Recipe: All-American Cheeseburger {Land O’Lakes Cheese}

When the folks at Land O’Lakes were looking for participants to celebrate their new 4 Cheese Italian Blend cheese, and their 30 Days of Outdoor Dining event, I was all in. I mean, cheese? For real? If you’re a long-time reader of Sweetnicks, you know how much we, ok I, love cheese. When I was pregnant with Madeline, I couldn’t get enough (see Exhibit A). But luckily I also craved fish and fresh fruit. With wild abandon.

For this Land O’Lakes event, we were asked to create a recipe experimenting with their new cheese, and I knew exactly what I would make. My parents are fans of my hamburgers. I never make them the same way twice, throwing in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but the end result is always full-on flavor and juiciness. This challenge would give me a chance to turn at least one of my burger inspirations into an actual recipe!

When it comes to toppings for your burgers, cheese is a given. The more the better. Sometimes I shred it up and stuff it inside. Sometimes I put a few slices on top. And then I pile on the other toppings. Avocado. Caramelized onions. Sautéed mushrooms. Oh yes, please. All the better if the toppings are dripping through your fingers as you go in for your next bite.

Now the Land O’Lakes cheese in question? This 4 Cheese Italian Blend is a mix of Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and American, giving it a nice melty creaminess, with a teensy little punch of salt. The perfect foil for a good all-American burger. Just a few ingredients from the grocery store, and you’ll be well on your way to celebrating summertime. Outdoor dining. BBQs. Cheeseburgers. Perfection.

P.S. A few quick tips on making hamburgers:

• Do not over-handle your meat. Mix the below only until combined, and when shaping into patties, handle the meat as little as possible.
• When shaping into patties, divide the mixture into 8 even sections, that way you know your hamburgers will all be the same size and cook at the same rate.
• When forming your burgers, don’t make them too, too thick or else they will be high and well done, while still raw on the inside. I aim for about 1/4-1/2″ thick.
• Place a small thumb indentation in the center of each patty before cooking, that way the finished product will have a nice and even top.

Be sure to check Kitchen PLAY every day for the next fabulous recipe featuring new LAND O LAKES^® 4 Cheese Italian Blend or LAND O LAKES^® Deli American Cheese. Then, get in on the fun by leaving a comment with your own “30 Days of Outdoor Dining” tip for dining al fresco this summer. If you do, you’ll be entered to win a lovely grilling prize pack, including one grilling spatula, one marinade brush, one set of tongs and one grill scraper. Kitchen PLAY will be giving away four prizes total, one each week! Please visit Kitchen PLAY for sweepstakes guidelines.

All-American Cheeseburger
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

Ingredients:
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
2 lbs ground beef
1 package onion soup mix
1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 T Worcestershire
a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper
toppings: Land O Lakes^® 4 Cheese Italian Blend
optional: caramelized onions, mushrooms, avocado

Directions:
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil under golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Mix until just blended; do not over mix. Shape beef mixture into eight uniform patties. Grill as desired. Top with Land O’Lakes cheese and any other optional toppings.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen PLAY SideCar series. All opinions given are my own.

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