Sandwiches & Burgers

crowdsource Community Insights

This one gets high marks for how it looks and for repeat cooks, but what trips people up is raw-meat cross-contamination. People who made this often ended up putting buns or finished patties on surfaces where raw meat had been, or using the same board and gloves, and that led to extra rinsing and worry, change or wash gloves after touching raw meat, and keep a separate board or a clean patch of counter for buns and plated food. Also, a lot of cooks grill the onions first for better flavor, and if you want a small tweak, some people add a splash of Worcestershire to the patty mix.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 3 oz (85g) ground beef
• Brioche buns
• Mayonnaise (or butter)
• Kosher salt, coarsely ground
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Oregano
• Paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• Burger seasoning, to taste
• Barbecue seasoning, to taste
• Ketchup
• Dijon mustard
• Cheese
• Pickles
• Bacon

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Divide the ground beef into 3-ounce or 4-ounce balls (the presenter uses 4-ounce balls for a thicker patty).
2. Spread mayonnaise on the cut sides of the brioche buns and toast them in a skillet until golden and soft.
3. Mix the burger seasoning: combine garlic powder (2 teaspoons), onion powder (2 teaspoons), cayenne pepper (a little, optional), oregano, paprika, a couple pinches of kosher salt, and black pepper (about 1 teaspoon).
4. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle until very hot.
5. Place the beef balls on the hot surface and let them sear untouched for about 10 to 15 seconds.
6. Lay a piece of parchment paper over a ball, place a press (or similar heavy object) on top, and press down to smash the ball into a thin patty; avoid pressing so hard that all the juices are forced out. Remove the press and parchment.
7. Immediately season the smashed patties with the homemade seasoning or with prepared burger seasoning (use barbecue seasoning alongside burger seasoning if desired).
8. Cook until you see the top start to rise and cook toward the other side and bubbles form; slide a sturdy spatula underneath to break the seal and flip the patty, revealing a well-formed crust.
9. After flipping, add cheese to each patty and let it melt while the second side finishes cooking.
10. Mix the burger sauce by combining mayonnaise, ketchup, and Dijon mustard.
11. Assemble the burgers: spread sauce on the toasted buns, place one or two smashed patties on the bottom bun, add pickles and cooked bacon if using, then top with the bun.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found a few small moves made the night much easier. The biggest slip-up was handling raw beef, then touching other food (some even did it with the same gloves), that led to problems, so people recommend washing hands often and not touching ready-to-eat items with the gloves you used on raw meat. Also, toasting the buns mattered more than you’d think: people who toasted theirs were happier with the texture and how the finished burgers looked. And if you want sweeter, softer onions, the ones who pre-cooked them until they caramelized preferred that over just quickly cooking them.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 onion, paper thin slices
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 3 oz (85g) ground brisket, formed into balls
• Potato roll
• Dijon mustard
• Spicy dill pickles
• 1 slice American cheese
• Tri-tip steak seasoning, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Thinly slice the onions as paper thin as possible (use a deli slicer or a very sharp knife).
2. Place the sliced onions in a bowl, sprinkle with a little kosher salt, massage to draw out moisture, and let sit for about 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes, ring out or squeeze some of the accumulated liquid from the onions and set the onions aside.
4. Preheat the pellet grill with the griddle to 500°F and configure for direct grilling (no diffuser plate; baffle pushed in).
5. Form the ground brisket into 3 ounce balls without flattening them (you will smash them on the griddle).
6. Arrange potato rolls, Dijon mustard, spicy dill pickles, and American cheese slices so they are ready for assembly; spread a little Dijon mustard on each bottom roll and do not toast the buns.
7. Place up to four 3 ounce balls on the hot griddle, sprinkle each with tri-tip steak seasoning, pile a generous amount of the salted, squeezed onions on top of each ball, and smash them into wide, very thin patties with crispy edges.
8. Cook the smashed patties until the bottom is well seared, then flip to cook the onion side briefly; when flipped, season a little more if desired.
9. Place a slice of American cheese on the patties, put the top bun over the cheese and the bottom bun above it to use steam to melt the cheese, then close the grill lid for about 30 seconds to help the cheese melt and warm the buns.
10. Assemble each double burger: put the mustard-spread bottom roll down, add one cheese-topped patty, place pickles between the patties, add the second cheese-topped patty on top of the pickles, then finish with the top roll.

crowdsource Community Insights

This sandwich comes together quickly, but most people who made it found the difference is cooking it low and slow, tossing the bread into a cool pan and keeping the heat down so the outside browns without the inside burning. People who put butter in the pan, and spread butter on the outside of the bread, got the most even, golden toasting, and many also toasted both sides. One common regret: those who used mayonnaise didn't like the results, so people who skipped mayo were happier with the texture and flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 slice sandwich bread
• Country sourdough loaf, sliced
• Brioche loaf, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp butter, softened (or mayonnaise, salted butter, unsalted butter)
• Mayonnaise
• 3 American cheese slices
• 1/4 cup cheddar, grated
• 1/4 cup raclette, grated
• 1/4 cup Gouda, grated
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into small pieces
• 3 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Brie, sliced
• Pepper jack cheese
• Cooked bacon, cooked, slightly crispy

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Spread room-temperature softened butter on one slice of bread and mayonnaise on an identical slice; place both slices in the same pan at the same temperature and toast until each reaches the desired level of browning, flipping as needed.
2. For a classic American grilled cheese: spread softened butter on both outside faces of two slices of bread; place one slice butter-side down in a cold pan, top with American cheese slices (he used three), place the other slice butter-side up on top, and cook over medium heat for anywhere between 3 to 6 minutes until the bottom is toasted; flip and cook until the second side is toasted and the cheese is melted.
3. For a three-cheese sourdough grilled cheese: slather country sourdough slices with softened butter (about 0.5 tablespoon or 7 grams per slice), place a butter-side-down slice in a cold pan, mix grated cheddar, raclette, and Gouda (each about 0.25 cup / 28 grams), spread the mixed grated cheeses on the bread and compress into a cheese patty, top with the second buttered slice (butter side up), turn the heat to medium and toast 5 to 8 minutes or until golden and the cheese begins to mound; flip and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty brown.
4. To make the caramelized apples: toss peeled, cored, and small-diced apples (two apples, about 242 grams after processing) with 3.5 tablespoons (44 grams) granulated sugar and a small pinch of salt; let sit for about 20 minutes, then set a pot over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the apples are caramelized and sticky but not mushy. (This caramelized-apple amount is enough for about one sandwich.)
5. Assemble the apple-and-Brie grilled cheese: butter brioche slices, place one butter-side down in a cold pan, add a single layer of caramelized apples, some grated cheddar, and enough sliced brie to coat the surface, top with the other buttered slice butter-side up, and toast 5 to 8 minutes on both sides or until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown; optionally finish under a broiler if the stack is tall and needs extra melting.
6. For a bacon and pepper-jack variant: use cooked, slightly crispy bacon and a generous amount of pepper jack cheese between buttered bread slices; toast in a pan until the cheese melts and the exterior is crisp.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 slice sourdough loaf, hearth-baked, sliced
• Clarified butter, melted (or ghee)
• Gruyère cheese, sliced
• Wisconsin cheddar, sliced
• Aged cheddar from England, grated
• New York cheddar
• Onion, thinly sliced
• Leek, thinly sliced into half moons
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Whole grain mustard
• Pickled mustard seeds, to taste
• Water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice a hearth-baked sourdough loaf into two even slices about 3/4 inch thick; aim to hear the blade cut through the crust as you slice.
2. Brush the outside of both bread slices with melted clarified butter.
3. Thinly slice the Gruyère and the Wisconsin cheddar, letting the slices intentionally overhang the crust of the bread.
4. Grate the aged cheddar from England.
5. Using a mandoline or a knife, thinly slice the onion; slice the pre-washed leek into very thin half moons.
6. Mix the sliced and grated cheeses with the onion and leek, season with a little kosher salt, then stir in whole grain mustard and pickled mustard seeds.
7. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly over both bread halves and leave the sandwiches open-faced to give the cheese a head start on melting.
8. Preheat a cast iron griddle (or a cast iron pan) and place the open-faced sandwiches on the preheated surface.
9. Cover each sandwich with a bowl and spray a little water underneath the bowl to create steam; keep covered until the cheese begins to melt.
10. When the cheese is starting to melt, scrape up any bits sticking to the pan, then flip each sandwich onto the melted cheese side; press with sandwich weights and continue to toast until the bread is toasty, the cheese is melted, and the cheese that overflowed has become crispy.
11. Give the finished sandwich about a minute to settle before serving, using sensory cues such as smell, the sizzle level, and small trails of smoke to judge doneness.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1/4 lb (113g) fatty ground beef blend, formed into loose balls
• Mayonnaise
• Cholula hot sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 slice American cheese (or any kind of cheese)
• Hamburger buns
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Onion, raw
• Pickles
• Colman's mustard

book_ribbon Instructions

1. If grinding your own meat, chill cut meat in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes before grinding.
2. Grind the beef starting with a larger grind plate, then switch to a smaller grind plate to finish the grind.
3. Weigh out patties as quarter-pound balls; for double-smash burgers use two quarter-pound patties (0.5 pound total) stacked.
4. Form the ground beef into loose balls; do not compact them tightly.
5. Mix the sauce: combine mayonnaise with a little Cholula hot sauce and a little Worcestershire sauce.
6. Preheat a heavy-bottomed, metal-utensil-safe pan (HexClad or cast iron) until very hot.
7. Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise, place them cut-side down in the hot pan, and press down so the bun toasts evenly; remove when toasted.
8. Place a beef ball in the hot pan, then use a large spatula or burger press to smash it flat into the pan.
9. Salt the smashed patty immediately after smashing.
10. Leave the patty undisturbed for about two minutes; flip when you see crust forming around the outer edges.
11. After flipping, add American cheese on top of the patty, grind a little fresh black pepper onto the cheese, then cover with a lid and let steam for 20 to 30 seconds until the cheese is melted.
12. Between batches wipe out excess grease from the pan with a paper towel (be careful of the heat) so the next patties can sear properly.
13. Repeat placing, smashing, salting, flipping, cheesing, and steaming for remaining patties.
14. Assemble the burger: spread the prepared mayonnaise/Cholula/Worcestershire sauce on the bun, place pickles and a little Colman's mustard on the bottom bun as desired, stack the double cheeseburger patties on the bun, add raw onion if desired, and top with the toasted top bun.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, but heat and sizing are what most people learned the hard way. People who got the griddle really hot and smashed the patties onto that blazing surface got a much better crust; not getting it hot enough left them under-browned. Patty size trips people up, some made them too big instead of going thin and smashing, and that changed the outcome. Also, toasting the buns made a real difference (and people advised against heating them in the oven). Follow those three things and you’ll avoid the usual pitfalls.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1/4 cup 80/20 ground chuck
• Burger seasoning, to taste
• Kraft Deluxe cheese
• Buns
• Mayonnaise
• Pickles, sliced
• Ketchup

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Portion the 80/20 ground chuck into roughly 1/4-cup balls; do not roll them tightly—just form loose balls for easier smashing.
2. If you want uniform patties you can use a kitchen scale, otherwise a 1/4-cup measuring cup is used for portions.
3. Prep buns and condiments: spread mayonnaise on the bread if desired and toast the buns first if you want them toasted.
4. Preheat the Blackstone griddle: set it on low initially, then ramp it up so the griddle surface is very, very hot and smoke is coming off the top.
5. Space the meat balls on the hot griddle and place a sheet of parchment paper over each ball.
6. Using a Burger Smasher or a heavy spatula, press each ball through the parchment and hold the smash for about 10 seconds, moving the smasher back and forth while pressing to help seal edges.
7. After smashing, season the patties with burger seasoning.
8. Use a spatula to scrape under the patties and work backwards to lift and release the crust once it has formed.
9. Place Kraft Deluxe cheese on the hot patties and set the top bun onto the cheese to steam and help melt it.
10. Remove the patties, add additional mayonnaise if desired, top with sliced pickles and a squirt of ketchup, and assemble on the buns.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Processed cheese blend

• 4 oz (113g) sharp cheddar, grated
• 3 oz (85g) gruyère, grated
• 3 oz (85g) young gouda, grated
• 2 oz (57g) parmesan, grated
• 1 tbsp gelatin, hydrated
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Sandwich bread (dough)

• 400ml water
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 650g all-purpose flour
• 50g sugar
• 5g salt
• 45g unsalted butter, room temperature (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)

Assembly and other ingredients

• White sandwich bread
• Yellow American cheese, sliced
• 45g butter (or butter mixed with mustard, full fat mayonnaise, light olive oil)
• Mustard, to taste
• Full fat mayonnaise
• Light olive oil
• Olives

book_ribbon Instructions

Processed cheese product

1. Hydrate 1 tablespoon gelatin with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
2. Grate and combine 4 ounces sharp cheddar, 3 ounces gruyère, 3 ounces young gouda, and 2 ounces parmesan; set the mixture aside.
3. Bring 1/2 cup evaporated milk to a boil, then remove from heat and whisk in the hydrated gelatin until fully melted into the milk.
4. Return the pan to low heat and add the grated cheese mixture while blending with an immersion blender to make the mixture as smooth and homogenous as possible.
5. Transfer the cheese mixture onto plastic wrap–lined surface: ideally spread thin on a lined baking sheet, or press into a plastic-wrapped lined ramekin and mold into a cylinder.
6. Refrigerate until solidified, about 4 hours.
7. Remove the molded cheese from the plastic wrap and slice into processed-cheese-style slices.

Sandwich bread

1. Combine 400 milliliters water, 1 packet instant yeast, 650 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams sugar, 5 grams salt, and 45 grams unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Knead with the stand mixer for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a covered oiled bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough and place it into a loaf pan; loosely tent with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Brush the loaf with melted butter and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 35 minutes until deeply golden brown.
6. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack; verify the internal temperature is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let rest for 1.5 hours or until completely cooled, then trim and slice as needed for sandwiches.

Assembly and cooking

1. Assemble sandwiches with slices of white sandwich bread and the sliced processed cheese product (or use yellow American cheese for the control).
2. Optionally add olives on top of the cheese in the sandwich.
3. Butter the outside of the bread (or use butter mixed with a little mustard, full fat mayonnaise, or light olive oil as alternatives) and cook sandwiches one at a time in a nonstick skillet until the crust is a deep brown and the cheese is melty.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, and people who made it tended to tweak just a couple small things. People who toasted both sides of the bread before spreading mayo or butter preferred the finished texture. Others who simply used butter instead of another spread also liked how it came out. If you want a quick serving idea, some people slice and serve it with a pickle alongside. None of these are required, but they're the simple choices cooks kept coming back to when they made this.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Bread, sliced (or Wonderbread, sourdough)
• Mayonnaise (or butter)
• 3 slice American cheese, sliced
• Gruyere, shredded, rind removed
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Potato chips, crunchy

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Remove the rind from the Gruyere and shred the cheese using a box grater held upright (grate on the side).
2. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
3. Spread mayonnaise evenly on the outside faces of the bread slices.
4. Place one mayonnaise-side-down slice of bread in the preheated pan.
5. Layer American cheese slices on the bread in the pan (about three slices).
6. Add shredded Gruyere on top of the American cheese, pressing or spreading it toward the edges.
7. Season the inside of the assembled sandwich with salt and black pepper.
8. Top with the second slice of bread, mayonnaise-side-up, and continue to cook over medium-low heat.
9. Cook slowly, checking occasionally, until the bottom is browned and the cheese begins to melt (you can lift the top slice slightly — if it sticks, the cheese is melting).
10. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side until both sides are nicely browned and crisp and any leaked cheese at the edges is crispy.
11. Transfer the sandwich to a plate and cut in half with a downward motion.
12. Serve immediately; optionally serve with a handful of crunchy potato chips.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found a couple of small things that change the result. Some people buttered both sides of the bread before cooking and liked the extra even browning and crisp; other people purposely didn’t butter the bread, so pick the texture you prefer. What often caused trouble was metal on a non-stick pan, people who used metal spatulas or other metal utensils scraped the surface, so either be careful or use something gentler. Also, some people added sliced onion and liked the flavor it gave.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 centimeter white bloomer, about 1 centimeter thick slices
• Butter, room temperature
• Cheddar cheese, grated (or Red Leicester, any cheese that melts well)
• Cayenne pepper
• Ketchup
• Mango chutney

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice the white bloomer about 1 centimeter thick.
2. Lightly butter both sides of each slice with room-temperature butter.
3. Grate the cheese using a box grater.
4. Pile a handful of grated cheese onto one buttered slice, squeeze together to form a sandwich.
5. Heat a frying pan over low to medium heat.
6. Place the sandwich in the pan and place a weight on top to press it flat; cook for about 3 minutes on the first side until golden and the middle is oozy.
7. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side for about 3 minutes until golden.
8. Remove the sandwich from the pan, then grate a layer of cheese around the bottom of the pan.
9. Place the sandwich on top of the grated cheese in the pan and cook for about 1.5 minutes to bring out different flavors and for the cheese fat to split.
10. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of cayenne over the cheese, hold/press the sandwich for about 30 seconds to create a crispy cheese crown.
11. Add a little more cheese in the middle, then turn the sandwich four times.
12. Leave the sandwich to rest for two minutes before eating.
13. Serve with ketchup or mango chutney if desired.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Classic Smash Burger

• 3 1/2 oz (99g) ground chuck, formed into balls
• Lawry's seasoned salt, to taste
• American cheese
• Martin potato roll
• Mustard
• 1 dill pickle
• 1 onion

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

• 3 1/2 oz (99g) ground chuck, formed into balls
• Salt, to taste
• Sweet onion, paper-thin sliced
• 1 dill pickle
• 1 onion

The Chester

• 3 1/2 oz (99g) ground chuck, formed into balls
• Salt, to taste
• White bread
• Butter, rendered
• American cheese

book_ribbon Instructions

Classic Smash Burger

1. Heat a flat top griddle to about 360°F (or use a cast iron pan if cooking at home).
2. Portion 3½-ounce balls of 75/25 ground chuck using an ice cream scoop (salad disher).
3. Place a beef ball on the hot griddle and press straight down with a spatula to form a thin patty; press only once and do not continue pressing.
4. Cook until a cooked patch appears on the exposed side, about 20 seconds, and watch for bubbles and rendered fat; keep some pink before flipping—if fully gray you have overcooked it.
5. Flip the patty when ready, place a slice of American cheese on top, and cover with a melter or an inverted bowl or pot cover until the cheese melts.
6. Toast Martin potato rolls in a bun toaster.
7. Assemble: spread a little mustard on the bottom bun, add the patty with melted cheese, add one dill pickle and one onion, and top with the other bun.

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

1. Portion the same size 3½-ounce ball of 75/25 ground chuck.
2. Salt the beef ball and the surrounding griddle surface before smashing.
3. Pile paper-thin sweet onions onto the ball as you press it so the onions are pressed into the patty.
4. Sear the side you pressed down, then flip the patty so the onions are underneath and cook slowly in the rendered beef fat until the onions caramelize and 'give up' (no more white visible).
5. Do not toast the bun; place the bun directly on the finished patty.
6. Remove the burger using the 'pinch and pull' technique (pinch the heel and pull the burger off), and serve with two pickles on the side (pickles are not placed on the burger).

The Chester

1. Salt the 3½-ounce ball of 75/25 ground chuck and smash and cook the patty on the flat top.
2. Butter and grill slices of white bread on the flat top in rendered butter to make a grilled cheese layer; keep this lower-temperature than the smash patty environment.
3. Once the patty is cooked, place it inside the grilled cheese (patty between cheese and toasted bread), use a melter or cover to melt the cheese, and finish quickly to avoid burning.
4. Keep the grilled cheese cooking environment separate from the high-temperature patty cooking to prevent overcooking the bread or patty.