Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam

I love a good burger so when I saw this recipe for Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam over at Cassie Craves I had to put it on the menu.


Unfortunately (sorry Cassie!) this one just didn't work for us. As much as I love caramelized onions and bacon, the flavors were too mellow when piled on top of the burger. I'm thinking it would be better to keep the bacon whole so it didn't get lost amongst the onions. I also felt like something was missing (and not just the cheese, which I forgot to put on the burgers we ate for dinner but remembered to add to the leftovers I ate the next day for lunch). I can't put my finger on what it was, though. It's a beautiful burger with great ingredients so I'll keep trying to make it perfect.

Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam
Slightly Modified from Cassie Craves

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 slices American cheese
4 rolls, split and toasted
Dill pickle coins

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Add bacon to a large skillet and cook to desired crispness. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Cook to desired doneness in a skillet or on the grill. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice.

Place each patty on a roll bottom, then top with some of the onion and bacon jam, the ketchup-mayo sauce, pickles and a roll top.