Sometimes nothing can beat the comfort food appeal of a juicy, freshly cooked hamburger. If you make cheeseburgers at home, you might be interested in learning a few handy cheeseburger tips to ensure your burgers always come out perfectly.
One of the most important parts of your cheeseburger is the meat you use for the patty. For the best results, you should choose 80/20 ground meat. That means it is 80% lean and 20% fat. If you use lean, or worse still extra-lean, meat, you will end up with a dry burger, and that is never attractive. Fat isn’t the enemy. Serve your burger with some salad or a vegetable side dish to balance out the meal.
What Kind of Cheese to Use
One of the best cheeseburger tips: the cheese is just as important as the meat, but there is no reason why you must use American sliced cheese. Experiment with some different kinds, like halloumi, feta, white cheddar, fontina, Asiago, or a Mexican cheese blend, to add a brand new taste. Blue cheese can be really good in there too.
Try an international cheeseburger, pairing ground lamb with feta cheese, or chili-spiced ground beef with a Mexican cheese blend. Pretty much any meat pairs with any cheese, so go wild and see what you can come up with. Consider ground lamb, ground pork, or even mixed ground meat, as an alternative to the beef.
Cheeseburger Tips: Adding More Flavor
Add flavorings to the meat before shaping the patties. Try simply salt and pepper if you want, or how about chili flakes, onion and garlic powder, parmesan cheese flakes, or dried mixed herbs?
Take a look in the cupboard and see what you have in there, then add a pinch of this and a pinch of that, to add lots of incredible flavor.
Add some salad to the finished cooked burger to finish it off, add color and add nutrients. Onion, tomato, lettuce, pineapple, fried egg, bacon, or avocado are just some of your options, or for a really filling burger, add an extra patty and some extra cheese to make a double cheeseburger.
And Side Dishes?
Remember your side dishes, if you want to make them. Coleslaw, fries, potato salad, onion rings, breaded mushrooms, or tossed salad would be great with a homemade cheeseburger recipe, or maybe your family has a special side dish recipe you like to make.
For a superior flavor, use the barbeque. Flame-grilled meat is pretty much unbeatable, although if you are restricted by the lack of a barbeque or bad weather, a griddle on the stove is the next best thing.
Photo courtesy of © Robert Lerich | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Cheeseburger recipes are great for all occasions, whether you are having an informal meal at home with the family or some friends are coming over.
You could even make a gourmet cheeseburger recipe using ground venison or mint-infused lamb, adding some artisan cheese.
The sky is the limit when it comes to homemade burgers really, and you are only limited by your imagination.
Cheeseburger Tips: How to Make a Cheeseburger
Combine your ground meat with some herbs and seasonings of choice, then shape into patties. Chill them for half an hour, then cook on the barbeque or in a griddle pan on the stove until done. Put a slice of cheese on top to melt a little, then transfer the burger to split buns.
Add tomato, lettuce, bacon and whatever else you want, as well as some ketchup, mayo or another dressing if you choose. Serve immediately!