Hey everyone….this is actually one of my all-time favorite meals and is pretty much a Friday staple in our house.  The perfect burger is a great Friday night dinner.

Step-One

Step One- Super important. Ready? Have husband or partner or significant other make this dinner for you! Of course, you can make this one on your own too and get your girlfriend, significant other, best friend, parent or child to just help however for me, it is my husband. This is his dinner and I love that! First, because he is strangely good at making the perfect burger and next because by the time Friday night rolls around, I am knackered. 

Knackered

Side Note: We lived in the UK for quite some time and my family is mostly British. I use the term knackered a lot and people look at me funny because they have no idea what it means. 
Knackered: adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE] If you say that you are knackered, you are emphasizing that you are extremely tired. [British, informal] I was absolutely knackered at the end of the match.
Synonyms: exhausted, worn out, tired out or drained

Step Two

Step two is equally as important as step one! Get comfortable in a favorite chair with a great glass of Pinot Noir and a magazine and let the husband begin making the burgers.

Substitutions

Like most of my favorite recipes, there are lots of different ways to make “the best burger”. I might secretly hate grocery shopping. Well, I love little shopping trips but after cooking for five of us for 20 plus years, I am really disliking regular big grocery shopping trips these days and this is where the art of substitution really comes into play! I like recipes that I can make with whatever we have because this keeps me out of the grocery store. A few good variations on this one-

Blue cheese, bacon, grilled red onion, and mayo.
Pepperjack cheese, tomato, and mayo, topped with a fried onion ring.
Swiss cheese, grilled onions, arugula.

Ingredients for The Perfect Burger for Friday Night Dinner with Classic Toppings

1/4 pound of meat per burger is more than enough but be sure to use 80/20 because the fat content will keep the burgers juicy
1 piece of fried bacon per burger (great to bake the bacon on a sheet tray covered with aluminum foil in the over at 400 degrees until crispy)
Organic Ground Beef
McCormack Montreal Meat Seasoning
Brioche buns
Sliced cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced red onions
Dill pickle slices
Romaine lettuce
Siracha mayo- mayo, and siracha combined. I usually do two parts mayo to one part Siracha but this can be made however you might like it.

Cooking Instructions

Heat the grill to medium-high.
Form patties but do not overwork the meat and do not put spices into the meat before you make the patties.
Put a sprinkle of seasoning on each side of each patty.
Sear on the grill for 4-5 minutes before flipping. Flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes depending on how you like your meat cooked.
While the burgers are cooking, slice the buns, put butter on one side of each slice and grill in a hot nonstick pan until lightly toasted.
Put the cheddar on the burgers to melt about a minute before taking them off the grill.

Enjoy

Serve with all of the toppings, another glass of Pinot Noir and enjoy! 

For my Portland, OR followers- If you just do not feel like cooking or having someone else make a mess of the kitchen, there are a few Portland area spots that make a mean burger. We like Tilt, PDX Sliders, and Bless Your Heart Burgers.