My crunchy, gooey patties of mac and cheese perched on top of a beef burger will make you dance. You put your mac and cheese on your burger and you turn yourself around—that’s what it’s all about! This one will even make the kids put down their cell phones and converse. You can use your favorite mac and cheese recipe in these burgers—or my granny’s.
SERVES 4
2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
Salt and black pepper
1⅓ cups cooked mac and cheese, cooled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Duke’s)
All-purpose flour, for coating
¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil
4 onion hamburger buns, split
4 lettuce leaves
4 large sweet onion slices
4 tomato slices
1. With damp hands, form the beef into 4 patties each ½ inch thick, and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Form the mac and cheese into 4 patties each about 3 inches across. Spread both sides of the mac-and-cheese patties with the mayonnaise and then sprinkle a little flour on the tops and bottoms of the patties.
3. Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high.
4. Grill the burgers to your liking, about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Set the burgers aside, covered with foil to stay warm.
5. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Very gently fry the mac-and-cheese patties until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Then turn and fry the other sides, 2 minutes longer.
6. Warm the buns on the grill and then fill them each with a beef patty, a mac-and-cheese patty, lettuce, onion, and tomato.