Smoked Burgers with Pimento Cheese
Easy, peasy, and cheesy
And just like that — it’s Friday. Another week down the tubes!
Figuratively, of course. I would never be one to suggest a week is wasted.
We’ve had a classic New England spring this week, with temps cresting that elusive 70 degree mark one day — and then dropping into the rainy 50s the next. C’est la vie. I’m still going to make a point to get out and do a bunch of stuff before 11am (which in reality, thanks to Baby CWD’s new schedule, is before 7am…). I’m also gonna probably throw something on the ol’ Traeger. While I’ll never say no to a nice chuck roast or ribs, lately I’ve been having a hankering for burgers.
Now, we’ve made burgers before, and I’ll still stand by those. But Mrs. CWD has had pimento cheese on the brain after we got a reload from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits, so we figured why not combine the two into something really special?
Without further ado: Smoked Burgers with Pimento Cheese1.
Start with the pimento cheese. In a bowl, mix together a drained jar of diced pimentos, 1.5 cups each of grated white and yellow cheddar cheese (extra sharp, freshly grated is best) with a half cup of mayonnaise. Grate in several swipes of an onion (ideally Vidalia), a dash of Worcestershire Sauce2 , a dash a cayenne pepper, and a few twists of salt and pepper to taste. Combine all of this, and throw it in the fridge to meld3 until you’re ready to serve.
Prepare your burgers however you like. Personally, I like combining 2 pounds of ground beef with BBQ seasoning, and dividing into 1/2 pound lumps — and then smoking at 275(F) for about 30-45 minutes depending on your doneness preferences. However, I realize some people would prefer thinner patties cooked over high heat. You do you. However you do it, in the last few minutes, put your burger patties on the grill to allow them to toast.
Once your burgers are done, remove them (and the buns) from the heat. Spread a hefty schmear of pimento cheese on the top half of the bun, put the burger on the bottom, and adorn as you see fit (pickles, ketchup, lettuce, whatever). Enjoy along with a napkin.
And there you have it. A delightfully easy recipe for pimento cheese — which you can enjoy with chips, crackers, bread, by the spoonful — along with (maybe) a new way to cook your burgers. Heading into Mother’s Day Weekend (happy Mother’s Day to my maternal readers!), what’s not to love?
See ya next week. In the meantime, if you forgot to throw a card in the mail, there’s always e-cards! If you have questions, comments, concerns, or belated Mother’s Day gift ideas, please feel free to drop them in the comments.
Mostly adapted from Garden and Gun’s Classic Southern recipe
Sub soy sauce in a pinch, like we did
Mrs. CWD, prior to our marriage, used to refer to this period — the time in which a food’s flavors becoming enhanced after sitting for awhile — as “festering.” By denotation, it’s correct, but by connotation, it’s disgusting. This is one of the few things I had to make her stop doing.
A quick addendum — I forgot the most important ingredient in the pimento cheese… the pimentos!
Use one 4 ounce jar of chopped pimentos and add that into the mix.
Don’t forget to tell me I’m an idiot in the comments!