Chipotle Cheddar Burgers

Using your hands, shape four 8 oz balls of ground meat. Be gentle—the less you handle the meat, the better.

Next, press each meatball down with your palm to form a thick patty. Stick ‘em in the fridge till you’re ready to cook.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat.Add the sugar and cook for another 2–3 minutes, then mix in the Melinda’s Chipotle Ketchup. Turn the stove to medium and keep the mixture moving until the ketchup bubbles. Take off the heat, scrape into a bowl, and let the jam cool at room temperature.

Once it’s crispy, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.

Then, using the rendered bacon fat, sauté the onions over medium heat until they caramelize, 10–12 minutes. (Stir every few minutes and scrape up all the browned bits as you go.)

Heat a cast iron skillet with the flame on high, and add 1–2 tablespoons oil.

Season each patty with a lot of Kosher salt and pepper, and place them in the pan.

Using a spatula, gently press down. After 4 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes for rare, 4 for medium-rare, or 5–6 for medium-well to well-done.

Place a slice of cheddar on at the last minute, covering the pan to melt it.

Remove the burgers from the pan and let ‘em rest 3–5 minutes.

Lightly butter the brioche buns and grill them until crispy.

When you’re ready to eat, place the burgers on the buns, spread a scoop of the Chipotle Onion Bacon Jam on top, and serve with chipotle ketchup, sweet potato chips, and pickles.