Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger

The ultimate guilty pleasure has to be a nice BIG JUICY char grilled burger with all the classic fixings! All the ooey gooey melty cheese draped over the beef patty, crispy smoky salty deliciousness of applewood smoked bacon, sweet tender grilled onions, and oh don’t forget the buttery mushrooms *drool*!!!

Fun side fact, did you know that the burger originated in the USA and was known more as a ‘hamburger sandwich’ consisting of ground meat between two slices of bread? Interestingly it was cooked in a vertical cast iron gas stoves back in the early 1900s as a quick meal for hurried customers in Louis’ Lunch restaurant back in Connecticut…cool story right?

I’m going to share with you one of my favorite classic burger recipe just in time for weekend BBQ lunch or dinner. I like to season my beef patty before grilling to give it some extra flavor by adding a mixture of paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 egg to help bind it altogether. Grilled onions are a must here to add the needed sweetness and added deliciousness we all love in caramelized onions. Swiss cheese gives to bring in that mild and nutty cheese flavor which goes great with bacon. And not just any bacon, I highly recommend you use thick cut apple wood smoked bacon, trust me it’ll make all the difference!

To top it off, buttered sauteed mushrooms take this burger to a whole other level and you’ll be popping those mushrooms back in your mouth as they fall out with each bite. A little mayo, lettuce, and tomato to garnish this burger is all you need to let all the other ingredients shine! Try it this weekend and let me know your thoughts!

Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger

Prep time: 30 min     
Cook time: 10 min    
Total time: 40 min    
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef (80% lean)
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp paprika
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 slices thick cut apple wood smoked bacon
• 1 lb of mushrooms sliced
• 1 large onion thick sliced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 1 tomato sliced
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 burger buns

Instructions

1. Make burger patties by combining ground beef, onion powder, egg, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Shape into 4-inch wide patties about 1/2 inch thick and place aside.
2. Heat a grill to medium high and grill burger patties 4-5 min per side for medium well. In the last minute place a slice of Swiss cheese onto each patty and cover grill to melt.
3. Meanwhile grill onion slices and bacon strips on the side flipping every 2-3 min until onions are soft and caramelized and the bacon is brown and crisp.
4. In a saute pan, melt butter and cook mushrooms with salt and pepper for about 8-10 min until all liquid is gone.
5. To assemble, toast the top and bottom buns on the grill for 30 seconds. Place bottom of bun onto a plate and add mayonnaise then top with a lettuce leaf, tomato slice, mushrooms, burger patty, bacon, and onions. Enjoy!