Pepper Jack Stuffed Burger

For the jalapeño cream sauce:
Mix together cream cheese, mayo, jalapeno, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt together until well combined. Set aside. The mixture should be at room temperature when you’re ready to serve!

For the crispy fried onions:
Place sliced onions in a small baking pan (mine was 8 x 11) and pour buttermilk over them.After all the onions are fully submerged in buttermilk, let them soak at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized sauce pan, pour in about 2 inches worth of vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350ºF.

Working in small batches, dunk some of the soaked onions in the flour mixture, and tap the side of the bowl to get off excess flour. You can use tongs or your fingers. (Tip: Always have baking soda on hand when using oil in case of a flare-up.)

Carefully place small batches of flour coated onions in the oil using tongs (the oil will bubble and rise) and cook until golden brown (this will take a few minutes), use a slotted spoon to break them up. Once golden, using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining onions (see note).

For the pepper Jack stuffed burger:
Divide ground beef into about 1/2-inch thick patties (see notes). Place 1 to 1 1/2 ounces cubed pepper jack cheese on one of the patties with room around the edges. Top with 1 of the non-cheese patties.

Holding the burger in your hand, pinch together the seams. It’s really important that the burger is completely sealed. Check the top, bottom, and sides of the burger for cracks. If you see any cracks, make sure to pinch the seams together. Repeat with remaining burgers.

Preheat grill to medium/medium high heat (about 450ºF). Lightly oil the grates and place the 4 burgers on the grill. Close the lid and cook the burgers, flipping once until desired doneness is reached, about 8–10 minutes per side (see notes). In the last 30 seconds, top each burger with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Don’t forget to close the lid again, so the cheese can melt. Remove from heat.

To assemble:
Smother the bottom bun with the jalapeno cream sauce. Top with burger, a handful of crispy fried onions, a leaf of lettuce, a tomato slice, and the top bun. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:
1. Keep an eye on your oil temperature. If it’s too hot, the onions will burn; if it’s too cold, the onions won’t get crispy.
2. Keep in mind: the thicker the patty, the longer it’s going to take to cook. Our burgers were extremely thick, so it took about 20 minutes total to cook. If you flatten your burgers more, less time will be required.