BACON MAC n CHEESE LOADED CHEESE BURGER

Guy Fieri Planet Hollywood Observatory Disney Springs Florida

This is the burger…THE ONE…the only one…

This has been great fun re-creating Guy Fieri’s NYC award winning burger, this is some great eating.  Top tip…have all the toppings made and ready to assemble so when you come to cook the burger it is just a job of assembling this outstanding glorious burger.

Perfectly smashed and grilled this seasoned 80/20 burger, seared with a crust is succulent and juicy, topped with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, six cheese mac n cheese, LTOP, (lettuce, tomato, onion pickles), crispy onion straws, donkey sauce (roasted garlic mustard mayonnaise) and served in a garlic buttery double toasted burger infused brioche bun, that’s all.

Ingredients 

(makes 4)

TOP TIP… Have everything prepped, cooked and ready to go before you cook the burger.

(Check list… softened garlic butter, bun, crispy cooked bacon, warm cooked mac n cheese, cheddar slice, LTOP,  hot crispy onion straws and donkey sauce) !

The Burger

1 kg 80/20 twice ground chuck steak

(80/20 is the meat to fat ratio generally 60 % chuck, 20% short rib, 20% ribeye)

10g-15g sea salt

1 glug vegetable oil

Burger Toppings

8 crispy slices applewood smoked bacon roughly chopped after cooked

4 slices cheddar cheese

1 finely shredded iceberg lettuce tossed in 1 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tomatoes super thinly sliced and seasoned with salt and black pepper

1 red onion finely sliced in rings

1 large dill pickle sliced

The Bun

4 tbsp butter melted

1 tsp grated garlic

Crispy Onion Straws

2 large white onions halved and finely sliced longwise

1 cup all purpose flower

1 tbsp cornstarch (gives extra crunch)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp  garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 ltr vegetable oil for cooking

Method

Combine all the dry ingredients, mix well, dredge the onions in the seasoned flour, dust off a little and fry in batches at 180 C / 350 F for a couple of minutes until golden and crispy, drain on paper towel and reserve ready to use.

Six Cheese Mac n Cheese

500g small elbow macaroni pasta cooked and drained

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp all purpose flour

1 ltr full fat cream milk

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

100g smoked gouda cheese block

100g sharp white cheddar block

100g fontina or Parmesan block

60g Provolone block

60g Emmental cheese block

60g Gruyère cheese block

1 tsp white pepper

Method

Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, start to add the cold milk a cup at a time and whisk in each time until smooth, repeat until all the milk has been incorporated, and you have a medium thick sauce, add the nutmeg, white pepper and stir to combine.

Grate all the cheeses, this really makes a difference as pre grated cheese is generally coated in potato starch to stop the cheese from clumping.

On a gentle low simmer cook the sauce for 15 minutes stirring all the time, do not let the sauce catch on the bottom of the pan, add the cheeses one at a time and stir in to combine, taste and season with salt if needed.  Stir in the cooked macaroni and combine well, set aside ready to top the burger.

MAC N CHEESE SUPER SPEEDY RECIPE AND GLUTEN FREE

Add to a pan on a gentle heat 2 cups of full fat milk, 1 tbsp butter, 225g velveeta cheese cubed, 1 cup sharp cheddar, 1 cup smoked Gouda, bring to a gentle simmer and keep stirring to combine until you have a thick smooth sauce, season with salt and black pepper to taste, add your cooked elbow macaroni and mix throughly.

Donkey Sauce

8 cloves roasted garlic

6 tbsp mayonnaise 

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

Simply blitz to combine…

Let’s make this bad boy !

Toast the Bun

Mix the garlic and melted butter together and generously spread on the top and bottom of the buns.  On a hot flat top or cast iron skillet toast the buns garlic butter side down first then turn over and toast the other side, use a spatula to press the buns down slightly for a full toasting.  Place on your plate ready to load.

To Cook the Burger

Divide the chuck mince into 4 equal Pattie balls, generously season with salt all over the balls.  Heat your flat top or skillet hot on a medium high heat, place the chuck mince balls in the skillet and sear for 30 seconds, using a burger press or 2 spatulas crush the burger down in one move only it to a pattie around 1” thick.  

Sear for a further 1 1/2 minutes to form a crust, turn the burger over and place the burger in a different spot in the pan, sear for 1 minute then top the burger with a slice of cheddar, 2 slices of the chopped bacon and 2 generous large spoons of the mac n cheese, cover the burger with a dome and squirt two dashes of water under to dome to steam the burger, melt the cheese slice and heat the mac n cheese, cook for a further 1 minute.

To Assemble the Burger

Generously spread the donkey sauce on the top and bottom of the toasted bun.

Place the loaded burger on the base of the bun.

Next slices of red onion, tomato and shredded iceberg on top.

Next the crispy onion straws pile high.

Finish with dill pickles and toasted bun lid, secure with a skewer.

Tuck and roll with people that love you and lots of paper roll!

BEST EVER CHORIZO OIL INFUSED CRISPY POTATO TUESDAY TACOS

Gluten Free

Love love love these tacos, in fact I shake with sheer excitement when loading my first taco, these lip smacking face stuffing little soft fresh corn slightly charred tacos are gorgeous, loaded with my family’s favourite filling of pan fried garlic and chorizo oiled infused crispy salty potatoes, loaded with avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream and fresh chillies.  Just divine. 

Best eaten in private or with people who love you, my husband always says to me calm down no one’s going to take it from you as I stuff as much as I can in my mouth!

Ingredients

(makes 4)

FOR THE WHITE CORN TACOS

(or store brought soft corn tacos)

1/2 cup white corn flour (ma se ca) 

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

1 fresh cooking chorizo

2 King Edward potatoes 

2 cloves garlic

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

1 glug vegetable oil

1 knob butter

1 bunch fresh coriander chopped 

100g grated cheese

1 tub sour cream

Lime wedges optional

Zesty Lime Chilli Avocado Guacamole

1 ripe avocado

2 spring onions finely diced

1 tomato diced

1 red chilli diced

2 tbsp fresh coriander

1/3 lime juiced

1 pinch sea salt

1 tbsp diced red pepper

Pico de gallo

1 red onion fine diced
2 spring onions chopped
2 whole jalapenos fine diced
2 lrg toms de-seeded fine chopped
1 handful coriander fine chopped
1 lime squeezed
Salt and black pepper

If your making your own soft corn tacos…

Mix the corn flour and salt with the water and bring to a ball.  Pull off golf ball sizes of the dough and with clingfilm roll out or using a tortilla press make your tacos.  Heat a comel or cast iron pan and cook the tacos for approx 60 seconds on each side, keep warm in a tortilla warmer or warm tea towel, serve stuff and serve straight away.

Store brought soft corn tacos

Heat for one minute in a microwave or in a dry frying pan for 20 seconds each side and keep warm wrapped in a tea towel or tortilla warmer.

Really quick and easy to make your own corn tacos, homemade tacos have a vibrant fresh corn flavour that you only get with making your own, they only take minutes from start to finish.

A comel is the traditional equipment used to cook tacos, or fajitas, it allows the taco to catch a little adding authentic flavour to the fresh corn taco.

Chorizo and potato filling

Peel the potatoes and dice quite small, par boil in salted seasoned water for 5 minutes, drain, season with salt then in a hot pan, fry in a dash of neutral vegetable ooil and butter for 8 minutes, add the sliced garlic and chorizo, cook for a further 5-7 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and have soaked up all the flavoursome oil from the chorizo.  Place in a serving bowl.

Scoop out the avocado and roughly mash, season with a little salt, pepper and lime juice, mix through the chopped tomato, red chilli, spring onion and coriander and place in a bowl.

Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, mix with the fine diced onion, spring onion, jalapeños, coriander and lime juice, place in a bowl.

Place the sour cream in a bowl then grate the cheese and place in a bowl.

Serve family style for everyone to create their own lips smacking face stuffing tacos.

Fabulous tip I learnt from Jamie Oliver on how to make a quick taco holder, take a 1 meter length of tin foil, fold in half lengthwise, fold a tea towel long ways.  Wrap the tin foil around the tea towel, then concertina the foil/tea towel so you end up with a zig zag taco holder, perfect, fun and free!

GLUTEN FREE CHILLI CHEESE CORN BREAD CRISPY JALAPEÑO POPPERS

These gluten free jalapeño poppers are a game changer for someone like me who is allergic to storage mites which can live in stored flours and grains.  For years I have missed these gorgeous power punch of fresh crispy jalapeño and hot creamy cheese and crispy panko fried crust, not anymore!  Who knew taking a homemade cornbread, blitzing into breadcrumbs could result in a gluten free crispy glorious jalapeño popper!

Prep time 30 minutes / Optional 30 minutes chill time / Cooking time 5 mins in batches (4)

(makes 20)

For the cornbread breadcrumbs I make my own but store brought will work the same.

Cornbread Recipe for Cornbread Crumbs

150g  butter

1 glug olive oil

2 onions finely sliced

1 tsp sugar

4 cooked corn on the cob

4 large eggs

350g polenta

500ml top gold milk

200g grated cheddar

200g grated Parmesan cheese

5 red chillies de-seeded and finely sliced

1 tbsp sea salt and black pepper

1 tsp baking powder

Cornbread Method

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  In a frying pan melt the butter and a dash of ooil, add the onions, garlic and gently fry for approx. 20-30minutes, after 20mins add the sugar and cook on until they are wonderfully caramelised, golden brown and sticky, leave to one side to cool slightly.

 

I love to take my corn off the cob, it really does make a huge difference to the flavour, so holding the cob upright on the board I run my knife from top to bottom cutting off all the kernels.  Add these to your onions and cook for a further 5 or so minutes.

 

In a large bowl place your eggs, milk, baking powder, flour and polenta, season with salt and pepper, add most of the grated cheese reserving 50g for topping the muffins later and the same with the chillies reserve a little for topping later,  mix gently but well then add the slightly cooled onion mix.

 

I either like to use a 8” cake tin or my son’s favourite Pioneer Woman’s flower muffin tin, grease well.  Fill your mixture into the tin and bake for approx 30 - 35 minutes in your oven, 15 minutes before their ready sprinkle the left over cheese and chillies and return to the oven.  Take out the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before removing from the tin.

Jalapeño Poppers

(makes 20)

Ingredients 

10 green or red whole fresh jalapeños

2 tubs Philadelphia cream cheese

3 eggs beaten

300g gluten free plain flour

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 ltr vegetable oil for frying

Halve the jalapenos, scoop out the seeds and place in a large bowl, add the cream cheese to the seeds and mix well.  Using a teaspoon generously fill each half jalapeño with the cream cheese mix. 

Set up your dredging station, 3 bowls one with beaten eggs seasoned with salt and pepper, one with gluten free flour seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper and the final bowl with your blitzed cornbread crumbs.

Blitz the cornbread into crumbs

Coat the jalapeño poppers in the beaten egg.

Next coat the popper in the seasoned gluten free flour.

Next dip the popper back in the egg.

Finally coat the popper in the cornbread crumbs, place on a plate and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Chill for 30 minutes (optional).

Heat your vegetable oil to 180 C / 356 F.  Place in some of the poppers to fry, don’t over crowd the pan as this will lower the oil temperature which will leave you with soggy oil soaked poppers.  Fry for 3-5 minutes until crispy golden brown, remove and drain on a paper towel, best eaten straight away, whom I kidding as if I would ever have the patience to wait!

Serve immediately as best eaten hot.

Enjoy.