John Wayne BBQ Burgers

Tonight was just one of those nights… you know the kind. The kind of night that’s rainy and cold and you walk in your door exhausted. All I could think about after a long day of work and a killer workout was a burger.

Thank goodness I worked out today because after eating this burger, I probably need another hour of TurboKick. Ugh, there’s always tomorrow… but tonight, I was comforted and it was just what I needed.

A traditional John Wayne Burger, or pizza for that matter, is usually topped with BBQ sauce, onion rings, cheddar cheese, and bacon. My take on the burger stemmed from leftover French fried onions from my Crispy Onion Baked Chicken recipe and a killer craving for the new Muenster cheese I just bought. Ahh, a perfect creation! I hope you like it.

Crispy Onion BBQ Burgers

Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Level: Easy

2 servings of ground beef (I always pre-portion my meat once I buy it…)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. onions, chopped
1/3 c. BBQ sauce, divided in half
2 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 slices Muenster cheese
1/4 c. French fried onions… they aren’t just for green bean casserole, ya know

Mix ground beef, pepper, onions, and half of the BBQ sauce. Form into 2 patties. Either outside on the grill or inside in a grill pan, grill burgers until no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes on each side.

Spread remaining BBQ sauce on one side of hamburger buns and spread mayo on the other side. Top buns with burgers, Muenster cheese, and French fried onions. Yum!

Tips
– Leave off the mayo if you want to… or use fat-free.
– You can use dried onions to mix in with the ground beef instead of diced fresh onions.
– Add bacon if you want to… I wanted to but alas, my waistline preferred I didn’t.