Mushroom Beef Burgers

Combine heavy cream, cola and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the essential oils into 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and whisk to thoroughly combine, then whisk the oils into the cream mixture. Set aside.

Add mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix together. Next, add the cream mixture and mix just enough to combine. Finally, add the ground beef and use your hands to combine everything together until it is just mixed. Do not over mix!
 
Cut a sheet of waxed paper into 7 squares that are each about 7 inches long. Place one sheet on a plate and set aside.

Divide the meat mixture into equal parts. Take one part and form it into a ball about the size of a baseball. Carefully flatten the meatball into a round patty and place it on the plate prepared with the waxed paper. Use your fingers and the palm of your hand to finish shaping the patty. When done, it should be about 5 inches in diameter and between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Lay another sheet of waxed paper over the patty and repeat with the remaining pieces of meat mixture, ending with a sheet of waxed paper on top. The hamburgers can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to a day. If you decide to make them ahead, place them in a ziplock bag with the waxed paper in place and keep the sealed bag flat until you are ready to use them.

When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil a large cast iron skillet over high until just beginning to smoke, then lower the heat to medium-high. Place as many burgers as you can fit comfortably into the skillet and place a second, smaller cast iron skillet over the burgers to keep them flat while they cook. A grill press works well, too, but I find that using a 12-inch skillet over a 13-inch one covers all the burgers at the same time—so efficient! Check the burgers after 2 minutes and if the tops are still very pink, continue to cook for another minute or two, or until the edges are brown. Flip the burgers, place the skillet on top of them, and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until done to your liking. Two minutes on each side will give a medium-rare burger, 3 minutes medium-well. Keep your oven mitts handy because you will want to keep an eye on them as they cook. Don’t worry if the skillet has a lot of moisture in the bottom, this is just the excess cream getting pressed out. It is what makes the burgers so soft and juicy as they cook in this flavor-infused liquid.

There are two ways I like to serve these hamburgers: the summer way and the winter way! To serve them up summer-like, prepare plates by dressing them with a layer of baby arugula. Place a burger (or two) on top of the arugula, add a dollop of mayonnaise on the burger, and drizzle everything with Sriracha. Garnish with slices of red onion. To serve these burgers winter-like, spoon mashed potatoes into the center of the plates, place a burger (or two) on top of the potatoes, and top it all with brown or mushroom gravy.