BBQ Bacon Stuffed Burger — Recipe of the Week

This week’s free recipe is BBQ Bacon Stuffed Burger — a real household dinner you can cook tonight, then plan the rest of the week around.

A juicy beef patty stuffed with molten cheddar cheese. Topped with crispy bacon, sweet caramelized onions, and tangy barbecue sauce for the ultimate bite.

Most weeknights fail at 5pm because dinner is still a question. A recipe like this works when it is already on the calendar, the shopping list is already built, and you are not inventing a second meal tomorrow from whatever is left in the fridge.

35 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 slices of Bacon
• 1 pound Beef (Ground)
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 4 Hamburger Buns
• 1 ½ teaspoons Butter
• 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cup Barbecue Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 ½ teaspoons Salt

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook 8 slices of bacon until perfectly crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving about 1 ½ tablespoons of the rendered bacon grease in the skillet for extra flavor.
2. Add 0.25 sliced yellow onion to the skillet with the bacon grease. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the onions are soft, golden brown, and sweet. Set the caramelized onions aside.
3. Divide 1 ½ pounds of ground beef into two equal ¾ pound portions. Place one portion between two sheets of wax paper and use a flat-bottomed pan to press it into a very thin, wide patty. Repeat with the second portion. Tip: Making the patties larger than your bun helps them fit perfectly after cooking.
4. On one patty, mound half of the 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, followed by some caramelized onions, and the remaining cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Carefully place the second patty on top.
5. Firmly pinch and press the edges of the patties together to create a tight seal, ensuring no cheese can escape during cooking. Season both sides generously with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
6. In the same skillet, add a dash of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of butter over medium heat. Once sizzling, carefully place the stuffed patty in the pan. Cook for 6-8 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
7. Flip the burger carefully and cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until cooked to your desired doneness and the cheese inside is fully melted. Let the burger rest for a minute.
8. While the burger rests, toast your hamburger bun until golden. To assemble, spread ¼ cup of barbecue sauce on the bottom bun, add the crispy bacon, place the stuffed burger on top, and garnish with remaining caramelized onions and the top bun.

Plan the rest of the week

One good dinner is a start. The habit that sticks is seven dinners on one calendar, a shopping list from those meals, and a household that can see what’s cooking.

Save this recipe, pick six more you already cook, and plan this week free with myDinnerPlan. No credit card. Setup takes a few minutes.

If you cook this, note what you swapped. Next week’s public recipe will be a different household dinner from the same library.