I’ve probably said this before—I am not a burger fan. But I’ll admit, nothing says “summertime” like burgers on the grill. Another thing I’ll admit—I don’t use the grill all that often. However, I do have an amazing Calphalon grill pan for which I would probably sell my own soul. With that said, I do like to occasionally experiment with burgers (usually sliders, but I decided to grill up a good ol’ fashioned burger this time).

Bacon cheeseburgers are probably America’s favorite food. Nowadays, bacon is so mess free (hello, Oscar Mayer) that there’s nothing stopping us from putting this salty, crispy treat on every sandwich ever. It’s the cheese that really kicks it up a notch. Pungent blue cheese paired with salty bacon is seriously something to write home about.

But let’s be honest, sometimes a burger needs a little more. Ah, caramelized onions…they add a savory semi-crunch (yes, that’s now a word) that’s hard to find anywhere else. Plus, a ripe tomato (straight from New Jersey!) adds a little more juice to the burger. And there ya have it! A juicy, savory, bacon cheese burger…with a blue cheese twist.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground be

1 cup (about 10-12 slices) cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup green onions

1 teaspoon salt

1 tomato, sliced thickly

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium white onion, sliced

2 tablespoons butter (1 optional)

4 buns

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into patties. In a grill pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place burgers onto grill pan and grill on medium-low to desired doneness (about 5 minutes on each side for medium. Burgers should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, in a small pan, add olive oil and onions and cook on medium-low until onions begin to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes. With remaining butter, toast buns in a pan (optional). Place tomato slices on bottom bun. Top with cooked patties and onions and serve.

Tip: if you like thicker burgers, put a lid over top of the grill pan. This will lock in steam to help the burgers cook through more evenly.