The Hash Brown Cheeseburger

Begin by making your patty. Form the ground chuck into your desired shape and thickness. Once formed, make an indent in the middle of the patty with your thumb. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Next, prepare your caramelized onions and hash browns, cooking both of them low and slow in a separate skillet.

Fire up your grill and get your coals nice and hot. When you are ready, get your patty on the grill, over direct heat, and cook for about 4 minutes, letting the burger caramelize. Rotate the burger 45 degrees and set over indirect heat for another minute or so. Do this just to get any grill marks, not that it is necessary. Flip the burger and cook over direct heat, placing the cover on the grill. Keep an eye on the burger as you will not want it to burn.

When the hash browns are fully cooked and crisp, top with caramelized onions, letting the onions combine flavors with the hash browns.

When the burger is almost to your liking, add on your favorite cheese (I used a horseradish Havarti from Decatur Dairy that was to die for), cover, and let the cheese melt all over the burger.

Now you are ready to plate. Add the hash brown loaded with caramelized onions to the bottom hamburger bun. Add the cheeseburger, and top with the top bun. Just look at it. Take in the smell. Take in the sight. It’s a thing of beauty.

The result is a burge, and everything you would expect in a great burger, but with that surprise. Crispy hash browns led its way through the rest of the burger. It was everything you wanted in a burger-and-potato combination. If you want to try something new the next time you make a burger, throw on some hash browns. I think you will be surprised by how good it is.