Black Pepper Bacon-Cheddar Burgers
By baking freshly ground black pepper right into slices of thick cut bacon, you get the spice of pepper and the smoky flavor of bacon, a delicious burger topping when paired with sharp Cheddar cheese.
- Ingredients:
- 6 strips thick cut bacon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hamburgers (1/4 lb each)
- 4 thick slices sharp Cheddar cheese
- 4 hamburger rolls
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.
Lay the bacon strips side by side on a sheet of plastic wrap and grind pepper over them. How much pepper you use depends on how intense you want the flavor to be. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to press the pepper into the bacon. Don't use too much pressure or you'll make the bacon too thin.
Position a rack on the prepared baking pan (a 10-inch square cake cooling rack works well) and coat it thoroughly with nonstick spray. Arrange the bacon slices side-by-side. It's okay for them to touch, but don't overlap them. Bake until crisp, 20 to 30 minutes (depending on thickness), rotating the pan once about halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut the strips into thirds to fit on the burgers.
While grilling the burgers, place a portion of bacon on top of each burger 2 minutes after you turn them to the second side. Top each immediately with a slice of cheese and finish grilling, about 1 minute. Remove from the grill and allow the burgers to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to rolls and add lettuce and tomato if desired.
Makes 4 servings
