Recipe by Nick DiGiovanni - Bacon Caesar Burger
A juicy smash burger meets classic Caesar crunch in this bold recipe by Nick DiGiovanni. Fresh Express® Bacon Caesar Salad Kit is piled onto a crispy-edged beef patty with thick-cut bacon and shaved Parmesan, all tucked inside buttery buns crusted with crushed garlic croutons. Hot, cold, creamy, crispy, and packed with savory flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh Express® Bacon Caesar Salad Kit
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 4 brioche or potato burger buns
- 8 thick-cut bacon strips
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan for finishing
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Crush and split the croutons, split the bacon bits• Empty the garlic croutons from 1 Fresh Express® Bacon Caesar Salad Kit into a zip-top bag and crush with the bottom of a skillet or a rolling pin — leave it coarse, a mix of fine crumb and pea-size bits, not dust.
- Prep the patties• Sprinkle half of the bacon bits onto the ground beef. Divide 1 pound ground beef into 4 loose balls (about 5 oz each). Don't pack them tight, and keep them cold in the fridge until the pan is screaming hot.
- Crisp the bacon• Lay 8 thick-cut bacon strips in a cold skillet, set over medium heat, and cook, flipping occasionally, until deeply crisp, 8-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Build the crouton-crust buns• Spread 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened generously on the cut sides of 4 brioche or potato burger buns, then press them into the pile of half of the crushed crumb firmly so it sticks.• Toast crumb-side down in the bacon pan until golden and crunchy, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Smash the burgers• Heat a cast-iron skillet or flat-top over high with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil until just smoking.• Place a beef ball down, smash hard and flat with a sturdy spatula for 10 seconds, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground.• Cook undisturbed until the edges are lacy and deeply browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Flip and finish• Scrape under the crust, flip, and cook 1 more minute for a browned crust and juicy center. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pan.• Rest patties on a plate while you dress the salad.
- Toss the Caesar• Right before assembling, toss the romaine from 1 Fresh Express® Bacon Caesar Salad Kit with the kit's Caesar dressing, the remaining bacon crumbles, Parmesan, and the remaining pile of crushed crumb until every leaf is coated and the crunch is folded through.
- Build and serve• Set a hot patty on each crouton-crust bottom bun. Pile the dressed Caesar directly onto the hot burger, add a strip or two of the bacon strips, and shower with 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan, for finishing.• Crown with the top bun and serve immediately- hot burger, cold salad, garlic crunch in the bun and the bite.