Cheddar Jalapeno Burgers

About a year or so ago I saw a television advertisement for Burger King's new "cheddar jalapeno burgers" and thought that they sounded and looked delicious!  Right away, I knew that I wanted to try to make them.  Unfortunately for me, this was back when I first really got into cooking.  With that being said, it should be no surprise that I wasn't satisfied with how the burgers turned out.  Naturally, I put the idea aside and completely forgot about them. 

So, time went by and the other weekend when my husband, some friends, and I decided to go camping I knew that we would need something we could easily throw onto our portable grill.  That is when the idea of the cheddar jalapeno burgers suddenly re-entered my mind.  Right away I went to work.  I dug through my cabinets looking for different types of seasonings and other ingredients I could add to help flavor the beef and the recipe that follows is what I came up with.  This time around, I am completely satisfied with the results and am glad that I decided to give it a second attempt!  These burgers are definitely scrumptious!

Cheddar Jalapeno Burgers
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Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (very small cubes)
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 red hot pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ tsp. minced onion
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of salt
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Combine the lean ground beef and egg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Add in the cheese, jalapeno, red hot pepper, minced onion, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.  Pulse the ingredients until they are all blended nicely together.  Now, add in the Panko bread crumbs, and pulse one last time until everything comes together.

Next, place the beef mixture into a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  This will give the beef time to absorb the flavoring.  After 30 minutes, remove the beef mixture from the refrigerator and using your hands form 5 large patties. 

Place the patties onto the grill and cook until they are done.  Garnish with whatever toppings you like and enjoy!