Which is More Amazing

The Burger or the Fries? That is the question of the day. You decide. I present to you two copy-cat recipes from Five Guys.

Honesty, I don’t see how the average family can afford to eat out. Maybe that’s a good thing. When I was growing up, going out to dinner was an event reserved for special occasions. Families ate together – at the table and not the backseat of the family car on their way to the next scheduled event.

I still see long lines at the drive-through of McDonald’s and scratch my head. It costs us as much at McDonalds as it does to dine in at a Mom and Pop style establishment. If I’m going to fork over fifty or sixty bucks for burgers and fries that are cold by the time I get home, I’d rather pick a family run place to patronize. The food tends to be better, and really, if we don’t support small businesses what does the future hold?

There are times when I do miss the chain eateries. One of our past favorites was Five Guys. If you aren’t familiar with Five Guys let me fill you in. During the 1980s and 90s Five Guys perfected their little burger joint. You could get a burger or dog any way you like – with a multitude of toppings stuffed between fresh-baked buns. The burgers were hand-formed and the fries were fresh-cut. It wasn’t unusual to find giant bags of potatoes stacked up inside. While Five Guys is classified as a Fast Food restaurant, nothing in ever cooked up in advance of your order. Another thing that sets them apart from other fast food places is that you MUST get out of your car and come inside to order. There are no drive-through windows. Which is good because you have a lot of choices to make.

Now I don’t know about you, but I like to duplicate Five Guys at home. My first duplication was with their Bacon Cheese Dogs. It’s still one of my favorite Hot Dog Recipes. Today I present to you a Double Burger and Cajun Fries, with some home-cooked modifications of course. Enjoy!

Amazing Double Burgers
3/4 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
3 thick slices Beefsteak Tomato
1/4 Yellow Onion
9 Dill or Spicy Pickle Chips
1-1/2 lbs Ground Beef
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
3 Sesame Seed Buns
1-1/2 teaspoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Ketchup
3 slices American Deluxe Cheese

Stack lettuce leaves, roll tightly, slice to create shredded lettuce. Slice tomatoes into 3 nice, thick slices. Cut a quarter section from the onion. Peel and finely dice. Drain pickles of choice on paper towels, set aside.

Divide ground beef into 6 quarter-pound portions. Roll into balls, flatten to create fresh hamburger patties. Season patties with salt and pepper.

Place a cast-iron griddle on your grill or heat an indoor griddle to medium heat. While the griddle warms, prepare the hamburger buns.

Cut three pieces of foil large enough to wrap the finish burgers. Place foil squares on a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Split buns in half. Spread ketchup on the bottom buns. Layer as desired with shredded lettuce, a slice of tomato, diced onions and pickles on top of the ketchup-slathered bottom bun. Squirt some ketchup on the top bun or drizzle a little hot sauce on the inside of the top bun, then spread with mayonnaise. Set buns side-by-side on the baking sheet ready for the burgers.

Add the patties to the hot griddle; cook undisturbed until a beautiful brown curst has formed around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip, press down with a spatula to flatten any crowning and continue to cook another 4 minutes. Flip again, top 3 of the patties with a slice of cheese.

Carefully place one burger over another, one cheese burger over another, or stack the cheese burgers double high, however you desired. Carefully place the double burgers on the bottom buns. Close with the top bun and wrap tightly in foil. Hold in the warm oven until ready to serve.

Air-Fryer Cajun Fries
15 oz Crinkle Cut French Fries
Cooking Spray
1 tablespoon No-salt Cajun Seasoning or to taste
1/2 tablespoon Seasoning Salt.

Line a rimmed baking pan with foil for easy clean up. Spread fries out in a single layer, spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl mix Cajun Seasoning with Seasoning Salt. Sprinkle over the fries, toss to coat. Set fries aside.

Set Air Fryer to MATCH COOK (If double baskets). AIR FRY; 390-DEGREES; 18 MINUTES. Spray inside of baskets with cooking spray. Press start. Let timer count down to 12 minutes, pause. Divide fries between baskets to avoid over-crowding.

Resume cooking for 6 minutes. Pause, shake baskets and continue to air fry for the remaining 6 minutes. Serve Cajun Spiced Fries with burgers and enjoy.

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Tell me LORD; where can I go from Your spirit?
From Your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
if I sink to the nether world, You are present there.