll just have to redo it ;-).

One year ago: Mini Lime Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting

Three years ago: Strawberry, Rhubarb & Pear Salad

Four years ago: Strawberry Basil Gelato

Five years ago: Apricot White Chocolate Granola Bites

Six years ago: Chicken and Veggie Nuggets

BACON CHEDDAR BURGER WITH JALAPENO AIOLI

Serves 4

Ingredients:

AIOLI

1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise (I used the one with olive oil)

1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh minced cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

Lime juice, to taste

BURGERS

4 Certified Angus Beef bacon cheddar gourmet patties*

4 burger buns

Favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion

Directions:

1. Prepare the aioli. Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour mixture into a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. For the burgers, heat a greased grill (or grill pan) over medium-high heat.  Grill burgers (or pan fry) about 4-5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Remove to a plate.
3. Assemble burgers with your favorite toppings and a dollop of jalapeno aioli.

* If you cannot find these pre-made, you can mix in 1/4 lb. raw chopped bacon and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese into 1.5 lb. ground beef

Source: Adapted from my Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno Aioli.