The Best Burger in the World

Let’s talk about the best burger in the world.

A few months ago, a good friend of mine took some friends and I to his family’s restaurant. At this restaurant I ordered this burger, of which I exclaimed, “This is the best burger in the world.”

I have had it in my mind for a while to remake this miraculous burger to the best of my ability… and while on a recent visit to Texas, with plans of watching this big basketball game that I think was supposed to be important or something, my boyfriend said he was buying some beer on his way over, to which I thought it would only be right to pair the best burger in the world.

I twisted my friend’s family restaurant’s burger a bit to make it my own, but I have to give great thanks for the inspiration. My tummy thanks you ;)

Let me just preface that this is NOT healthy. But, ya know, that’s what Splurge Saturdays are for. 

You just gotta splurge sometimes.

Equation to the best burger of the world:

2 Buttery Toasted Hawaiian buns

+

¼ Cup Pimento Cheese

+

1 Perfectly-Cooked Over Easy Egg

+

1 80/20 (Beef-To-Fat Ratio) Well-Seasoned Ground Beef Patty

+

1 Small Block of American Cheese (stuffed into the Beef Patty)

YUM!

The Juicy Pimento Cheese, Egg, American-Cheese Stuffed Burger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Perfect Pimento Cheese:

2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese

1 cup grated Monterey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese

1 4-ounce can diced Pimentos (found by the olives in the grocery store)

1 Jalapeño pepper, washed, diced fine, seeds kept

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne

2/3 cup reduced-fat Mayonnaise

½ cup reduced-fat Cream Cheese, softened

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Burger:

1 ½ pounds Ground Beef (80 percent lean-this is most important for the perfect burger)

1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

4 American Cheese slices (or any type of cheese, but for this burger I suggest this)

4 Hawaiian buns

1 tablespoon softened butter

Original Pam Spray
A bunch of napkins (you'll need them, trust me)

Procedure:

1. So you don’t forget, preheat the oven to Broil. Butter each bun and bottom of the Hawaiian buns, and place on a baking sheet. (DON’T place in oven yet).
2. Make pimento cheese: Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Note: you probably won't use all of the Pimento cheese of the burgers, but it serves as a GREAT snack with pretzel crackers, snow peas, or even a killer grilled cheese)
3.  Cut each slice of American cheese in half, then in half again (so you have 4 equal squares). Stack 4 squares on top of each other to form 4 cheese cubes.
4. In a large bowl, mix with your clean hands ground beef, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and olive oil until ingredients are well combined.
5. Divide beef into 8 equal portions and place on a work surface. Roll each of these portions into balls and then flatten them. Place 1 stack of American cheese in 4 patties. Place the other empty patties on top of the patties with American cheese, and pinch the edges to form a tight seal. Cup each patty with your hands to reform them into normal looking burger patties, and work them until they form a single, thick patty. Repeat with all patties until you have 4 good-looking patties. Transfer them to plate and refrigerate for a moment while you prepare the stove.  
6.  If you have this type of amazing stovetop grillpan, then get out that baby. But if you don’t (don’t fret, but you should probably go ahead and order it), just get out a large, nonstick sauté pan. Heat over medium-low heat until hot (like 2-3 minutes), spray well with Pam, then place the 4 patties (or as many as will fit at one time) into the plan. Turn heat to low (it's all about low and slow!) and cook, undisturbed (don’t press them), for 4 minutes (it's totally okay if cheese oozes out a bit). With a spatula, flip patties and cook another 4 minutes. This creates a medium-rare burger (how a burger should be eaten), but if you aren't one for any pink in the center, then cook your burger a little longer on each side for desired done-ness. Transfer patties to a plate and cover loosely with tinfoil (it’s important to let the burger rest for a few minutes). Reserve the burger juices in the pan they cooked in.
7.  While burgers are resting, throw those Hawaiian Buns in the oven and set a timer for 3 minutes.
8. In a medium saucepan, pour the reserved burger “juices” and heat to medium heat. Gently crack all 4 eggs into the pan and cook until whites are set, but yolks are still soft (about 3 to 4 minutes-over easy style). With spatula, divide the eggs into 4 portions (if the whites are all stuck together). Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.
9. Pull the Hawaiian buns. Divide onto four plates. Immediately coat the top buns with a heaping amount of pimento cheese. Place a burger patty on each of the four bottoms. Place an over-easy egg on top of each patty.
10. Serve to your sports-obsessed boyfriend, who actually takes his eyes off the game to eat this burger because it is, in fact, the best burger in the world.

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Oatmeal Chips

I love me some fruit.

I don't think there's any fruit that I don't like... I just love that it's healthy AND beautiful to eat all by itself. 

...but there's nothing wrong with adding some fluff, either. 

This appetizer/snack/dessert has just the right amount of fruity fluff without too much effort, and is adapted from one of Momma Jacque's recipe ~(thanks, Mom!)~

So go ahead and whip it up, devour it, and remind yourself that the fact that you just consumed every last drop is totally fine because you now have your daily fiber and fruit servings all taken care of.

...and substitute any fruit you'd like. I picked a few of my favorites and they worked together quite well; but add & subtract as you please :) 

It's just like chips and queso! 

- except a little sweeter and like 1/10 the calories -

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Oatmeal Chips

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the Chips:

10 6-inch flour tortillas

1 egg

½ cup Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the Salsa:

1 Mango

1 Navel Orange

1 Red Delicious Apple

2 Kiwis

2 Nectarines

2 cups Apricot Preserves

1 Pomegranate

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each tortilla into 4 equal triangles in the shape of tortilla chips and align them on a sheet tray. Mix egg well with fork in a small bowl. Mix cinnamon, sugar, and oatmeal together in another small bowl.
2. With a pastry brush, brush egg onto the top side of all of the tortilla triangles. Next, with a spoon, sprinkle oatmeal mixture over all of the cut tortillas. Press oatmeal into the tortilla a bit so it will stay.
3. Bake chips for 8 minutes, then rotate the sheet pan and bake another 8 minutes. Take chips out of oven and let cool.
4. Deseed the pomegranate and set aside in a small bowl. Wash and peel all of the other fruit and place in a blender with apricot reserves. Pulse fruit mixture until partially pureed and slightly chunky. Mix in pomegranate seeds, but don’t pulse.
5. To serve, pour fruit into 8 coffee mugs on top of plates and circle the cooled cinnamon oatmeal chips around the mugs. 

xoxo,

Casey

Jolly Ginger Cocktail

I'm a sucker for a sweet cocktail.

The problem with this is that sweet cocktails should be called "high calorie cocktails" or "yes I'm tasty but if you keep drinking me I'll add 10 pounds to ya realll fast" cocktails.

...but I've solved this problem for ya. 

The answer is Splenda simple-syrup. It's easy, sweet, and is the perfect addition to any sweet cocktail that your sweet heart desires.

This particular drink was inspired by my love for ginger-ale... oh, and get this: it's only 80 calories per drink, purely from the alcohol content. That fact alone can make a girl very, very jolly (hint the name). 

...and if you happen to be one who isn't too keen on alcohol, then this is a 0 calorie drink. Your welcome.

Also, I measured this drink out by cups. I know that isn't too professional... but I'm more of a baker than I am a bartender and I'm sure many of you can relate. A baker who enjoys her sweet cocktails. 

 ~ I'll take this drink stirred ~

Just call me the "Skinny Girl Cocktail Protege"  ((watch out Bethenny!))

Don't you love my whiskey Mad Men glasses I got at Bed, Bath, & Beyond on sale for $2 each? 

Oh, and fellow foodie, while you're sipping up (it's whatever o'clock somewhere), check out this article that I found very interesting, and very, very true (good thing I don't blog about restaurants).

The Jolly Ginger

Serves: 4 Cocktails

Ingredients:

Ginger Syrup: (serves 4)

1 ginger root, peeled, roughly cut into 1-inch matchstick-sized pieces

2 cups water, boiling

2 cups Splenda

Per each cocktail:

Ice Cubes

½ cup Sparkling Water (I prefer Pellegrino)

½ cup Ginger Syrup

¼ cup Vodka

Lime (cut wedges for the glass)

A cute straw

Ginger Syrup

1.  Place cut ginger in boiling water and continue to boil for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let ginger steep for another 30 minutes.
2. Once steeped, drain ginger water into another sauce pan and bring to a boil.
3. Add Splenda to boiling water and mix to dissolve (it dissolves quickly). Boil for another minute. Turn off heat.
4.  Allow ginger syrup to cool, then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate.

Cocktail

1. For each cocktail, add a few pieces of ice. On top of the ice, pour sparkling water, ginger syrup, and vodka into the glass and stir with a cute straw. Serve with lime wedge. Sip up! 

XOXO,

Cutting Calories Casey