Grilled Onion Round Peppery Cheeseburgers

One of the things we keep in the freezer are pre-made hamburger patties. I know, fresh is always best, but not always practical. There are a number of reason.

Freezing is one consideration. If you are going to form your own patties, you’ll want to use fresh ground meats, be it blends you’ve ground yourself or from your trusted butcher. If you freeze the ground meat, then thaw later for making hamburgers, that’s not always the best flavor. Besides, having pre-made burgers in the freezer are great for when life gets in the way of dinner. Pick up some buns on your way home, fire up the grill and have an unscheduled burger night.

Hubby and I had decided very last minute to attend a big Celtic Festival in a neighboring town, so we changed our shopping days. Rather than plan a big meal after shopping, Hubby suggested that we could grill up some burgers. No surprise there – he’s always looking for an excuse to have a burger.

You know me, I couldn’t let it go at that. Usually when we do frozen burgers, I like to top them with caramelized grilled onions or raw red onion slivers. That’s when I thought, why not grill onion rounds? Keep the onion in a round, then grill it. I was afraid using the barbecue would run the risk of the onions falling through, so I decided to enlist the aid of my Panini Grill. It did a beautiful job.

Like I’ve said before, why settle for ordinary when it doesn’t take much to change things up?

Grilled Onion Round Peppery Cheeseburgers
1 Sweet Onion
Olive Oil as needed
1 Beefsteak Tomato
Green Leaf Lettuce
4 Hamburger Patties
Mesquite Seasoning to taste
4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese
4 Plain Hamburger Buns
Mayonnaise as needed

Peel onion, slice into thick rounds. Brush lightly with a little olive oil. Set aside. Slice the tomato into 4 thick slices. Set aside. Break four lettuce leaves from the head of lettuce. Rinse and pat dry, set aside.

Heat Panini Grill. Place onion slices on hot grill, close lid and grill for about 5 or 6 minutes.

CAREFULLY flip grilled onion, grill other side for about 3 minutes, just to caramelize slightly. Remove the grilled onion rounds, keep warm.

Heat gas grill to medium-high heat. While the grill gets hot, lay out the hamburger patties. Season generously on one side with Mesquite Seasoning. Place patties on the grill, seasoned side up, and grill until just barely pink, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Flip patties, season cooked side with more Mesquite Seasoning, continue to grill another 4 minutes.

Place Jack Cheese on the patties, close the grill lid and cook until the cheese melts, about 1 or 2 minutes longer

While the burgers cook and the cheese melts. prepare the buns. Split buns open, smear mayonnaise on both the top and bottom bun.

To the bottom bun, stack the lettuce, tomato and a slice of grilled onion. When the burgers are ready, place cheeseburger over the grilled onion round, top with remaining bun and enjoy.

This is one juicy, messy burger so please pass the napkins!

And as for the Celtic Festival, it was grand!

Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures. View all posts by Rosemarie's Kitchen