Home-made Cajun Cheeseburgers

Once again I am getting the urge to get back to active blogging - to try out new recipes, to bake and cook, to plunge into the vast world world of blog events! ;-) Last night, I decided to experiment with home-made burgers, which I hoped would be simple to make but nonetheless gourmet (atleast in its looks ;-)). I had tried Sloppy Joes for the first time this week, so I had reserved the rest of the ground beef for burgers.

I went pretty simple with the execution, cut the ground beef into three patties. Seasoned it with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning. I am not adept with grills, nor is it the time to grill in Minnesota! I decided to cook it in the pan just like I had done a steak earlier on. I also worked with store-bought hamburger buns and baked them with an egg-glaze and sesame seeds to get the brown sheen on the buns. Finally topped the patties with a slice of American cheese. Served with a side of hot baked crinkle cut french fries (bought frozen from the store), I guess my burgers made the impact that I was hoping for. After baking the french fries as per package instructions, I tossed them in the pan in which I cooked the patties, for an added flavor.

JM was really happy with the execution and my lil LM was after the fries (should have expected that!). I topped mine with a few pickled jalapeno slices and I was in burger heaven, seemed like JM was following too!!

You can add your personal touch to the burger with an endless array of toppings and seasonings some of which include onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, jalapenos, bacon, ketchup, mustard, mayo and the list goes on. You can also experiment with chicken, turkey or even vegetable patties.

Recipe (Makes 3 burgers) :

Hamburger buns - 3
Ground beef - 1/2 pound
Salt and pepper - as needed
Cajun seasoning - 1/2 tsp (for a mild taste), divided between three patties
Butter - 1 tbsp
American cheese - 3 slices
Egg - 1, beaten
Sesame seeds - as needed
Seasonings and toppings - as per your taste.

Method:

Cut the ground beef into three patties.

Season both sides of the patties with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning.

Heat a tbsp of butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until smoking hot (almost brown).

Place the patties onto the hot skillet and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Do not move the patties around too much so that the patties are caramelised.
Flip them over and allow to cook on the second side for 2 minutes.

Close the skillet with a lid and allow to cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove the lid and allow the patties to caramelise on either side.

Remove from heat and place a slice of cheese on top. (It will melt in the heat of the patty).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the burger buns with beaten egg.

Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 minutes until the top is browned.

Assemble the burger with the patty and bun and add your favourite toppings.

Enjoy warm with fries.



Tips:

1. The burger cooked the way I mentioned would be well-done.
2. If using cajun seasoning, use salt sparingly as the seasoning contains salt.
3. I had the oven preheated for the fries, so I browned the buns at 400F. The burger bun can also be browned at 350F for about 5 minutes.

Awards galore:

I cannot help but thank Uma of Essence of Andhra from the bottom of my heart because she passed ALL these wonderful awards to me and overwhelmed me with her love. She is one great blogger and an adorable person. It feels great to be once again accepted and acknowledged by someone like Uma!

I would love to pass these onto,

Happy Cook of My kitchen treasures

Ivy of Kopiaste

Archy of Archy's Recipe Book

Sukanya Ramkumar of Hot n' sweet bowl

EC of Simple Indian Food

Trupti of Recipe Center
Shubha of Chutki Bhar Pyar

Enjoy your awards, girls!!

Have a great day and an awesome weekend!